History Rage

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274. The Samurai Didn’t Hate Guns with Matt Okuhara Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

Forget the katana myth — Japan’s samurai didn’t shun guns, they embraced them. 🔥

Were the samurai really noble warriors who turned their noses up at guns? This week on History Rage, host Paul Bavill sits down with historian, author, and YouTuber Matt Okuhara to demolish the myth of the “honourable warrior.” From matchlocks and martial arts to gun control laws in the 1600s, Matt reveals how Japan’s most famous warriors were some of the earliest adopters of firearms — and how Hollywood got it all wrong.

Matt takes us through the real evolution of samurai warfare — from their rise as Japan’s ruling military elite to the fall of their class during the Meiji Restoration. Along the way, he explains why Tokugawa’s gun laws were among the world’s first, how firearms shaped the great battles of Nagashino and beyond, and why the “sword-only” image is pure cinematic fiction.

If you’ve ever wondered what happened when the sword met the gun in feudal Japan, this is the history lesson you didn’t know you needed.

🎯 In this episode:

Why the samurai did use guns (and loved them)
How firearms arrived in Japan in 1543 and changed warfare
The truth about Bushido and “honourable combat”
The real reason Japan’s navy lagged behind
The decline of the samurai — and how they became bureaucrats
Women warriors, ronin, and Japan’s early gun control laws

📚 Guest Info – Matt Okuhara

Matt is a British historian, author, interpreter, and YouTuber based in Japan. He’s a member of the Matsumoto Castle Gun Corps, one of Japan’s largest historical shooting teams. His work explores Japanese military history, samurai culture, and the global myths surrounding them.

👉 Find Matt Online:

🌐 Website: gunsamurai.com

📺 YouTube: @Gun_Samurai

📸 Instagram: @gun.samurai

🎧 Listen to Related Episodes:

Ep 154 – India in World War I with Adam Prime
Ep 213 – Hiroshima with Ian McGregor

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273. Great Minds, Greater Vices: How Drugs Fuelled the Past with Sam Kelly Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

Discover how drugs shaped empires, creativity, and chaos throughout history.

From ancient battlefields to Victorian medicine cabinets, this week’s episode of History Rage dives into the surprising — and often shocking — role of substance use across the ages. Host Paul Bavill is joined by historian and writer Sam Kelly (@humanhistoryondrugs) for a deep, thought-provoking journey through how drugs influenced the world’s most famous figures, ideas, and empires.

Together, they uncover how Alexander the Great, Sigmund Freud, Queen Victoria, and even Pope Leo XIII all encountered (and indulged in) mind-altering substances — often with world-changing consequences. From Freud’s cocaine-fuelled psychology to the British Empire’s opium trade, from religious visions to artistic inspiration, Sam and Paul reveal the hidden highs and devastating lows that shaped history’s greatest moments.

You’ll learn how drugs were once tools of power and creativity, but also instruments of destruction. And, as Sam reminds us, it’s never a simple story — these substances weren’t inherently good or bad, but they were always influential.

If you’ve ever wondered what connects emperors, popes, poets, and programmers — or how LSD helped inspire modern computing — this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

🎧 Episode Highlights

The Pope who publicly endorsed cocaine-infused wine 🍷
How opium funded the British Empire’s expansion into China 💰
Freud, Alexander the Great, and the deadly cost of indulgence ⚔️
The link between artistic creativity and chemical experimentation 🎨
Steve Jobs, LSD, and the psychedelic origins of the personal computer 💻
Why understanding substance use gives us a truer picture of history 🔍

📚 About the Guest – Sam Kelly

Sam Kelly is a historian, writer, and host of Human History on Drugs, where he explores the complex and often surprising intersections between humanity and its intoxicants. His work brings wit, nuance, and compassion to a subject too often oversimplified.

