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Epic History TV AMA (Ask Me Anything) (Patreon)

Published:
2021-04-03 14:54:04
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:
AMA

Content

Dear Patrons, 

As promised, here's a new Patreon thread exclusively for patrons, where you can ask me anything - about my background, how the videos are made, or whatever you're curious to know about myself or Epic History TV.

A bit of background - I am Toby, I am not Charles Nove! (People often think we are the same person.) I make the videos, and Charles is the voice of Epic History TV.

Toby left, Charles right:

(I haven't checked but I presume Charles records all his scripts wearing a bow-tie ;)

As I've mentioned elsewhere, my Mum raised me on tales of the Trojan War and my Dad took me on tours of Hadrian's Wall and Fountains Abbey (to name but two), which must be how I got the history bug. 

I grew up obsessed by history (Napoleon, Ancient Greece & Rome, European Middle Ages, both world wars, particularly the air war). I did a history degree, then worked for the History Channel UK for 13 years, before becoming a freelance documentary-maker, and ultimately making my first YouTube video in 2015. 

So please feel free to ask away! I will be checking this post regularly and will answer  questions as soon as I can. And thank you for supporting the channel!

Toby

Files

Comments

Bright Iredia

Hi, Toby. Can you please grant me the permission to put some parts of "World war 1 (All parts)" in writing? Thanks.

EpicHistoryTV

Hi! It would depend on what it was to be used for. Please message me with details and I will be happy to consider.

Victor Carreño

Hi Toby, As a career IT guy 20 years in, I have probably missed my window to go back to school and pursue a history degree PhD. However, I LOVE history, and have been inspired by creators such as yourself. I imagine a lot of effort that goes along with digital production, art, maps, and research to make your content. Without a history degree: 1. Are there ways a novice can get involved with historical production efforts? 2. What skills do you see being most in demand in the historical video creation space? Thank you so much for all you do!

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Victor! Thanks for supporting the channel and thanks for your question. First of all, never say never! Plenty of people do degrees or even doctorates later in life, often part-time around work. To answer your questions, from my own perspective: 1. This would be difficult, as most of the roles are quite specialist. General research tasks I usually give to school leavers / recent history graduates, who are looking to build a CV/resume. 2. Skilled animators/VFX artists, particularly working in After Effects in my case, who also have a strong passion and interest in history. There's a reason for this - experienced animators can command big fees in mainstream TV, film and commercial production. History YouTube channels struggle to match those fees, but offer much more interesting work for those who love history! Best, Toby

Castle Bravo

Whats the soundtrack in the battle of Leipzig video at 29:55

Castle Bravo

Is it the same music at 8:19 in the abbasid video?

The Imperialist

Wow I have been watching you guys for 3 years and the quality jump in the videos is immense I first watched your ww1 series and got dragged to the napoleonic wars I want to ask though how do you choose which historical event will be covered next do you choose randomly and let the patreons decide or is there something else

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Imperialist! Many videos and series are decided by Patreon vote (but not all - some special projects go ahead by executive decision!). For the votes, I create a list of options, usually a mix of my own ideas, and popular suggestions made by patrons. (But worth keeping in mind, for production/budget/editorial/timing reasons, not every suggestion can be turned into a video or series).

mk 96

Hello Toby! I've noticed that the Peloponnesian War is a passion of yours; so, besides the original work obviously, have you got any other books to recommend on the topic?

EpicHistoryTV

Hello mk! The Peloponnesian War is such an incredible tale. One of my first and greatest historical loves. It's difficult to look past Thucydides, and I haven't studied the topic since university, so I'm not up to date on the literature. But for anything ancient Greece, my first port of call is always Prof Paul Cartledge (who has been kind enough to offer advice to the channel on several occasions.)

Uaid Ez Zahhar

Hello Toby, Your videos are magestic, and you have been a real inspiration to me. I feel inspired to try and see if I can make a series inspired by yours (giving due credit) about other campaigns, such as the Flanders campaign, War of the Pyrenees, or the Rhine front. But I am not the best at animating nor am I familiar with any programs other than Scratch (which I have to use at school). So I wonder if there is even a slight chance you could do a special video showing us how you animate and how to do the units and more. I imagine it would be kinda dull, but worth it for anyone interested. And if not, what tutorials and programs would you recommend? Going off topic here: Who do you think was the best French commander (aside from our boy Bonaparte) of the Revolutionary wars, and the best Coalition commander? And which do you consider the worst commanders for their nations? Thank you very much Toby. Love your videos and love being able to support you!

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Uaid, Thanks for your question, and very kind words about the videos! Unfortunately all my time goes into making new videos at the moment, so I can’t spare time to create tutorials. But I can share a few tips with you: The software I use is – Adobe After Effects, for animations; Photoshop for images; Premiere, for assembly and audio editing. These are all powerful and sophisticated editing programmes, but there are countless online tutorials to help you get started, either via paid sites like Skillshare or free tutorials on YouTube. Be warned, it is a steep learning curve. I’ve been using After Effects for 10 years and am still learning new ways to do things! But if you are passionate about your project, and willing to put in the hard work, you can get there. Specifically about flag animations, there are two main options: you can animate your own flag within After Effects (plenty of online tutorials), or you can but a template (for this and many other things) on a platform like Envato. Regarding best Revolutionary generals – I vote: Masséna, Hoche, Moreau, Joubert! Charles seems to have the best record as a Coalition commander, but I haven’t studied the German campaigns in much detail. Hope that’s enough to get you started, and thanks for supporting the channel! Toby

Castle Bravo

The english and french rivalry lasted centuries so at the end of it all was there any victor who came out on top, which belligerent was the most successful?

EpicHistoryTV

I would advise not asking an Englishman! Or a Frenchman! I'm not sure there ever really was a victor - the French finally succeeding in driving the English out of France in the 100 Years War, but when the two nations fought on opposite sides thereafter, it was usually France that lost. They ended up firm allies by the early 20th century, and today they are countries of similar status, and similar wealth. So - there was no victor, in the end, in my view, just a lot of casualties, colonies won and lost, and squandered treasure.

Hiram Castro

Hello Toby! Where can I listen to the fast violins that are on the soundtrack of the intro of the videos covering Napoleon's campaign in Italy? I love the intro vocals, but I feel like with the violins on an infinite loop I'd be happy working all day

Hiram Castro

I literally joined the patreon because of Napoleon's videos. I love your job. I already found the song I'm looking for and, indeed, it's on an infinite loop :)

Castle Bravo

Why did France get smashed in the Franco-Prussian War, I would like to know the reasons why the French couldn’t repel the Prussians.

MarbleHit

I am a huge fan of Napoleon. After seeing your series about his marshals i got so inspired i got myself a neat tatoo on my left leg with the phrase "Terror Belli Decus Pacis". And i fucking feel great for it. Thank you Tobi <3. Cant wait for Eylau.

Uaid Ez Zahhar

Hello Toby! I have been studying the Revolutionary Wars a little bit (Flanders, 2nd Coal. in Italy, War of the Pyrenees) As you might know, I am a Spaniard. That's probably one of the reasons I've grown to be quite fixated with the eastern front of the War of the Pyrenees (the War of the Roussillon, or Rosellón in Spanish). I have studied the Spanish attempt by general Ricardos to advance on Perpignan, and his almost unstoppable victories, which resulted in the death of 4 French commanders (1 by suicide, 3 by guillotine), and am currently getting to learn about the French counterattack into Catalonia, which ended the war, and the tragic death of general Dugommier and of general De la Unión at the battle of the black mountain. I would like to know if, perhaps, you could make a series on this kinda forgotten front of the 1st Coalition? (Of course, after you are done with all projects you wish before even considering this petition) In fact, if you do so, I swear in the name of God, I shall upgrade my suscription by one rank for 6 months! (That meaning, an upgrade to an Epic Patron of the Arts. Of course, this shall be once the first video is confirmed ;) God be with you! Hurrah and goodnight from the Kingdom of Spain! P.D.: Again, sorry if I sound like a robot! :D

EpicHistoryTV

Hello Uaid! It certainly is a forgotten front of the Revolutionary Wars. Even at the time, the French troops who fought there felt very overlooked, compared to the stars of the Netherlands and Rhine campaigns, and of course.. Italy. Unfortunately I have no plans at the moment to cover this front - our resources are very limited, and I think there is more interest in seeing us cover Egypt and Marengo.

Uaid Ez Zahhar

Hello Toby! About the series covering the battle of Cape St.Vincent, also covering the battles of the Nile and Trafalgar, will it include how Nelson lost his arm, during the expedition against the Canary Islands (Sta. Cruz de Tenerife to be exact)? If yes, will it be given some detail or be kind of a footnote? I am very excited about upcoming videos, and am very grateful for the two great videos this December! I cannot elevate my subscription as of the moment, but do not doubt that as soon as money allows me to, I shall upgrade to 10€ the month, it is very much worth it to support this channel. Good afternoon from Spain!

