Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchThe Franco-Prussian war: everything you wanted to know
Episode 1701
The Franco-Prussian War was a short, if bitter conflict. Prussia would emerge as a clear winner in a matter of months – but the consequences of the c…
2 years, 8 months ago
How the Age of Revolutions rocked the Royal Navy
Episode 1700
In the late 18th-century, Britain was catapulted into war with Republican France. At the same time, it was also grappling with the tumult of the Age …
2 years, 8 months ago
Big questions of the Crimean War: the build up
Episode 1699
The Crimean War of 1853 to 1856 saw an alliance led by Britain and France challenge Russian expansion. But why did the fighting break out, and can it…
2 years, 8 months ago
The Georgian Bank of England: a day in the life
Episode 1698
Just how rich were Georgian bankers? What did they eat for lunch? And could they be described as “virtuous”? Speaking with Rob Attar, Professor Anne …
2 years, 8 months ago
How germs shaped human history
Episode 1697
As recent history has shown us, human societies can prove surprisingly frail in the face of a tiny, yet powerful force: the microbes that cause infec…
2 years, 9 months ago
Salon Kitty: sex & spying in Nazi Germany
Episode 1696
Salon Kitty was the most notorious brothel in 1930s Berlin. Yet little did its clientele – foreign diplomats and high-ranking army officers among the…
2 years, 9 months ago
The Luddites: everything you wanted to know
Episode 1695
The Luddites are best remembered for smashing up machinery during the Industrial Revolution. But what did these 19th-century activists actually want …
2 years, 9 months ago
Women on the front line, from forgotten commanders to cross-dressing soldiers
Episode 1694
Military history is generally assumed to be a male domain. But according to Sarah Percy, author of Forgotten Warriors, this popular perception ignore…
2 years, 9 months ago
Before Windrush: Britain’s long relationship with the Caribbean
Episode 1693
Seventy-five years ago, on 22 June 1948, HMT Empire Windrush landed at Tilbury docks. The arrival of the ship is rightly remembered as a landmark mom…
2 years, 9 months ago
Cornwall: a brief history
Episode 1692
What makes Cornwall different from the rest of England? Is it history or geography that sets the area apart? And how have the industries of fishing, …
2 years, 9 months ago