👉 Follow Sam on Instagram: @human_history_on_drugs

🎙️ Check out the TikTok Channel: @human_history_on_durgs

________________________________________

💬 Connect with History Rage

📱 Follow for more history myth-busting and expert rants:

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📧 Contact Paul Bavill: historyragepod@gmail.com

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272. Katherine of Aragon Festival LIVE Special with Dr. Owen Emmerson and Alfred Hawkins Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

Anne Boleyn myths destroyed live at Katherine of Aragon Festival

Recorded live at the Katherine of Aragon Festival, this special episode of History Rage sees host Paul Bavill joined on stage by Owen Emerson (Assistant Curator, Hever Castle) and Alfred Hawkins (Curator, Tower of London) to challenge the biggest myths surrounding Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII and Tudor England.

Anne Boleyn remains one of the most mythologised figures in British history. Was she a ruthless schemer? A Protestant heroine? A tragic innocent? Owen Emerson argues that much of what we “know” about Anne was shaped by Victorian historians. Far from being a woman without substance, she was highly educated, shaped by Renaissance France, politically aware and deeply engaged in religious reform — though not the architect of the English Reformation.

The panel explores:

Anne Boleyn’s relationship with Catherine of Aragon
Whether Anne pursued Henry VIII — or resisted him
The political reality behind the Break with Rome
The truth about her execution and burial
Why we don’t actually know what most ordinary people thought of her

Alfred Hawkins also tackles a major misconception: the idea that the Tower of London is simply a grim execution site. While Anne’s death looms large, the Tower was a royal palace, administrative hub, armoury, archive and community for centuries. Reducing it to a Tudor “theatre of death” ignores over 1,000 years of English history.

This live discussion is packed with Tudor historiography, debates about historical “expertise”, the limits placed on queenship, and why applying modern labels to early modern women can distort more than it clarifies.

If you’re interested in Anne Boleyn, Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII, the English Reformation, Tudor queens, or the Tower of London, this episode restores complexity to one of the most dramatic periods in British history.

Guest Details

Owen Emerson

Assistant Curator, Hever Castle

Visit: https://www.hevercastle.co.uk

Alfred Hawkins

Curator, Tower of London

Visit: https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london

Follow & Support History Rage

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📩 Email: historyragepod@gmail.com

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❤️ Support via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyrage

Recorded live at the Katherine of Aragon Festival.

Stay angry.

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271. Rommel was NOT a Strategic Genius with Peter Caddick Adams Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

The Desert Fox legend endures, but how much of it is true?

In this landmark 200th episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined once again by military historian and author Peter Caddick Adams to dismantle the enduring myths surrounding one of WWII’s most famous — and most misunderstood — figures: Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox.

Rommel has long been painted as the daring genius of North Africa and even as a “good German” who stood against Hitler. But how much of that is reality, and how much is myth-making? Paul and Peter dig deep into the legend, the propaganda, and the politics that shaped Rommel’s reputation during the war — and long after it.

The Strategic Genius?

Rommel’s early victories in North Africa cemented his reputation, but Peter reveals the other side: his lack of staff training, his tendency to lead like a battalion commander even at army level, and how much his success relied on captured British equipment, Allied weakness, and signals intelligence.

The Propaganda Machine

Rommel wasn’t just lucky; he was a propaganda dream. From his days as Hitler’s bodyguard in Poland to his carefully staged desert photographs, he cultivated the Desert Fox image with Nazi backing.

Politics and the July Plot

Did Rommel oppose Hitler? Peter explains why there’s no evidence he joined the July 20th plot — a post-war myth shaped by biography and politics.

The Post-War Reinvention

After 1945, Rommel was recast as the “clean Wehrmacht” figure NATO needed. Churchill himself called him “a daring and skilful opponent,” sealing the legend.

Packed with anecdotes — from a dachshund in the classroom, to Coronation Street’s “Rommel the cat” — this milestone episode strips away the myth to reveal the complex man behind the Desert Fox.

🎧 Celebrate 200 episodes of History Rage with a myth-busting deep dive into Rommel’s real legacy.

Guest Information:

Follow Peter Caddick Adams on X: @militaryhistori and Instagram: @pcaddickadams

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🌐 Website: www.historyrage.com

👉 Help us challenge the myths of history — share this episode and spread the rage!

