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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:

MicroHistory 2: Tattoos! Dec 07, 2020

Show notes

This is second 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 second foray into historical brevity the histories of the unexpected duo of James Daybell and Sam Willis tackle the artistic subject of TATTOOS, which is inspired by their book on the Romans. Taking that as their starting place, the boys tackle topics of slavery, imperial power, civilisation and barbarians, before tackling the subjects of John Dee, dreams, alchemy and empire, as well as exploration, Christian missionaries in the nineteenth century, the legal history of skin, cultural sovereignty, imperialism and secret cultural survival. Who knew?

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

Friendship renewed! Dec 05, 2020

Show notes

In this BONUS episode, the Histories of the Unexpected buddies, James and Sam, renew their explorations in the archives to investigate further the wonderfully pleasant expected history of FRIENDSHIP! Which is all about childhood memories, oral history and essays, pals battalions and WWI, Francis Bacon and Cicero, friendship albums at the British Library, as well as relations between nations and the Yalta Conference of 1945! Who knew!

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Friendship! Dec 03, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, make their way through the archives to investigate the wonderfully pleasant expected history of FRIENDSHIP! Which is all about Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie and friendship at first sight; it's about diary-writing, letter-writing and the history of emotions, as well as bereavement, falling in love; it's about Francis Bacon, Cicero and political; as well as Penal Laws and the Catholics in eighteenth-century Ireland, and of course it's also all about the history of cycling clubs! Of course it is!

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

MicroHistory 1: Cannibalism! Nov 30, 2020

Show notes

This is the launch of a new challenge! We’ve enjoyed so much our recent lengthier explorations of unexpected subjects in which one topic runs over two podcasts, such is the depth of our research! Nonetheless it raises the important question of whether or not we could do a micro history - 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. In this first foray into historical brevity the histories of the unexpected duo of James Daybell and Sam Willis tackle the spine-tingling subject of CANNIBALISM, which is inspired by their book on the Tudors. Taking that as their starting place, the boys tackle topics including Shakespearean Theatre (with images cannibalism in Much Ado About Nothing, Coriolanus, The Tempest, and the Merchant of Venice), Michel de Montaigne's essay 'Of the Caniballes', travel to the New World, as well as Tudor medicine and eating 'mummy flesh'. We then look at a voyage made in 1884 by four men, who set sail from Southampton in a small yacht, the Mignonette, which they sailed to its new owner in Australia, and encountered real tragedy on the journey The episode ends with discussion of Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People for Being a Burthen to their Parents or Country (1729), a satirical text that proposes the eating of babies as the solution to the economic problems in Ireland.

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

LOSERS KEEP ON LOSING! Nov 27, 2020

Show notes

In this BONUS episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, continue their rampage through the past on their question to uncover the unexpected history of LOSERS! Which is all about The Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression, the American Dream, rugged individualism, and the concept of being unsuccessful (bankrupts, defeats, third-raters, good-for-nothings, flunkies, wastes-of-space, old bogies, loafers, has-been, failures and no-hopers), credit ratings, statues, commemoration, Black Lives Matter, Confederates and White Supremacy, and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman; it’s also all about WW2, oral history and radical history, hidden voices, and history from below.

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

LOSERS! Nov 25, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, scour the archives to uncover the unexpected history of LOSERS! Which is all about Donald Trump and the 2020 US Presidential Election, it’s about democracy, Jim Carey and Ace Ventura Pet Detective, Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, George H. W. Bush, John McCain, Etiquette in Defeat, Homer’s Iliad, Charles Dickens, workhouses and Oliver Twist, Presidential Concession Speeches (including Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, honour in defeat, prisoners of war, the surrender at Yorktown, US War of Independence and General Cornwallis

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Maggots Re-hatched! Nov 22, 2020

Show notes

In this BONUS episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, re-hatch the unexpected history of MAGGOTS! Which is all about the American Civil War, Ancient and modern medicine, dangerous Sardinian delicacies, the circle of life, forgetful mothers-in-law and Amazonian plane crashes!

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

Maggots! Nov 20, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, hatch the unexpected history of MAGGOTS! Which is all about the American Civil War, Ancient and modern medicine, dangerous Sardinian delicacies, the circle of life, forgetful mothers-in-law and Amazonian plane crashes!

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

INK RETURNS Nov 12, 2020

Show notes

In this BONUS episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, return to get their hands dirty once more by exploring the unexpected history of INK! Which is all about elections and fraud, Ancient China, the personality of US Presidents, spies and the Cold War and who could forget Renaissance letter-writing!

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

INK Nov 12, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, get their hands dirty exploring the unexpected history of INK! Which is all about elections and fraud, Ancient China, the personality of US Presidents, spies and the Cold War and who could forget Renaissance letter-writing!

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

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