What caused the Irish Famine?
In the 1840s, famine hit Ireland with devastating consequences. But what were the circumstances that turned a potato blight into a catastrophe that shattered societal structures and caused around a mi...
4 Touko 202542min
The unification of Italy: everything you wanted to know
In 1861, the kingdom of Italy was proclaimed, unifying the various Italian states under one national banner. But what did it mean to be 'Italian' in the mid-19th century? How did the pope react to the...
3 Touko 202544min
Public vs private: history behind closed doors
What's the difference between private and public life – and where should we draw the line between the two? Over the centuries, these boundaries have often been blurred, as Tiffany Jenkins explores in ...
1 Touko 202541min
The rise of James VI & I: when Britain went global
Was Elizabeth I holding England back from establishing itself upon the global stage? Speaking to James Osborne, Professor Anna Whitelock explores how the accession of the new king James VI & I, and th...
29 Huhti 202536min
Papal elections and tariff troubles: history behind the headlines
In the latest episode of our monthly podcast series, regular panellists Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter are joined by Frank Trentmann to discuss the historical parallels behind recent developments in the...
28 Huhti 202545min
How the English took Manhattan
How did the English take Manhattan from the Dutch in the 17th century without firing a single shot? Speaking to Elinor Evans, historian Russell Shorto explains a many-layered colonial history, includi...
27 Huhti 202544min
Troubadours: everything you wanted to know
Composing songs of courtly love and war in the High Middle Ages, the troubadours were the poet-musicians of western and southern Europe – especially southern France. But were they really the lovesick ...
26 Huhti 202539min
The 93 penises of the Bayeux Tapestry
Historians have counted lots of things in the Bayeux Tapestry – animals, ships, hands and plants. But nobody had counted the number of penises it contained until Oxford historian Professor George Garn...
24 Huhti 202533min
