Dan Jones: Why he is History's Rockstar and how he personally inspired me to start writing

He has a fan for life.

Dan Jones is a Rockstar.

Yes he happens to be here posing in a leather jacket. And yes that leather jacket is covering copious amounts of tattoos but before you roll your eyes at the cliche, understand that how he looks is not why I am making the rockstar comparison. It’s just a happy accident that this is the only copyright free image of him on the internet and it fits my agenda.

Dan Jones is a rockstar because of how he cultivates and connects with his diehard fan base, like yours truly for example. His magnetism is found first in his relatability and second in his talent. The former is where the actual rockstar status comes in. He may be a historical author, but that’s like calling Taylor Swift a “singer”. Like her Dan is multi talented, has intergenerational appeal, and is extraordinarily connected and accessible to his fans.

Plus he hangs out with actual rockstars..

Duff Malayan and Dan are good friends. Dan was backstage with Guns N Roses when they toured in Israel last summer

And guess what? They also like him because he’s charismatic and really really good at what he does: He writes big books about the Middle Ages and makes them exciting.

These are a few other reasons I’m putting him into the rockstar category:

• His books, podcast, Substack newsletter, T.V series and Facebook Lives helps fans of history escape from the sh*t that is happening in the world.

• He gives his community a group of cool, like minded people to hang out with

• He has a highly engaged, eager to buy audience

• He’s achieved global recognition and accolades in his field

• He has the respect and adoration of many of his peers

• He has personally inspired me, and probably countless others, to try our hand at writing (I have always wanted to be a writer and have long been obsessed with the Tudor’s and British history)

If you hang out in the medieval history world and find him ubiquitous you’ll probably be nauseated by the end of this post. If you don’t know much about him or how he interacts with his tribe, buckle up and I’ll tell you why I consider him the Prom King of popular history.

What’s the appeal?

I have always been a huge fan of Dan Jones:

• His documentaries are captivating

• His books are compelling

• He’s got the charisma of a 90’s bad boy.

If you have any interest in English history, or any history really, watch “Britain’s bloodiest dynasty” and “Britains bloodiest crown” both are exciting and palatable enough for even casual curiosity.

There is also the beloved “Secrets of great British Castles” on Netflix *But be advised that his magic always lies in “People” and their stories. So you are not going to nerd out on the fortress’s architecture as much as you are going to learn what fascinating and brutal historical figures inhabited the castles. And you’ll also learn how much the camera loves Dan, and I suspect the feeling is mutual, however, his bread and butter lies in his writing of the aforementioned big history books.

Approachable History Hero

Dan writes in a way that is accessible - He makes you feel smart. I swear some of these Historians get off on making you feel inferior. They need to show you how smart they are.

Not Dan.

He lets you into the club and you walk away understanding the complexities of medieval politics.

Then you can get off on making your friends feel inferior.

He is also a bit of a rebel in the History sector, another rockstar attribute. He doesn’t hold a PHD, which the internet trolls trip over themselves to point out, he is covered with tattoos, and he really DGAF what people think about him. That makes him magnetic. He is confident but likable; earnest but secure. His writing is unapologetically modern and extremely entertaining.

How he cultivates connections

My first personal interaction with Dan was watching a Facebook live with my newborn strapped to me during one of the agonizing Covid lockdowns.

It was incredible.

He came right through the screen; relaxed, at his desk drinking a pint and surrounded by books. He was firing off answers to questions from his fans and showing off his plethora of ugly Christmas sweaters. I was so enthralled I wrote a question to him in the comment box. He called my name and answered it! I couldn’t believe it. It was an instantaneous connection during a time when you couldn’t feel farther away from people. I was hooked. How could someone so popular, that works so much, have the insight to connect with his fans so frequently and genuinely? It blew my mind. I became a Super fan. If that’s his strategy to gain more followers, then it worked ;-)

Showing off one of Dan’s “big books” about the Middle Ages: “Powers & Thrones” and trying unsuccessfully to get some writing done

I immediately spent the next few months binging all of his podcast interviews, signing up for his Substack newsletter and buying his new book.

I was inspired.

