An entertaining prof with many interesting stories and jokes

If you are interested in this type of history then this is the prof you want.

Truly Amazing

one joke every class=cool prof

best prof ever

very funny, makes class interesting, a little unorganized though

Almost intimidating command of the English language yet very approachable.

I like Smyth. his cool accent really fits the course content!

The best professor of my degree - a wonderful teacher! Extremely knowledgeable

Really a genuine guy.

eloquent, humourous, and known for his moments of mental relief aka jokes.

Nice guy, Neat course... but he must always be right!

He has a terrific sense of humor and is INCREDIBLY eloquent. Great lectures.

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He's a rarity

Interesting prof, cool Irish accent. Fit mental image of uni prof exactly. Course fascinating, was excited to be in every class. Challenging, as uni courses should be. Too bad class so large, not able to have rapport with prof. Feel lucky chose class.

Great Prof. Interesting Course. A good choice for first year students to see if they enjoy history before moving on to more difficult material.

extremely amazing prof. loved him. he explained the material clearly and interestingly. totally recommended.

What an engaging prof. Although mental relief was rarely needed, he rewarded the class with his dry wit every lecture. Eloquent, clear and charming. Too bad the TA was one of the living dead.

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incredibly engaging, but too bad the TAs are so damn boring. "daily ancedotes" certainly do instill much incentive to come to lecture, but they get a little mundane as the year goes on. his "oratory skill" is certainly beyond this wor

Best prof. Very engaging and knowledgable. A must for first year history students

Funny old irishman.

An eloquent and interesting lecturer, made the course worth taking with his insight and humour. Too bad the readings lack his excitement. Other students must have missed out when they got TAs other than Chris C., he's anything but boring, and quite hot.

He will continue to be one of the best profs I have ever had. Very clear with concepts, repeated important quotes, very clear with his points. NO extra run around. Very enthusiastic

BRILLIANT!!! Smyth's lectures painted such a vivid picture of history that it was easy to feel like you had been taken right back to 1648! Approachable, enthusiastic, witty, amazing! By far the best professor at U of T.

Brilliant professor..the most eloquent I've had. Readings were sometimes a bore, although I found out later that the extra readings for tutorials are usually more interesting. Good course to see whether you want to continue in history.

This class was the greatest experience I have ever had in the realm of education. More engaging and articulate than I had ever expected of a professor. Even if you're not a student of history, he makes this course absolutely fascinating. Smyth = The Man.

Smyth is a great prof. Very smart & funny..although I didn't like the readings that much, it was boring. It seems easy in the beginning, but if you do nothing, it really adds up. I did nothing & only got a B. make sure u go to class, it really helps!!

Everthing you think a proff. should be. Mr. Chips but better. Cahterine the T.A. a total ****.

Simply the best teacher I've ever had.

He's a really really nice guy. Very funny; makes his class interesting. The only problem with a 4th year class was that student presentations got very boring. But, he's a great prof. Recommend his course 2 everybody. I got in trouble with him twice, and still ended up with a B+.

Thoroughly engaging.

This was a good learning experience, and prof. Smyth was a great university professor. The TA was also very helpful & we are still good friends. Overall, a worthwhile course to take.

Smyth was hugely helpful when consulting with him on assignments, and a very likeable person. No exam, so paying attention in class (to the boring student presntations) was not necessary, but I worked hard on the essays and was duly rewarded - a rarity in a school that loves to give B's.

best prof ever

Professor Smyth is a great prof. His lectures are informative and hysterical. The jokes after 45 minutes were much appreicated, and his explanations if people didn't laugh were priceless. Some impromptu incidents are forever ingrained in my mind. Also, he has no problem with associating with his students outside class, which is really cool.

Great, Lovable, Considerate, and Friendly Teacher! Love his lectures and his thorough explanations..! He also repeats the phrase several times so that students have no difficulty writing them down. His anecdotes and jokes are so humourous!

superb orator! really keeps you animated. and keeps it light with a joke (good, if not half-decent) every class. tough, but worth the work. i would recommend anyone who could take this class to take this course if they could. (there's no losing, because the other prof that teaches this is pretty good too...or so i hear)

Great lecturer! He clearly knows what hes talking about.

Generous, kind, human. Take this class just to see his hand gestures and his genius hair. His Italian is a bit rusty, though. Venice is actually Venezia in Italian. But, really, that would be my only criticism, and it's not really a criticism. He makes you want to sit in the front row.

Teaching is pretty clear... However, sometimes his lectures appear boring...

He's cool.

A great professor

Awesome professor. The reading is pretty heavy for this course, and seems like a lot of work at the time, but is definitely worth it in the end. Prof Smyth made lectures very entertaining and interesting and I loved his jokes!

eloquent and fluid lectures, just a little too fast sometimes (but it is only a 1 hour class) - i could understand him just fine - very funny (there's a joke every lecture) and friendly if you approach him - hates it when you talk in class - too much reading - exams are in almost the same format every year

Professor Smyth's humour makes his lectures very enjoyable. He speaks with great clarity and explains simply. He narrates the story in almost perfect chronological sequence (which makes it easier to understand) while still highlighting the relevant significance of key events. He is by far my favorite professor.

