The Great Villains of History

by Richard B. Spence

The arc of history is filled with tyrants, traitors, scoundrels, and cold-blooded killers. From Nero and Napoleon to Mata Hari and Charles Manson, the “bad guys” command our attention, bring excitement to the history books, and fill the airwaves with tales of true crime. But what makes a villain anyway? And why do their stories so capture our imaginations?

The Great Villains of History takes you into the riveting world of charisma and crime, evil and opportunity, ambition and bloodshed. Taught by esteemed Dr. Richard B. Spence, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Idaho, these 24 lectures tell the stories of more than 70 villains from Ancient Rome to Jeffrey Epstein, exploring not just what they did, but why they did it—and what their choices reveal about the darkest corners of the human heart.

Drawing from vivid historical accounts, Professor Spence spans eras and archetypes, from femme fatales and freebooters to dictators, war criminals, secret policemen, and criminal masterminds. He introduces you to such infamous figures as Lucrezia Borgia, accused of murder by poison amid family intrigue; Heinrich Himmler, the architect of Nazi terror; and Pablo Escobar, the cocaine kingpin and killer of the first order.

As he surveys these tales of terror and intrigue, Professor Spence also takes you on a journey through the human heart. The villains in this course are not cartoon monsters but rather complex, intelligent individuals often convinced of their own righteousness—even as their narcissism unleashed disaster on their victims. You’ll find little sympathy for Jim Jones or Charles Manson, but what do we make of Catherine the Great, John D. Rockefeller, or Henry Kissinger?

Whether it’s the calculated oppression of a Stasi leader or the bloody rise of a totalitarian dictator, The Great Villains of History dissects evil without glorifying it, bringing you on a journey across history and into the deepest recesses of the human mind.

PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

Audible Audio

Published February 21, 2026

About the author

Dr. Richard “Rick” Spence received his PhD in History from the University of California Santa Barbara in 1981. He has taught at the University of Idaho since 1986 where currently he is a tenured full Professor of History. He specializes in Russian, intelligence and military history, and his course offerings include Modern Espionage, Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, History of Secret Societies and the Occult in History.

Dr. Spence’s published works include Boris Savinkov: Renegade on the Left (East European Monographs/Columbia Univ. Press, 1991), Trust No One: The Secret World of Sidney Reilly (Feral House, 2002) and Secret Agent 666: Aleister Crowley, British Intelligence and the Occult (Feral House, 2008). He is also the author of numerous articles in Revolutionary Russia, Intelligence and National Security, International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence, The Historian, New Dawn and other publications. He has served as a commentator/consultant for the History Channel and the International Spy Museum and was a key consultant-interviewee for the Russian Cultural Foundation’s 2007 documentary film, “Leon Trotsky: The Secret of World Revolution,” and its subsequent “Trap for the Tsar.”

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thrilling, if you know nothing about History.

[BJ Richardson · Rating 2 out of 5]

A series of lectures consisting of 3 villains each. Each one is built around a different topic like femme fatales, serial killers, despots, etc. Lecture is probably the wrong word. There is no real teaching going on. There are no value judgments made. No attempts to glean anything from their lives. It isn't even storytelling as much as it is conveying facts from these lives. Should have been a fun read, or at least informational. But no. Great courses, once again, is a lie on two fronts. It was not great. And it was not an educational course. I got this for free on Audible. It wasn't worth the money spent.

[killlaniaddict]

Short summaries of different type of figures that are considered villains. Its brief, detailed, and informative. I think it is a great introduction for people who are interested in history but don’t know where to start. I went into rabbit holes about some of them and jeeez they’re villains for a reason.