Badass of the Week

Throughout the course of human civilization certain individuals have stood out as being completely f***ing awesome. From ninjas and gunfighters to pirates and Vikings, to explorers, scientists and great leaders, these people - true badasses - completely obliterated anything that stood in their path, routinely overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and ultimately altered the course of history through their actions. Be it glory, conquest, or survival, these hardcore men and women all had one specific goal in life - and they didn’t let anything stand between themselves and their mission. They refused to back down even when the odds seemed hopelessly stacked against them, they came back from the brink of failure to achieve ultimate success, and they beat the fucking hell out of anyone stupid enough to have stood in their way. Badass of the Week is a weekly (duh) podcast, that dives into new stories of badasses every week.

Badass of the Week is a history podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 180 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Badass of the Week, a history show with 180 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #43

  Karl von Müller: The Captain Who Humiliated an Empire

  Aug 18, 20261h 21mS2

  On today’s episode, Ben is joined by special guest Paul Jacobs to tell the story of Karl von Müller and the SMS Emden, the German warship that unleashed absolute chaos across the Indian Ocean during World War I. Outnumbered, outgunned, and thousands of miles from home, Müller used speed, deception, and sheer audacity to capture or destroy dozens of Allied ships, cripple vital shipping routes, and send warships from five nations scrambling to hunt him down. From sneaking into enemy harbors in disguise to the Emden’s explosive final showdown with HMAS Sydney, this is the story of one captain, one cruiser, and one of the most legendary rampages in naval history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  Episode #42

  Brian Chontosh: The Marine Who Ran Out of Guns

  Aug 13, 20261h 14mS2

  During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, First Lieutenant Brian Chontosh and his Marines were caught in a coordinated ambush on Route 1. With the road blocked and fire closing in around them, Chontosh ordered his Humvee toward the attack, broke through the enemy’s defenses, and led a fight through the trench line -- an extraordinary action that earned him the Navy Cross. But an award citation can’t tell the whole story. In a candid conversation with Ben Thompson, Chontosh discusses the training and Marines who carried him through that day, the danger of believing his own “badass” mythology, and the battles that followed him home. He also shares how learning to accept help led him to create the Big Fish Foundation, which works to support veterans before they reach a crisis. It’s a powerful conversation about courage, leadership, vulnerability, and the long road home from war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  Episode #41

  Semiramis: Queen of War, Mother of Legends

  Aug 5, 20261h 20mS2

  Semiramis did not come to the ancient world to sit quietly on a throne and wave at peasants. She came to rule. With an army at her back, a crown on her head, and the kind of ambition that makes neighboring kingdoms extremely nervous, this legendary queen became a towering symbol of military power, conquest, and royal authority. In today's episode Ben and Pat are joined by Dr. Amy Pistone to charge headfirst into the larger-than-life legend of Semiramis: warrior queen, empire-sized personality, and an all-around nightmare for anyone hoping to remain unconquered. Grab your crown, tighten your armor, and prepare for armies, ambition, ancient-world intrigue, and one spectacularly intimidating monarch—the queen who looked out at the horizon and decided it needed to be under new management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  Episode #40

  Louis-Antoine de Bougainville: Around the World and Into the Guns w/ Ridiculous History

  Jul 30, 202651 minS2

  in part two of our crossover with Ridiculous History, Ben and Pat join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown to follow Louis-Antoine de Bougainville—a mathematician, soldier, explorer, and the first Frenchman to sail around the world—into the biggest naval battle of the American Revolution. Commanding the 80-gun Auguste at the front of the French fleet, Bougainville charges out of Chesapeake Bay to face the Royal Navy in a cannon-smoked brawl for control of the coast. When the British finally turn away, Cornwallis loses his supplies, reinforcements, and only escape route from Yorktown. The explorer who circled the globe has just helped put an entire British army in a box—and helped turn a colonial rebellion into an independent nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  Episode #39

  George Rogers Clark: The Frozen March That Won the Northwest w/ Ridiculous History

  Jul 28, 20261h 8mS2

  In part one of our crossover with Ridiculous History, Ben and Pat join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown for one of the most insane military road trips of the American Revolution. With roughly 170 exhausted frontiersmen, no reliable supply line, and miles of freezing floodwater between him and British-held Fort Sackville, George Rogers Clark decides to attack immediately. What follows is an 18-day death march through the drowned Illinois wilderness, an enormous bluff, and a surprise siege that helps decide who will control the entire Northwest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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