This is History: A Dynasty to Die For - podcast cover

This is History: A Dynasty to Die For

Sony Music Entertainment
For this spin-off series, This Is History heads to mediaeval Africa to meet the legendary Mansa Musa, emperor of Mali. How did one man’s generosity upend a continent’s economy? Power, wealth, redemption, and legacy—get ready for the astonishing true story of the richest man who ever lived. Join historian Luke Pepera as he unravels the untold story of Musa’s rise to power, his unimaginable wealth, and the unintended consequences of his legacy. Subscribe for exclusive bonus episodes every week with Dan Jones and ad-free listening to all episodes. Dan Jones returns later this year with Season 7 of the Plantagenet saga.

Episodes

Empire of Gold | 5. Journey’s End

Find out more about the battlefield in mediaeval Mali in our bonus episode. Subscribe for weekly episodes and ad-free listening. Musa is tantalisingly close to completing his pilgrimage but conflict looms large in Timbuktu as the nomadic Tuareg pose a formidable challenge for the Malians. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more...

Apr 01, 202522 minSeason 6Ep. 19

Empire of Gold | 4. Gold Rush

Find out more about Musa’s extravagance in our bonus episode. Subscribe for weekly episodes and ad-free listening. It’s chaos in Cairo as Musa’s extravagant generosity has spectacular consequences. The Egyptian merchants are rioting and Musa’s gets caught up in the thick of it. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your...

Mar 25, 202520 minSeason 6Ep. 18

Empire of Gold | 3. Trouble in Cairo

Find out more about the legendary Mamluks in our bonus episode. Subscribe for weekly episodes and ad-free listening. Musa clashes with the fearsome Mamluks as he enters Cairo and must find a way to placate the sultan of Egypt, Al-Nasir Muhammad, one of the toughest rulers in history, or face certain death. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymu...

Mar 18, 202524 minSeason 6Ep. 17

Empire of Gold | 2. Shifting Sands

Subscribe for exclusive bonus episodes every week and ad-free listening to all episodes. With a murder in the desert praying on his mind, Musa and his Mali pilgrims find themselves in peril in the middle of the unforgiving Sahara from an unlikely source. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...

Mar 11, 202522 minSeason 6Ep. 16

Empire of Gold | 1. Matricide

Mansa Musa sets out on a dangerous pilgrimage across the Sahara desert to absolve himself of a terrible crime. Facing treacherous conditions and deadly threats, he ventures where few would dare. Will he survive the perilous pilgrimage, or will the desert claim him? A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. ...

Mar 04, 202520 minSeason 6Ep. 15

Introducing...The Empire Of Gold

Wealth, power, redemption, and legacy: it’s the story of the richest man to ever live and his extraordinary reign. This is History is heading to West Africa, to bring you the story of the legendary emperor of Mali: Mansa Musa. Dan Jones speaks to historian Luke Pepera about Musa’s incredible journey, and what we can expect from this thrilling 6-part spin-off series. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring yo...

Feb 25, 202511 min

Season 6 | 12. The Eagle has Landed

A chilling sound echoes through the halls of Westminster Palace. It heralds a bold new age as Edward sets out his ultimate end game. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Written and hosted by Dan Jones Producer - Georgia Mills Executive Producer - Louisa Field Production Ma...

Feb 18, 202527 minSeason 6Ep. 12

Season 6 | 11. Eat the Rich

This episode contains graphic content. The streets of London are rammed with revellers after Edward III's biggest coup in the war yet. Meanwhile, in France a bloody revolution has seized the country. Could this be the perfect moment to take the French throne? Find out more about Proton Mail at proton.me/thisishistory A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastads...

Feb 11, 202529 minSeason 6Ep. 11

Season 6 | 10. The Black Prince

Edward III’s son and heir, the Black Prince, rides through France in a reign of terror and destruction. He aims to goad the King of France into a fully fledged battle. When the French King finally reveals his hand, that battle suddenly seems like a very bad idea. Find out more about Proton Mail at proton.me/thisishistory A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcas...

