Excellent deep dive into a country thats impact is greater than most realize.

This is cool. I am a 10 year old who loves history and this better than every video on YouTube

If you're fascinated by the history of Bulgaria, look no further than 'The Bulgarian History' with host Eric Halsey. This podcast takes you on a journey through time, from the arrival of the Bulgarian steppe tribe to the tumultuous events of the 20th century and beyond. With a deep knowledge of the subject matter and an engaging storytelling style, Halsey makes the history of Bulgaria come alive. Whether you're a history buff or just looking to learn something new, this podcast is an excellent resource for anyone interested in the fascinating and complex history of this remarkable country. Don't miss this show!

Great podcast! Does a great job of putting it into perspective so you can digest the depth of relations required to achieve Bulgarian identity during such shifting times!

I love this podcast, I have listened to the entire show and can’t wait for every new episode to come out. It has inspired me to go and visit the balkins . Thanks for the great work. R.B.S.-15

So little Bulgarian history is available in English in written form, and only bits and pieces here and there in audio format. It was a wonderful surprise to discover this podcast! Organized and presented clearly and methodically, it is a wonderful source for anyone interested in the fascinating story of the country.

I am Bulgarian and I was looking for another view of the BG history when I found this podcast. Eric did a very good job of explaining not just dry facts, but the geopolitical situation around Bulgaria and how this affected us. I wish this was the way I had to learn history at school. I told all my friends about it.

It’s a good podcast, five stars. My only gripe is that Eric is a real Byzantium hater. Asking Eric for a balanced perspective on the Byzantine Empire is like asking Tucker Carlson for a balanced perspective on Joe Biden or Rachel Maddow for a balanced perspective on Trump. Still, I really like what Eric is doing with Bulgarian history, and I will continue to listen and recommend to friends and family.

As a Bulgarian displaced in the world and never learning formally about the history of my ancestors, Eric Halsey does a BRILLIANT job of teaching me about it, and exciting me. My mom, born and raised in BG, is also learning a lot with me and enjoying it so much. This is amazing❤️

A must-listen to anyone interested in history.

In episode 30 learn things about Bulgaria and Balkans learned at school Keep up good work

Sadly I don’t know any Bulgarian, if I do I’m utterly unaware of it or it’s thanks to this podcast. Thus, my review only applies to the English version. First, let me offer antidotal evidence, that this is an amazingly worthy podcast for... well just about anyone. Yes if you know me you know I already get lost in vague history texts, since I was not even able to read a picture book effectively. That said, I only selected this cast thanks to two things. It was suggested as a relative of “The History of Poland Podcast,” yes shameful plug for another cast I have nothing to gain from. Second, that it had a great cover image. Boy was I in for a ride! This was not merely a curious, thorough, and entertaining history of one country or people. It is a history of histories. It cuts to the heart of European and Asiatic history. Oh and I almost forgot! Teddy’s theme music will have you hooked before you even hear Eric’s, our historian/narrator’s voice. Trust me on that one. On the more objective side, this cast is still a winner. Eric is an enjoyable narrator with a very pleasing voice. He immerses you into the story-telling like a good friend, over an equally satisfying drink, hot or cold. It’s cozy with the imperfections of exploration. If all history lectures were this good, every undecided major would switch to history by the end of their freshman year. Ok I realize I’ve probably derailing a bit from the objective... well at least it’s honest. That’s the best part of Eric’s epic here, he’s always honest and provides insightful balanced narratives of events we should all know. As English speakers will quickly realize, much of this history is taught to us uni-perspective, if taught at all. Eric breaks this boundary and restores a missing perspective that is timely and timeless. Yes timely. It’s so easy to get caught up in present day or even past injustices, especially those who enjoy history. The frank nature of Eric’s work here highlights over and over again, without intent or coloring, just why fighting these injustices often ends in further injustice. That no noble cause, gains traction without some ignoble gain, which causes the imbalance of wrongs to merely seesaw in the opposite direction. In short, this is providential insight to the need to calm it down and learn from history. It proves that focus on unity and mercy goes further than focus on fighting injustice. I don’t make this last point because Eric presents, it willingly or not. I say it because he does a fine job of presenting it clearly and honestly. The truth is apparent without aid or intent. Thank you Eric for all your time and effort to share and sort out, what would surely confuse most all of us, even if we successfully jumped the language barrier.

I am on Episode 10 of the first season. The engaging and knowlegeable Eric Halsey presents the material in well-organized, well-presented episodes which develop the history of Bulgaria chronologically. I am writing my Masters thesis on a related topic during the early Medieval period. Like most Americans, I am missing some much needed background regarding Bulgaria, a country which, unbeknownst to me (until now!), was far more advanced and powerful than I had ever imagined. Halsey fills this gap efficiently. I also visit the blog which accompanies his podcast, where there are useful maps, drawings, photos and even cartoons to aid visual learners like me to great advantage. Thank you for this valuable gem!

