The Syphilis Explosion of the American Civil War
It's been estimated that between eight and twelve percent of soldiers contracted a venereal disease during the American Civil War. What on earth were they up to?Kathryn Olivarius is a Professor at Sta...
20 Jan 39min
How Filthy Were Medieval People?
If there's one sure way to irritate an historian of the Medieval period, it's to ask why the people of the Middle Ages didn't wash.In this episode, we did just that with Dr Eleanor Janega. Kate and El...
16 Jan 41min
Who Was the Victorian Thames Torso Murderer? With Lucy Worsley
For over a century, a series of gruesome murders have gone unsolved. Until now?The Thames Torso Killer terrified Victorian Londoners by dismembering their victims and scattering their body parts along...
13 Jan 39min
How Filthy Were the Egyptians?
Lead in eyes, scented animal fat melting over wigs, teen circumcision - the Ancient Egyptians went to great lengths for beauty and hygiene. So how clean were they, and how has the colonial perspective...
9 Jan 44min
How to Survive as a Medieval Single Woman
Being single in 2026 is a major disadvantage, so what was it like as a single woman in the Medieval period?!Joining Kate today is the always-fantastic Eleanor Janega, author and co-host of our sister ...
6 Jan 41min
How Filthy Were The Romans?
Some of the key remnants of the Roman Empire are their public baths - huge complexes, multiple different rooms, the basis of many of our modern spas. But were the Romans clean?How regularly did they w...
2 Jan 36min
How Sexy Was Shakespeare?
There's a bit of interest around Shakespeare at the minute - can we call this the Paul Mescal effect?The Bard’s work featured many references to sex and sexuality - some more obvious than others. But ...
30 Dec 202547min
How Hot Was Lord Byron?
How 'mad, bad and dangerous to know' was Lord Byron really?We know the Romantic poet had a bit of a reputation, but how true was it? And how unusual would his behaviour have been?In this episode from ...
26 Dec 202542min
