Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchBritish parliament: everything you wanted to know
Episode 1767
From the gunpowder plot and Oliver Cromwell’s clash with Charles I to Winston Churchill’s speeches during the Second World War, parliament has witnessed some of the most dramatic moments in British h…
Published on 2 years, 3 months ago
When poison pen letters caused chaos
Episode 1766
Long before the rise of the internet troll, malicious letters written by anonymous authors were causing untold grief to those who received them, and tugging at the seams of social cohesion in small c…
Published on 2 years, 3 months ago
Great Reputations: Cleopatra
Episode 1765
In the latest in our series charting the contested reputations of key historical figures, Joyce Tyldesley and Catharine Edwards discuss the life and cultural afterlife of Egyptian queen Cleopatra – f…
Published on 2 years, 3 months ago
Secrets of the Anglo-Saxon bone chests
Episode 1764
Held in Winchester Cathedral are several ornate chests, said to contain the venerated bones of early kings of Wessex and England, dating from the seventh to the 12th centuries. But what can these box…
Published on 2 years, 3 months ago
Jane Austen’s passion for fashion
Episode 1763
From ribbons, bonnets and ballgowns to Mr Darcy’s see-through shirt, the works of Jane Austen have long sparked the imaginations of fashion-minded readers and audiences. But what did the author herse…
Published on 2 years, 3 months ago
The brain behind the Dambusters raid
Episode 1762
The Dambusters raid of May 1943 is one of the most celebrated episodes of the Second World War. But in military terms, was it in fact a flop? And was Barnes Wallis, the man behind the audacious attac…
Published on 2 years, 3 months ago
Spanish flu: everything you wanted to know
Episode 1761
Did the Spanish flu pandemic actually begin in Spain? What were the symptoms? Is it true it killed more people than the First World War, and how similar was it to the Covid pandemic? Speaking to Laur…
Published on 2 years, 3 months ago
Women who shaped the Roman empire
Episode 1760
How do you surface the stories of women in the Roman empire, when the majority of ancient texts were written by men, telling of military victories and losses, or intrigues in the political arena? Spe…
Published on 2 years, 3 months ago
Great Reputations: Oliver Cromwell
Episode 1759
In the latest in our series charting the contested reputations of key historical figures, Ronald Hutton and Mark Stoyle debate the life and legacy of statesman, politician and military leader Oliver …
Published on 2 years, 3 months ago
The secret club for radical New York women
Episode 1758
In downtown New York, in the early 20th century, a secret club of women met regularly, to discuss ideas, politics, art and their own lives. They forged friendships and alliances, and took up some of …
Published on 2 years, 3 months ago