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Histories of the Unexpected — History
Histories of the Unexpected

Histories of the Unexpected explores the past in ways that you never dreamt possible. Surely there’s nothing unexpected about the past? About History? Aha, well Histories of the Unexpected adopts a new approach to exploring our past. Gone is the traditional linear plotting of battles, monarchs and political movements. Histories of the Unexpected argues that everything has a history, even the most unexpected of subjects. Like SLIME. Or COURAGE. or APPLAUSE…. Presented by Dr Sam Willis and Professor James Daybell.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Latest Episodes:

SLUDGE: Homeschooling the Trenches and WWI!! Jan 15, 2021

Show notes

In this Homeschooling History episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, investigate the fascinating history of Sludge. From the history of travel, festivals and Saxon house-building, Sam and James rampage around history of sludge before settling on the fascinating history of the trenches in WWI. It looks at the failure of the Schlieffen Plan August-September 1914, the digging of trenches and the creation of the Western Front, the nature of trench warfare and life in the trenches!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shopping! Jan 15, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, hit the streets, and leisurely consider the expected history of SHOPPING! Which is all about ancient street vendors in Pompeii, peddlars, William Shakespeare's character Autolycus and The Winter's Tale, trade cards and the material culture of retail, extravagance and would you believe it.....early modern gloves! Who knew!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hitler and the Third Reich Jan 13, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, investigate the unexpected history of Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi Party, and the Third Reich in Germany. After a rampage around the history of the Führer and Nazi Germany, Sam interviews leading expert on Hitler and the Third Reich, the wonderful Professor Frank McDonough, about his new book, The Hitler Years, Volume 2: Disaster 1940-1945 (2020).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Backstabbers!: Homeschooling the Bolsheviks and the Rise of Stalin Jan 12, 2021

Show notes

James and Sam tackle the fascinating history of BACKSTABBERS! From the politics of Tudor England to the assassination of Julius Caesar by Brutus, Sam and James rampage around history of backstabbing before settling on the fascinating history of the Bolsheviks seizure of power in October 1917, the leadership of Lenin, his testament, the rise of Joseph Stalin and the assassination of Leon Trotsky.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Micro-Histories 4: Keys Jan 11, 2021

Show notes

This is fourth episode in our new micro history series - where we take an historic subject and try to demonstrate how it has a history in just 15-20 minutes!! And without just talking at supersonic speed. Think of it as the historicaI equivalent of speed chess or speed dating. In this third foray into historical brevity the histories of the unexpected duo of James Daybell and Sam Willis tackle the intriguing subject of KEYS, which is inspired by their book on the VIKINGS. Taking that as their starting place, the boys tackle topics of Viking power, control, access, the Viking housewife, treasure, weapons and symbolic female power before tackling the subjects of Exeter Cathedral, the Exeter Book and the keys of St Peter, as well as latchkey children and WWII! Who knew?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ribbons: Homeschooling Georgian and Victorian Orphans Jan 10, 2021

Show notes

James and Sam tackle the touching history of Ribbons in this homeschooling history episode! From the fashion, commemoration, funerals, war heroes and causes, Sam and James rampage around history of ribbons before settling on the moving history of the Foundling Hospital, founded by philanthropist Thomas Coram in 1739 on his return to London to care for and educate some of London’s most vulnerable citizens. Ribbons connect to the tokens left by mothers with their babies that they left in the care of the hospital. The episode also looks at the social problems faced in Victorian Britain.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MicroHistory 3: The Face Jan 09, 2021

Show notes

This is third episode in our new micro history series - where we take an historic subject and try to demonstrate how it has a history in just 15-20 minutes!! And without just talking at supersonic speed. Think of it as the historicaI equivalent of speed chess or speed dating. In this third foray into historical brevity the histories of the unexpected duo of James Daybell and Sam Willis tackle the artistic subject of FACES, which is inspired by their book on the TUDORS. Taking that as their starting place, the boys tackle topics of Tudor portraiture, royal portraits, Anne Boleyn, pregnancy portraits and ageing in the sixteenth century, before tackling the subjects of face masks and face coverings, both of which have a long and complex history! Who knew?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Betrayal: Homeschooling Russian Spies During the Cold War Jan 07, 2021

Show notes

James and Sam tackle the shocking history of BETRAYAL! From the Austrian army officer Alfred Redl who sold secrets about the Austrian army during WWI and British commander Paul Cole, who sold out the French Resistance during WWII to Judas Iscariot and his 30 pieces of silver, Sam and James rampage around history of betrayal before settling on the fascinating case of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, two US citizens convicted of spying for the Russians, and revealing nuclear weapons secrets, which led to them being condemned to death in 1953.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reindeer - The Homeward Journey! Dec 25, 2020

Show notes

In this BONUS episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, get into the festive spirit once more, pack up the presents of the past and take you on a historical sleigh ride of archival inquiry to unwrap the expected history of REINDEER! Which is all about an 11,000 year-old sculpture of two swimming reindeer carved out of mammoth tusk, which shows the development of the human brain and ice-age art, maps and mapping, and reindeer knickers; it's also all about tension in the Russian Arctic, Reindeer Crusades, and of course the invention of Christmas crackers and the reindeer joke, for example 'How much does it cost Santa to park his sleigh and reindeer?', 'Nothing, it's on the house'. Who knew!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reindeer! Dec 24, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, int into the festive spirit and take you on a historical sleigh ride of archival inquiry to unwrap the expected history of REINDEER! Which is all about the invention of Father Christmas's reindeer in the anonymous poem 'Old Santeclaus with Much Delight' (1821), Clement C. Moore's 'Visit from St Nicholas', also known as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' (1823), where he coined the names Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen, and L. Frank Baum's story (he of Wizard of Oz fame) The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1902) in which they are renamed as Flossie and Glossie, Racer and Pacer, Fearless and Peerless, Ready and Steady, Feckless and Speckless. Rudolph at this stage was nowhere to be seen, until his invention in 1939 by Robert L. May, ad man at the Montgomery Ward Retail store in Chicago, who wrote the 2-million selling book Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, which later led to the Gene Autry hit, which sold over 25,000,000 copies! The unexpected history of reindeer is also all about the Wild Sports of the World: A Boy's Book of Natural History and Adventure by James Greenwood (1862), and nineteenth-century pit traps! Who knew!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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