A quizzical look at some of history’s quirkiest moments and unpredictable people. Mikey Robins, celebrated Australian comedian, and Paul Wilson, Oxford Historian and author, take you on a raucous tour across many of the strangest turning points in history.
This series celebrates the unsung heroes of history and puts the boot into the howlers. It revels in the characters, the cock ups, and the bizarre twists of fate that have changed the course of mankind – sometimes tragic, sometimes comical, sometimes just plain stupid.
“ Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection. ” Winston Churchill It's that time of year again! The halls are decked with holly and there’s a big tree blocking Martin Place. Listen in on the last of this Season’s episodes to get you in the Festive Spirit. Bottoms Up! Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
“I judge a man by one thing, which side would he have liked his ancestors to fight on at Marston Moor? ” Isaac Foot (Liberal MP/father of Michael) Paul and Mikey dish up more tasty morsels from episodes 4 to 6. More stories, more insights, and of course… more maps!! Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
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It's that time of year! Christmas displays are in the Myer windows and the streets are lighting up. To get you ready for the home stretch of the year, Mikey and Paul are treating you with the Christmas special of last year, enjoy! Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
“But what does it mean, the plague? It's life, that's all.” Albert Camus “Opinion has caused more trouble on this little earth than plagues or earthquakes.” Voltaire Move over COVID 19, in History the Bubonic Plague takes all the prizes. So Paul and Mikey are going in search of the worst of the worst. Camus vs Voltaire - Who will win the spoils? Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
“History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.” Did Churchill ever really say this?! Paul and Mikey dish up more tasty morsels from episodes 1 to 3. More stories, more insights, and of course… more maps!! Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
“Russia has sold us a sucked orange!” Horace Greeley, editor of the New York World's response to the Alaskan purchase of 1867. In this episode Paul and Mikey look at how the politics of the Old World literally shaped the Americas. And why a tiny Caribbean island might be worth more than half a continent. Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
“ Wait not while your foe fits arrow to bowstring when you can send your own arrow into him.” Babur, founder of the Mogul Empire. The Mogul Empire is seen as quintessentially Indian, but was born out of Afghanistan and Central Asia. Paul and Mikey go in search of why this could be, and the long lasting effects it would have on Indian cuisine. This episode is to be enjoyed in the presence of a good curry!! Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
“ How can anyone govern a nation that has two hundred and forty-six different kinds of cheese? ” Charles De Gaulle Blessed are the cheesemakers - well, Paul and Mikey certainly think so! Join them on their historical world tour in search of the Grand Fromage . Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
In preparation for their 8th season, Paul and Mikey are too busy to bang out a new ep. Instead of missing a week, the guys thought they'd spoil you with an old favourite- the South Sea Bubble (18th Century). Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
‘Cities are the result of farmers working too hard. In fact, History is the result of farmers working too hard.’ Mark Forsyth, A Short History of Drunkenness Paul and Mikey keep digging and serve up a whole new bunch of treats from episodes 7 and 8. More stories, more insights, and of course… more maps!! Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
“Every man has his price, or a guy like me couldn’t exist.” Howard Hughes In this episode Paul and Mikey look at the archetypal eccentric billionaire, and how the life of one man did so much to mirror and then shape 20th Century America. Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
“Just because a King is a King does not mean he is not human. ” Saladin The Kurds are one of History’s most put-upon races. But where are they, who are their heroes, and what prospects do they have for the future? Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
“The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by.” Felix Adler Paul and Mikey keep digging and serve up a whole new bunch of treats from episodes 4 to 6. More stories, more insights, and of course… more maps!! Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
“There is nothing, absolutely nothing, half as much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” Kenneth Grahame , The Wind in the Willows In this episode Paul and Mikey look at three vessels that got well and truly messed up. From 17th century Sweden to the heights of the Cold War, these are three bizarre tales of the sea. Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
“August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time." Sylvia Plath Paul and Mikey explore all things August, Augustan and even Augustine! But where did this month come from and how did we survive for so long without it? Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
“Dream on, but don’t imagine they’ll all come true. When you realise that Vienna waits for you.” Billy Joel In this episode Paul and Mikey look at the interwoven lives of the powerful and the infamous, and how they all rubbed elbows in pre-World War I Vienna. It’s 1913 and they’re about to enter ‘The laboratory of the Apocalypse.’ Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Paul and Mikey dish up more tasty morsels from episodes 1 to 3. More stories, more insights, more maps!! Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“I'm a hero on land but at sea I am a coward.” Adolf Hitler There’s nothing like an invasion for dishing up some cock-ups. England has seen its fair share over the centuries, but in this episode Paul and Mikey look at two you might not be quite so familiar with. The Battle of Fishguard, anybody?! Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
“Sometimes I think we're alone in the universe, and sometimes I think we're not. In either case, the idea is quite staggering.” Arthur C. Clarke The Final Frontier?! Not for Paul and Mikey. Space exploration, hot rockets, cold wars, moon landings and ballistic missiles - this episode has them all. Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
“You can’t be a real spy and have everybody in the world know who you are and what your drink is. That’s just hysterically funny.” Roger Moore In this episode on espionage, Mikey looks at two of history’s most inept spies, and Paul asks: ‘Was one of England’s greatest playwrights a secret agent?’ Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
With Paul wrapping up his trip to the UK, the guys thought to wrap up our classic ep with Paul's Hero- The Earl of Macclesfield. Facebook Twitter Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Paul is still in the UK but Mikey can't help but keep on releasing some of his favourite episodes. This week, we take a look back on The Batavia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
With Paul off to the UK, the guys thought it would be a good idea to revisit some classic episodes and thought revisiting The Kushans would be a perfect start! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“The past is not behind us but under our feet” H Corbin (French Philosopher) Paul and Mikey are serving it up a treat - a real smorgasbord from episodes 7 and 8. More stories, more insights, more maps!! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“Travelling: it leaves you speechless, and then turns you into a storyteller.” Ibn Battuta Join Paul and Mikey as they go in search of one of the most well-travelled legends in History. With probably the world’s greatest traveller as their guide. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“The difference between treason and patriotism is only a matter of dates.” Alexandre Dumas In this episode Paul and Mikey look at the real D’Artagnan, how changing military tactics helped to keep the French at war for over a century, and a secret Parisian society dedicated to smoking hash. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“History is not the sort of animal you can domesticate.” Antonio Tabucchi ( Pereira Maintains ) Paul and Mikey dish up more tasty morsels from episodes 4 to 6. More stories, more insights, more maps!! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“Scratch a Russian and you will find a Tartar.' Napoleon The lands above the Black Sea have been fought over for centuries. Yet in the 7th, 8th and 9th centuries they were united under one force - the Khazars. Could mass religious conversion have been the secret to their success? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can’t it get us out?” Will Rogers In this episode Paul and Mikey look at some of the disastrous results of humans mucking around with nature.It’s about invasive species and the role played by Shakespeare in plane crashes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