Daniel Knowlton

Thanks for all you do Toby and Charles! I discovered you during the C19 pandemic when there was nothing new on TV. Were it not for that, I likely would've not found this other genre of TV aside from the usual channels. One great unexpected benefit of your channel is that I can watch it with my kids and not have to worry about some degenerate ad coming on in the middle of a show (e.g., NFL) :-) Also, most "kid" shows these days are cartoons and fantasy -- frankly they are rubbish for the most part. So thank you for creating these REAL life stories of amazing people who inspire us to be great ourselves. My whole family loves them, not just Dad. Keep up the fantastic work! Cheers, Daniel, Texas, USA

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Uaid, the Nelson series will be focusing on three major battles - Cape St.Vincent, Nile and Trafalgar. No plans to cover the Tenerife expedition!

EpicHistoryTV

Thank you Daniel, that's great to hear, and thank you for the support! Good to know we are family viewing in the Knowlton household!

Uaid Ez Zahhar

Hello Toby! I was recently looking up HoH's series on Frederick the Great and the Silesian wars, and there was something that shocked me, and that was just how slow-paced it all was, or seemed to be. It was all science and calculations but no flair! Instead, you look at Bonaparte, and you see a quick-paced, fast, maneuvering conflict; where it differs from the mid 18th Century in that it is more so Art than science. My question is: why were 18th century commanders so slow-paced and measured and... cautious?

EpicHistoryTV

I'm not an expert on this, but the traditional explanation is baggage trains - during the Revolutionary period, French armies began to "live off the land", requisitioning food and supplies as they went, rather than moving at the rate of the (very slow) supply column (think heavy wagons on country lanes). The other reason is the development of the army corps system in the same period - with each corps a 'mini-army', and able to fight independently for a few days, it was possible for the whole army to advance along several roads at the same time (an 'axis of advance', in technical jargon) rather than all the units along a single road. Move separately, fight together. This put much less pressure on the roads, and allowed faster movement. Napoleon was really the first general to fully exploit these developments, and wage war at a different tempo to his enemies. Maybe I should make a video about it?!

Uaid Ez Zahhar

Indeed, I think it would definitely make for a very interesting video someday!

fvelaz34

Hi Toby, I'm new to supporting the Epic History TV content on Patreon and that's why I decided to collaborate with my contribution, the truth is that I would like to know if at some point in the video the subtitles option in Spanish is going to be enabled, I have only seen the option in other languages Oh how can I put the subtitles in Spanish I hope you can help me

EpicHistoryTV

Hi frvela90, great to have your support! Unfortunately, Patreon does not allow us the option to add Spanish subtitles (or any other subtitles) at the moment, but as soon as it does we will include them on our videos. We have Spanish subtitles for all our videos on YouTube and even a Spanish language channel! https://www.youtube.com/@EpicHistoryTVEspanol

Castle Bravo

Hello, I would like to know the music in the first minute or two of your battle of the somme video

Eiko Streitz

Hi Toby, explain a bit about your research please, what kind of sources do you use, I'm especially interested in the in-depth battle sources for your Napoleon Series?

Luca Schneider

Do you have a Favourite video that you have made, is there one that in particular you think sticks out from the others.

EpicHistoryTV

Hmm I find this question impossible to answer, but if I have to - Alexander. Caesar is close, I have a soft spot for Belisarius, and both Wellington & Napoleon are not too far behind (I rate them equally good but in very different ways).

Jom

What’s your favorite uniform from the Napoleonic wars ? (Any nations).

Shane Peterec

Hey Toby, love your videos. I know you might not wanna give all your secrets away but any programs that stand out that will help other you tubers in their quest to make better history oriented videos. Your music in Alexander’s series was superb as well. Also, just out of curiosity have you covered your favourite part of history yet? Thanks,Shane

EpicHistoryTV

Sure. Take Borodino for example. I usually start with the Osprey book about the battle. They are very clear, maps are usually good, and they will have an order-of-battle. That will help me make sense of the battle's structure and the main phases. I will then turn to general secondary histories of the campaign for extra information, particularly regarding the strategic and political context. Lastly, I will scour the best eyewitness accounts for 'colour', nuance, and of course, quotes. (Although most of the best quotes will already be in the secondary works). Most of my Napoleonic reading list can be found in video description here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91OmO2YMiDM

EpicHistoryTV

I'm very fond of the History of Venice video. I used a few new animations (including making my own virtual old book) and there's a lot of good history in there that's not just military tactics, e.g. the constitution of the Republic. Wish it had got more views! I still hope to make part 2 at some point.

Comrade Stu

Hello Toby, Is there a period in history you would like to learn more about?

EpicHistoryTV

Hey Shane. I'm very lucky that I came to making Youtube video after 15 years experience making documentaries for TV. So I knew how to use industry-standard editing software such as Avid and Premiere, and do some basic animation in After Effects. This is the software I use, but it's not particularly cheap, and it's a steep learning curve. I suspect there is cheaper (and simpler) editing and animation software out there, but I'm not an expert on it.

EpicHistoryTV

I have covered (much of) the Napoleonic Wars, which has always been a favourite. But WW1 air war, WW2 in general, and ancient Athens remain major ambitions.

EpicHistoryTV

Almost all of it! I read History Today magazine cover to cover every month, there's no era I don't find interesting. But in terms of particularly wanting to learn more, the late Roman period is a bit of a gap for me, that I'd like to remedy. I've been thinking about an epic series of the Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire. There have been some interesting new books on the topic, that incorporate, for example, climate history.

BenDrums24

What's the most useful computer/software shortcut it technique you've discovered recently?

Stefanos Mitrokostas

Hi Toby! Are there any steps you could recommend when it comes to protecting your channel. Do you believe copyrighting or trademarking say the logo/name are necessary steps a small channel should take early on or is it not that necessary for YouTube channels? Waiting with great anticipation for your next series! Will be great as always!👍

EpicHistoryTV

The apostrophe key in After Effects. It toggles the title safe regions. I've been using AE for about 10 years and only just discovered it. Shift+' brings up proportional grid. Amazing. Keyboard shortcuts in AE are 50% of the battle.

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Stefanos. This is tricky because I'm not an expert in this field, so my advice may be wrong for you. But from my own experience, it is not important. I don't think logos and names have as much importance as they used to - most viewers are just clicking on video that YouTube suggested. Thumbnails and video titles are more important.

Daniel C.

I love your videos and I use them in my history classes all the time! How did you end up partnering with Charles for the voice work? He's absolutely fantastic. I could listen to him all day.

Catherine de’ Medici

What’s your favourite documentary you’ve made, outside of YouTube?

Luxnapol Marturunkakul

Hello Toby, would like to know your top3 favorite empires in both military and political aspects!

Stuart Carver

What books are good for that I'm listening to gibbon on audible and I think I've diving in without learning to swim.

EpicHistoryTV

That's great to hear, thanks Daniel. Out of interest, where are you teaching? As far as I remember, I just found Charles through internet searches for voice-overs. It then turned out that he'd worked at the History Channel many years ago and we had friends in common, AND he loved history, so was willing to take a punt on my first Youtube video. He has a very distinguished TV and radio career here in UK, if you didn't know.

Lewis C

Do you ever feel like YouTube doesn’t give your videos the attention they deserve in algorithm? Obviously your channel is very popular, but sometimes I feel like other similar channels which I view as lower quality seem to be favoured for some reason? You are definitely my favourite creator on YT so it makes me a bit sad you arent favoured by YT like others are

Lewis C

Do you have any tips in terms of a history-centric career? I’ve actually just made a big decision changed courses at Uni from something I wasn’t enjoying to history, and I won’t lie, you were a big inspiration for it. I know it may not be possible to get that kind of job, and a degree in history isn’t really viewed as the best career giver, but I would love any guidance you might be able to offer.

Daniel C.

I teach in a small private Christian school in Indiana in the US. Glad you guys were able to make that connection!

EpicHistoryTV

'Favourite' seems the wrong word, but I made a documentary about Auschwitz in 2013, in collaboration with the Auschwitz Museum, that felt very worthwhile. It was an attempt to remind the audience of the stark reality of what happened there, in an age when it's slipping from living memory and awareness is declining. And it really wasn't that long ago, in historical terms.

EpicHistoryTV

Tough question. On the whole I'm not a big fan of empires, I believe in self-determination and respect for all nations! That being said, my favourites are the Delian League (for all that Athens accomplished in that period), the First French Empire (for the incredibly dramatic example of the rise and fall of Napoleon), and the Roman Empire (for Pax Romana, even if they had to kill and subjugate a lot of people to bring it about).

