The Pursuit of Dadliness – Details, episodes & analysis

Patrick has a new history podcast, Past Lives! It's all about the experiences of real, everyday people throughout the human past, people just like you. Listen to the first full episode, "On Historical Storytelling," right here, and then go subscribe to the Past Lives feed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast platform of choice.

Past Lives is an independent production supported through Patreon, where you can subscribe for $7 a month and receive tons of great bonus content: interviews with scholars, Q&As with Patrick, access to the community chat and monthly book club, and much more. Be sure to head over, check it out, and support this new project!

Dan Jones is a man of many parts: bestselling historian, TV presenter, novelist, and not least, a highly accomplished Dad with a great perspective on parenting. Dan joins me to discuss everything from writing to Elon Musk to history to imagining a medieval dad.

Natalia Mehlman Petrzela is a person of many parts: historian, fitness instructor, activist, and highly qualified Mom. She joins the show to discuss the history of fitness and how it came to be that everybody started going to the gym. Check out Natalia's work here: https://nataliapetrzela.com/

Mixed Martial Arts journalist and long-serving Dad, Ben Fowlkes, joins the show to talk about becoming a connoisseur of home gyms, the necessity of the emergency donut, and the Master and Commander series.

Spencer Hall is one of the most thoughtful writers covering college football and sports more generally. He joins Patrick to discuss what makes college football great, how we define a "hoss," the zen of painting Warhammer 40k miniatures, and much more. Find links to all of Spencer's great work here: https://linktr.ee/spencerhall

Welcome to a brand new series where oversized recliners and sensible footwear are not only encouraged, but required. New episodes airing weekly beginning in September.

Brandy Jensen is one of my favorite writers on the Internet. I've followed her work for years, everything from advice columns to interviews with the character actor Walton Goggins, and it's only gotten better with time. She joins me to discuss the genre of Dad Books, their highs and lows, and what we should all be reading.

Alyssa Ages is a competitor in the sport of strongman, author of the recent book Secrets of Giants, and a highly qualified Mom. She joins me to chat about what strength really means and what we can learn from some of the strongest people who have ever lived.

Alyssa's book, Secrets of Giants, is available here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/707130/secrets-of-giants-by-alyssa-ages/

Mike Duncan is a foundational part of the present-day Dad Canon: history podcaster, bestselling author of popular history, baseball enthusiast, and a guy with a lot to say about returning a portion of Wisconsin to its natural prairie state.

I love basketball, and Ben Golliver is one of the best basketball writers and podcasters working today. He's been doing it for a long time and has managed not to lose his love of the game. We talk about the upcoming NBA season, visiting national parks, and how to appreciate your job.