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270. History Teaching Is Killing Curiosity with Janina Ramirez Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

Why history lessons drain passion – and how we can fix it

History should ignite curiosity, creativity and connection. Instead, too often, it does the opposite.

In this powerful History Rage Live episode, host Paul Bavill is joined by medievalist, broadcaster and historian Professor Janina Ramirez to rage against the way history is taught – and how rigid curricula, “great man” narratives and siloed subjects are snuffing out a lifelong love of the past.

Drawing on her own personal journey, Janina explains how school history almost drove her away from the subject she loved, why women and ordinary people remain marginalised in classrooms, and how our education system has all but killed the polymath. From medieval walls to modern smartphones, she makes a passionate case for interdisciplinary history that reflects real human lives – not just battles, kings and dates.

Along the way, the conversation ranges widely:

• Why women’s history is still treated as optional or tokenistic

• How figures like Christine de Pizan and Hildegard of Bingen challenge everything we think we know about the past

• Why timelines matter – but rigid periodisation often doesn’t

• How digital access could create a new generation of polymaths

• And why rewriting history isn’t about politics, but accuracy

This episode is essential listening for teachers, students, parents, historians and anyone who’s ever felt bored by history lessons – and wondered why.

If you’ve ever loved history but felt pushed away by how it’s taught, this rage is for you.

About the guest: Professor Janina Ramirez

Professor Janina Ramirez is a medievalist, art historian and broadcaster, and President (for life) of the Gloucester History Festival. She is renowned for bringing interdisciplinary, people-centred history to wide audiences through books, television and public scholarship.

Books

📘 Legenda: The Real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe

Available here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780753560419

Follow & contact Janina Ramirez

Twitter / X / Instagram: @drjaninaramirez
Gloucester History Festival: https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk

More History Rage with Janina Ramirez

🎧 Episode 82 – Medieval women written out of history: https://pod.fo/e/1ef944

🎧 Episode 147 – Life inside a medieval convent: https://pod.fo/e/269598

About History Rage

History Rage is the podcast where historians vent their frustrations and dismantle the myths we were taught at school. Hosted by Paul Bavill, each episode challenges comfortable narratives and puts passion back into the past.

Follow History Rage

Twitter / X / Instagram / Facebook: @HistoryRage
Website & bookshop: https://www.historyrage.com

Support the podcast

❤️ Join Patreon for live streams and exclusive content:

👉 https://www.patreon.com/historyrage

🎧 Listen ad-free on Apple Podcasts for just £3 per month via Apple Subscriptions

⭐ And if you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review or recommend History Rage to a friend – it really helps the podcast grow.

Stay angry. History depends on it.

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269. Enough About The Tudors Already! with Al Murray Jan 26, 2026

Show notes

Why are we still obsessed with the Tudors?

In this lively episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by the brilliant comedian and World War II historian Al Murray to tackle the relentless fixation on the Tudor dynasty. With a blend of humour and historical insight, Al argues that it’s high time we move beyond the soap opera of Henry VIII and his six wives to explore the far more transformative events of the 17th century — namely, the English Civil War.

Join us as we delve into:

- Tudor Fatigue: Al’s candid thoughts on why the Tudors have overstayed their welcome in popular history.

- The English Civil War: Discover why Al believes this tumultuous period is far more relevant and interesting than the Tudor saga.

- Revolutionary Ideas: How the Civil War set the stage for modern British governance and the ongoing struggle between power and the people.

- Historical Narratives: The importance of perspective in history and how personal biases shape our understanding of the past.

- Fresh Approaches: Al shares insights from his writing, including how to approach historical events without the burden of hindsight.

With Al's unique blend of comedy and historical analysis, this episode is a call to arms for history enthusiasts to broaden their horizons and explore the rich tapestry of our past beyond the Tudors. Get ready for a passionate discussion that challenges the status quo of historical storytelling!