EpicHistoryTV

Try Bryan Ward-Perkins and Kyle Harper. I have both but haven't read them yet, but they came with good recommendations.

Sean Fitzgerald

Hi Toby, Who are your favorite historians and why? Keep up the great work!

EpicHistoryTV

Thanks Lewis. I think there is some truth in that - YouTube likes creators who release videos frequently and at regular intervals, and they give those creators more attention. I don't do that - I only release a video when I'm completely happy with it. So that will count against me in terms of YouTube views and subs, but I believe there are more important metrics..

Lewis C

Yeah well said. It’s very respectable 👍

jack daniels

How much of Napoleon's military achievements do you think can be ascribed to his personal direction as compared to his legion of capable subordinates, or the superior systems that France had in place which gave it an advantage over other nations regardless of the man on top?

alex garikana

Hi Toby, Do you have any good book/video recommendations about basic tactics like envelopment, flanking etc that were employed commonly in ancient & medieval battles. I would like to understand why they were so effective. Thanks

EpicHistoryTV

That's great to hear Lewis. You should seriously consider a history degree, I think it's a bit of a myth that it's not great for your career. Only a very small percentage of history graduates go into 'history' jobs (academia, museums, research etc) - most go on to get good jobs in all kinds of career, because their skills (research, writing, evaluating evidence & arguments, presenting etc) are valued by most employers. It's obviously not the same as a computer science degree or whatever, but it's still a strong card in the eyes of most employers.

EpicHistoryTV

In terms of history jobs, the most important thing is to make contacts in the area in which you wish to work, so your name's on the list when a vacancy comes up. Usually that means (unpaid) work experience. But be clear in your own mind about what you want to do - even museum staff spend most of their time doing 'non-history' work.

jack daniels

Also, do you have any interesting assessment of the less-celebrated Coalition commanders such as Blucher and Archduke Charles? It seems to me that they weren't really that stellar (at least after 1804), or was their genius simply overshadowed by better French commanders and soldiers?

Rick Reactions

Hi Toby! Is there a period in Asian history that you would like to study more or you feel deserves more appreciation for its historical impact/importance? I feel like we in the western world often forget about the legacy of China and Japan in particular.

EpicHistoryTV

For ancient history, I'm a big fan of Paul Cartledge (Greece) and Mary Beard (Rome). Their level of insight based on deep knowledge of the period is always a joy to read. Tom Holland is a fantastic writer of popular history on both topics, very dramatic and visceral. On Napoleon, I like Charles Esdaile for his expertise on events in Spain, and for absolutely not buying any of the Napoleonic myth. Andrew Roberts is always extremely readable, but I'm not always convinced by his conclusions. I like Richard Overy on WW2, very clear and insightful. I could tell you more but I'm currently away from my library, and can't see the shelves to remind me of who else!

Tyler Rigdon

Hey Toby! Want to preface this by saying your passion and hard work does NOT go unnoticed. I am amongst thousands who look forward to each and every video you release and hold you atop the rest of the great Youtubers. Anyway, my question: Obviously you always allow some voting and audience participation when it comes to your video series', but if you were to make a series (not counting the ones you have made already) just for the sake of geeking out, whether you had the audience or not, what era or subject of history would this series be about? What would be your biggest, widest passion project if you could start one tomorrow?

Patrick Macartney-Filgate

Hi Toby, I’ve always been curious about how you make such amazing and detailed battle and campaign maps (ie the tools and references you use)? Like the maps for Leipzig and Borodino.

EpicHistoryTV

Good question. I could do a whole video on this. I think the key to understanding Napoleon's success is the extent to which you get a brilliant and wildly ambitious general, (i.e. Napoleon Bonaparte) in charge of an army and state that's at war from 1793 onwards, and by 1800, is incredibly experienced. Bourbon France was already an extremely powerful land power. At first the Revolution causes chaos, but then it takes the ancien regime foundations, and adds national mobilisation, mass conscription, an officer meritocracy and a lot of combat experience, and you get a very powerful force. I think Napoleon was certainly the best of the Revolutionary generals, but there were others who also did amazing things with those troops, e.g. Massena, Moreau, Desaix, Bernadotte etc.

Mohammed Alsaadoon

Hi Toby! How did Charles come to voice Epic History TV? His voice fits the videos so well. Also, what program do you use to create and edit your videos?

Mark A Mendez

Are you interested in making videos on the Wars of the Diadochi to finish the Alexander Series

Patrick Lee Threatt

Hi Toby, did you have a focus when you got your history degree? And where all did you go for higher education? Love your work! Seriously, your stuff is the best thing on YouTube...and probably the internet.

jack daniels

Do you feel that Napoleon's failed campaigns in 1813 and 1815 reflect his lack of skill as a general or leader, or that he was still a genius, albeit stifled by incompetence around him? It seems to me that Napoleon clung onto his ambitiousness when it was passé, and out of touch with the true ability level of his subordinates and army - and thus he cannot be that good after all.

Lee Durbin

Hi Toby, love your work and have been watching and supporting it for years. My question is: aside from you and Charles, who else is involved in making the videos and what are their roles? Cheers!

Kevin Xu

And I would love to help if you need assistance with proper Chinese pronunciation! I see how much care you and charles take in saying names and people properly

Gavin Anand Saint Just Brown

Hi Toby. I've been reading books recently on 18th century warfare, particularly the wars were Marlborough and Frederick the Great made their names. To what extent did their exploits influence Napoleon? Secondly, why on earth did he not draw the right conclusions from Charles XII's invasion of Russia?

Kevin Xu

Love the work your team does! Is this a full time endeavor for you, or a side gig that's supported by other work? And what is the best way to contribute in terms of keeping this project active, more merchandise or patreon support?

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Alex, I'm afraid to say that I don't know any books that cover the basics in that way. There must be some around. But the basic principles, that by outflanking an enemy, you threaten to surround them, and cut off their escape route and supply lines, are as simple as that, and pretty much universal. Then you immediately get into the practicalities of how generals have achieved this - from Hannibal's double-envelopment at Cannae, to Napoleon's encirclement of Mack at Ulm.

EpicHistoryTV

I'm not a great expert on their biographies. Blucher was clearly a flawed commander, but he played an important role compensating for the cautious nature of Schwarzenberg - it strikes me that Blucher was to Schwarzenberg what Patton was to Montgomery. When you've got all that material advantage, you still need a general who will kick'em in the pants. Charles seems an extremely competent commander, who might have been a great in another age, and was largely undone by court politics.

EpicHistoryTV

I'm afraid to say that most Asian (and South American) history is the biggest gap in my knowledge. It's barely taught in UK schools, and there wasn't much offered at university either. It's obviously extremely interesting, but I'm not sure I'm the person to take it on in a major way as a video topic. I've visited Japan a couple of times, but as with China, my interest lies primarily in their roles in WW2. Early western contact with both countries might also be an interesting topic.

EpicHistoryTV

Thank you Tyler. There are lots of big ideas that I would love to take on, including the WW1 air war, the 1945 Okinawa campaign, and the French Revolution.. but the ultimate would probably be the Peloponnesian War, a blow by blow account, with tons of location filming so I could spend two years walking the mountains and beaches of Greece!

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Patrick, the actual maps for both these battles were made by HistoryMarche using Photoshop. As for the placement and movement of units across the map, this is done by me in After Effects. Each battle is based on several days research. My starting point is usually the Osprey book on the battle, but then I will go through several other books, and various primary sources, looking for information on the location of each unit at what time, and cross-referencing. It takes a long time. Sometimes there are conflicting accounts, and I have to use my judgement. I answered a question that relates to this on Reddit a while ago, which was 'how do we even know what happened in historical battles.' I'll post the answer below in case it's of interest..

