History Rage

Forget Henry VIII: It is Time to Reignite the Power of the Six Queens

Are you ready to stop defining these six extraordinary Tudor women by the man they married? In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill welcomes back Tracy Borman, Chief Historian of Historic Royal Palaces. Together, they shatter the centuries-old "six wives" narrative to focus on the individual achievements, political savvy, and lasting legacies of these phenomenal rulers.

From Catherine of Aragon’s military leadership and Anne Boleyn’s driving force behind the Reformation, to Jane Seymour’s sharp financial agency, Anne of Cleves’s masterclass in diplomatic survival, Katherine Howard’s misunderstood agency, and Katherine Parr’s radical political and literary intellect—discover why it is time to throw out the "wives" myth and put the Six Queens front and centre.

This episode is produced in proud partnership with Historic Royal Palaces and their Six Queens campaign, an initiative transforming how these legendary women are taught in schools. Discover educational resources, classroom videos, and updates on next year's Six Queens Week at the Historic Royal Palaces website: https://www.hrp.org.uk.

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Have you ever noticed that the JFK assassination is the only event in history where absolutely everyone feels entitled to an aggressive opinion? 🤬 The rich, human narrative of Dealey Plaza has been completely hijacked by toxic internet debates and dogmatic conspiracy culture.

But what if everything we've been arguing over misses the point entirely? 🕵️‍♂️ In this episode, author Martin Fitzgerald joins the pod to rescue history from the shouting matches. We move past the tired political theories to explore the incredible, bizarre, and deeply moving stories of the ordinary, reluctant witnesses who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

From the absolute chaos of an unpreserved crime scene to government agencies lying out of sheer institutional self-preservation, we unpack how official blunders birthed modern conspiracy culture. We also dive into the fragile nature of memory under trauma—including a witness who swore the six-second shooting lasted five minutes! Plus, Martin finally reveals the idiosyncratic, hilariously human truth behind the infamous "Umbrella Man".

Are you ready to drop the dogmatism and enjoy the fascinating mystery of the unknown? Click your favourite player below to stream the episode right now! 🎧

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Grab your copy of Martin Fitzgerald's fantastic book, The Umbrella Man and Other Stories, directly from the History Rage Bookshop to support the show:

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Did the Tudors really invent medieval fake news, or did the Yorkists get there first?

When we think of historical spin, Tudor propaganda usually takes centre stage. But host Paul Bavill sits down live at the Gloucester History Festival with acclaimed medieval historian and author Nathen Amin (House of Beaufort, Son of Prophecy) to completely shatter this dynastic myth.

In this fiery live session, Nathen exposes how Henry VII was simply a student of the game, adopting the very political playbook created by the House of York. From medieval Photoshop on parchment rolls and character assassination against Margaret of Anjou to the destruction of parliamentary records, discover how the Yorkists pioneered every trick in the book long before the Tudors ever claimed the throne.

Digital Passes & Festival Information

Nathen Amin appeared as part of the Gloucester History Festival. Digital passes to catch up on other talks from the festival can be purchased online at https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk.

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Unlock the hidden secrets of your ancestors because history didn't just happen, it happened to families.

Are you tired of dry, dusty history books that only talk about prime ministers and battlefield generals? It is time to smash the myth that genealogy is just an isolated, second-rate hobby for tracking pedigree charts. In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill sits down with professional genealogist and research specialist Jen Baldwin to blow the lid off traditional historical study.

Discover why family history is actually an essential, interdisciplinary gateway to understanding the real human consequences of our past. From the handwriting left on the 1921 Census of England and Wales to the surprising, messy tales preserved in global newspaper archives, learn how ordinary citizens were right in the thick of history's greatest upheavals. Whether you are tracing elusive agricultural laborers, criminal ancestors, or early colonial migrants, this episode will completely reframe how you look at your family's history. Don't leave your family's unique narratives trapped in the attic—tune in, get angry about forgotten history, and start digging today!

About Our Guest

Jen Baldwin has been working as a professional genealogist for over 15 years. She serves as a research specialist for FindMyPast and is a passionate advocate for connecting family archives with broader social and contextual history.

Ready to dive down your own genealogical rabbit hole and start uncovering the truth about your ancestors? All new users can start their FREE FindMyPast trial today!

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Was the Special Air Service truly built solely by David Stirling and rogue, unmanageable mavericks?

Think you know the full origin story of the Special Air Service? The popular myth paints the WWII SAS as a rogues' gallery of unmanageable, rule-breaking mavericks who single-handedly reshaped special warfare before quietly vanishing at the end of the conflict. But this narrative ignores the quiet leadership, sharp political intellect, and crucial post-war battle that actually preserved the regiment's legacy. Without one man operating behind the scenes in the corridors of power, the modern SAS simply would not exist today.

In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill sits down with former British Army officer and author Lieutenant Colonel Tim Spicer OBE to debunk the romanticized myth of Special Forces and restore a crucial figure to his rightful place in history. Together, they explore the extraordinary life of Brian Franks DSO MC—hotel manager turned Special Forces commander—who not only led operations behind enemy lines during Operation Loyton but personally brought Nazi war criminals to justice and spearheaded the campaign to rebuild the SAS from post-war disbandment.

