Podcast Episodes

The Mitford Communist (With Carla Kaplan)

Episode 264

The glamorous Mitford sisters—six daughters of a Baron—have captivated the public imagination for decades. One became a duchess, one a famous novelis…

3 months, 2 weeks ago

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How Lola Montez Took Down a King

Episode 263

Though she was born in Ireland with no Spanish blood, the self-named "Lola Montez" captivated Europe with her charm and sexuality, eventually entangl…

3 months, 3 weeks ago

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Very Special Episodes: Skylab Is Falling

NASA's Skylab was one of the greatest scientific achievements of the 1970s. But in 1979, the 77-ton space station suddenly began to fall. As the worl…

3 months, 4 weeks ago

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The Noblewoman Marooned on the Isle of Demons

Episode 262

While sailing from France to the New World, Marguerite de La Rocque and her lover were punished, marooned on an island where they would be tormented …

4 months ago

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BONUS: “Remain: A Supernatural Love Story” (with Kal Penn)

Listen to Dana Schwartz's conversation with Kal Penn on his podcast Earsay: An Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club, where they dive into Remain: A Supe…

4 months ago

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The Kennedy Marchioness

Episode 261

One of the most glamorous members of the Kennedy clan, Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy dazzled and scandalized British society. But her story would ultimatel…

4 months, 1 week ago

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Husbands of the Scottish Queen

Episode 260

Lord Darnley, the husband of Mary Queen of Scots, was murdered under mysterious circumstances. How Mary reacted, and what happened next, would lead t…

4 months, 2 weeks ago

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Sing Me a Song of a Lad That Is Gone

Episode 259

After the Battle of Culloden, the Bonnie Prince Charlie needed to escape to safety. His salvation would come in the form of a young woman named Flora…

4 months, 3 weeks ago

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How a Texas Grocery Store Ended the Cold War [Very Special Episodes]

In 1989, Boris Yeltsin walked into a Houston supermarket — and walked out ready to end an empire. What he saw in Texas that day would shake the found…

4 months, 3 weeks ago

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The Example of an Honest Courtesan

Episode 258

As a courtesan, Veronica Franco would entertain Henry III of Valois in her Venetian home. But her greatest accomplishments would be a literary career…

5 months ago

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