Revolutions - The Calm Before the Storm Before the Storm

Starting point is 00:00:05 And welcome to the calm before the storm, before the storm. By the time you hear this, I will already be back east, preparing for the publication of the storm before the storm, the beginning of the end of the Roman Republic, on October the 24th. I need not remind you to pre-order it. I need not remind you to buy it when it comes out. But my nervous energy is now turning to the tour, and I want to run through the itinerary with you one final time and then hope to see you all out there. So here's how it's going to go. On Tuesday, October the 24th at 7 p.m., I will be at the Harvard Bookstore in Boston. That is the official launch party. Please bring your friends because it's going to be a party.

Starting point is 00:00:49 Then I move down to New York. On Wednesday, October the 25th at 7 p.m., I will be at the book culture on 112th street for a shared event with Jared Yates-Sexon, who's the author of The People Are Going to Rise Like Waters Upon Your Shore. It's going to be a conversation about the fate of the Roman Republic and the potential fate of the American Republic. Then on Thursday, October the 26th at 7 p.m., all of these are at 7 p.m. I will have another solo event at Powerhouse Arena in Brooklyn. Powerhouse Arena, Brooklyn. Then I head to Philadelphia. On Friday, October the 27th, at 7 p.m., I will be at the Rittenhouse Square Barnes & Noble.

Starting point is 00:01:32 And then I will wrap up the East Coast leg of the tour in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, October the 28th with an afternoon event at Politics and Pros. The time for that is 1 p.m. That is 1 p.m. I think I said it wrong the first time, but it is 1 p.m. at Politics and Pros on Saturday, October the 28th. And I really hope to see everyone out there. But that is just the first East Coast leg of the tour. And I would like now to give you details about the rest of the tour so you can make your preparation. accordingly. So after I get back home, I will do some Midwest events. I will be at the Wisconsin Book Festival in Madison on Saturday, November the 4th at 1030 a.m. And my slot will be at the Wisconsin Historical Museum. Then on November the 9th, I will be at Boswell Books in Milwaukee. And then I do a

Starting point is 00:02:23 double header in Chicago. And thank the gods, I finally have details on this. On November the 16th, I am at the Old Orchard Barnes & Noble in Skokie, and then the next day, November the 17th, I am at the Seminary Co-op, which is right there next to the University of Chicago. Then I will take a couple weeks off before my final plunge up the West Coast. On December the 4th, I am in Los Angeles at the Barnes & Noble at the Grove. On December the 5th, I am in San Francisco at Book Passage. On December the 6th, I am in Portland, Oregon, at the 1 and 1. the world's greatest bookstore, no offense to all these other bookstores, but it's the downtown

Starting point is 00:03:04 Powell City of Books. And then so far my last confirmed date is December the 7th in Seattle at Elliott Bay Book Company. All of this information can be found at the storm before the storm.com or revolutionspodcast.com. You can also follow me on Twitter. I'm at Mike Duncan, and I'm sure I will be chronicling all of this in real time. You can also find me on Facebook at Mike Duncan history. I can't wait to see everyone out there. Now the last thing I would like to do here, if you will indulge me, is to read a part of the book that most people are not going to read. And there's no shame in it. I mean, I don't read this part in most books. But since this is my first book, and I'm very proud of it, I want you all to know about the people who made it possible.

Starting point is 00:03:53 So please indulge me, because yes, my name is on the cover, but believe me, I did not do this alone. So I want to read you now the acknowledgements from the storm before the storm. Any list of acknowledgments must begin with my wife Brandy, to whom this book is already dedicated. She has been with me every step of the way and been an unfailing source of strength, support, and love. I would also like to thank my children, Elliot and Olive, who have been wonderful through the entire process and who I hope like the book once they learn how to read. My parents, Doug, and Liz Duncan have also provided incredible support not just while the book was being written, but throughout my entire life.

Starting point is 00:04:36 Without them, this book would not exist. My success is their success. This book would also not exist without my literary agent, Rachel Vogel, who sent me an email one day asking if I had ever considered writing a book. She then nursed a half-baked idea from infancy to maturity and guided me through the long and convoluted process of selling writing and promotion. I could not have asked for a better shepherd through the often baffling world of publishing. I was also lucky enough to have landed with my editor, Colleen Laurie, at Public Affairs. She not only said yes to the project in the first place, but provided expert advice and guidance as we took the manuscript from blank piece of paper to a completed manuscript. The rest of the team at

Starting point is 00:05:21 Public Affairs has also been fantastic, especially for a first-time author, managing editor Katie Heigler, publicist Christina Fuzzolaro, copy editor Bill Warhop, designer Linda Mark, marketing coordinator Miguel Cervantes, and marketing director Lindsay Fredkoff, were all a pleasure to work with. The book is better for all their hard work. For research, I am incredibly grateful to the University of Wisconsin, which is a bastion of enlightened civic engagement. The University of Wisconsin offers residents of the state of Wisconsin, full run of their libraries, and unlimited access to otherwise impossible to find academic journals.

Starting point is 00:06:00 Without these resources, I would have been lost. The Wisconsin idea of fostering a collaborative educational network linking academics, public servants, and citizens, is among the most noble endeavors in the history of civilization. In 1905, University of Wisconsin President Charles of Ennis said, I shall never be content until the beneficent influence of the university reaches every family of the state. I cannot speak for everyone, but the beneficent influence of the university has certainly reached me. I am also eternally indebted to the community of classical academics and enthusiasts who maintain online databases of ancient literary sources, fully searchable and instantly available. In particular, I relied on the work of the Perseus Digital Library at Tufts University, Yona Lendering, and Livius.org, Bill Thayer, and his Lacus Curtius Archives,

Starting point is 00:06:54 and Andrew Smith at atollus.org. This book would have been a poor effort, were it not, for their efforts. Finally, I would like to thank every single listener of the History of Rome and Revolution's podcast, who truly made all of this possible. I will remain forever grateful that you have allowed me to turn a passion for history into a career in history. I hope you liked the book. So I mean all of that very sincerely, especially that last bit at the end.

Starting point is 00:07:27 I would honestly be nowhere without any of you guys. Thank you so much for always listening to the podcast. Thank you so much for sticking with me for now over 10 years. Thank you very much for pre-ordering the book and buying the book. I know I nagged you about it relentlessly. I will see you on tour, and I really honestly do hope you like the book.

Revolutions - The Calm Before the Storm Before the Storm

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