I love this podcast. Bulgarian history is hard to find in English and in general. In turn, this is a great resource. I am loving the way the episodes are structured and presented as well!

I’m a first-gen bulgarian immigrant in the US and have grown up really only knowing the basics of our history (surprise surprise, they don’t talk about Bulgaria in US history classes). I am loving learning more about the specifics from this podcast that’s easy to follow, interesting, and convenient for busy Bulgarians who miss their country.

I am about 25 episodes into listening to Eric Halsey's podcast on the History of Bulgaria. The podcast has captured me from the first episode. I am still catching on and use every opportunity to listen to one more episode, often while jogging

I enjoyed listening to your Skenderbeg episode. Or as we call him Gjergj Kastrioti... Thank you for telling the story well. The Balkans have been the powder keg of Europe, I will listen to more of your episodes now that I know you work well :) 🇦🇱

I’m a Bulgarian born- British - American..I have always said that there’s such little information about Bulgaria that I am saddened. I was extremely pleased when I found this podcast. I am truly and pleasantly surprised that someone was as fascinated by Bulgaria as I am. I started from the very first episode from 2015 and I am thrilled to continue and catch up. It brings tears of joy, Eric. Thank you for your dedication, rich knowledge and eloquence.

I live in Russia but I’m trying to learn more about Eastern and Slavic Europe in general and this is a great podcast for that! I especially love learning about how much Turkic influence was involved in the founding of Bulgaria. So cool!

Excellent work. This is a fantastic podcast on Bulgarian and even greater Balkan history. Highly recommended for those interested in south Slav history.

A well researched podcast. I started listening to this because I am a huge fan of the History of Byzantium podcast. Being Bulgaria borders Roman lands this podcast fills in some more details of these two empires many conflicts with each other. Sound quality of the shows is just okay which can make it hard to listen to. Recommended.

I am always looking for a good factual historical narrative. This is one of the best I've ever found. Eric is well researched and seems to have a great deal of personal experience with the part of the world. He keeps you engage and tells the story well. I would for sure recommend listening!

As a newcomer to this region I am relying on these podcasts heavily to gain some understanding. This a a complicated region and the Bulgarian History Podcast never disappoints. It’s always informative and entertaining. It will suit history buffs and even those who just want some entertainment.

This podcast presents the history of Bulgaria in a way that can be easily understood and enjoyed by all! The host’s passion is contagious and he clearly knows his stuff! Well worth a listen!

I love this podcast! It’s a great resource to learn more about such a lovely country.

This is not a narrative history podcast. It is a guy fumbling to explain a story working from bullet points. Has no rhythm, and you will tune out constantly. I question the host’s motives and work ethic with his constant plea for money. Some podcasts should be supported, just not this one.

This is a great podcast.

Thank you and your team for putting this podcast together! Love the variety of perspectives and bountiful information!

Great podcast. Very well done

Thank you for this great podcast. I've been listening for about a year now and am always happy to see a new episode become available. Love your enthusiatic delivery, personal experience with the region and the good research you do. Thanks!

I absolutely love this podcast! I was born in Bulgaria, but moved to the US when I was young so I never really got to learn about my country’s history. This podcast has given me a chance to learn and understand my culture better!

Despite my only connection to or inherent interest in Bulgaria being its interactions with Byzantium and Greece, I've found this podcast captivating. Well-presented and researched. I now appreciate the role of Bulgaria much better.

I grew up in BG, but moved to the US before we could really get into BG history in school. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve grown very curious about my country’s history. Thankfully, I can still read & understand Bulgarian, so while I hunt down decent BG history books, this podcast is more than holding me over. The quality is *superb*, the research (from what I can tell) immaculate. While the podcast should please listeners with a specific interest in BG, I really think all lovers of history will enjoy it too - so if you’re a history buff don’t hesitate to give it a listen!! :D

I started listening to his show about a year ago, and I've learned so much about Bulgaria as I've listened. This is a great companion podcast to Mike Duncan's History of Rome and The History of Byzantium podcasts. The only reason I gave it four stars is because as the podcast has gone on, there have been moments where it's lost it's focus on Bulgaria and focused a lot on the Byzantines. I understand that some talk about Byzantium is important for context, but some of the later episodes feel like a podcast about the Byzantines, not Bulgarians.