📚 Connect with Al Murray

Check out his latest book Victory 45 co-authored with James Holland: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781472146360

Follow Al on social media: Instagram/Threads: @thealmurray | Twitter/Bluesky: @almurray

❤️ If you’re enjoying this episode, support the show on Patreon for exclusive content, early access, and the iconic History Rage mug. Subscribe at www.patreon.com/historyrage

🔗 Follow History Rage on Social Media:

Twitter: @HistoryRage

Instagram: @historyrage

Facebook: History Rage

Join us for a spirited debate that’s sure to ignite your passion for history and challenge your views on what truly matters in our past!

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268. James I Was Not a Slobbering Weakling with Gareth Russell – Katherine of Aragon Festival Special 4 Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

James I wasn’t weak, stupid, or slobbering — history got lazy

James I has gone down in history as a disappointment, a fool, a drunken slob — a king wedged awkwardly between Elizabeth I and Charles I and remembered largely for what others did to him. But what if almost everything you think you know about James I is wrong?

Historian and author Gareth Russell returns for a record-breaking fifth appearance to dismantle the enduring caricature of James I of England and VI of Scotland. From supposed physical deformities and “slobbering” table manners to accusations of cowardice, weakness, and religious extremism, Gareth takes aim at centuries of lazy myth-making and historical snobbery.

Drawing directly on contemporary sources, Gareth explains why the image of James as a grotesque failure tells us far more about xenophobia, propaganda, and bad history than it does about the man himself.

This episode explores:

Why James I became the “unpopular in-between king” of British history
How English and Scottish prejudice shaped his posthumous reputation
The truth behind claims of physical deformity and drunken incompetence
James’s surprisingly effective rule in Scotland — and why people wept when he left
His deep commitment to peace and how he kept Britain out of the Thirty Years’ War
The complex reality of his religious views, Catholic toleration, and hatred of Puritan extremism
His dangerous but evolving obsession with witchcraft and the long shadow of Daemonologie
How and why James authorised the King James Bible — and how involved he really was
Why his failure to unite England and Scotland politically haunted his reign

This is not an exercise in rehabilitation or hero-worship. As Gareth makes clear, James I was deeply flawed — but he was also intelligent, scholarly, peace-driven, and far more effective than history likes to admit.

If you’ve ever repeated the myths, laughed at the caricature, or dismissed James I outright — this episode is your invitation to rage at bad history and demand better.

Live Appearance Announcement

📍 Gareth Russell is speaking at the Katharine of Aragon Festival

🗓 31 January & 1 February

🎟 In-person tickets and digital passes available here:

https://peterborough-cathedral.org.uk/about/history/katharine-of-aragon/kofa_26/

Gareth’s festival talk explores the powerful and emotionally complex relationship between James I and his mother, Mary Queen of Scots, whose remains were once held at Peterborough Cathedral.

About the Guest: Gareth Russell

Gareth Russell is a historian, broadcaster, and bestselling author specialising in early modern Britain and Europe.

Books:

Queen James: The Life and Loves of James I https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780008660857
The Palace: 500 Years of History at Hampton Court https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780008437015

Podcast:

Single Malt History with Gareth Russell: https://open.spotify.com/show/1WESbOrpImFKKF55tfYYYj

Follow Gareth Russell:

Website: https://www.garethrussell.co.uk
X / Twitter: @garethrussell1

About History Rage

History Rage is the podcast where professional historians come armed with evidence — and fury — to tear down historical myths, misinformation, and lazy storytelling.

Hosted by Paul Bavill, History Rage challenges everything you think you know about the past and demands better standards from popular history.

Follow History Rage:

All Social Media: @HistoryRage
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms

Support the podcast:

History Rage is proudly independent. You can support the show, access bonus content, and help keep historians raging by backing the podcast on Patreon. www.patreon.com/historyrage

If you care about truth, nuance, and calling nonsense what it is — this one’s for you.

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267. Forget Templars: Hospitallers are more interesting with Rory MacLellan Jan 19, 2026

Show notes

Templars weren’t the greatest, the longest-lasting, or even the most useful of the medieval military orders.

⚔️ Forget the Bloody Templars. It's Time for the Knights Hospitaller.