EpicHistoryTV

MY REDDIT ANSWER:As the creator of the videos you mention, I'm the first to admit that they (and pretty much any map that shows movements in battle) impose a degree of simplicity and artificial order on what were notoriously chaotic and confused events - i.e. battles involving tens of thousands of men, usually manoeuvring though thick smoke or dust. My short answer to your question would be - 'to some extent; because of historians'. My longer answer... Let's take the Napoleonic period as an example, as it's what I've been working on for the last year. Historians have arrived at a 'standard account' for most major battles, with a fairly detailed timeline of who was where doing what when. (Obviously they disagree over analysis and some details). I rely on secondary sources like this for my videos, and when possible, tend to follow Osprey's Campaign series quite closely, since they're usually written by military history specialists in that period. But how have historians arrived at these standard accounts... In the case of Napoleonic battles, they stem from 200 years of historical study and debate. It begins with written primary sources such as orders, official reports, roll calls, letters, memoirs, etc: For example, Napoleon would give his own (propaganda) version in one of his 'Army Bulletins'; commanders wrote 'after action' reports to their superiors, describing events from their perspective, recommending awards for bravery, etc.; junior officers, and more rarely ordinary soldiers, have added colour and detail in their letters, memoirs etc, which continue to emerge and influence our understanding of events. (basically C19th battles generated a huge amount of paperwork!) (There was even a mass survey of veterans undertaken by Captain Siborne for the famous Waterloo model that sits in London's National Army Museum). Obviously all these primary sources have agendas and biases which it's a historian's job to be aware of and to allow for. Often sources also conflict and contradict each other. Then come the first attempts by historians to gather, synthesise and reconcile this vast collection of primary sources into a plausible chain of events. One of the earliest and most influential works like this for Napoleon's battles was Jomini's 'Political & Military Life of Napoleon' 1827. (Jomini was a Swiss general who fought on both sides of the wars and was a respected military theorist). Historians then spent 200 years reading each other's work, writing new works that rebutted earlier accounts, perhaps incorporating new archival material, or findings from new fields like battlefield archaeology, or often, adding very little at all. So by a slow process we've arrived at what I term 'standard accounts' of the major battles. It's a very imperfect way to recreate the events of a big battle, but it's the only one we've got. You end up with accounts that are necessarily simplified, 'tidied up', include several educated guesses and in some places are almost definitely wrong. When I use the secondary sources to create my videos, I add another layer of simplification. Small units might be ignored, or small movements not shown. I show one version of the story, ignore plausible alternatives, and gloss over gaps in our knowledge. For me, these are all necessary compromises in order to allow the average viewer to follow the ebb and flow, understand the strategy and tactics at work, and become engaged with the topic. (In fact, these compromises are made by almost all TV/video history programmes). These problems are multiplied when dealing with battles from earlier periods. (Or, arguably, simplified, since there's usually so little evidence). In conclusion, although our knowledge of a battle can be very detailed, it's almost always imperfect in various ways (so you are right to be suspicious!)

EpicHistoryTV

Thank you Mohammed! I found Charles by searching online for voice-over actors, and pitched my project to him. It turned out we had both worked at the History Channel in the past and had friends in common, and he decided to take a chance with a completely new YouTube channel! Editing videos is done in Adobe After Effects and Premiere.

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Mark. I'm not against it, they were pretty extraordinary times, but it's not a priority at the moment. I'd rather do the Peloponnesian War, for instance..

EpicHistoryTV

Thanks Patrick! I did my History MA at Edinburgh. Scottish universities encourage you to cover a range of topics, so over my four years I covered everything from the French Revolution to medieval warfare, nuclear strategy to classical archaeology. My major focus was the American Revolution, and the French Revolutionary period in Europe, although my dissertation was on WW2.

EpicHistoryTV

I think there were a host of factors at play. Napoleon was not as good as he used to be. He was not as energetic, and had begun to underestimate his opponents, who were at the same time becoming much better - both their troops and their commanders. Obviously the quality of the French army was also much reduced. The crucial factor though, was Napoleon's strategic and diplomatic errors (largely caused by his own arrogance) meant he was virtually without allies by 1813 and had to fight on multiple fronts. This was why the war was unwinnable in my opinion.

EpicHistoryTV

Thank you Lee! There's Jack, who helps to draft & schedule our social media posts (well worth following if you don't already!). Then I will work with others on a per video basis on various projects - HistoryMarche has given invaluable assistance in providing the battlefield maps for the Napoleonic Wars series, as well as animating the earlier battles. The Apollo Program series has been created by a talented motion graphics editor from Scotland called James Malcolm. Simon Edwards of historyrebuilt.com created the 3D castle for 'How to Build the Perfect Castle'. Otherwise it's all me!

EpicHistoryTV

Well, these are very good questions. In reverse order: there were French officers in Russia in 1812 muttering about Poltava, and there were German soldiers in 1941 carrying the memoirs of French soldiers from 1812. But on each occasion they were absolutely sure this time would be different. And they did fail in different ways. If the political determination is there for military action, no amount of warnings from history, it seems, will deter the action. IMO it's one of the true lessons of history - people only take from history the lessons they want to take.

EpicHistoryTV

As for Napoleon learning from the masters - he was a true student of military history. He studied these campaigns in enormous detail, and must have learned a great deal from them. I think there's some quote from Napoleon about conceding that Marlborough was pretty good for an Englishman (but obviously no Turenne). He also knew the campaigns of Caesar and Scipio etc. in detail.

Rebellican

Hey Toby, I’m a huge fan firstly. Who do you think was the best leader in history, and what are your personal views on Napoleon’s character?

JDusk

Greetings Toby! I must say it is a pleasure to get to know more about the men behind the magic! History to me is interesting because it is a story but one that is true! (or at least we try to make it as accurate as possible) but I was wondering have you actually held some old historical artifacts? For example: have you shot one of the muskets that would have been used during the Napoleonic wars or have you held those ancient coins? and do you like that sort of thing? I know some of my friends who are historians love the history but are so nervous around historical objects. Meanwhile holding a piece of history makes me feel closer to the history!

EpicHistoryTV

Thank you Kevin! This was a side gig for 4 years, in between making TV documentaries that paid my rent, but for the last year it has become full-time, largely due to Patreon support. Every Patreon supporter is already doing more than their fair share - but after that, the best way to keep the channel active is simply by helping to spread the word - liking and sharing videos, retweeting, commenting, all that stuff!

Stuart Carver

Most underrated and overrated general? Plus best naval commander ever if you had to not to put you on the spot. Also do you read much historical fiction? Any recommendations besides Cornwell and Iggulden as I have those?

Elisabeth Chan

Greetings! I really love your videos that I have recommended them to my followers on my history tumblr blog (the marshals series is really good and it feels like I’ve read all the potted English biographies to a certain extent); to be honest, this channel has lived up to its name because Charles’ voice make the stories truly epic. Alright so here’s my question: since I see you saying that you are interested in World War II, what do you think about Charles de Gaulle? Been reading about him lately (thanks to lockdown) and sometimes I found people comparing him with Napoleon.

Lewis C

thanks so much!!!

Patrick Lee Threatt

Thanks Toby! Aw dang, you did your MA at Edinburgh. I'm so jealous now, haha. Edinburgh is the #1 city in the world that I want to go to that I haven't been to yet. You'd probably laugh if you saw my Google Maps starred locations, particularly for Edinburgh. Needless to say, I enjoy research. That's awesome that Scottish universities encourage that. Full disclaimer: I was born and raised in the U.S. (State of Mississippi). That is one area that American universities are lacking (unfortunately among many areas): not always encouraging the exploration of a range of topics. The U.S. is much more on finding ONE area you want to be good at, and being great at it. Rather than embracing the point of a liberal arts education. As an American, I'm also very intrigued that your focus was the American Revolution. What made you interested in it? I got my BA in History, but while most historians in the U.S. obsess over the American Civil War and WW2, I've always been most fascinated with European history. Funny enough, my favorite time period of world history is 1789-1815 (French Revolution through Napoleonic Era). So I can honestly say that your Napoleonic series have been fulfilling every intellectual stimulation that I crave. On that, if you could ever get around to doing a year-by-year of the French Revolution like you did for your WW1 series, that would be incredible (no pressure, haha). Most American reviews of the French Revolution jump from the Bastille to the Reign of Terror to Napoleon. There's so much amazing material they miss when they do that. Last question if I may: what did you focus your dissertation on during WW2? I could talk history all day, so this AMA is right up my alley.

Eli Khanam

Your area of expertise is clearly Europe, but how knowledgeable are you in other parts of the world? I'd love to see you cover topics like the Spanish American wars or how Chinese dynasties functioned, even if they were short compared to most videos.

Philip Forinton

Hi Toby! I am thinking of a applying for a university to study history. Do you have any ideas for the best university to apply for at the moment?

Wenwei Jiang

Hi Toby! I'd looove to know your favourite movies/TV series set in the classical antiquities (any civilisation) that are _historically authentic_ (not necessarily historically accurate - e.g. I think Gladiator is reasonably authentic, even though it's completely fictional). Please feel free to take your time to think of as many as you can!!

Comstar (Not the phone company from the 3200's)

What period of topic in history do you feel is the most unfairly least covered by documentations, that deserves a greater recognition, and having it's part of history told?

Alex Lower

Hi Toby, I appreciate your work, you doing this AMA, and these thoughtful questions and your responses. I'm curious what you consider the "turning points" of your personal/professional life - and when did you realize that they were turning points? Thanks much!