As my 40th birthday approached I start reaching out to other creators I admired to connect with them. The first person was Rebecca Larson of the ‘Tudors Dynasty podcast’. This was my first dip into Tudor themed content and I think she was the first to interview Dan on a podcast. I binged every episode within a few days (that podcast is top of the heap for a reason). Through listening I was introduced to other elite historians who brought their research and passion of the Tudor era to life.

I started to immersed myself in the Tudor History world and it rejuvenated me from the stress of the pandemic. I started following other historians, authors, and content creators. I watched their YouTube channels, listened to their podcasts and read their books. ** I’ll do a follow up post with all of my favorite historian hosted podcasts, YouTube channels and Social Media accounts asap.

I finally felt like I belonged somewhere.

Like a lot of people when they eventually realize their passion, I wanted to try it out for myself. If nothing else I would end up with an even deeper appreciation for my heroes out there doing the real work. After DM-ing with Rebecca she quickly became a friend and encouraged me to try my hand at writing. I was already staying up until all hours of the night researching the Plantagenet and Tudor dynasties for fun so why not put pen to paper and try to get my ideas out there? Little did she know I secretly wanted to be a writer my whole life but felt the opportunity had passed me by.

I wanted to start but the problem was I didn’t know how to do it.

A personal message

The summer of 2021 I turned 40 and I was determined to have an absolute blow out birthday. We all remember how desperately we needed something to look forward to in those days. One of my presents was a Cameo (personalized video) from Dan. I sent the information about what questions I wanted him to answer, all based on writing, and he immediately responded. Again, the commitment he has for his fans is unmatched. When I woke up the next day I had the most inspiring video from Dan wishing me a happy birthday and encouraging me to write about my favorite historic topics. He gave me genuine insight into his world of writing; how to stay on track and stay motivated. The best piece of advice was to meticulously plan what you are going to write to avoid being “tyrannized by the blinking blank cursor”. (This is something I just cannot get the hang of)

He was so personal, funny and inspiring I still watch it from time to time. I don’t know if he realizes the impact these kind of things have on his audience, maybe he does, maybe he’s a marketing genius disguised as a historian. Either way I think this is just the beginning for him and his fans.

My Cameo of Dan Jones. It was so awesome and inspiring. He showed off one of his GnR ugly sweaters

Now on Substack Dan has a vehicle to write, muse and reach his audience frequently. Here’s what we get:

• A look inside his life and what he’s up to

• How he feels about current events and his sometimes controversial anecdotes

• What he has for book tours and release dates

• Interview updates of him being the guest and sometimes being the host

• Exclusive content for his subscribers like Q & A where he actually answers our burning questions.

The Q & A is my favorite and a huge hit. Sometimes it’s history related, sometimes it’s just fun. He tries to answer every single question. Recently I asked him about his experience with Substack as a content creator. I told him I was just starting out on here because he inspired me and he told his audience to find my account AND FOLLOW ME!! Who does that?!!

Dan told his audience to follow me - who else would do that?

His captivating and successful podcast: “This is History - A Dynasty to Die For”

The hardest working man in popular history

You should definitely follow him, not just because he gave me a shout out, although that made my life, you should do it because you’ll be in capable hands whatever you read or watch and you can bask in the historical knowledge you’ll absorb. Plus he’s always putting out new content like his thrilling podcast: “This is History, a dynasty to die for” about the incredible rise of the Plantagenet Kings and writing the final installment of his new trilogy “Essex Dogs” which follows a band of rowdy soldiers during the chaotic Hundred Years War.

Subscribe to Dan’s Substack Newsletter here: Dan Jones: History Etc

Dan has proven he can deviate with ease from historical non fiction to novels. He also has a new series on History Hit (kind of like Netflix for history nerds) about the Battle of Shrewsbury and a big fat biography on none other than the incomparable King Henry V coming out. I swear the guy doesn’t sleep.

I hope this post brings to light some of the reasons why Dan Jones is an absolute Rockstar. We need more people like him across genres. People who dedicate their time to be the best at their craft, are inspiring and connect to their audience in this time when we need it most.

Who are the writer, artist or content creators you are inspired by? I’d really like to know! Shoot me a comment below so I can look them up.

My Youtube videos about Henry VII are a fun and relaxed way to learn more about the underrated King. There’s some Tudor facts in there I bet you didn’t know. Check them out here

See you next time

Until then,

Fair thee well

-Amy