Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchA beginner’s guide to medieval farming
Episode 164
From famine to fines, the life of the medieval farmer was often far from straightforward. In this Long Read, Christopher Dyer offers six tips for tho…
1 day, 2 hours ago
History repeating?
Episode 163
It’s human nature to believe that history repeats itself – but might our instinct to look for echoes of the past in the present be misguided, and eve…
1 week, 1 day ago
The Magdalene laundries: Ireland’s secret shame
Episode 162
In Ireland, many thousands condemned as ‘fallen women’ were detained indefinitely in Magdalene laundries, forced to toil in harsh conditions. This Lo…
2 weeks, 1 day ago
The troubled birth of England
Episode 161
The collapse of Roman rule in Britain, followed by the emergence of kingdoms established by Germanic tribes, marks one of the most turbulent periods …
3 weeks, 1 day ago
Cultural dreams v political nightmares: life in interwar Weimar
Episode 160
In the 1920s and 1930s, Weimar was rife with contradictions, embracing both utopian modernism and Nazism. This German town’s interwar story reveals h…
4 weeks, 1 day ago
Athens v Sparta: a Greek tragedy
Episode 159
In 480 BC, Athens and Sparta joined forces to repel one of the greatest invasion forces the world had seen. Yet just a few decades later, they faced …
1 month ago
Sex, secrecy and social ambition: inside a Georgian masquerade
Episode 158
Ever wondered what it was like to step into a world where a mask could loosen the rules of rank, reputation and restraint? This Long Read written by …
1 month, 1 week ago
Marilyn Monroe: the brains behind the bombshell
Episode 157
Lucy Bolton reveals how the star became a cultural icon not just through her glamorous image, but through fierce ambition, talent and relentless hard…
1 month, 2 weeks ago
How the Black Death devastated the Muslim world
Episode 156
The Black Death is infamous for ravaging the population of Europe – yet it was most lethal in the Muslim world, leaving such a trail of devastation t…
1 month, 3 weeks ago
The secret history behind the Odyssey
Episode 155
Featuring Cyclopes, Lotus-Eaters and goddesses that turn men into pigs, the Odyssey reads like a fantastical adventure story. Yet, argues this Long R…
2 months ago