Podcasts

Harry Potter Monsters: The Ancient Origins

***Spoiler Alert: this episode contains spoilers for the Harry Potter books and films***

Giant snakes, winged horses and hooded demons. The...

Merlin, The Occult and British Politics

Who was the real Merlin? Dr Francis Young says the closest is John Dee, Elizabeth I's occultist advisor who gave her the idea for a British...

Women Crusaders

The image we usually associate with a Crusader - of a dashing nobleman on a mighty steed heading out for Holy War - often obscures all of the...

Sex & Scandal in Charles II's Court

There are many privileges that come with being a royal, but where do mistresses lay amongst these? If you'll excuse the pun.

Charles II was...

The Dynasty That Made Medieval France

From Hugh Capet to Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Capetian dynasty considered itself divinely chosen to fulfil a great destiny. From an insecure...

The Real Hamilton: Lover, Adulterer, Family Man?

Founding Father, first Secretary of the Treasury and focus of one of the world's first political sex scandals - we couldn't do a series about...

Walter Raleigh’s Quest for El Dorado

Sir Walter Raleigh remains one of the most famous men of the Elizabethan era. He was a true Renaissance man - a statesman, soldier, writer,...

Why Are We Drawn to Dictators?

Is liberal democracy facing an existential crisis? A 2023 poll conducted by the Open Society Barometer found that faith in democracy among young...

True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty (Part 1)

Violence, sex, betrayal, death and ... SHIPS! This is the story of how a voyage that began with scientific aims and a regimented daily routine...

The Atomic Bomb & Civil War Cigars: Greatest 'What Ifs' from History

We think of history as a neat chain of predictable events; but what if the truth is far wilder than that? Today, we're talking about the pivotal...

Origins of the Silk Road

The Silk Road was a pivotal ancient exchange network that connected the grassy steppes of Asia and the Middle East with the western world. The...

Genghis Khan to Tamerlane: Mongol Empire Reborn

The Mongol Empire that rose in the early 13th century was fractured and in crisis by the mid-14th. But then a new warlord arose who sought to...