This podcast grabs it’s listeners and takes them on a riveting adventure throughout the centuries. It reveals how the internal world of Bulgaria was shaped and evolved under it’s surrounding environment and how Bulgaria shaped and evolved the world surrounding her. The decisions and actions taken by it’s Khan’s and Tsar’s would affect and alter the destinies of the people of Bulgaria, The Balkans, Europe and the World until the present and beyond.

I am learning a lot about this part of medieval history

As a Bulgarian immigrant living in the United States, I've been looking for a good way to get into Bulgarian history for some time now. This is exactly what I needed! The fact that Halsey is an American is perfect as it allows him narrate this history from an outsider's, non-biased perspective. At the same time, it's quite obvious he has embraced and genuinely understands the culture and history of the area. I honestly couldn't ask for more.

The history podcast world is sadly lacking in many, many stories, while grossly over-representing others. That Bulgaria gets its own podcast, from an expert, is a blessing. Like other reviewers have noted, as a listener of the Byzantine History Podcast, it’s also very illuminating to listen to a history in parallel. That said, the audio and narration are sub-par. The podcast sounds unedited: long pauses and repetitions are frequent. Early episodes especially have a lot of echo, or terrible audio balancing (I’ve been deafened more than once when a notification popped up on my phone). The narrator also has the unfortunate habit of talking down about himself and laughing nervously, which is perfectly understandable, but these are very easy things to edit out or cut. The history is excellent, but the presentation gets distracting.

Well done podcast!!!

This is a decently well written and produced example of a history podcast, covering a very niche area. Aside from those with a special interest in Bulgaria, this might be interesting for history nerds looking for something different, as well as those interested in the Byzantine Empire and it's relations with the Bulgars.

I am always looking for different history podcasts. This is a great podcast and I never would have been interested in Bulgarian history without this podcast!

I was born in Bulgaria and left when I was very little - I listen to the podcasts and connect with my “roots” — beats dry stuffy books on Eastern European history - that usually only mention Bulgaria n passing - anyway! Kudos!!

I listened to the first episode and I knew it was a must listen! I then binge listened to every subsequent episode. He mixes great information with great music and sound effects.

On the level of the History of Rome podcast...about something you probably know nothing about!

This podcast is very well done. An excellent overview of Bulgarian history. Often lost to the West on the Eastern edge of Europe, Bulgaria has played a significant role in much of European history. Eric Halsey and his team do an excellent job of bringing history to life with the podcast. Highly recommend it to anyone with even passing interest in Balkan and Bulgarian history.

My wife is from Bulgaria and hence comes my interest. A very good source for a brief history overview of Bulgaria

I'm a podcast junky, so when I started dating a Bulgarian, I naturally went to the iTunes Store to see if there was an English language podcast about Bulgaria. Other than my Bulgarian boo, this podcast is my favorite and most constant source of information about Bulgaria. It's great to be gaining knowledge about this place which is so interesting, yet which I knew something about. And it's really my first exposure to history of the Balkans. One thing that I like about Eric's stories is that he give listeners a sense of how he approaches history and historical research. For example, in the episode about the ethnic origins of modern Bulgarian, he describes how over time, Bulgarians have emphasized different aspect of their ethnic heritage and notes that part of what one learns by studying history is how people's attitudes about their history has changed over time. Or as another example, he describes why the title "Khan" is used for Kubrat, a Proto-Bulgarian ruler. One thing I would enjoy is hearing more Bulgarian words in the podcast since it would be nice to know some of the historically important words and place names in their own language (e.g. Black Sea or war). Oh, and, Hi Eric, I'm also from the suburbs of D.C.

My wife is Bulgarian and while I can understand it at a basic level, it is great to have an English version of the rich history of this country. Eric does a great job dealing with varying viewpoints on how the history has played out over the years and provides many insights into how Bulgaria has evolved into the country it is today.

I am a big fan of history podcasts, which is how I stumbled onto this. I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bulgaria, so I was very surprised and pleased to find this. I know from personal experience how difficult it is to figure out what actually happened in any given event in the Balkans - someone tells you a story that sounds completely unbelievable, someone else tells you an opposing story that sounds equally unbelievable, there's nothing available in English on the topic. I've only listened to the first few episodes thus far, but I am really impressed, not only with the narration, but with Eric's ability to go over controversial topics in a calm and rational manner. Obviously I'm biased because I think the Balkans and Bulgaria are really interesting, but I do think this would appeal to a history nerd just looking for an interesting podcast as well. и на ерик, успех. (и жив и здрав). :)

Eric is doing a great job of filling in some of the gaps in the European history podcasting community. You may have listened to the History of Byzantium, or the History of Rome, or some of the various podcasts that cover French or Germanic history, but this will give you the opposite point of view. The Bulgars rose to dizzying heights, and sank to tragic lows. Follow along with Eric, and hear their story.