New Books in Early Modern History

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This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: ⁠newbooksnetwork.com⁠ Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to ... more

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Publishes	Twice weekly	Episodes	1480	Founded	5 years ago
Number of Listeners		Category	History

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Latest Episodes

Creating an Informed Citizenry: Knowledge and Democracy in the Early American Republic with George D. Oberle (U Virginia Press, 2025)

When the founding fathers of the United States inaugurated a system of government that was unprecedented in the modern world, they knew that a functioning democracy required an educated electorate capable of making rational decisions. But who would v... more

11 Oct 2026 • 41 min

All Around Is Fairy Ground: Pleasure and the Regency Garden with Timothy Mowl (Reaktion, 2026)

Regency gardens dazzled with colour, invention and theatricality: trellises heavy with roses and jasmine, shrubberies designed for intrigue and lawns enlivened with pools, grottoes and fanciful ornaments. Yet behind this world of perfume and spectacl... more

5 Oct 2026 • 30 min

Lives, Land, and Labour: A Social History of Eighteenth-Century Sri Lanka with Luc Bulten (Brill, 2026)

The "Thombos" are a rather unique collection of eighteenth-century land and population registers detailing the lives lived, lands held, and labour provided by tens of thousands of people inhabiting the coastal regions of Sri Lanka that were colonised... more

3 Oct 2026 • 1 hr 4 min

How Were Foreign Languages Taught in Early Modern Europe?

In this episode of the Language on the Move Podcast, Brynn Quick chats with Professor Dr. Natalia Filatkina, Dr. Kerstin Roth and Research Associate Miriam Hinterholzer. All three work at the University of Hamburg in Germany on a long-term research p... more

23 Sep 2026 • 28 min • Most popular

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Recent Guests

Marjolijn Bol

Author of The Varnish and the Glaze, Painting Splendor with Oil, 1100 to 1500

University of Groningen (interviewee context)

Episode: Marjolijn Bol, "The Varnish and the Glaze: Painting Splendor with Oil, 1100–1500" (U Chicago Press, 2023)

Erin Maglaque

Author of Presence, A Hidden History of the Female Body

Astra House

Episode: Erin Maglaquel "Presence: A Hidden History of the Female Body" (Astra House, 2026)

Ines MacKechnie

Professor focused on Scotland, its historic buildings and archaeology

University of Strathclyde; Edinburgh University (teaching)

Episode: Aonghus MacKechnie, "Edinburgh: City of Romanticism" (Lund Humphries, 2026)

Holly Pickett

Associate Professor of English at Washington and Lee University; author of The Drama of Serial Conversion in Early Modern England

Washington and Lee University

Episode: Holly Crawford Pickett, "The Drama of Serial Conversion in Early Modern England" (U Pennsylvania Press, 2024)

Tatiana Seijas

Author of American Metropolis, The Making of Mexico City

Cambridge University Press

Episode: Tatiana Seijas, "American Metropolis: The Making of Mexico City" (Cambridge UP, 2026)

Amy Blakeway

Author of War and Governance in Scotland, 1543-1559, Destruction, Reconstruction and Reform

Edinburgh University Press

Episode: Amy Blakeway, "War and Governance in Scotland, 1543-1559: Destruction, Reconstruction and Reform" (Edinburgh UP, 2026)

Caro Pirri

Associate Professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh

Episode: Caro Pirri, "Colonial Failure and Theatrical Form in Early Modern England: Stages of Unsettlement" (Oxford UP, 2025)

Ann Blair

Author of In the Scholar's Workshop, Hidden Histories of Collaboration and Authorship

Harvard University

Episode: In The Scholar’s Workshop: Hidden Histories of Collaboration and Authorship

Steven Veerapen

Author, Overlord: The Life and Reign of Henry VIII

Berlin Verlag (2026)

Episode: Steven Veerapen, "Overlord: A New History of the Life and Reign of Henry VIII" (Simon & Schuster, 2026

Host

Miranda Melcher

Host affiliated with The New Books Network; multiple episodes featuring scholarly interviews.

Chart Rankings

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Apple Podcasts	#163	Switzerland/History
Apple Podcasts	#241	South Africa/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Marjolijn Bol, "The Varnish and the Glaze: Painting Splendor with Oil, 1100–1500" (U Chicago Press, 2023)

Q: What shift in painting ambition happened in the 15th century, and how did it affect material choices?

There was a move from aiming to imitate goldsmith-like three-dimensionality to creating representations of the visible world as three-dimensional on a flat surface; this shift drove the use of clearer varnishes and the adoption of techniques that preserve blue skies and whites, altering the material palette and application methods.

Marjolijn Bol, "The Varnish and the Glaze: Painting Splendor with Oil, 1100–1500" (U Chicago Press, 2023)

Q: What are the key differences between varnish and glaze in medieval painting, and why does that matter for understanding the artworks?

Varnish is a thicker, often protective layer made from drying oils and resins used to protect surfaces and imitate gold, while glaze is a lighter, pigment-rich layer that transmits light to create gem-like or luminous effects; recognizing this distinction helps explain how medieval painters achieved different optical outcomes and the evolution of painting goals in the 15th century.

Marjolijn Bol, "The Varnish and the Glaze: Painting Splendor with Oil, 1100–1500" (U Chicago Press, 2023)

Q: Could you summarize the core myth around van Eyck and explain why it persists in art history?

The myth rests on Vasari's portraying van Eyck as the inventor of oil paint, but Bol argues that oil paint and glazing existed earlier and that the story is a constructed lineage tied to Renaissance ambitions and later attempts to surpass the ancients; the book shows a more nuanced timeline of materials and techniques.

Tatiana Seijas, "American Metropolis: The Making of Mexico City" (Cambridge UP, 2026)

Q: Can you give us a brief overview of the city in that period—its size, demographics, and how people moved around?

The 1600s version of Mexico City was a large, densely populated, highly diverse urban center with tens of thousands of residents—about 60,000 in the late 1620s, rising to around 85,000 by the end of the century. Movement occurred through a network of canals, causeways, and land routes, with provisioning by market vendors and various laborers who navigated strict city ordinances to keep the city functioning.

Holly Crawford Pickett, "The Drama of Serial Conversion in Early Modern England" (U Pennsylvania Press, 2024)

Q: Can you tell us what some of those more established ideas about conversion actually were?

She notes that the field builds on later 17th- and 18th-century work, citing Bruce Hindmarsh and Bunyan, and shows how traditional narratives of private spiritual awakening emphasize inward transformation, while the book challenges those expectations by highlighting serial converts and their contested journeys.

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Frequently Asked Questions About New Books in Early Modern History

What is New Books in Early Modern History about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Scholarly conversations focused on recent historical publications, with guests ranging from university professors to researchers and authors who illuminate early modern history, global empires, and the history of science, culture, and publishing. Episodes emphasize how new books reinterpret politics, diplomacy, religion, and everyday life across centuries, often highlighting archival sources, methodological shifts, and cross-cultural perspectives. A recurring strength is the breadth of topics—from the Ottoman and French Atlantic worlds to paper recycling, food culture, and publishing histories—delivered through accessible discussion that situates complex scholarship within broader historical narratives. The show often features collaborative... more

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New Books in Early Modern History launched 5 years ago and published 1480 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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Recent guests on New Books in Early Modern History include:

1. Marjolijn Bol
2. Erin Maglaque
3. Ines MacKechnie
4. Holly Pickett
5. Tatiana Seijas
6. Amy Blakeway
7. Caro Pirri
8. Ann Blair

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