Jonathan Chitambar

Toby, most the questions I would've asked have already been asked and answered. Happy to be a supporter of the page!

Lewis C

Hope you get on to Rome soon! its something I've been yearning for too

Sean Leavey

In the first question you answered you said you rate Wellington and Napoleon equally but in very different ways. Care to expand on that? I don't know that much about Wellington (perhaps you should do a series on him too ;-) ) but I always thought he wasn't considered on par with Napoleon.

IHW

Hi Toby, Thanks for the brilliant content. I'm curious to hear who you think would win out of Davout, and Wellington? Let's say Davout takes Napoleon's place at Waterloo, and the Prussians are checked by Grouchy, so they fail to intervene. Thanks!

Gaurav Rao

Hey, so a few questions if I may ask 1. Who is your personal favorite marshal(s)? 2. Where do you get such amazing information, would like to get my hands on the books or sources if able to learn more. And not a question but a thank you for the amazing content. There might be a time I might tire watching your content, but that day is way tooo far in the future to even comprehend (speaking on which , I shall get back to Borodino) Thanks

Big Al

Hi Toby Your channel is easily one of the best around. What made you decide on the theme and original structure? How did Charles get such a wonderful voice? He sounds like such a gent.

Dan Jaggers

Hey Toby hope you are doing just fine. I had no idea you worked for the History Channel UK, but seeing how you do the videos, I wondered wether they were an inspiration to you since the way you present them and the details put in made me remember back when it used to be a great source of knowledge, what programs on the channel did you work on?

EpicHistoryTV

Thanks rebelican. Best leader is too wide a field for me! There are obviously many exceptional leaders in history but I don't think they can easily be compared.. but a couple of favourites - Sir Robert Peel, and Pericles. Napoleon - he had a brilliant mind, bold, ambitious, rational, decisive, knew how to motivate men - but like many others in history, too much early success was his undoing. He became arrogant, obstinate, and began to believe his own propaganda. It's not an original analysis, but I think it's all broadly accurate.

EpicHistoryTV

I have not fired a musket, but there is a Brown Bess and a Baker rifle in the family collection, as well as a few 19th century swords. They are beautiful objects and certainly provide an exciting, tangible connection to the past. And make me very relieved I never had to face any of them in combat myself!

EpicHistoryTV

Underrated - I think you could say Belisarius, given what he achieved and how little known he is today. Overrated - Rommel? Best naval commander is Nelson, obviously. I don't read as much historical fiction as I used to, but I would recommend anything by George Macdonald Fraser or Patrick O'Brian. I also enjoyed Steven Pressfield's books on ancient Greece.

EpicHistoryTV

Thank you Elisabeth! Well I'm not an expert on de Gaulle, and most of what I know comes from not very complimentary English sources. I know he was a very talented and brave tank officer in 1940, and very courageous in his determination to fight on. He was clearly extremely difficult to work with - but the other Allies expected him to be grateful for their support, while he was a very proud and patriotic Frenchman - so what do you expect to happen?! And he faced enormous challenges in post-war France - the country was virtually in a civil war in 44/45, in large part due to the toxic political legacy of the 1930s, onto which had been heaped the humiliations and outrages of the occupation. Well, he faced enormous challenges, and perhaps should be given more credit by western Allies than he usually gets. Just my thoughts, and not particularly well informed ones.

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Eli, you are right, Europe and to some extent North America, and their imperial/colonial adventures. South America and China are two big gaps in my knowledge. Unfortunately, I think this means that I will not be taking them on as topics - I feel there are other people who could do this much better than me. However never say never..

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Philip! That's great to hear, I'm sure you won't regret it. However I can't give good advice on this today. It depends on so many things, including your own tastes and preferences, and my own university days were 20 years ago, so I'm sure much has changed.

EpicHistoryTV

I do love Gladiator. A great film. I also think the battle scenes from Oliver Stone's Alexander the Great are very good, even though I don't rate the film overall. I also thought the Rome HBO series (2005) was brilliant. In fact I should watch it again quite soon. For me, Hannibal and the Punic Wars period has still not been done very well in either TV or Film. (I also quite enjoy the UK comedy series Plebs, although it might not be totally accurate ;).

EpicHistoryTV

I'm tempted to say, looking at YouTube (and partly pointing the finger at myself), pretty much everything that's not white military history! I know why the landscape looks the way it does, but it would be great to see much more history of social struggle, political history, and particularly African history. I think there's also really interesting scope to cover human prehistory at the moment, with all the recent discoveries in that field. I hope to take on a few of these topics in my own way at some stage, but.. there's so much I want to cover!

EpicHistoryTV

Thanks Alex! Interesting question. Honestly, one of them was meeting an old friend from university in a pub, who told me that there was a job vacancy at the History Channel, where he worked. If I hadn't gone to that pub it's unlikely I'd ever have made documentaries - at the time I was planning on a PhD, and would probably have ended up in... academia, or museums? The other was summoning the courage to walk out of that job 13 years later!

EpicHistoryTV

Thank you Jonathan, and thanks for your support!

EpicHistoryTV

Well, that would depend on who you ask - for the British Wellington is clearly better, and for everyone else, it's Napoleon! I think they were both exceptional generals, highly intelligent, perceptive, clear and decisive thinkers and physically brave. But otherwise unalike. Napoleon was wildly ambitious and believed himself to be a 'man of destiny' (which served him well in the early years). Tactically he was extremely aggressive and didn't seem over concerned about loss of life. Wellington was more careful, pragmatic and patient. Partly these traits were imposed on each general by their backgrounds and circumstances (e.g. Wellington had to be careful with the lives of his troops, because Britain could not replace casualties with thousands of conscripts as Napoleon could). But if you put Napoleon in Wellington's shoes, and vice versa, they would not have behaved similarly. One of Wellington's greatest feats was to successfully navigate a fraught relationship with his Spanish ally - imagine Napoleon trying to do that! Equally, Wellington could never have pulled off the Ulm campaign. Napoleon's victories were bigger than Wellington's, but so too were his disasters.

EpicHistoryTV

Difficult to say. Davout never really commanded an independent army in a pitched battle, but Saltanovka comes close, and there's enough evidence to suggest he'd be a formidable opponent with 70k men. And without Blucher, Wellington almost certainly loses. But bear in mind, Wellington would never have fought at Waterloo without Blucher's firm commitment of support. So the greater puzzle is how Grouchy keeps the whole Prussian army at bay!

EpicHistoryTV

Thank you Gaurav! My personal favourite would be between Ney, Lefebvre and Macdonald. Probably Lefebvre. As for my sources, most are listed in the video descriptions for each video. This has also been useful for the Marshals series, it's quite old (1909) and not always completely reliable, but it's a good read (and free!): https://www.gutenberg.org/files/34400/34400-h/34400-h.htm

EpicHistoryTV

Thanks Big Al! One of the things I noticed working in TV history for so many years, and speaking to friends in the pub, was that there is still a big appetite for old fashioned narrative history - people like to know what happened, where and in what order. I've always liked explaining how historical events unfolded, and how they tie together, so I though this would be the style of the channel, e.g. explaining ALL of Russian history in an hour, or all of WW1. And Charles is a gent, with a very distinguished history of TV and radio presenting, which is why he sounds so great!

Elisabeth Chan

Haha it’s okay! It’s true that he’s a pretty difficult person to work with but above all the arrogance and cynicism, he’s a very patriotic and pragmatic statesman, also a pretty badass general—rather than Napoleon, he reminded of Ney at some point. Funny that although he and the British could not really get along well, they seemed very fascinated (or like, “rather obsessed”) by his physical appearance, haha!

EpicHistoryTV

Hey Lysaniel, I'm doing well, hope you are too. I've certainly been inspired by a lot of history documentaries over the years - The World at War, Michael Woods' many series, too many to mention. One influence was a Ukrainian-produced series on WW2, known in the UK as Soviet Storm (the title I gave it!). It proved something I already suspected - that you could make a popular series with a gripping narrative, maps, and archive images. You didn't necessarily need the interviews or location footage, which is expensive to film.

EpicHistoryTV

I worked on a lot of programmes at the channel over 13 years. Line of Fire, Last Days of WW2, Soviet Storm, WW1: The First Modern War, Cutty Sark Out of the Ashes, Blood & Bullets: A History of Military Medicine, it's a long list!

EpicHistoryTV

Well like Napoleon, he liked to cultivate a strong image! Wasn't he extremely tall?

Jordan Mitchell

How do you make the maps in your videos? Do you just draw the borders of each country manually by yourself based on maps you find online, or do you import data from a site somewhere? Always been interested in understanding how you make your maps as historically accurate as possible. I know a lot of people use Mapbox, not sure if you do? Been a fan of your channel for a longtime now.

