Rephonic
Artwork for By Their Own Compass
Grand Tour
Paris, France
David Livingstone
Annie Londonderry
Marco Polo
Leo Africanus
Emily Hahn
China
Henry Morton Stanley
Erik the Red
Leif Erikson
Vinland
Greenland
Hangzhou
Venice and the Mongols, the Eurasian Exchange That Transformed the Medieval World
Ernest Hemingway
George Orwell
Shanghai
Hong Kong
Chongqing

Historian Jeremiah Jenne and journalist Sarah Keenlyside explore historical travellers and the worlds they encountered, connecting past journeys to today's travel destinations. www.bytheirowncompass.com

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes26Founded8 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistorySociety & CulturePlaces & Travel

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Artwork for By Their Own Compass

Latest Episodes

There are few women in recent history more impressive than Nellie Bly. In 1889, aged just 25, this American reporter had already pioneered undercover journalism as we know it after faking insanity to expose a poorly run asylum. Then she decided to pu... more

In the summer of 1966, a group of men from one of the most isolated countries on Earth stepped off a plane into Swinging Sixties Britain. They had no idea about miniskirts or Beatlemania. Some were so unnerved by a statue of Jesus in their guesthouse... more

Has a more iconic road ever been built? This year, America’s famous highway turns 100. Route 66 and its fellow numbered roads were revolutionary when the federal highway system was created in 1926. For the first time ever, an ordinary person could na... more

Decades before Christopher Columbus and Europe’s “Age of Exploration”, a strapping Chinese admiral named Zheng He commanded the biggest fleet of ships the world had ever seen – treasure ships so enormous that nothing comparable sailed the oceans for ... more

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Recent Guests

Nicola Di Cosmo
Professor of East Asian Studies
Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton
Episode: Historian Nicola Di Cosmo on Venice, the Mongols, and Marco Polo in China
Peter Zheutlin
Journalist and author; Annie Londonderry's great-grandnephew
Author of Around the World on Two Wheels, Spin (novel)
Episode: Interview: Annie Londonderry’s Great-Grandnephew Peter Zheutlin
Hodding Carter
Writer and explorer who led the Viking Voyage reenactment
Author of Viking Voyage, An Illustrated Viking Voyage
Episode: What Happens When You Recreate a Viking Voyage, with W. Hodding Carter
Dan Kobayashi
Africa Analyst, State Department
U.S. Department of State
Episode: Bonus Dispatch: Modern-day Missionaries, Walking Safaris, and the Livingstone Trail with Dan Kobayashi

Hosts

Sarah Keenlyside
Journalist and lifelong traveler; co-host and show contributor with a focus on narrative travel and historical context.
Jeremiah Jenne
Historian and writer; host guiding discussion with scholarly insights and historical framing.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 16 ratings
  • Little known stories that deserve more interest.

    Fascinated to learn about Mickey Hahn’s unconventional life in 1930s China. Can’t wait to get to Shanghai and check out what’s left of this beguiling period.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Blues wed
    Australia7 months ago
  • Fun and informative

    Thoroughly interesting discussions on historic travelers delivered in a fun, creative manner.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Rough night sleeping
    United States8 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Thoughtful, well-researched episodes with engaging hosts and strong guest selections.
Fascinating mix of travel lore and history; great for listeners who love depth and storytelling.
Consistently entertaining and informative for history buffs who enjoy actual connections to places they can visit.

Chart Rankings

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Apple Podcasts
#247
Brazil/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Interview: Annie Londonderry’s Great-Grandnephew Peter Zheutlin
Q: What motivated you to pursue Annie Londonderry's story so deeply?
Peter explains that a mix of family curiosity, the mystery of a long-lost narrative, and a compelling photo-led trail drew him in, eventually turning a genealogical thread into a comprehensive historical investigation.
Historian Nicola Di Cosmo on Venice, the Mongols, and Marco Polo in China
Q: Give us a sense of the larger project and the context you and your co-author wanted to explore with this book.
The authors aimed to illuminate the two-century arc of Venice–Mongol relations, showing how Marco Polo was part of a wider network of exchange that included cosmopolitan courts, secure trade routes, and evolving monetary practices that linked the Mediterranean to Central Asia and China, beyond Polo's individual journey.
Dr. David Livingstone's Thirty-year Journey in Africa
Q: Is Livingstone kind of a dick?
The hosts acknowledge Livingstone's obsessive drive and problematic flaws, while highlighting his contributions and the complexity of his character, suggesting his fame was as much a product of the era's sensationalism as of his deeds.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About By Their Own Compass

What is By Their Own Compass about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A history- and travel-focused show where two hosts dissect the lives of notable travellers and the places they visited, linking past journeys to contemporary destinations. Episodes blend biography, cultural context, and travel tips, often exploring gender, politics, and power dynamics in historical travel narratives while drawing out lessons for today's explorers and readers. Noteworthy are its thoughtful pairings of scholarly analysis with accessible storytelling, practical site recommendations, and a knack for connecting distant eras to present-day travel experiences. This combination makes it appealing to listeners who enjoy deep-dive history, literary travel, and curated highlights of heritage sites.

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1. The Rest Is Politics
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How many episodes of By Their Own Compass are there?

By Their Own Compass launched 8 months ago and published 26 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on By Their Own Compass?

Recent guests on By Their Own Compass include:

1. Nicola Di Cosmo
2. Peter Zheutlin
3. Hodding Carter
4. Dan Kobayashi

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