Podcast Episodes

George Orwell

Season 6 Episode 200

Best known for his books Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell earned a reputation as chronicler and prophet of modern society. Plagued by illness, he exposed poverty and injustice, sat…

Published on 20 hours ago

The Domesday Book

Season 6 Episode 199

Following the Norman Conquest at the Battle of Hastings, Norman culture transformed the country, as William I governed through force and bureaucracy. One of his lasting legacies - the Domesday Book -…

Published on 1 week ago

The Mitford Sisters

Season 6 Episode 198

Rarely out of the papers during their lifetimes, and still figures of fascination in modern media, the six Mitford sisters have become notorious. From a shared, if eccentric childhood, the sisters gr…

Published on 2 weeks ago

Florence Nightingale

Season 6 Episode 197

Pre-order our new book: Short History of Ancient Rome

Revered as a heroine, and mythologised as ‘the Lady with the Lamp’, Florence Nightingale has gone down in history as the founder of modern nursi…

Published on 3 weeks ago

The Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings

Season 6 Episode 196

In May 1945, the Second World War ended in Europe, but Japan refused to surrender - despite seemingly facing inevitable defeat. So, confronted by the prospect of drawn-out and costly fighting, Washin…

Published on 4 weeks ago

Marie Antoinette

Season 6 Episode 195

The last Queen of France before the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette is best known today for her extravagant lifestyle and controversial legacy. Initially admired for her grace and charm, as revol…

Published on 1 month ago

The Stone Age

Season 6 Episode 194

The Stone Age is the foundational period of human history, stretching from roughly 3 million to 5,000 years ago, and accounting for over 99% of humanity’s time on earth. It’s the era when modern huma…

Published on 1 month, 1 week ago

Captain Cook

Season 6 Episode 193

Through his voyages in the eighteenth century, Captain Cook’s work as an explorer contributed to startling advances in scientific knowledge, and mapped swathes of unplotted territory in both hemisphe…

Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago

The East India Company

Season 6 Episode 192

Over 400 years ago, a bold commercial venture was established to allow an ambitious group of English merchants to send ships halfway around the world in search of spices, skills, and profit. It was k…

Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago

The Shroud of Turin

Season 6 Episode 191

The Shroud of Turin is a length of linen, believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth. Its most famous feature is the blurry imprint of a man’s face, which resembles the pictures of …

Published on 2 months ago