Elisabeth Chan

Yep! 196cm, just a centimetre taller than the protagonists in the first 3 parts of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (probably the greatest anime ever according to the internet culture). But, what is amusing to me is that the British had used expressions like “effeminate”, “hips like a woman” (which is a thing that cracked me up every single, bloody, time—funny enough I often use this to get away from anti-Napoleonic brigades, which is probably everywhere in my generation for some reasons), besides saying that he’s extremely tall, and sometimes awkward. Somehow, he just seemed to enjoy creating a myth inside himself, even though without his radio speeches, the French resistance, perhaps, would have not succeeded. I have read a bit of one of his memoirs and totally I can feel a person who is a very faithful servant to his country. In my opinion, given his stature and mannerisms (which I found cute on a side note; I always have a soft spot on men who are awkward and shy but badass at the same time—basically why I love Ney more than everyone else even MacDonald), he doesn’t really need to particularly cultivate the strong image—more like, he was just trying to harness his long arms and legs (and he succeeded at last) besides refining his speech (like he was no orator but he just naturally has a kind of charisma), as well as his legacy.

Matt Zilic

Hi Toby, hope you’re doing well. After rewatching the Napoleon’s Marshals series and doing research on my own, i’ve come to see Marmont as less of villain and more of a tragic figure who did what he thought was right (by betraying Napoleon). I was just wondering what your own thoughts on his actions were. As for a non-history related question, what do you enjoy doing when you have time off from making videos? Take care!

Andrew Robson

Thanks for agreeing to take questions Toby. There are heaps that I'd like to ask, but I'll try and limit it to one and keep it reasonably succinct. There is alot of disagreement over how many troops crossed the Niemen in summer 1812 and how many came back in the winter. In your video you state that 2/12 returned, however I'm assuming that this includes a certain number of the flanking units such as McDonald's who went north, and the Austrian/Bavarians on the southern flank. It would appear that 286,000 were in the main column that struck out for Moscow. Of these, 124,000 left Moscow at the start of the retreat. Are you aware of how many of that group returned? You said 20,000 'ragged survivors' crossed the Niemen, but wouldn't those include survivors from Victor and Oudinot's corps also. Thanks, Andrew

Astra Solace

Hello Toby, I know this may be beating a dead horse, but would you consider doing an updated version of the 1815 Waterloo Campaign? To synchronize with the tone of the latest Napoleonic Wars videos, since Napoleon's 200th death anniversary is approaching in a month too. Also since most of the script would mostly remain the same, except for the animations. Thank you, and I am proud that you're the first channel that I have ever supported on Patreon!

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Jordan. Yes the borders are drawn manually using various reference maps, most of them found online. Everytime Napoleon reshuffled the Confederation of the Rhine, it's a bit of a nightmare, also remembering who currently owns the Dalmatian coast etc etc...

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Matt. Yes I have some sympathy for Marmont, the war had already gone past the point of rational purpose - Napoleon had lost and its continuation served no purpose, other than to get brave men killed, as well as the ongoing suffering of civilians. I think the argument that without Marmont's actions Napoleon still had a chance is just wishful thinking. Not even abdicating in favour of his son was going to be enough. Marmont was the first to break ranks among the Marshals in 1814, and that's why he's singled out for villification, but Ney, Oudinot, Macdonald, and others were telling him it was all over at pretty much exactly the same time.

EpicHistoryTV

Free time is pretty scarce these days, between the demands of video production and covid lockdowns! My sport is cricket, not so much playing these days, but watching when I can. I'm lucky enough to live in a pleasant part of the English countryside so there's some good walks, plus a lot of reading, cooking and the usual bing watching of Amazon/Netflix. Just about to finish series 8 of Homeland..

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Andrew. Yes lots of issues with these statistics, mostly for obvious reasons. For the numbers that invaded Russia, a lot of this has to do with how many of the auxiliary/depot/reserve troops you're including, for example. I don't tend to get too hung up on the big numbers, or small discrepancies (partly because I regard a lot of these numbers as ultimately unknown / unknowable) - I tend to take a survey of the numbers in reputable secondary sources, and go with one that seems typical, or most trustworthy. The 2 from 12 stat comes directly from Rory Muir's "Tactics and the Experience of Battle in the Age of Napoleon" (a very good book). The 20k number is typical, estimates ranging roughly from 12k - 25k, of survivors of the main column (including Oudinot and Victor). I have 100k as the number that left Moscow, with c.24k from Oudinot and Victor joining at Beresina.

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Astrá, great to have your support, thank you! There have been quite a few requests for this, and I understand why. I'm not saying I won't do it ever, but at the moment there are other priorities - for me, it is more important to keep covering new topics. What may happen at some point in future, is that we vote on what Napoleonic topic should be next, and this may be an option.

EpicHistoryTV

Mapbox is interesting though, I might have a play and see if I can get something useful from it.. thanks!

Stuart Carver

Nice, wow Rommel that’s a big one. Ok no debate about a lesson then. Ok thanks I’ll have a look I don't know if you had time to read some of the books your videos were sponsored by but I have now read terribillita and it was really good. Even left a review saying i found it on the channel.

Stuart Carver

If you views on Napoleon himself have remained the same is there another person from the period who you’ve changed your opinion on? Also unless you know someone from all these countries how do you find out how to pronounce foreign names, places, battles ect and are you with Mr Nove in person to direct him on those? He an idea for another time perhaps a livestream set for a certain time where we can write questions and you can do a kind of quick fire round?

Jesús Vázquez

Hello Toby! All of your content is of the highest quality, I appreciate the effort you and Mr. Nove put in every video. My question is: Do you think Napoleon could have beaten Field Marshal Suvorov, had they met on the battlefield during the War of the Second Coalition? Keep up the amazing work! 🙌

Sean Leavey

Another question if I may, unlike most asked so far: how has lockdown been treating you and the channel? Has productivity changed (even for better) at all? It strikes me as something that probably wasn't disrupted much, but I'd be interested to know from a primary source!

Chris Stevens

Hi Toby. Loving the videos. Keep up the good work. Can i ask why Marshall Jefferson didn’t make the top Marshall List? Move your Body (of Troops) is surely reason enough?

Bluewarrior514

Do you know what Charles eats for breakfast?

ILL State Fishing

Hello Toby, great videos! Are you planning to make a video on the Spanish Civil War? I’m not sure if it will have battle tactics as great as Napoleon’s wars, but it does have a lot of factions involved and is right before WWII.

EpicHistoryTV

Thanks, those mentions are always really helpful. I didn't have time to read the whole book, but I dipped in enough to see that it was well done.

EpicHistoryTV

Yes I direct Charles for the recordings. I tend to use Forvo.com for pronunciations, so we can hear it from locals, or sometimes ask a friend from that country. That's a good idea, might look into it!

EpicHistoryTV

First I will read a general history of the topic, something not too detailed, so I can get a sense of the chronology and major themes. For Napoleonic campaigns, the starting point is usually an Osprey book. Then I will look for more specialised works, and try to make sure I am reading at least 2 or 3 different authors, so I am aware of different interpretations or analysis. Finally, I will aim to skim a few primary sources, for good quotes or interesting details, or vignettes. (For Napoleon's Russian campaign, Caulaincourt's memoirs are great for this). The whole process takes around 5 days, and I am making detailed notes throughout.

EpicHistoryTV

Thank you Jesús! I am aware of Suvorov only really by reputation (and of course his famous escape through the Alps), but I've never really studied his campaigns. So without being an expert, I will only say that the French generals he defeated were second-rank, and that an encounter with Napoleon would surely have been a very close run thing!

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Sean. Well you guess correctly, I work from home so have been very little affected by lockdown. In fact, it has removed a lot of possible distractions, so given me more time to devote to videos! Which is good and bad. The channel has also benefitted in terms of YouTube views, with a lot of people spending more time watching online video.

EpicHistoryTV

I don't but he's a Scotsman so we can safely assume it's porridge!

EpicHistoryTV

Thanks Chris! You're right, he is definitely the best Marshall for manoeuvres.

EpicHistoryTV

Thanks Dany! No current plans, but it's a fascinating topic and would make a good series. I don't know it much beyond Orwell's Homage to Catalonia and his service with the POUM militia. I will add it to the list!

Bence Fehér

Hey Toby. If it were completely up to you, what would the next big project be? Also, have you thought about making a behind-the-scenes video for 1m subs, showing how an episode is made? (By the way, I would kill to see you cover the Hungarian War of Independence of 1848-49 someday:)

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Bence. I mentioned elsewhere that the WW1 air war of Peloponnesian War would be top of the list, but I forgot to mention that an encyclopaedia of Greek gods is also high up on my wish list - I've already written 100,000 words about if for another project that didn't happen!

