Most people know of the famous "Lawrence of Arabia" thanks to the iconic imagery of the Oscar-winning film. But far fewer people know of the real man behind the myth, who fought for Britain and for the Arab Revolt during World War I and became a folk hero in the process. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story' See omnystudio.com/listener fo...
Feb 04, 2025•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Henrietta Howard was saddled with an abusive embarrassment of a husband and no money. She took matters into her own hands, ingratiating herself with the court of the Princess and Princess of Wales. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jan 28, 2025•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Catherine Parr was the sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jan 21, 2025•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Katherine Howard was the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jan 14, 2025•33 min•Ep 215•Transcript available on Metacast Anne of Cleves was the fourth wife of King Henry VIII. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jan 07, 2025•33 min•Ep 214•Transcript available on Metacast Jane Seymour was the third wife of King Henry VIII. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Dec 31, 2024•26 min•Ep 213•Transcript available on Metacast Anne Boleyn was the second wife of King Henry VIII. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Dec 24, 2024•26 min•Ep 212•Transcript available on Metacast Catherine of Aragon was the first wife of King Henry VIII. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Dec 17, 2024•26 min•Ep 211•Transcript available on Metacast The "fun fact" that Caligula tried to appoint his horse to the senate is a classic example of an emperor gone mad with power. The truth is, his appointment was likely a pointed political joke. But who was the horse at the center of it all? Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Dec 10, 2024•26 min•Ep 210•Transcript available on Metacast Winnifred Maxwell's husband was tried and sentenced to death after participating in the 1715 Jacobite uprising against King George I. She refused to let that stand. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Dec 03, 2024•26 min•Ep 209•Transcript available on Metacast At the end of the 10th century, King Eadwig was locked in a bitter rivalry with Abbot Dunstan. Their feud would eventually lead to exile, a broken marriage, a split kingdom, and a rumor that has persisted to this day. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Nov 26, 2024•31 min•Ep 208•Transcript available on Metacast In 1981, 11-year-old Matt De Meritt got a phone call that would change his life. He wasn’t a child actor, or a performer of any kind. He was just a suburban kid enjoying his summer before he had to go back to school. But Matt had something no other kid had — something Steven Spielberg needed in order to embark on his most ambitious movie yet. On the Very Special Episodes podcast, Dana, Zaron, and Jason tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about norma...
Nov 21, 2024•51 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast Comedian, writer, and actor David Mitchell joins the podcast to discuss his newest book, Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens. The book is an overview of the monarchs from King Arthur to Elizabeth I, but it's also a cultural analysis of how the stories we tell ourselves about kings inform who we are. The book is available now in paperback. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Sto...
Nov 19, 2024•35 min•Ep 207•Transcript available on Metacast Lorenzino de Medici killed his cousin, the Duke of Florence, 11 years ago. Still, he's constantly looking over his shoulder, worried that justice might come at any moment. Turns out, he was right: Lorenzino was finally assassinated. But the culprit behind the revenge-killing would only be revealed almost 500 years later. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love S...
Nov 12, 2024•34 min•Ep 206•Transcript available on Metacast Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time. But her biggest mystery unfolded outside the pages of her books. Today Dana examines the 11 days in 1926 when the beloved author went missing, and the rollicking media circus inspired by her disappearance. On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie!” Follow us down a different r...
Nov 08, 2024•39 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast In the 13th century, Licoricia of Winchester rose to prominence as the wealthiest Jewish woman in England. Twice widowed, she ran a successful business and worked closely with King Henry III. But antisemitism was rising in England, and Licoricia would face multiple stays in the Tower of London before an ultimately bloody end. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A L...
Nov 05, 2024•32 min•Ep 205•Transcript available on Metacast In 2023, a museum in England determined that they would refer to the Roman emperor Elegabalus using feminine pronouns. Elegabalus, who allegedly asked to be referred to as a lady, has become a node in queer history as a trans woman. Though it's impossible to fully know the truth of how she may have identified, we can try to unpack the ways in which sex and gender were seen in Roman society. CW: sexual content Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood m...
