Podcast Episodes

Nelson: The Gathering Storm (Part 2)

Episode 609

After two years at sea, what happened when Horatio Nelson - now Britain’s most celebrated naval commander - finally returned home, to his wife and father? Following his involvement in the poisonous p…

Published on 3 weeks, 1 day ago

Nelson: Slaughter in Naples (Part 1)

Episode 608

What happened when the heroic Horatio Nelson, victor of the Battle of the Nile, sailed into the seething city of Naples? Why would his meeting with the glamorous celebrity, Lady Emma Hamilton, shape …

Published on 3 weeks, 4 days ago

The Trojan War, with Mary Beard

Did the Trojan War - the ten year, cosmic clash between the Greeks and the Trojans, featuring the Olympian gods, kings and heroes - actually happen? Is there any evidence for the existence of the Tro…

Published on 4 weeks ago

Nelson’s Lover: The Scandalous Lady Hamilton

Episode 607

Who was Emma Hamilton, Horatio Nelson’s strikingly beautiful, and famously fashionable mistress? How did she raise herself up from dire poverty, to become a model, actress, dancer, and even an intern…

Published on 4 weeks, 1 day ago

Enoch Powell: Rivers of Blood

Episode 606

Who was Enoch Powell, the deeply controversial British conservative politician? Why is he the father of Brexit, and possibly even Reform? And, how did he come to make his inflammatory ‘Rivers of Bloo…

Published on 1 month ago

Greek Myths: Jason & The Quest for the Golden Fleece (Part 4)

Episode 605

What terrifying trials did Jason and the Argonauts have to overcome to win the famous Golden Fleece from a fire-breathing dragon, in one of the greatest greek myths of all time? When and where does t…

Published on 1 month ago

Greek Myths: Sex, Drugs & Tragedy (Part 3)

Episode 604

Who was Dionysus, the son of Zeus, and Greek god of ecstasy, revelry and madness? Why was he so central to the ancient Greeks? What is the story of the Bacchae, the play in which a young man is rippe…

Published on 1 month, 1 week ago

Greek Myths: The Riddle of the Sphinx (Part 2)

Episode 603

What is the story behind the writing of Oedipus, the notorious king of Thebes who murdered his father and unwittingly married his mother? Was it based on a real historical event? What are Oedipus’ cu…

Published on 1 month, 1 week ago

Greek Myths: Zeus, King of the Gods (Part 1)

Episode 602

What are the mythic origins of Zeus, King of the Olympians, and the other Greek gods? From what period did the earliest of the Greek myths derive? Who was Hesiod - alongside Homer, the greatest of th…

Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago

Scandal in the White House

Episode 601

Who was Grover Cleveland, and why is he one of the most controversial American Presidents of all time? Why was the run up to his first term, in 1884 at the height of the Gilded Age, so pivotal to Ame…

Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago