The Boiled Leather Audio Hour
An in-depth thematic discussion of George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, the basis for HBO's Game of Thrones, featuring Sean T. Collins and Stefan Sasse. Warning: Westerosi wonkery ahead.
- Update frequency
- every day
- Average duration
- 62 minutes
- Episodes
- 231
- Years Active
- 2025
BLAH 210 | A Tale of Two Germanies - Ostpolitik, with Jim McGeehin
Today, we're taking a look at the detente between West and East Germany. What were the factors breaking the deadlock in domestic and international politics? How did it happen? And, most importantly, …
BLAH 209 | Best of ASOIAF - Jon's death, with Sean T. Collins
Jon's death comes as a big surprise for first-time readers, and not because it's sprung on you but because Martin is a damn good writer. We explain all the ways of why and how.
BLAH 208 | The Best of ASOIAF - The Whispering Wood, with Sean T. Collins
We’re talking about the Whispering Wood, and come off with one fundamental insight: GRRM is a good writer.
BLAH 207 | Designing board games, with Artyom Nichipurov
I’m talking to Artyom Nichipurov from Wolffdesigna Games, a Latvian firm that’s most famous for the excellent “Guards of Atlantis II”, a tabletop adaptation of the MOBA game experience. If you don’t …
BLAH 208 | The Best of ASOIAF - The Whispering Wood, with Sean T. Collins
BLAH 207 | Designing board games, with Artyom Nichipurov
BLAH 206 | A Tale of Two Germanies - Change, with Jim McGeehin
BLAH 206 | A Tale of Two Germanies - Change, with Jim McGeehin
Today, we're talking about the period from 1966 to 1974. Witness the Grand Coalition and the coming into power of Willy Brandt, heading the first SPD government of the Federal Republic with his sloga…
BLAH 205 | A Tale of Two Germanies - Ulbricht, with Jim McGeehin
Today, we’re covering the first half of the history of the Democratic Republic of Germany - or East Germany, to its friends. From the earliest days of popular insurrection to the construction of the …
BLAH 205 | A Tale of Two Germanies - Ulbricht, with Jim McGeehin
BLAH 204 | The Best of ASOIAF - The Bridge of Dream, with Sean T. Collins
BLAH 204 | The Best of ASOIAF - The Bridge of Dream, with Sean T. Collins
In our ongoing series on the best moments of the series, we take apart the Bridge of Dream sequence, which provides us with some unusualy challenges - we don't really know where any of this leads, so…
BLAH 203 | A Tale of two Germanies - Conservatism, with Jim McGeehin
Today, we're looking at why the CDU could rule for 20 years in the early German republic. There's a good combination of electoral shenanigans, foreign policy questions and old Nazis involved.
BLAH 203 | A Tale of two Germanies - Conservatism, with Jim McGeehin
BLAH 202 | A Tale of Two Germanies - Berlin, with Jim McGeehin
From the Berlin airlift to the Berlin wall, this episodes covers Germany’s capital (and the capital of spies) from wall to wall.
BLAH 201 | Few Dungeons and Rare Dragons, with Adrian Daub
Everyone and their mother knows Dungeons&Dragons, at least in concept. But few people know the most important German roleplaying game, “The Dark Eye.” With professor Adrian Daub of Stanford, I talk a…
BLAH 200 | Best of ASOIAF: The Red Wedding, with Sean T. Collins
This is our 200th episode. Of course we wanted to do something special. George R. R. Martin asked us if he could guest host, but we were too busy, so we settled on doing the Red Wedding. We hope that…
BLAH 199 | A Tale of Two Germanies - Establishment, with Jim McGeehin
We’re back again! With Jim McGeehin, I talk about the founding of not one but two German states. We’ll have a look at why we’re creating two states instead of one and how these two shape out. You mig…
BLAH 198 | A Tale of Two Germanies - Collectivization, with Jim McGeehin
After 11 months, we’re back talking the history of the divided Germany! After looking at western Germany last time round, this time, we’re taking the deep dive into East Germany 1946 to 1948 and ask …
BLAH 197 | House of the Dragon, S02E08, with Sean T. Collins
The season finale is here! Sean and I have a slightly different view about it, but as is our wont, we agree on a lot, and the show stays superb even though Sean left a bit disappointed.