EpicHistoryTV

It's a nice idea, but I suspect a behind-the-scenes video would be very dull - mostly me sat at my computer moving around keyframes and colour correcting in photoshop. I know virtually nothing about the Hungarian War of Independence so it would be very interesting for me too!

Astra Solace

Actually why stop at the Hungarian War? The whole of 1848's "Spring of Nations" (+ Napoleon III's era) is an absolute goldmine for a lot of Epic History videos!

Wenwei Jiang

I think it's precisely the way you take all of these little things into consideration that massively sets this channel apart from everything else!! Please never stop <3

Wenwei Jiang

On the topic of revolutionary war generals, how would you rate Jean Moreau, in comparison to the others like Masséna, Desaix, and Jourdan? If he were pro-Napoleon rather than republican, do you think he would've been among the first-appointed marshals?

EpicHistoryTV

I've always been very interested in the late 18th/early 19th century period, and the American Revolution was the Senior Honours course that most fitted the bill, with an excellent teacher, Dr Frank Cogliano, who's still at the History Dept. It's a great topic with an interesting mix of political philosophy and military strategy, with something of the air of a Greek tragedy - an avoidable conflict but a sense of inevitable slide into war. WW2 dissertation was on Hitler as a war leader, what he got right and what he overwhelmingly got wrong. I'd love to do a French Revolution series at some point, though illustrating it might be tricky.

EpicHistoryTV

I think Moreau was probably as good as any of them apart from Napoleon, and yes, if Napoleon hadn't decided he was a potential political threat, I'm sure he would have been a Marshal.

Tom Vansel

Toby, Thank You for all the hard work you have put into these incredible and informative videos. Have you ever considered doing a video or series of videos about the Iowa Class Battleships? Such a topic using your style would be absolutely prodigious. The Iowas have an amazing story, from bluffing with the Battleship Tirpitz to Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War and beyond. The U.S.S. New Jersey was even part of a task force that responded to North Korea's 1969 shooting down of an American Air Force Shooting Star. Thank You for your time and everything Toby, Tom Vansel

EpicHistoryTV

Thank you Tom! I haven't considered it yet, but if HMS Victory goes well, perhaps it could be the start of a series..

Arben Kikaj

Sorry I'm late. I want to know if you think there is any danger, or at least ethical question, of glorifying figures like Napoleon? This isn't accusatory- I adore you series, I'm fascinated by Napoleon, Empire, war etc. I loving looking at maps showing battles, expansion, conquest. But then I see Goya's work for example and I'm reminded of the real horror of all this war. The several million dead soldiers across the continent, only for France to effectively return to its 1791 borders! What was it all for? What is Napoleons legacy? What did he achieve that remained? Obviously he's a brilliant general but is it right to call him a great man?

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Arben! Very interesting question, which I've been pondering a lot lately - specifically, do I do enough in my videos to make clear what a horrendous period of slaughter and suffering the Napoleonic Wars were, or do I make them seem all a bit exciting and fun! So, this is a genuine concern of mine, but at the moment I'm satisfied that my own videos do sufficiently explain the casualties, suffering and destruction. Nor are figures such as Napoleon depicted without considerable criticism. I'm considering a future video that deals with this a bit more head-on. In terms of Napoleon's own legacy, and 'great man' credentials, this is a slightly different question, and a very big one which I won't try to answer here. Suffice to say, I personally consider Napoleon a remarkable and brilliant individual, but over his career, an increasingly flawed ruler, general and human being. (We'll be running an online poll on social media around the bicentenary of his death - 5 May - to see what people think)!

Arben Kikaj

Thank you for your response! I personally feel you do get the balance right in your videos, and I would definitely be interested in a video that tackles the issue directly. The results of the poll should be interesting too! My question of 'great man' is drawn from reading Crime and Punishment, a book I love. The idea that 'greatness' can justify collateral suffering and destruction, absolving him of moral judgement, has fascinated me since, especially in the context of historical figures. In the end I feel his motives were no more malicious than that of any other man or leader at the time, he was just superior at the game!

Ronnie Lim

Hi there Toby! Great to be able to communicate directly ^_^ I stumbled on your video & then your channel while looking up on the Battle of Waterloo, & was immediately hooked!!! Sincerely & truly appreciate your work, & like many here in this AMA probably, yours is the only Youtube channel I'm supporting on Patreon. Have been reading all the Q&A's above to avoid asking questions already asked & hope I'm not asking things that you've touched on elsewhere... My questions are about you & Charles, I'm always curious & fascinated about the people behind these things: 1. This may sound like a strange question or could prove difficult to answer, people like what they like after all, what is it about history mainly & specifically that fascinates you so much (to the extent you went into it for your tertiary education & career)? 2. What made you try out & join The History Channel, say, as opposed to other TV/satellite channels, or other history-related areas (say, book publishers?), or academia, etc? 3. What was it like working with THC? Did you enjoy it (besides the fact you're knee-deep in history matters) & were there a lot of office or company politics as seems to be the case with broadcasters & I guess, majority of companies? 4. What made you leave? Anything specific made you leave THC? 5. I love the soundtrack of your vids - how do you go about choosing the songs/music to accompany them? They obviously suit & enhance the mood of the specific events in your vids - it amazes me that with all the music out there, how does one choose which to use & when & where to use them. 6. I love listening to Charles's narration - his voice, intonation, where he stresses certain words, his rhythm and so on, what a great choice! Other than the obvious, were there any other major reasons you chose him, as opposed to some other person? Say, same interest in the periods of history perhaps for example? Or something else? 7. Looking at Charles's info on the 'net, seems like he's a very accomplished person therefore can't be cheap to hire! Does he choose to work with you on a "discount" or for free? It's akin to me wondering if actors do the same when an ensemble of major actors/stars feature in small low-budget indie movies. Or that you make the choice to spend your budget for his services paying his market rate? 8. On a lighter note, seeing as Charles is a Scot (but from online info seems to have been born in London, & predominantly operates in London?), I had the fortunate chance to have tried haggis for the 1st time in an Ayr motel restaurant over 20 years ago on one of my few trips per year to the UK from Malaysia (then), & thoroughly enjoyed it. The elderly English gentleman whom I was with, a global traveler, said that it was the best haggis he had ever had. Prior to trying, I had braced myself for what haggis tasted like & was pleasantly surprised, after decades of "conditioning" from movies, TV shows & Beano & Dandy as to what haggis tasted like. This experience made me a fan of haggis, tried to find it where I go that I thought may have haggis but as you can imagine, when you've had the best, it's all downhill thereafter. Would he (or you) know what that motel name could be (I wonder if their haggis is still good - if memory serves me, which it often doesn't, it's at the end of a dead-end road & near the seafront or body of water, perhaps a river) & where you'd recommend in the UK to have good haggis, for when I make a trip to the UK in future? I welcome haggis recommendations from your fans here, as well as any Ayr-nites (Ayr-ites?) here that might know which motel I'm referring to & share with us ^_^ Thanks in advance & thanks for putting out such good shows for us all to enjoy!

Ronnie Lim

#8 above - looking up googlemaps & using streetview, I think the motel I went to those years ago is (currently) the Fairfield House Hotel. Anyway, to clarify, I don't expect a Scot to know every detail about Scotland, just that by happenstance Charles may be familiar with Ayr, a small city, & he may know which motel/hotel I was referring to.

EpicHistoryTV

Interesting, I've not read Crime & Punishment, only the short stories and Brothers Karamazov, I think I'll order a copy. I'm not sure I'm quite as generous about Napoleon, but there was certainly enough belligerent nationalism and aggressive self-interest to go around in early 19th century Europe!

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Ronnie, great to hear you've been enjoying the videos so much, and great to have your support. That's a lot of questions! I'll do my best in the time available...

EpicHistoryTV

1. I think like most people I was first drawn to history (from almost as early as I can remember) by the drama and excitement of the stories. After studying the subject for many years at school and university, it seemed evident to me that history is the best guide we have to understanding humankind, and what its capable of, for good and ill. It can provide lessons, warnings and inspiration and I wanted to share some of that knowledge with others who weren't quite as obsessed about it as I was. 2. I was going back to university to start a PhD when the History Channel offered me a job. They were the only history-related organisation that did! (I also applied to various museums, publishers etc.) 3. It was great, lovely people and learned a huge amount. 4. They stopped focusing on history documentaries and started showing more general entertainment. 5. It's just my taste in music! In general it's pretty simple - tense music for a tense situation, fast music for an action scene, etc. 6. I've answered this one elsewhere, it was serendipity plus a shared enthusiasm for history and professional background. Good to hear about your happy experience with haggis! It's not to everyone's taste. I can't help with finding the hotel, but definitely avoid cheap haggis and always go for the best!

