Podcasts

Tolkien: Middle Earth and the Middle Ages

From where did J.R.R. Tolkien get his ideas for the world of Middle Earth?

For millions of readers, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are...

History's Deadliest Women: The Blood Countess

Elizabeth Bathory was a fabulously wealthy Noblewoman accused of torturing and killing some 600 women in the 16th century.

Her story is...

Did Lee's Surrender End the Civil War?

When and where did the Civil War end? Was it really over when Lee surrendered at Appomattox?

Don is joined for this episode by Caroline E....

The Brutal History of The First Warplanes

Flying aces, flaming wreckage and deadly dogfights in the skies defined the First World War’s brutal air war. From fragile reconnaissance planes...

The Vandals

The Vandals have gone down in history as the barbarians who helped bring down the Western Roman Empire. Their name became synonymous with violence...

Captain Cook: The Voyage that Changed the World

How did Captain James Cook's scientific voyage of 1768 become a mission for the British empire?

While expanding knowledge of Pacific...

Magdalene Laundries: Ireland's Dark Secret

The Magdalene Laundries existed throughout Ireland up until the late 20th century. Women and young girls were sent to these institutions that were...

Extinct Beasts of Medieval Britain

Why have wolves often been the villains of British history? What happened to them and some of the other remarkable creatures that once roamed...

Sex and Scandal on the Titanic

It's the most famous sunken ship in history, but its story is surrounded by a lot of myth.

Were the working classes locked below deck and...

Why Did Reconstruction Fail?

Over the course of this series, we've discussed the extraordinary promise of Reconstruction, as well as the relentless attacks these efforts came...

Medieval Krakow

In the Middle Ages, Krakow was one of Central Europe’s greatest cities: a thriving crossroads of kings, merchants and legends, crowned by a...

Manhattan’s Most Notorious Couple

Who were the scandalous, defiant couple on the margins of Dutch society who became part of the founding story of New York?

Professor...