Feb 04, 202527 minSeason 6Ep. 10

Season 6 | 9. The Drunken Sailor

Edward III takes his forces to sea, aiming to ambush an enemy fleet. There’s just one problem: the sun is shining and the wine is flowing. It isn’t long before the entire English army is completely drunk. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Find out more about Proton Mail at proton.me/thisishistory Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...

Jan 28, 202529 minSeason 6Ep. 9

Season 6 | 8. The Order of the Garter

While Edward III is in Medieval lockdown, sheltering from the Black Death, he has a brainwave: a strange idea for an exclusive royal club that still exists in England today. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Written and hosted by Dan Jones Producer - Georgia Mills Execut...

Jan 21, 202526 minSeason 6Ep. 8

Season 6 | 7. Apocalypse Now

Edward III’s mighty war is stopped in its tracks by a new, cataclysmic threat. It’s the deadliest plague in all of human history: the black death. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Written and hosted by Dan Jones Producer - Georgia Mills Executive Producer - Louisa Field...

Jan 14, 202529 minSeason 6Ep. 7

Season 6 | 6. The Siege of Calais

Edward III sets his sights on conquering the mighty port town of Calais. But Calais is very well defended, can Edward think of a plan before his entire campaign falls to pieces? A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Written and hosted by Dan Jones Producer - Georgia Mills Ex...

Jan 07, 202531 minSeason 6Ep. 6

Season 6 | BONUS: How did they know the time in the Middle Ages?

Dan answers some of the questions from the This Is History mailbox. How did mediaeval people know what day it was? What were the rules on naming a king? Plus, what are the best Plantagenet sights to see today? A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted by Dan Jones and Geo...

Dec 31, 202424 minSeason 6Ep. 5

Season 6 | 5. The Battle of Crecy

Thousands of English ships advance towards the beaches of Normandy. Edward III’s bloody and brutal invasion of France has begun. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Written and hosted by Dan Jones Producer - Georgia Mills Executive Producer - Louisa Field Production Manage...

Dec 24, 202433 minSeason 6Ep. 5

Season 6 | 4. First Blood

Edward’s decision to go to war with France starts to look like a Very Bad Idea, as French pirates begin a reign of terror on the south coast of England. The king comes up with a daring, all-or-nothing plan to even the odds. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Written and h...

Dec 17, 202432 minSeason 6Ep. 4

Season 6 | 3. The Hundred Years’ War

A woman executed for her crimes. An outlaw fleeing from his king. A heron killed by a hawk. The stage is set for Edward III to walk England into a war unlike anything seen before. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Written and hosted by Dan Jones Producer - Georgia Mills ...

Dec 10, 202428 minSeason 6Ep. 3

Season 6 | 2. The Flying Scotsman

Turmoil in Scotland leads an unexpected ally to Edward III’s door. What Edward doesn’t know is that this is the first step towards the longest war the world has ever seen. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Written and hosted by Dan Jones Producer - Georgia Mills Executiv...

Dec 03, 202427 minSeason 6Ep. 2

Season 6 | 1. The Raid

A young king finds himself locked out of power by his mother and her tyrannical lover. Time is running out, so he decides to take a huge risk and try to take back his country. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Written and hosted by Dan Jones Producer - Georgia Mills Exec...

Nov 26, 202432 minSeason 6Ep. 1

Introducing… Season Six of a Dynasty to Die for

The times they are a changin’ in the Middle Ages, as we step into the tumultuous reign of Edward III. This Plantagenet is a warrior, tactician, and party prince through-and-through, but with a dangerously ambitious streak that will lead him, and his country, into a war that will last over a hundred years. Subscribe and follow This is History, so you never miss an episode. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To br...

Nov 19, 20242 min

In Conversation | Mediaeval Feasts and Foraging - with Annie Gray

Dan is joined by food historian Annie Gray, to take a culinary voyage back in time to the feasts of the Plantagenet courts, and for a peek inside a peasant’s pantry. Along the way, Annie busts plenty of Mediaeval food myths and introduces Dan to the strange delights of the ’open arse fruit’. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn m...