Ronnie Lim

Thanks so much for your reply! Two follow up questions & one remark (of sorts), numbers refer to the question #s above: 1. Did you have a history teacher (or several) throughout your schooling that really got you going and/or helped spur you on further with your interest, or was it something just inherent within you that made you "geek-out" on history? 3. Good to hear this. I didn't see much "noise" or complaints about them online or with working with them, or scandals, which is always a good sign coz some of it would come out if there were issues with the company. On the other hand, I never found positive things being said about them (that I could find). 4. Yeah, I noticed that, as with most people who watch the channel too I guess. Why was that? Why did they choose this path or change? Better viewer ratings? Mind you, I'm not complaining about the general interest programmes, I do enjoy some of them (e.g., The Pickers, The Deadliest Catch), & I liked the mix they had with lots of history programmes mixed with some general interest ones, but today it seems to be maybe 70% of the latter & the remainder being the former. I feel the mix is very imbalanced right now. I'm guessing you must know why... looking at your timeline with them, you would've been there at the time they decided on the change & when they made the change. Are you able to share with us then? 5. When you put it this way, it makes sense & is simple ^_^. Having stated this, I'm guessing you must have a wide knowledge & familiarity with many songs. I mean I have a very broad music taste... I love good music whatever they are, from classical to jazz to pop to many types of cultural music (the only type I don't listen to is heavy metal) but I know I would struggle to remember or think of specific songs or sections of songs for specific scenes. That amazes me. Like those in-house channel ads some broadcasters come up with to promote programmes or events - they mix & splice scenes from many different shows together to create a cohesive ad. And again, thanks very much Toby!

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Ronnie. 1. I had some good history teachers but my parents were a much bigger influence, both of whom have a deep passion for different aspects of history, and have worked professionally in the field (historic buildings). 4. Yes, simply the desire to reach a bigger (and younger) audience. 5. Glad you enjoy it! There's a very limited amount of music that I can access for an affordable fee, which helps make the selection a bit simpler. Cheers Ronnie!

Ronnie Lim

Thanks. All the best, take care & stay safe!

Pao Kasemphai

Hello Toby, it's such a pleasure to be able to ask you these questions. As a broke college student who has no clue how to progress in life, I wanted to ask you about the production side of your videos. I don't know if you can tell but I am deeply motivated by your videos (especially Napoleon series) and want to have my own history channel one day. 1. I wanted to ask about the software that you used to create the maps? 2. What are some of the tips when you are drawing maps especially in the past? What do you look for in modern maps when you are about to draw maps in the past (especially in cities and major settlements like Leipzig in your Battle of Nations video)? Thank you in advance Toby! P.S. I think I watched your Napoleon series like ten times over

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Pao, great to hear how the videos have inspired you! The maps are created in a combination of Photoshop and After Effects. Careful research is the best tool for making accurate historical maps. Around a big event like the Battle of Leipzig, there will be lots of existing historical maps to base the work on, although not all will be accurate. You can also investigate local/municipal museums, who would be likely to have historical maps the city and the region. Hope that helps!

Line_of_Blood

I don't know if you still look at this AMA or not, might as well try. My question is what would you improve on Berthier's staff system?

EpicHistoryTV

Yup, I'll still get a notification for any posts here. Interesting question. I think two things - first, I would try to rationalise the organisation and structure. There were overlaps and complexity, and it was only really Berthier's mastery (because he had put it together) that allowed it to function. This is why Soult struggles when he has to come in and replace Berthier in 1815. Secondly, when people are working 20 hours a day for days on end, with irregular sleep and high stress, they start to make mistakes! So as part of my rationalisation, I would try to avoid staff burnout before it happened. I'm sure there are many technical and administrative aspects that could've been improved, but I'm not a specialist on military staff work, so these are just obvious faults that occur to me.

Stefanos Mitrokostas

Hi Toby, I was wondering if you had any recommendations in terms of equipment such as microphones, cameras or computers or anything really that you would recommend to beginner history video makers in the field?

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Stefanos. I'm not really up to date on cameras or mics, as I don't regularly use either in my work. The software I use is Adobe After Effects, Premiere and Photoshop - all broadcast-standard editing and animating software, part of the Adobe Creative Suite. It's complex software that can take a while to master - I've been using After Effects for more than 10 years and I'm still learning all the time! But these days there are many online tutorials and courses to help get you started.

Louie H

Hi Toby, I was curious to know how you and Rémy went about ranking the marshals and what the process looked like, whether it was a lot of back and forth or did you agree on many of them? I’d also love to get your opinion on Bessieres? Chandler’s book isn’t too praising of him or his skill as a marshal but he is often considered as one of the better marshals. I’d love to get your thoughts as he has always been my favourite marshal. Thanks for all your hard work and I can’t wait for the next Belisarius video!

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Louie, There was nothing particularly sophisticated about our process! I created the first list, as a basis for discussion, Rémy recommended some changes and then we had some back and forth. But we quite quickly arrived at something we were both happy with. (We were both very aware that this is a not entirely serious exercise - there can be no 'correct' ranking, it's just opinions.) He was particularly keen (perhaps as a former French soldier!) to demote those who'd turned against France in any sense, e.g. Marmont and Bernadotte. Regarding Bessières, Chandler (or rather Charles Esdaile, who wrote this chapter - perhaps a debatable choice as Charles is famously anti-Bonapartist, while one of Bessières' main attributes was loyalty to Napoleon), was my major source. What can be added is that Bessières was clearly adored by his troops (cf the outbreak of weeping at Wagram when it was thought he'd been killed), and perhaps a more effective cavalry commander overall than Murat - he might have lacked some of Murat's élan, but also his impetuosity. Thank you Louie!

Line_of_Blood

Hi Toby, When you were the UK executive producer for Soviet Storm: WW2 in the East (love the title you gave for the series BTW) Do you know why the narrator changed from David Riley to Mike Cooper. I always find it odd when they change the narrator halfway through a series. I've noticed some of figures are different between the Russian version and the Western, For Example in the Stalingrad episode , the number of tanks captured at the end of the campaign was 1000 in the western version vs 1500 in the Russian Version and the number of vehicles captured 60,000 vs 80,000. Did you fact check the figures to see which sources are more accurate? Did you think overall Soviet Storm was an unbiased series since there were some things things that weren't mentioned at all for example the Siege of Leningrad, people had to resort to unspeakable acts to avoid starvation. Details like that shouldn't really be overlooked especially when so many people suffered as a result. Executive Decision to finish the Venice Series? Its been 3 years since the start of that series Curious how you collaborate with other channels such as History Marche for the Napoleon Series and Nedim Can Incebay for the Battle of Salamis?

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Raymond, Sounds like you've really been studying the Soviet Storm series! First of all, glad you liked the title, I was rather pleased with it! The narrator was changed at the insistence of 'higher ups', who preferred Mike for the second series. They are both excellent and very professional voice over artists, but I was surprised by the decision to change narrator midway through the series. And yes, creating English scripts also involved a lot of fact-checking. I don't think it is a series free from bias, but what series is? I think it is very much a modern Russian historical view of 'the Great Patriotic War', which in itself is very interesting, and also, it's full of information about the war that does not normally get into WW2 documentaries made in the west. Venice - hopefully at some point. The view on Patreon is clearly to prioritise other topics, but I never like to leave something unfinished. HistoryMarche did great work producing the battlefield maps for the Napoleon series, animated some of the earlier battles as well. Nedim created the Total War gameplay footage for Salamis. It's good to share some of the labour sometimes! And both have specialist skills in maps/gameplay footage that brought a lot of extra polish to the videos.

Castle Bravo

Hi Toby, in your opinion who do you think was the better general on the battlefield Alexander the Great or Napoleon Bonaparte?

EpicHistoryTV

Hi Jimmy, I think it's very difficult to compare two generals from the same age, let alone two commanders separated by 2000 years. If I had to pick, I'd probably go with Alexander, just because the scale of what he achieved is so staggering, and he was in the thick of the fighting for most of it. Plus he had the good sense to die young, before things fell apart and he suffered defeats. Napoleon was obviously an exceptional commander, but he was largely working within the means and methods of his time - he was just much more dynamic and able than most of his opponents. And his early successes are inevitably tarnished by the disastrous mistakes of his later years.

Castle Bravo

How many parts will the Napoleon in Italy series be and do you plan on covering napoleon in the war of the second coalition?

EpicHistoryTV

Napoleon in Italy will be 4 or possibly 5 parts. I will almost certainly cover the other early campaigns, but not straightaway. There are other projects I also have planned. They will be announced first here on Patreon.