Oct 29, 2024•36 min•Ep 204•Transcript available on Metacast In 1834, the Three Kichis were on a routine journey to deliver rice to Tokyo. But when a typhoon interfered, they were swept out into the Pacific for 5,000 miles — and became the first Japanese people in the Pacific Northwest. But that was only a single moment in one of history’s most amazing journeys. The trio would end up going halfway around the world and back again, seeing things they never could have imagined, accidental pioneers in a world on the precipice of being transformed. * On the Ve...
Oct 23, 2024•43 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast Gilles de Rais was a powerful, wealthy French baron who fought alongside Joan of Arc. But a castle sale gone-wrong would lead to an investigation, revealing gruesome and salacious details of murder. CW: murder, pedophilia Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Oct 22, 2024•34 min•Ep 203•Transcript available on Metacast On October 31, 1501, the notorious Italian family. the Borgias, threw a party in the Papal Palace. The salacious details of that event, known as the "Banquet of Chestnuts" has captivated gossips for centuries. CW: sex Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Oct 15, 2024•28 min•Ep 202•Transcript available on Metacast After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, it became a dangerous thing to be a Bonaparte in Europe. And so Joseph, Napoleon's older brother, sailed to America, where he lived for more than two decades, building a luxurious estate in New Jersey filled with art and historical artifacts. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...
Oct 08, 2024•28 min•Ep 201•Transcript available on Metacast Richard II, grandson of the great King Edward III, inherited the throne when he was 10 years old, and was told he was a Messiah. The power went to his head. Dana is joined by historian Helen Castor, author of the upcoming The Eagle and the Hart , a dual biography of Richard II and his cousin, Henry IV, who would depose him. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Lov...
Oct 01, 2024•44 min•Ep 200•Transcript available on Metacast When Queen Elizabth I's favorite, Robert Dudley, got married without her permission, nothing would protect the new couple from the Queen's wrath. But Lettice met the prospect of her exile from court with her head held high. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Sep 24, 2024•28 min•Ep 199•Transcript available on Metacast When Roxelana was a teenager, she was captured from her homeland and brought to Istambul to be sold as a slave. With a famusly dazzling personality, she rose in the ranks to become the Sultan's favorite concumbine and, eventually, his wife, a breach of tradition that left an entire empire reeling. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.co...
Sep 17, 2024•40 min•Ep 198•Transcript available on Metacast Was Henry V the greatest king in English history? Or was he a violent and vindictive monarch overrated by history? Historian Dan Jones joins us to talk about Henry V, the subject of his new biography, available in the United States October 1. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Sep 10, 2024•43 min•Ep 197•Transcript available on Metacast It should have been a fairytale romance: after a whirlwind courtship, Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary married the Shah of Iran and the two fell deeply in love. But their happiness would be challenged at every turn by the roadblocks that come from royal obligation. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Sep 03, 2024•37 min•Ep 196•Transcript available on Metacast In 1980, a story captivated the Spanish media — the Marquis and Marchioness of Urquijo were found dead in the summer home, with no clear suspect in sight. Eventually, attention would turn to their playboy son-in-law, but the mysterious details of the case offer more questions than answers. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.com/listen...
Aug 27, 2024•32 min•Ep 195•Transcript available on Metacast CW: Cannibalism, child death Dante's Inferno presents a stark view of the ninth circle of Hell, the circle reserved for traitors, in which sinners are stuck in agony in a frozen lake. One such sinner is the Ugolino della Gheradesca, a Pisan nobleman who, as Dante imagines, is forced forever to chew through the skull of the man in front of him, an eternal reminder of the crimes he committed in life. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Orde...
Aug 20, 2024•37 min•Ep 194•Transcript available on Metacast If you're familiar with the musical 'Hamilton,' yoiu probably know about "America's favorite fighting Frenchman:" the Marquis de Lafayette. A teenage nobleman enraptured by the ideals of the American Revolution, he would put his life on the line to fight alongside George Washington, only to face another revolution when he returned back to France. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequ...
Aug 13, 2024•29 min•Ep 193•Transcript available on Metacast In 2021, Princess Mako of Japan made headlines for giving up her royal title in order to marry a commoner. On the surface, it sounds like a picture-perfect love story. But the truth of their courtship, and the rules around the imperial family in Japan, are anything but simple. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, ' Anatomy: A Love Story ' and its sequel ' Immortality: A Love Story ' See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...
Aug 06, 2024•24 min•Ep 192•Transcript available on Metacast 
