Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchHow monasteries powered medieval Europe
Episode 2209
Monasteries and convents were a common sight throughout medieval Europe and beyond. But who were they for? What did they do? And how did religious life there change over the centuries? Speaking to Em…
Published on 10 months, 3 weeks ago
Greenland, forest fires and presidential power: history behind the headlines
Episode 2208
Historians Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter look at the shifting dynamics of presidential power and discuss the history behind President Trump's stated desire to acquire Greenland, in 2025's first instal…
Published on 10 months, 3 weeks ago
George Villiers: from royal favourite to enemy number one
Episode 2207
George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, had charm and political ambition by the bucketload – and his rise as a favourite of King James I and VI in the late 16th century was meteoric. Speaking to Eli…
Published on 10 months, 4 weeks ago
Extinct animals: everything you wanted to know
Episode 2206
From the depths of the Ice Age to the 20th century, why – and how – have species gone extinct? And are humans always to blame? In conversation with James Osborne, Dr Ross Barnett unpacks how the caus…
Published on 10 months, 4 weeks ago
Agony and ecstasy: the lives of mystics
Episode 2205
From medieval mystic Julian of Norwich to countercultural figures of the 1960s, various individuals down the centuries have felt they have access to spiritual forces beyond human understanding. But w…
Published on 11 months ago
How medicine became a moneymaker
Episode 2204
How did we go from sharing homegrown cures free of charge to buying medicine from strangers on the open market? This transition is more complex than you might think, and it's something that Karen Blo…
Published on 11 months ago
Carolingians in crisis: the medieval civil war that shaped Europe
Episode 2203
History is full of dysfunctional families, but few more so than the Carolingian ruling clan. The empire was at the height of its power under renowned ruler Charlemagne. But just two generations later…
Published on 11 months ago
Charles Dickens: life of the week
Episode 2202
Charles Dickens is one of the most famous figures in literary history. But, there's lots about the author that you might not know, from his obsessive workaholism and marital strife, to the fact he wa…
Published on 11 months ago
Murder in WW2 London
Episode 2201
In September 1940, the German Luftwaffe began raining bombs on British cities, causing death and destruction on a scale never before seen. But, in the capital, the Blitz wasn’t the only threat to peo…
Published on 11 months ago
British TV history: everything you wanted to know
Episode 2200
From early shows that looked as if they were filmed "in a heavy and persistent shower of rain" to today's multi-platform streaming world, the history of television has been marked by rapid innovation…
Published on 11 months ago