Conflicted: A History Podcast

Gore: The Brutal History of Bullfighting

Conflicted: A History Podcast

Show Notes

Some revere it as an art form, others revile it as a blood sport, but no matter where you stand, few traditions stir up strong emotions quite like the centuries-old ritual of bullfighting. Born in the villages of rural Spain, refined in the crowded arenas of Seville, and fetishized by wandering aficionados like Ernest Hemingway, the “corrida de toros” holds a special place not only in Spanish cultural life but in human history. Beneath the pomp and pageantry, will we find senseless animal cruelty? Or a transcendent reflection on the human condition?

SOURCES: Bailey, C. (2007). “Africa Begins at the Pyrenees”: Moral Outrage, Hypocrisy, and the Spanish Bullfight. Ethics and the Environment. Bentley, Logan. (1962). “What The Horns Couldn’t Do”. Sports Illustrated. Colenutt, Mark. Spanish Bull: A Provocative Guide to Bullfighting. 2014. Conrad, Barnaby. The Death of Manolete. 1958. Dozier, Thomas. (1955) “The One Who Lived”. Sports Illustrated. Gamado, Ignacio. Discovering the World of Bullfighting. 2021. Hardouin-Fugier, Elisabeth. Bullfighting: A Troubled History. 2010. Hemingway, Ernest. Death in the Afternoon. 1932 Kennedy, A.L.: On Bullfighting. 1999. McCormick, John. Bullfighting: Art, Technique & Spanish Society. 1998 Mitchell, Timothy. Blood Sport: A Social History of Spanish Bullfighting. 1991. Ribezzo, Viviana. Adresi, Marta. The Corrida: The History of Bullfighting from its Origins to Present Day. 2018. Tauromaquia. Jaime Alekos. 2017. Tynan, Kenneth. (1955) “The Death of Manolete”. The Paris Review Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More from Conflicted: A History Podcast

Oct 3, 2026

After the humiliating rejection by King Phillip Augustus at Paris, the Children’s Crusade is forced to carry on without political support and find a different road to the Holy Land. Moving east into Germany, the Crusade amasses new followers, including a scrappy young boy named Nicolas from the shrine city of Cologne. But Pope Innocent III, the powerful head of the Catholic Church, is monitoring the Crusade closely from Rome, weighing his response to this unsanctioned movement…

Sep 5, 2026

In the late spring of 1212, a spontaneous mass movement of 30,000 children arose in medieval France. Led by a 12-year-old shepherd boy named Stephen from the small village of Cloyes, the “Children’s Crusade” swore to march on the Holy Land and peacefully reclaim the city of Jerusalem from Muslim control. In this first episode of a two-part series, we examine the origins of the Children’s Crusade, the historiographical controversy surrounding it, and the enigmatic figure at its center, Stephen of Cloyes.

Jun 11, 2026

In the third and final installment of the series, President Theodore Roosevelt mobilizes the full industrial might of United States to “make the dirt fly” in Panama and succeed where the French Syndicate failed. But many perils await them in “The Zone”. From disease-bearing mosquitos and intractable terrain, to labor problems and lethal accidents, the Panamanian jungle will not be tamed without a fight.

Apr 14, 2026

After the French project to build a canal through Panama collapses in 1889 amidst disease and financial scandal, US President Teddy Roosevelt resolves to pick up where they left off. However, powerful interests in Washington are aggressively lobbying for a different route – not through Panama, but Nicaragua. As debate rages and backdoor deals are made, Panama becomes a lightning rod for controversy…and revolution.

Mar 1, 2026

In August of 1914, the United States of America completed a man-made waterway through the Panamanian isthmus, linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans for the first time in history. But that engineering triumph was the culmination of decades of toil, conflict and death. In this first episode of a multi-part series on the Panama Canal, we trace the origins of its construction, beginning with the doomed French attempt and its tragic protagonist, Ferdinand de Lesseps.

See all episodes →