'Doc' Susan Anderson set out to prove that 'a woman could be a good doctor'. She did so in the most difficult surroundings: America's Wild West. An audio long read of the article published in the December issue of History Today. You can read the article online here , or buy a copy of the issue from our website. Written by Susan Jonusas. Read by Greig Johnson. Music: Jan Morgenstern Image: Susan Anderson, c.1900. Wikimedia/Creative Commons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo...
Dec 18, 2020•22 min•Season 2Ep. 22
This year marks the 900th anniversary of the worst maritime disaster suffered by the English Crown and, arguably, by England. The sinking of the White Ship – a vessel carrying the English king Henry I’s sole heir – on 25 November 1120, was a disaster from which anarchy would follow. Join Charles Spencer, author of The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream (William Collins, 2020) in conversation with History Today Editor Paul Lay. Charles has al...
Nov 27, 2020•31 min•Season 2Ep. 21
In the Wars of the Roses, Margaret is remembered as a warrior queen, the ‘she-wolf of France’. But the means by which she operated in the period of Lancastrian exile from 1461-71 – her unceasing diplomatic efforts in Europe and campaign of resistance in northern England – have tended to be sidelined in histories of this apparently national conflict. The story of Margaret’s campaign to regain the crown for the House of Lancaster is one of daring deeds, admirable courage and tragedy wrenched...
Nov 13, 2020•24 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Over the past hundred years, foreign correspondents have been central to the West’s understanding of Russia’s political and cultural turning points, the revolutions, wars and changes in political power. In this episode, History Today Editor Paul Lay is joined by James Rodgers, whose latest book, Assignment Moscow, focuses on the stories of those journalists who have forged this understanding. Assignment Moscow: Reporting on Russia from Lenin to Putin is published by I.B. Tauris...
Oct 30, 2020•34 min•Season 2Ep. 19
During the last week of September an Azerbaijani offensive re-ignited a decades-old conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh (‘Mountainous Karabakh’) region. The Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan is sometimes explained as a result of ‘ancient hatreds’. In reality, it is nothing of the sort, despite both sides using history to bolster their claims to the region. This article was part of our Miscellanies series. Sign up to receive thi...
Oct 16, 2020•13 min•Season 2Ep. 18
The Sikh queen Jind Kaur inherited an empire shaken by unexpected deaths and embroiled in civil war, but her biggest problem was the British. Who was Jind Kaur and how did she become such a formidable woman? This article is from the October issue of History Today: buy a copy of the issue from our website , from newsstands across the UK, or read it via the History Today app, available on Google Play and the App Store. Read by Greig Johnson. Written by Priya Atwal. Music: Kai Engel. Im...
Sep 25, 2020•21 min•Season 2Ep. 17
A terrorist attack on Wall Street on 16 September 1920 aroused suspicion of anarchists, socialists and foreigners, as America saw danger around every corner. This article is from the September issue of History Today: buy a copy of the issue from our website , from newsstands across the UK, or read it via the History Today app, available on Google Play and the App Store. Read by Greig Johnson. Written by James Crossland. Music: Kai Engel. Image: Aftermath, Wall Street bomb, 16 September 192...
Aug 28, 2020•21 min•Season 2Ep. 16
In 1660, the Royalist exiles were returning with European languages, manners and culture in tow. Yet, of all the European imports that Charles and his Royalist entourage ferried back to their homeland, it was the courtly position of the maîtresse-en-titre that would prove most significant. Despite the scandalous overtones of adultery inherent in the job title, it was a much sought-after role, offering financial and social opportunities not only to the mistress herself but also ...
Aug 14, 2020•30 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Life and death in a Viking battle depended not on military prowess, but on the favour of the valkyries. Why were these mythical figures, who decided a warrior’s fate, female? This article was part of our Miscellanies series. Sign up to receive this free weekly long read in your inbox, at https://www.historytoday.com/miscellanies . Written by Jóhanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir. Read by Greig Johnson. Music: Kai Engel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 31, 2020•9 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Shortly after 5pm on 7 June 1520, Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France met for the first time. That first meeting, and their time together over the following fortnight, became known to history as the Field of Cloth of Gold. In a spirit of rivalry and cooperation, the two young Renaissance monarchs asserted their power and authority at one of the last great demonstrations of the chivalric age. This article is from the July issue of History Today: buy a copy of the issue from our we...
Jul 10, 2020•22 min•Season 2Ep. 13
In this podcast, History Today Editor Paul Lay is joined by David Abulafia, winner of the 2020 Wolfson History Prize, for his book The Boundless Sea. The Boundless Sea traces the history of human movement and interaction around and across the world's greatest bodies of water, charting our relationship with the oceans from the time of the first voyagers. David also wrote an article for the November 2019 issue of History Today, which you can read on our website: https://www.historytoday.com/...
Jun 26, 2020•28 min•Season 2Ep. 12
The hero of the Haitian Revolution’s lonely death in a French prison cell was not an unfortunate tragedy but a cruel story of deliberate destruction. This article is from the June issue of History Today: buy a copy of the issue from our website , or read it via the History Today app, available on Google Play and the App Store. Introduced by History Today editor, Paul Lay. Read by Greig Johnson. Written by Marlene L. Daut. Music: Kai Engel. Image: Portrait of Toussaint Louverture, chromolit...
Jun 12, 2020•23 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Join Marlene Daut in conversation with History Today Editor, Paul Lay, as they discuss the background of the Haitian Revolution, Toussaint Louverture, and the revolution's legacies. Marlene has written an article for the June issue of History Today on 'The Wrongful Death of Toussaint Louverture', which is also available to listen to as an audio long read on our podcast. Buy a copy of the June issue from our website , or read it via the History Today app, available on Google Play and the Ap...
