Inspired by the TV miniseries and novel, Pillars of Earth by Ken Follet today's episode looks at the real history surround a period of time in English history known as The Anarchy. A 20 year long civil war between the grandchildren of William the Conqueror over the throne of England. Rightful ruler of England, Empress Matilda lands in England with a force of no more than a few hundred initial supporters, and over a period of 20 years will tear the country in two as she wars with her cousin, King Stephen over who is the rightful ruler.

The events of todays episode come from William of Malmesbury, an English monk who not only lived through the actual events of The Anarchy, but was present in the very room for some of its key moments.

As always if you like to reach me to comment on the show or let me know how your day is going you can reach me at grimdarkhistory@gmail.com

This episode today has also been produced in collaboration with Paul De La Rosa of Double Helix: Blueprint of Nations

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Covering the series of events the leads to the tinderbox of French life that enables the French Revolution. From the day-to-day life of the hundreds of thousands of peasants and migrant workers, their meagre subsistence living, to the nobility and growing bourgeois middle class and court of Versailles that has slow turned the French government at every level into a plutocracy able to be bought and sold.

For the right price, even ascension into the upper echelons of the noble class is available. By the 1780's no less than 2 new noble families per day had managed to buy their way into the increasingly top heavy world of the ultra rich. Yet, even as the old money and new money nobles squabble over what few realms of advancement are left to them, the peasants and lowest of the professional classes struggle just to leave. With up to 1/2 of of a peasants salary spent just on food, and rarely able to afford a family of 2 or even 3 with income that has not increased in 50 years.

Can a Plutocratic government survive, or will the lower classes crushed by the greed of the wealthy rise up and effect change? Let's find out what life was like in 1780's France as we get stuck in on the French Revolution.

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From 1764-1767 the Gévaudan region of France was terrorized as a supernatural animal attacked and killed over 100 women and children with dozens more who were attacked but survived. The attacks were especially horrific with several decapitations reported or throats torn out. The rumours swirled of a supernatural wolf or strange hybrid beast stalking the area.

Multiple professional hunters organized hundreds and at times thousands of the local population in concerted efforts as they tried and failed to kill The Beast.

This podcast covers the Beast of Gévaudan, the hunters involved, the heroic survivors of the attacks and the remarkable story of The Beast as it captured the fascination of all of Europe and especially France, Versailles, and King Louis IV.

Books/Research articles used in this episode

• Monsters of the Gévaudan, the Making of a Beast by Jay M. Smith, Harvard University Press 2011. ISBN: 978-0-674-04716-7
• The 1767 French "Rapport Marin" = a Questionable Report about the Examination of an Allegedly Man-eating Wolf (canis lupis) ReasearchGate, pp.1-16

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