In this fiery episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by historian Rory MacClellan (author of Warrior Monks: Politics and Power in Mediaeval Britain) to tear down the Templar myth and put the spotlight where it belongs—on the far more fascinating Knights Hospitaller.

🔥 The Hospitallers: Beyond the Crusades Rory rages against the obsession with Templars in films, books, and conspiracy theories. He argues the Hospitallers were more interesting and important, with a much longer history, existing as an active military force for almost 600 years. Unlike their rivals, the Hospitallers had a dual purpose: they founded hospitals to care for pilgrims and the sick, a function they maintained throughout their history, from Jerusalem to Rhodes to Malta. After losing the Holy Land in 1291, they successfully reinvented themselves as a naval power, while the Templars failed to adapt and were wiped out.

🏰 Politics, Intrigue, and Beheadings Far from being mere crusaders, the Hospitallers were significant landowners and powerbrokers across Europe, a role that drew them into local politics. Rory shares gripping stories of their deep entanglement in royal courts, civil conflicts, and even assassination plots. Key examples include:

Prior Robert Hales: A royal admiral and treasurer, Hales was seen as responsible for a new poll tax and became a specific target during the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. He was dragged from the Tower of London by a mob and beheaded at Tower Hill. In a shocking betrayal, three of his own servants were among the mob that burned his priory and were present at his execution.
Prior John Langstrother: He got involved in the Wars of the Roses, initially siding with Henry VI and later joining Edward IV. After switching his allegiance to the Earl of Warwick and the Lancastrian cause, Langstrother was captured after the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471 and beheaded on a scaffold outside the abbey.

💡 Legacy That Outlived the Hype So why did the Hospitallers survive when the Templars burned? They acquired their own independent base on Rhodes, which was far away from rulers like the King of France who went after the Templars. They also had a reputation for charity and ran a big network of hospitals, a function the Templars did not have. The Hospitallers' legacy as both warriors and caregivers kept them relevant for 600 years. Today, their legacy is still alive—long after the Templars vanished into myth.

📚 Guest Info Find more from Rory MacClellan in Warrior Monks: Politics and Power in Mediaeval Britain. Support independent bookshops and authors through this link : https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781803996776

Follow Rory on X: @RFMacLellan

❤️ Support History Rage Enjoying the rage? Back us on Patreon or Apple for early episodes, bonus content, and the coveted History Rage mug.

👉 www.patreon.com/historyrage

🔗 Follow History Rage Twitter: @historyrage

Facebook: History Rage

Instagram: @historyrage

Stay angry. Stay curious. And never stop questioning the myths.

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266. She’s Not Lady Jane Grey: She’s Lady Jane DUDLEY with Joanne Paul – Katherine of Aragon Festival Special 3 Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

She wasn’t a pawn — Lady Jane Dudley was shaped by power, politics and purpose

For centuries she has been remembered as Lady Jane Grey: the tragic, passive “Nine Days’ Queen.” - But what if that story is wrong?

In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by historian and author Dr Joanne Paul to rage against one of Tudor history’s most persistent myths — the erasure of Lady Jane Dudley and the deliberate sidelining of the Dudley dynasty from her story.

This conversation dismantles the idea of Jane as a helpless victim of ruthless men and instead reveals a highly educated, politically aware young woman who understood exactly what the Tudor succession crisis meant — and what it might cost her. Drawing on contemporary evidence, Dr Paul explores Jane’s agency, intelligence and religious conviction, and explains why the Dudleys became convenient scapegoats once Mary I reclaimed the throne.

As the discussion widens, the episode exposes the brutal realities of Tudor power: shifting loyalties, manufactured villainy, and the dangerous fiction of “legitimate” succession. From Edward VI’s handwritten Device for the Succession to the execution of John Dudley and the astonishing rehabilitation of Robert Dudley under Elizabeth I, this is a deep dive into how dynasties rise, fall — and rise again.