Jun 12, 2020•28 min•Season 2Ep. 10
The city of Thebes was central to the ancient Greeks’ achievements in politics and culture. For many centuries it has been largely – and often deliberately – forgotten. Join Paul Cartledge in conversation with History Today Editor, Paul Lay, as they discuss Paul Cartledge's article on 'Thebes: The Forgotten City', which is in the June issue of History Today. Buy a copy of the June issue from our website , or read it via the History Today app, available on Google Play and the App Store. Pau...
May 29, 2020•24 min•Season 2Ep. 9
In the 17th century, fanciful solutions to the mystery of the swallow’s whereabouts were the result of an intense battle over the nature of scientific reasoning, which had been raging for centuries – and which is still raging today. This article is from the May issue of History Today. Buy a copy of this issue from our website , or read it via the History Today app, available on Google Play and the App Store. Written by Alexander Lee. Read by History Today Editor, Paul Lay. Hosted on Acast. See a...
May 15, 2020•17 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Myanmar’s colonial legacy includes racial hierarchies and authoritarian government. In the new nation state, not everyone is welcome. To understand why Rakhine State is in such turmoil we need to follow the threads of ethnic nationalism back to before Myanmar existed. This article is from the May issue of History Today. Buy a copy of this issue from our website, or read it via the History Today app, available on Google Play and the App Store. Introduced by History Today editor, Paul Lay. Read by...
May 01, 2020•11 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Four historians discuss what we learn from history about how diseases spread, and how we respond to them. Buy a copy of the April issue of History Today from our website: www.historytoday.com John Henderson: ‘Strategies to cope with plague have formed the basis for later policies’. Read by Paul Lay. Patricia Fara: ‘Fear and suspicion multiply more rapidly than any virus’. Read by Katie Holyoak. Samuel Cohn: ‘Epidemics strike from the outside and are carried in’. Read by Paul Lay. Sandra Hempel: ...
Apr 10, 2020•12 min•Season 2Ep. 6
France’s attraction to right-wing populism has been a constant, if shape-shifting, presence in its politics since the end of the 19th century. This article appeared in the April 2020 edition of History Today. Read the article online or buy a copy of this issue from our website . Written by Martin Evans Read by Greig Johnson Produced by History Today Music by Kai Engel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 27, 2020•23 min•Season 2Ep. 5
In 1942, Lieutenant Lyudmila Pavlichenko, a Soviet frontline sniper, was sent on a mission to convince US and British allies to open up a Second Front against Hitler’s forces. Her arrival in Washington DC coincided with a historic moment of American-Soviet friendship, even while the press found the female sniper, with her claimed tally of 309 German kills, rather shocking. Historian Dr Julie Wheelwright in conversation with History Today Editor, Paul Lay. Julie's Article 'A Woman's Place', on Ly...
Mar 13, 2020•19 min•Season 2Ep. 4
In March 1876, the young Sigmund Freud arrived in Trieste, looking for the testicles of an eel. For centuries past, these troublesome organs had proved elusive. Despite the most intensive – not to say intimate – research, no one had managed to track them down. This article appeared in the March 2020 edition of History Today. Read the article online or buy a copy of this issue from our website . Written by Alexander Lee Read by Greig Johnson Produced by History Today Music...
Feb 28, 2020•13 min•Season 2Ep. 3
This year, the US looks back four centuries to an intrepid band of refugees making a perilous home in New England. The Mayflower pilgrims had been outlaws in England, members of an underground church known as the Brownists or Separatists. They believed church should be a voluntary community rather than a compulsory state religion. For their refusal to submit to the Church of England they had faced raids, prison, exile and death for the previous 60 years. This podcast explores a previ...
Feb 14, 2020•20 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In 1867, a notorious divorce case revealed the horrific methods with which one London surgeon was treating his patients. This article appeared in the February 2020 edition of History Today. Read the article online or buy a copy of this issue from our website . Written by Sarah Wise Read by Greig Johnson Produced by History Today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 14, 2020•24 min•Season 2Ep. 1
In this new podcast series, we speak with historians who are leading in their field. Each episode will be on a different subject and era; and a chance to hear the stories, to ask questions and to indulge our curiosity, with the experts in the area. These conversations will be interspersed with audio articles from the magazine. We’ve specially selected pieces that are eclectic, intriguing, and of course, informative. Our first piece is on the female genital mutilation scandal that ...
Feb 11, 2020•2 min
Historian Michael Burleigh discusses his new book The Best of Times, the Worst of Times: A History of Now. Is the United States in permanent decline? Will China replace it as the global superpower? Are we entering a post-democratic world? And how do we prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 01, 2017•19 min
Maiken Umbach and Neil Gregor join History Today editor Paul Lay to discuss the new critical edition of Hitler's notorious book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 23, 2016•19 min
We discuss Tantric Buddhism with Ruth Garde, curator of a new show at the Wellcome Collection. Also: Marc Morris on King John and the siege of Rochester. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 25, 2015•19 min
In this episode, Amy Fuller discusses the myths surrounding Mexico's Day of the Dead, and Andrew Lownie talks about the obstacles facing historians trying to use the Freedom of Information Act to access government files. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 21, 2015•28 min
Peter Frankopan joins us to discuss the importance of viewing history not from a western or eastern perspective, but one that links the two together. Plus, Mathew Lyons and Catherine Fletcher on the plight of young academics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 16, 2015•36 min
We speak to Katie Donington about the legacies of Britain's involvement in the slave trade. Also: Cambodia's lost rock and roll scene, and a report from the International Medieval Congress. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 18, 2015•32 min
This month we discuss Proto-Indo-European, the ancestor of almost every language now spoken from the Hebrides to the Himalayas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 27, 2015•20 min
