1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:04,480 Good morning. How are you doing today, Michael good How are you fantastic? 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:08,640 What an amazing book. There's there's happiness in this book because you're you're 3 00:00:08,679 --> 00:00:14,359 just constantly learning new things, and I swear that makes the body happy. 4 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:19,199 That's good to hear. One of the things about this book is that it's 5 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:22,480 like these are the It's like it puts the book into the hands of young 6 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:25,760 adults and children in the way that don't go to Google. We've got some 7 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:28,320 answers here, and that's what I love about it, especially when you're talking 8 00:00:28,359 --> 00:00:31,879 about things like dragon's blood being a cure. Let's oh my god, let's 9 00:00:31,879 --> 00:00:37,320 start it off there. Well, that was That was one ingredient in a 10 00:00:37,759 --> 00:00:43,439 potion called Saint Paul's Potion, which is said to cure several illnesses, including 11 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:48,359 an upset to stomach um. The ingredients also included licorice and funnel, which 12 00:00:48,719 --> 00:00:53,159 I think we use today it's peas for digestive issues, so there probably was 13 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:57,280 something to it. But then the dragon's blood was obviously not from a dragon. 14 00:00:58,079 --> 00:01:02,359 It was a red resin from a tree that came from some parts of 15 00:01:02,359 --> 00:01:07,840 Africa. But the potion also did include real blood from a cormorant. So 16 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,680 when you drank that potion, you were getting quite a mixture of things. 17 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:18,159 I cannot speak to how well it treated the illness, though, what almost 18 00:01:18,159 --> 00:01:21,519 sounds like Doctor Pepper because they didn't it start off as a medicinal I think, 19 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:25,599 so, yeah, that sounds great. One of the fascinating things in 20 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:27,079 the book is that we all like pyramids. I mean, you go into 21 00:01:27,079 --> 00:01:30,840 the Mayan ruins, but of what got my attention were the mounds. North 22 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,400 Carolina has mounds in them. They don't get a lot of attention, but 23 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:41,400 it was very interesting to find other nations that have mounds well in certain other 24 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:44,760 parts of the United States. I mean the big one being in Cahokia Um 25 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:49,239 in southern Illinois. That was I don't remember now that the dimensions, but 26 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:53,079 it was it was huge, and I think it was the Vikings Head Mounds 27 00:01:53,079 --> 00:01:56,760 for burial mounds. So yeah, you see you see certain things that are 28 00:01:56,799 --> 00:02:00,400 repeated in places that didn't have contact with each other, which is interesting. 29 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:05,079 You turn it into fun, turning history into fun. How is it that 30 00:02:05,079 --> 00:02:07,199 you're able to do that? I mean, do you sit around in conferences 31 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:09,439 and go, okay, how can we make that fun? Or is it, 32 00:02:09,479 --> 00:02:15,800 I mean, because it's just so naturally absorbing. Well, I think 33 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:17,960 part of it is, you know how National Geographic designs their books. They 34 00:02:19,319 --> 00:02:23,319 have great designers and illustrators, and this book is heavy on illustrations, but 35 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:28,800 they're they're they're fun, they're vibrant. And then we have the tech, 36 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:31,400 you know, broken up into different pieces so it doesn't feel kind of overwhelming. 37 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:37,159 And then within the text, my editors, you know, kind of 38 00:02:37,159 --> 00:02:42,000 give me free rein to use puns and jokes and make allusions to things that 39 00:02:42,159 --> 00:02:46,000 you know, maybe aren't really directly related to the Middle Ages, but you 40 00:02:46,039 --> 00:02:49,319 know, you hear a word and it makes you think of something that's contemporary, 41 00:02:49,319 --> 00:02:53,199 and you play around with that, and I you know, I hope 42 00:02:53,319 --> 00:02:57,960 that kids get a lot of those those things, but I think any parents 43 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:01,039 or grandparents who might be reading along with kids will hopefully get some of those 44 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:05,039 word plays that go over the head of an eight or nine year old, 45 00:03:05,039 --> 00:03:07,199 so it'll be entertaining for them as well. Well. You're definitely in touch 46 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,800 with those young adult readers because when you've got things in here, you know, 47 00:03:09,879 --> 00:03:14,599 spotlight on the legends of the lore. They love