Crucially, this episode also restores women to the centre of the narrative. From Jane Dudley herself to Jane, Duchess of Northumberland, the Dudley women emerge as formidable political operators whose influence shaped events long after the axe fell.

If you think you know the story of Lady Jane Grey, this episode will change your mind.

Key themes explored

Why “Lady Jane Grey” is a historical misnomer
Jane Dudley’s education, intellect and political awareness
The Dudley family’s central role in the Tudor succession crisis
Edward VI’s intentions — and misconceptions — about succession
Scapegoating, propaganda and Tudor myth-making
The power and resilience of Dudley women
Robert Dudley’s improbable rise at Elizabeth I’s court
What the Dudleys reveal about loyalty, ambition and survival in Tudor England

Festival Info:

The Katherine of Aragon Festival Talks are on January 31st and February 1st 2026 at Peterborough Cathedral:

Tickets are available at: https://peterborough-cathedral.org.uk/about/history/katharine-of-aragon/kofa_26/

About the guest

Dr Joanne Paul is a historian, writer and public historian specialising in Tudor politics, power and reputation. She is the author of The House of Dudley, a groundbreaking study of one of Tudor England’s most misunderstood dynasties, and has consulted on major television productions including My Lady Jane.

Follow & contact Dr Joanne Paul

Social Media: @drjoannepaul
Book: The House of Dudley: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781405937191

About History Rage

History Rage is the podcast where historians stop being polite and start getting angry — debunking myths, challenging lazy narratives and reclaiming complexity from centuries of oversimplification.

Follow History Rage

Website: https://historyrage.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyrage
Social media: @HistoryRage (all major platforms)

Support the podcast

Join Patreon for live episode recordings, exclusive content and the coveted History Rage mug
Listen ad-free via Apple Podcasts or Patreon
Leave a review — it helps more people find the show
Share the rage with a friend and grow the movement

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like:

Episode 252: Dr Joanne Paul on the myth of Thomas More’s martyrdom: https://pod.fo/e/34939e
Episode 171: Joanna Strong rages against the “Bloody Mary” label: https://pod.fo/e/299de6

Until next time — stay angry.

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265. We Need to Get Over Jack the Ripper with Hallie Rubenhold Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

Why the Jack the Ripper legend is completely useless.

Get ready to hear the truth behind the headlines with social historian Hallie Rubenhold. Her groundbreaking book, The Five, challenges everything you thought you knew about the case by focusing on the victims, not the killer.

Hallie explains why the endless speculation about Jack the Ripper's identity is "useless" and built on "pure mythology". As a trained museum curator, she argues that applying modern DNA testing is impossible due to tainted evidence and a lack of provenance for objects. The real "restorative justice," she argues, comes from understanding the lives of the women themselves.

Discover the shocking reality of the five women's lives, which were far more complex than the common "prostitute" label suggests. Hallie reveals that only two of the women, Elizabeth Stride and Mary Jane Kelly, were known to engage in sex work.

You'll learn:

Polly Nichols was the daughter of a blacksmith who left her husband and children after they secured a home in one of London's first social housing buildings.
Annie Chapman came from a surprisingly middle-class background, with a father who served in the Queen's lifeguard. Her life was tragically impacted by her struggle with alcoholism.
Elizabeth Stride was born in Sweden and was known to be a "con artist".
Catherine Eddowes came from a large family and had a difficult, nomadic existence, traveling the country selling ballads with her partner.
Mary Jane Kelly, the youngest victim, may have had a different name and was said to be a skilled artist—an accomplishment reserved for the middle class at the time.

Hallie argues that the Victorian press and police unfairly labelled these women based on moral judgment, and that this same bias influenced investigations much like it did with the Yorkshire Ripper case decades later. The true value of history, she says, is not to romanticize the past but to "shock" us with the "ugly shit" of truth.

Join us and rage against the myths that have long obscured the truth.

Guest Information

Learn more about Hallie’s work and get your copy of The Five here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781784162344
Follow Hallie Rubenhold on social media: @hallierubenhold.

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From all of us at History Rage, stay curious, stay passionate, and above all—stay angry!

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