Nov 12, 202441 minSeason 5Ep. 18

In Conversation | Flying dreams and X-rated rhymes - with Glaire Anderson

Long before Leonardo Da Vinci was born, there was a genius poet and astronomer who dreamed of human flight. Dan is joined by the University of Edinburgh’s Glaire Anderson, historical advisor to the latest Assassin’s Creed game, to talk about the strange experiments and obscene poetry of Abbas Ibn Firnas. This episode contains sexual content and may not be suitable for children. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts...

Nov 05, 202438 minSeason 5Ep. 17

In Conversation | Greek myths in the Middle Ages- with Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry joins Dan to discuss his latest book, Odyssey, and how Greek myths have delighted people for thousands of years, right through the Middle Ages to the current day. Plus, Britain’s secret origins as “a new Troy”. Image Credit - Billie Charity and Haye Festival A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choi...

Oct 29, 202438 minSeason 5Ep. 16

In Conversation | Mediaeval sex and bishop brothels - with Diarmaid MacCulloch

This episode contains frequent references to sex. Dan Jones is joined by Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch, author of Lower than the Angels, for a look at the long and complicated relationship between the Church and our love lives. Who was Pope Gregory VII and why did he want to stop clergy from having sex? How have views on same-sex love changed over time? And why were bishops in charge of London’s first brothels? Image Credit - Barry Jones A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great pod...

Oct 22, 202430 minSeason 5Ep. 15

In Conversation | The tyrant and the usurper - with Helen Castor

Dan is joined by his friend and mentor, the renowned historian and author of The Eagle and The Hart, Dr Helen Castor, for a rundown of the wildest rivalry in Plantagenet history. Richard is a king, with the ego to match, but none of the political or interpersonal skills that would help in the role. Henry, however, has all the qualities you’d want in a monarch, except the right to rule, and soon they face off in an epic clash. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from S...

Oct 15, 202440 minSeason 5Ep. 14

In Conversation | Sexy poets and killer queens - with Alice Loxton

For This is History’s first ever live show, Dan is joined at the London Podcast Festival by author Alice Loxton. Alice’s most recent book, Eighteen, examines the teenage years of some of history’s biggest legends, including Goeffrey Chaucer. But what did it mean to be young in the Middle Ages, when was the worst time to be a teenager and did a sexy outfit cause the black death? A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts...

Oct 08, 202438 minSeason 5Ep. 13

Introducing… This is History: In Conversation

For a special run of episodes, Dan Jones is joined by world-class historians and authors. Find out about the sordid history of the Catholic Church, and the erotic musings of mystics with Diarmaid MacCulloch. Hear about the bloody Plantagenet rivalry to end all others with Dan’s old University supervisor, Helen Castor. Plus, in our first ever live show: what kind of man was Goeffrey Chaucer, and what on earth is he wearing? A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony...

Oct 01, 20242 min

Season 5 | 12. To Kill a King

This episode contains extreme violence. Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimor are victorious. They have usurped the old tyrant king, Edward II, and are in control of the heir to the throne, his son. But all is not well with this new regime. Roger makes a fateful decision that shakes the nation to its core: regicide. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@...

Sep 24, 202431 minSeason 5Ep. 12

Season 5 | 11. Return of the She-Wolf

This episode contains descriptions of violence. Edward has lost control of the country as violent riots run amok. Soon, he and the Despensers are on the run. Isabella returns in the middle of the chaos and sees her chance to finally take her revenge. She assembles allies and makes her deadly move. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com L...

Sep 17, 202425 minSeason 5Ep. 11

Season 5 | 10. Ghosted

A daring escape from the Tower of London sends an unlikely ally into Queen Isabella’s hands. Edward and Despenser are totally out of control, but fortunately for Isabella, they’re about to deliver her the one thing she needs to make her move. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adch...

Sep 10, 202431 minSeason 5Ep. 10