folklore, and you 48 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:20,240 have really you know, brought them closer to the stories. Well it's nice 49 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:22,840 to hear, I mean, you know, And for me, one of 50 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:24,639 the fascinating things about doing a book like this is I learned so much. 51 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:29,400 I mean, I I study history in college. I took one class in 52 00:03:29,439 --> 00:03:32,960 the Middle Ages. I didn't know probably ninety percent of the things in here. 53 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,680 So I'm getting to learn a lot. And then, you know, 54 00:03:37,759 --> 00:03:42,280 then the challenge is taking the what I learned and making it accessible to kids. 55 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:46,039 So that's that's what I enjoy about what I do. There's there's also 56 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:47,479 some reality in here, because I mean, we're we're fresh out of the 57 00:03:47,759 --> 00:03:53,080 COVID nineteen locked down and the and the pandemic that swept across the world. 58 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:55,840 So I love the idea that you that you put focus on the deadliest diseases 59 00:03:55,879 --> 00:04:00,199 because we can't forget about the Black Death, we can't forget about the ad 60 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:02,039 bugs are still out there and things. So you're very honest with this. 61 00:04:04,039 --> 00:04:08,240 That's true. And you know, it's funny because this book, I started 62 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:12,680 it before COVID. Why we took we took a break because of COVID. 63 00:04:12,759 --> 00:04:15,279 The book was kind of showed for a while and then finished it, and 64 00:04:15,319 --> 00:04:18,720 so you know, going back to that those parts about the Black Death was 65 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:21,399 made it feel very you know, it's like, wow, this is this 66 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:25,879 is really relevant. And you know, we don't mention COVID directly, but 67 00:04:26,199 --> 00:04:30,160 I would think that kids who have lived through that, you know, they 68 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:32,600 might make a connection. I mean, we talk about the root of the 69 00:04:32,639 --> 00:04:36,519 word quarantine, so that's certainly a word that became part of their vocabulary the 70 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:42,600 beginning of the pandemic. So again it's it's nice to have times where you 71 00:04:42,639 --> 00:04:45,600 can make the connections for the past and the present, and you know, 72 00:04:46,079 --> 00:04:48,040 you can't avoid some of the darker things. I mean, you know obviously 73 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:55,079 warfare and religious conflict. I mean that was all part of that historic period 74 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:59,319 too, So we just tried to retreat that stuff respectfully. Ating and maybe 75 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:02,399 you don't have any jokes about some of the serious things, but I think 76 00:05:02,439 --> 00:05:05,680 you can still make it interesting for the kids. Photographs, you know, 77 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:09,680 they always say will create a thousand words. But what I love about your 78 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:12,639 words is that you can take something a photograph that we have seen a million 79 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:15,160 times, such as the Dome of the Rock, and you share the story 80 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:17,639 it's right there. We don't have to go dig in for it or anything 81 00:05:17,639 --> 00:05:20,560 like that, because we see these famous places in all of these if we're 82 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:23,920 watching TV and all of a sudden, but we don't, you know, 83 00:05:24,079 --> 00:05:27,560 really have a resource, but you do. This book really is a great 84 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:32,399 resource. Yeah, and again you know the fact that National Geographic just has 85 00:05:32,439 --> 00:05:38,519 access to so many wonderful images and and you know, I didn't tell them 86 00:05:38,879 --> 00:05:41,600 get an image of this or that, but you know, their their photo 87 00:05:41,639 --> 00:05:43,759 research. You just know like, Okay, this is going to be the 88 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,199 best way to illustrate that. And obviously with something like the Dome of the 89 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,560 Rock or other buildings, it's it's a pretty obvious choice. But they they 90 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:56,839 had some really just excellent selection of photos to illustrate the words. So that's 91 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:00,839 I'm very lucky to be working with them in a very creative way. Are 92 00:06:00,879 --> 00:06:04,319 you not introducing the Middle Ages to the to the preteens as well as the 93 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:06,879 younger ones, because I mean it's to them. They's like, okay, 94 00:06:06,879 --> 00:06:12,240 well nineteen eighty was forty years ago, but but this this book really does 95 00:06:12,319 --> 00:06:16,279 help you dive into a time in history that we should never forget, right 96 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:20,000 right, No, But I hope you know that's certainly the intent and uh 97 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:26,720 and again I think that trying as many times as possible to make connections from 98 00:06:26,759 --> 00:06:30,040 the past to today. Um, Like we have a spread about inventions from 99 00:06:30,079 --> 00:06:33,839 the song Dynasty. Yeah, and those are things that were invented then that 100 00:06:33,879 --> 00:06:40,600 we still use paper, money, gunpowder, magnetic compass. So it's it's 101 00:06:40,639 --> 00:06:44,399 trying to let them see that, you know, things aren't in isolation. 