I loved the class, though the essays were graded harshly, but not unfairly. The content was interesting and Smyth made it even more interesting with his bad, but funny, puns and anecdotes. I would take the class again.

great prof, very knowledgeable and presents everything in an organized/logical manner, cracks some funny jokes and understands what it's like to be in first year, this course was my favourite and first year and one of the best so far, i looked forward to it every week and i'd definitely take it again

Easily the greatest lecturer I had in first year. The course is very flexible (you can choose any essay topic, don't have to go to ALL the lectures) which makes the course's difficulty seem less intimidating. The reading material is huge and papers are marked harshly, but you will learn a lot.

An amazing professor. Brilliantly informative and insightful. All this time later, I can still look back to first year and say he is the best professor I have ever had. It's a pity he's retired now.

Probably the best professor at UofT when it comes to history. If you do not take his class in first year than you are a fool. BEST PROF EVER!

I would have to agree, as far as history nerds go, one of the best history profs at U of T. Okay, yes he tries to cram too much into lecture. And yes he assigns way more reading than is humanly possible. But put those readings on your life list if you are interested in history because this man is a legend. Great anecdotes as well ;)

Very informative lectures by a highly knowledgeable prof. However, for lectures one must master the art of noting down what is actually important in his 50 minutes of speaking as Smyth presents a lot of interesting yet heavy detail. Great help for essays during office hours. Start the term essay ASAP. Write and revise and repeat. They mark it hard.

Superb teacher. Unlike many of his contemporaries, does not rely on power point slides; the material is all in his head, and he lectures in an interactive style with the class. He speaks with clarity and wisdom, and he demonstrates a thorough comprehension of the topic.

Smyth is the definition of history prof perfection. Incredible orator, endlessly wise and an outstanding teacher. He explains the material by highlighting the best examples. He is also pretty funny. If you are taking his course, don't forget to applause in the end because he is more of a storyteller than a prof. Brilliant, insightful lectures.

Such a sweetheart. Charming Irish accent and brilliant guy. Works hard to make the class interesting and funny. Knows his stuff.

Smyth is a darling! His lectures are interesting and flows in a lyrical manner - leaving one feeling as if they've sat through 50 minutes of story-telling, rather than a lecture ad nauseam. He's very verbose, which may be off-putting for some... However, should you push through, it'll be well worth the effort; I assure you.

He's more of a storyteller than a lecturer, but its fantastic. The course material can get dry and heavy at points, but he makes it more interesting by being a great orator and breaking up lectures with ridiculous jokes. Don't expect to finish his readings, though. We got 300 pages in week 1, and it never really slowed down.

Amazing professor, or should I say story teller. Too many readings, but you don't have to do all of them. You just need to do enough to chip into the tutorial discussion, otherwise around 25% readings needed for the final! The exam has MASSIVE choices!!!

Best prof at UofT. Lectures are interesting. The workload is small, most of the readings aren't tested, Ta's are helpful. Would definitely recommend his103 to anyone

Very smart, knows his topics.

Smyth will make his best efforts to make sure that his students are enjoying his class. His lectures are interesting but if you leave during them he will stare at you until you walk out. The tutorials are very helpful, as you will not do all the readings, nor are the readings very important. An essay each semester and 1 final exam

He is a fun lecturer. I never got bored in the course, though I will admit I was very interested in the topics given. He made a joke every lecture; every single joke was horrid which is what made it fun. It took me a lecture to get used to a rather strong Irish accent, but I had no issues past that. It is not an interactive course

I feel so blessed to have been taught by Professor Smyth before he retires. This man is so amazing. I can't say enough good things about him. He and his lectures remind me of why I want to study history. His jokes and puns are hilarious (I find myself still laughing over them). His Irish accent actually helps me to remember info. A wonderful man!

Professor Smyth is an amazing professor. He is so passionate about his lectures and makes you interested about what you are learning. Sad that the class is over and would take any class he teaches next year. And he tells a joke every class which is always great

Best Proff hands down at UofT. Very old school style of teaching, no powerpoint slides just projects a mindmap thing. He teaches as if he is telling a story and there were lots of interesting "funfacts" he would incorporate into lectures. I am so sad he is retiring this year. I wish him a happy retirement even though I wish he was still teaching.

Smyth's lectures, although content heavy, are like listening to epics. He is a gifted speaker, and he is always happy to answer questions after class. Easily one of the most inspirational professors I've had.

BEST PROF EVER!! I LOVED Smyth's class and was truly engaged and inspired every lecture- his brain contains endless amounts of knowledge and interesting history facts, and his daily jokes were always entertaining. I cannot say enough great things about this prof and was very sad when I found out he is retiring (wish he wasn't!).

Literally one of those profs you will never forget, rare to find a lecturer as great as Professor Smyth