I have learned much, some of it is even factual, but a lot is opinion pieces.
Like counterfeit money your best way of detecting when you are getting merely opinion is the incongruity with other information that is presented.
I enjoy patriotic stories but not at the expense of the story's integrity. Likewise when I hear a lot of snark it's a good sign that the podcaster has an axe to grind. I don't mind the tint of someone's opinion, but sometimes people go too far and it overwhelms the information.
So far I have heard 4 seemingly fact based podcasts, one enthralled by Smith, and one that vilified him. The factual ones were so much more boring
Next up: Columbus