102 00:06:44,519 --> 00:06:47,959 There's there's there's connections that we got where we are today because of what happened 103 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:51,040 in the past. That's the thing that's always fascinated me. And that's what 104 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:56,040 I hope. I hope I stir some interesting kids about that. Oh you 105 00:06:56,079 --> 00:06:59,160 do, and and if if anything, it starts a conversation with the adult 106 00:06:59,199 --> 00:07:00,759 and then they sit down with their with their little ones and say, you're 107 00:07:00,759 --> 00:07:03,160 not gonna believe it. I just found in this book because when you when 108 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:08,040 you see a parent laughing or giggling about a story, the kids always want 109 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:10,879 to know more. Tell me what are you looking at and what it does? 110 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:15,240 It serves as an invitation. Yep, yep, yeah, I hope 111 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:18,240 that's how it works. Definitely, how did you put all of this together 112 00:07:18,319 --> 00:07:23,160 into one? I mean, because the illustrations, the pictures, everything. 113 00:07:23,319 --> 00:07:25,439 I mean, this had to have been a chore, but at the same 114 00:07:25,519 --> 00:07:28,160 time you got it. It feels like you had a great time putting it 115 00:07:28,199 --> 00:07:31,160 together. I did. I did. And again, you know, as 116 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,600 far as the illustrations, that that's really out of my hands. I mean, 117 00:07:33,639 --> 00:07:36,519 I might make suggestions for a spread, you know, let's have a 118 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:40,199 nap of this or picture this, but then it's really up to the to 119 00:07:40,319 --> 00:07:44,560 the photo researchers and the designers to execute it. Um. For me, 120 00:07:45,319 --> 00:07:48,519 the interesting part was doing an outline, doing the basic research, figure out 121 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:53,600 what are the topics we should include, how best to organize them, and 122 00:07:53,639 --> 00:07:58,480 then filling in the details by doing more research and and you know the process. 123 00:07:58,519 --> 00:08:01,560 Like I said, we started this twenty nineteen, I believe. And 124 00:08:01,079 --> 00:08:05,199 it's even without COVID it it's a long product. Takes a couple of years 125 00:08:05,199 --> 00:08:07,879 to do a book like this, and that's because there's my part with the 126 00:08:07,959 --> 00:08:11,079 research and writing, there's the editing, there's the fact checking, and then 127 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:16,120 there's all the illustration design element. It's a it's a big process, a 128 00:08:16,319 --> 00:08:20,959 very collaborative effort. Feathers have always been a major part of my spiritual life 129 00:08:20,959 --> 00:08:24,720 in the way that I there's a life after the bird has it and that 130 00:08:24,759 --> 00:08:28,560 because people will laugh about it. They you know, they'll find it on 131 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:31,920 a forest floor. But to read about feathers that are filled with gold, 132 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:37,200 I this is awesome. It shows how important that quill really is after the 133 00:08:37,279 --> 00:08:43,559 bird. And one of the other things that I find interesting is how the 134 00:08:43,639 --> 00:08:48,759 feathers were traded as like parrot feathers were traded as valuable goods. And to 135 00:08:48,879 --> 00:08:52,120 show how there was the interaction of different cultures. You know, in the 136 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:54,759 desert southwest the United States, there are any parrots, but yet they find 137 00:08:56,320 --> 00:09:00,639 parrot feathers, so obviously they were trading with with people much are the south 138 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:05,080 and and I just always am fascinated by the by the way, uh, 139 00:09:05,159 --> 00:09:11,600 the people of different cultures and areas intermingled through trade, and not only goods 140 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:16,320 were traded, but also ideas and then inventions. It's um, yeah, 141 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:20,039 I think that this era helps us see that, you know, globalization, 142 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:24,720 uh is not necessarily a new concept, you know, has it has it 143 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:28,080 roots hits roots