Subject to Change

Latest Episodes:

A bishop hanged in Dublin Jun 01, 2024

Show notes

I can't remember enjoying a story more than Peter Marshall's Mother Leakey and the Bishop.
The way Peter tells the story is absolutely brilliant with walk on parts from some very famous characters. At heart though it is a ghost story and the story of how an Anglican Bishop came to be hanged for the crime of sodomy in Dublin in the winter of 1640.
Peter is one of the leading historians of the Reformation and won the Woolfson prize for his book Heretics and Believers. And as I say in the introduction to the podcast the story he has uncovered here is 'an absolute banger!'

Kaldellis on Byzantium - part 2 May 02, 2024

Show notes

We cover the miserable tale of the 4th crusade, the Latin Empire and Anthony gives advice on how to write a Byzantium based historical novel. We had fun with this one and I hope you enjoy it.

Anthony Kaldellis on Byzantium (Part 1) Apr 30, 2024

Show notes

If you have any interest at all in Byzantium or in the Roman Empire generally I think you should really enjoy this episode. Professor Kaldellis is one of the leading scholars on Byzantium (East Rome?) and his book The New Roman Empire - A History of Byzantium takes you all the way from the founding of Constantinople to its fall to the Ottoman Turks in the 15th century, more than a thousand years later. The book is a tour de force and despite the scale of the story it is extremely readable and I enjoyed the dry wit throughout. And he made an absolutely fascinating guest. So if you love stories of the Roman Empire do give it a listen. We couldn't cover everything but we covered a lot!
We recorded it in one go but we reached a natural break point so I have split it into two parts.

Hampton Sides - the last voyage of Captain Cook Apr 08, 2024

Show notes

Hampton has been on the podcast before and if you haven't yet found his books of narrative history I urge you to seek them out. Absolutely thrilling stories but told with real historical skill. Today we talked about Captain Cook's last voyage which ended in 1779. Hampton's book is called The Wide Wide Sea and he pays attention to all parts of the story - Cook was very much only a part of the tale. And do seek out not just the Wide Wide Sea but Hampton's other books. If you enjoy narrative history his are in the first rank.

The Sin Eater Mar 01, 2024

Show notes

I am a huge fan of Mike Dash's books. We have talked about Batavia's Graveyard and Tulipomania in past episodes. But Mike also has a fascination for weird semi folkloric stories and in this episode he unearths the truth about that remarkable creature, the Sin Eater.

Ed West - From the Romans to Alfred the Great Feb 08, 2024

Show notes

Most people know Ed West for his journalism and in particular for his substack The Wrong Side of History. If you haven't found that yet then check it out - it is one of the best things of its kind out there. But Ed also writes book and in particular a series of short introductions to various periods of English history. If (like me) you sometimes find you need a good overview of something before diving into the detail these books are an absolute godsend. We talked about the period from when the Romans left Britain in the early 400's to the time of Alfred the Great. It was thoroughly entertaining to listen to Ed though it sounds as if the people living through these times had a lot less fun.
His book is called Saxons vs Vikings: Alfred the Great and England in the Dark Ages. It is a great introduction to the period. (And ideal for fans of Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom!)

John McWhorter and Scott Sumner - talking movies Jan 21, 2024

Show notes

I am a huge fan of John McWhorter and have come to have great respect for Scott Sumner's knowledge and judgement when it comes to movies. It was a real pleasure to get them together to chat about favourite movies, directors and genres.

Dikötter on Dictators Jan 07, 2024

Show notes

Frank Dikötter returns to the show to talk about dictators and in particular how they use the cult of personality to crush friends and enemies alike. HIs book on dictators is an elightening tour of some of the worst men of the 20th century - horribly enjoyable!

The Lives of East Germans - Katja Hoyer Dec 09, 2023

Show notes

If, like me, your idea of East Germany is dominated by spy movies and and you think that perhaps it was nothing more than a open air prison with the Stasi round every corner then Katja Hoyer's remarkable book Beyond the Wall is an ideal corrective. Katja blends personal tales (some happy and some utterly tragic) with an analysis of the wider geopolitical scene. Above all it is fantastically readable and unsurprisingly is on pretty much every 'book of the year' list in the newspapers. She was a great guest and I very much hope you will enjoy listening to her.

Britons never will be slaves? Oct 25, 2023

Show notes

Giles Milton is one of my favourite authors producing narrative history today. The stories he tells are just jaw dropping. We talked about his book White Gold which tells the stories of Thomas Pellow who was seized and taken off into slavery in 1714. Looming large in the story is the remarkable Moulay Ismail, ruler of Morroco at the time. He makes his entrance on his chariot pulled by some of his eunuchs and some of his 500 wives. A brutal and cruel ruler but a fascinating character.
The title of the podcast refers to the song Rule Britannia, written around this time. Its boast was that Britons never, never will be slaves. Well they were, and in large numbers.
Giles is in great form here - he is a compelling storyteller in his books and he repeats the trick for the podcast.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected