Podcasts

Medieval Torture: The Dark History

This episode contains descriptions of execution and torture.

To be Hanged, Drawn & Quartered. Put on the Rack. Impaled on a spike. This list...

Trial of Charles I

In the mid-17th century, King Charles I of England was put on trial for treason against the sovereign state. Such a process involved a singular...

Supersonic Nazi Vengeance: V2 Rocket from Cautionary Tales

We're bringing you an episode of a podcast we think you'll love: Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford. At the height of World War Two, British...

The Walls of Babylon

The ancient metropolis of Babylon was famed for its wonders like the Tower of Babel and the mysterious Hanging Gardens. But few Babylonian...

Boudica: Queen of the Iceni

She's the warrior queen who took on the mighty Roman Empire, but who really was Boudica?

Separating facts from the myths we've read can be...

Real Medieval Women with Philippa Gregory

When we think about women in the Middle Ages, we know about Eleanor of Aquitaine or Hildegard of Bingen, but we are a lot less likely to think...

18th Century Graffiti: Sex, Murder & Rebellion

Whether it's a declaration of love, anger or rebellion against the government, graffiti can give us incredible insight into the social history of...

Infiltrating the IRA: Murder & Espionage in Northern Ireland

With Operation Kenova back in the headlines, we look to the story of Frank Hegarty, an IRA member turned British informant whose assassination led...

The Rise & Fall of the Ku Klux Klan

A far-right hate group known the world over, the Ku Klux Klan emerged in the aftermath of the Civil War. So why did it emerge? Where did it get...

How to Live Like a Stuart Aristocrat

After the Restoration of the Monarchy, the upper classes took their cues from court life - its entertainments, costumes, food and leisure...

'Black Widow': Serial Killer of Victorian England

Mary Ann Cotton is known as the first British female serial killer. A trail of bodies, many her own children, followed her through life. Bodies...

The Financial Crashes that Changed the World

Over the last turbulent century, the global economy has suffered the shockwaves of recessions and depressions, bubbles and unchecked investor...