back in this period. That would be so fun in the 144 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:31,960 way that you know, trading feathers as as a monetary thing because you know 145 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:35,519 macaw feather it buys this, but where a blue crown con your feather will 146 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:37,279 get this or an eagles feather. It's like, whoa, hey, we're 147 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:45,960 talking about something here. Now. We all know that the Nights in Shining 148 00:09:46,159 --> 00:09:48,799 Armor are some of the greatest stories of all time. But to dive into 149 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:56,480 this inside this book where you're showing us what to where to warm, yeah, 150 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:58,480 it's it's it's you know, and the evolution. You know, you 151 00:09:58,519 --> 00:10:05,519 go from like leather armor to to chainmail and to the solid um solid metal 152 00:10:05,039 --> 00:10:09,080 um. And then we have a spread where you look at the same thing 153 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:13,120 with um with the samurai in Japan, yes, where they have very particular 154 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:18,840 uh outfits and and of course helmets being very important because you know, you've 155 00:10:18,879 --> 00:10:22,600 got to you've got to protect your eyes and your brain. And so yeah, 156 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:28,039 it's it was interesting again, you know, obviously I was more familiar 157 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:31,480 with the medieval nights Guard than than than the samurai. So that's where I 158 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:35,679 had to do a little bit more research. But it's it's yeah, and 159 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:39,399 you know, in a way it's I don't know, a little sad that 160 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:43,799 warfares what's a big part of this history, but it is, and so 161 00:10:43,919 --> 00:10:46,720 you just have to you just address it. And um and I think especially 162 00:10:46,759 --> 00:10:50,759 for young boys, I think they kind of gravitate towards that. Anyways. 163 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:54,519 Oh yeah, And as a martial artist, I'm sitting here looking at the 164 00:10:54,519 --> 00:10:56,679 the the warfare, uh and I don't want to call the costume, but 165 00:10:56,759 --> 00:11:00,440 but but what they had to wear two war and I it's like, as 166 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:03,559 a martial artists, I couldn't wear that. I couldn't move the way that 167 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:07,039 I was trained to move and something like that. Right, right, What 168 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:11,080 did you learn from this project? Because there's always going to be something that 169 00:11:11,159 --> 00:11:16,399 you guys have learned. It's like it's an oh my god moment. Well, 170 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:18,320 you know, getting it down to a granular level. Just some of 171 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:24,039 the facts. We're really fascinating. This is one that I've I've had no 172 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:28,000 idea about it. So there was a Danish king named Harold, like ninth 173 00:11:28,039 --> 00:11:33,639 to tenth century. He unified the Danes, brought Christianity to them. He 174 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,840 was known for having a diseased tooth that was kind of bluish black, and 175 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:41,720 so we got the nickname Harold Bluetooth. Well, you know, centuries later 176 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:46,519 they're an engineer working on a device to or a process to connect our phones 177 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:52,639 and laptops and all these devices wirelessly. And he reads about Harold and sees 178 00:11:52,679 --> 00:11:54,639 that he was a unifier. He's like, well, my device is unifying, 179 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:58,000 so we get the Bluetooth that we use on our computers and phones. 180 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:01,919 Wow, Michael, you got to come back to this show anytime in the 181 00:12:01,919 --> 00:12:05,200 future. The door is always going to be open for you. Oh. 182 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:07,320 I appreciate that's that's great, excellent, Thank you so much for this book. 183 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:09,559 Where can they go to find out more about the book and to find 184 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:13,440 out more about what National Geo is doing for kids? I think well, 185 00:12:13,519 --> 00:12:16,440 National Geographic Kids has a website, so that would be one place to go. 186 00:12:16,639 --> 00:12:20,720 You can find the book at any online retailer. And if you want 187 00:12:20,759 --> 00:12:24,519 to know more about my books in particular, it's Michaelbergen dot net and that's 188 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:28,320 b U R G A N. I love it. Will you be brilliant 189 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:30,679 today? Okay, sir? Oh, thanks you too.