Before we begin, I'd like to read you part of an email I received from a listener named

Jake.

Me and my dad have listened to this podcast together for a long time.

I remember the first time way back when I was 12 or 13 years old.

Now 20, grumbling in the car during a long ride because dad said we were going to listen

to a new podcast rather than whatever music I was into at the time.

From that point on, we were hooked.

The drama of Buda has last stand, the tragic comedy of office hopes for his son to succeed

as dynasty, the fear conjured by the Northmen in their long ships, and eventually the

fall of the Anglo-Saxons in 1066.

We shared it all together for almost a decade.

I had to say goodbye to my father last night.

He had been battling a stubborn brain tumor for more than three years.

I'm fortunate that his stubbornness near exceeded that of the disease, and he fought for

every inch of ground with incredible bravery and determination.

However, although I believe there isn't a man who could have fought it longer, it eventually

caught up to him.

As he declined towards the end, he left him unable to walk or talk.

All he could do was smile, nod, frown, and squeeze hands.

Still though, while he was in the hospice, I would come in and just sit with him, and

we would listen to the BHP together.

Now, there's more to this email, but as I emailed back and forth with Jake, it became

...