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Why the "Roman Land Power" Myth is a Massive Historic Lie

There is a stubborn myth floating around popular culture and older history books that the Romans hated the sea, were terrible at sailing, and let their navy rot the second a war ended. But according to ancient historian and nautical archaeologist Dr. Stephen DeCasien, that is complete history rage material.

In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill dives deep into the ancient Mediterranean to shatter the misconception that Rome was strictly a land power. By exploring cutting-edge underwater archaeology, ancient naval rams, and the industrial scale of Roman shipbuilding, Dr. DeCasien proves that Rome was just as formidable on the waves as they were on land.

Discover how the Romans fought an ancient naval arms race against Carthage during the First Punic War, engineered devastating boarding tools like the Corvus, and deployed massive warships weighing thousands of kilograms at the legendary Battle of Actium. If you want to understand how Rome truly dominated the ancient world, you have to look at their navy.

About the Guest: Dr. Stephen DeCasien

Dr. Stephen DeCasien is an ancient historian and nautical archaeologist specializing in ancient Greek and Roman naval warfare, shipbuilding, and the bronze naval rams used on the bows of ancient warships.

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Were 2 million unpaid British civilians really just doddery, helpless old men?

Think Private Godfrey and Corporal Jones speak for the Home Guard? Think again! Captain Mannering's platoon gets a complete reality check in this fiery episode of History Rage.

Join host Paul Bavill as he chats with author and historian Sinclair McKay to shatter the sitcom myths and restore dignity to Britain's WWII civilian army. From guerrilla warfare tactics taught by Spanish Civil War veterans at Osterley Park to the top-secret underground "auxiliaries" trained for sabotage and assassination, discover the deadly serious reality of the men—and women—who stood ready to defend their homes.

Key Takeaways & What You’ll Discover:

Catch Sinclair McKay Live!

Sinclair is speaking at the Gloucester History Festival (which runs from 12th–20th September)!

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The Abdication Crisis Demolished

In 1936, King Edward VIII gave up the British throne for the woman he loved—or so the story goes. But was the abdication of Edward VIII really the ultimate modern fairy tale, or a carefully orchestrated establishment takedown?

Journalist and author Sian Evans joins host Paul Bavill on History Rage to shatter the classic fig leaf surrounding Wallis Simpson and the crown. Evans uncovers the political maneuvers, secret service surveillance, and establishment panic behind the year of three kings, exposing Edward VIII not as a romantic hero, but as an unsuitable, petulant playboy king the government desperately needed to replace.

Key Discussion Points

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Vampires, bloodbaths, and historical smear campaigns: why the legends you know are dead wrong.

Think you know the story of Elizabeth Báthory, the "Blood Countess" who bathed in the blood of virgins to stay forever young? Think again. In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill sits down with former professor and author Shelley Puhak to tear down four centuries of myth and reveal the real woman behind the monster.

The canonical legend has cemented Báthory as the world's most prolific female serial killer, a creature walled up in a tower after being caught red-handed. But the reality has nothing to do with horror tropes and everything to do with early modern witch trials, immense wealth, and a cutthroat political turf war against the Habsburg Empire.

Shelley exposes how a powerful, literate, and politically inconvenient widow was systematically dismantled by ambitious, paranoid men who used the era's raging satanic panics to launch a massive land grab. If you love true history, political intrigue, and watching legendary myths get turned to ash, this rage is exactly what you need.

Discover the Real History:

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Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review on Apple Podcasts and Google, and—until next week—stay angry!

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Was King Arthur real? or are we looking at history all wrong?

If you think finding a 6th-century tomb solves the Arthurian legend, think again. Medievalist, artist, and author Dr. Amy Jeffs (author of Arthur: A New Life) joins host Paul Bavill to dismantle the obsession with "smoking gun" popular history. From giant-descended queens to shape-shifting wizards, the true power of King Arthur lies not in a single dead warlord, but in centuries of evolving folklore, political propaganda, and captivating mystery.

In this episode, we explore:

Stop reducing complex legends to simple answers—embrace the magic of historical mystery!

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Britain’s terrifying Cold War survival plans were far more serious than imagined.

Was Cold War civil defence genuinely useful — or simply political theatre designed to comfort a frightened population? In this explosive episode of History Rage, emergency planning historian Dr. Nathan Hazlehurst dismantles decades of myths surrounding Britain’s nuclear preparedness.

From Protect and Survive and regional nuclear bunkers to the grim realism of Threads and When the Wind Blows, Nathan reveals the astonishing scale of Britain’s plans for surviving nuclear war. Far from being laughable, civil defence involved thousands of volunteers, detailed “war books” in every council area, emergency food distribution plans, evacuation schemes, and preparations for maintaining government after atomic attack.

Nathan explains how the UK expected local authorities to become wartime rulers, why police would have received sweeping emergency powers, and how Britain planned to preserve society in the aftermath of nuclear devastation. The discussion also explores the cultural legacy of civil defence, including the influence of Yes Minister, Dad’s Army, and the BBC’s banned 1965 nuclear drama The War Game.

You’ll hear why the famous Protect and Survive booklet may actually contain surprisingly sensible resilience advice — much of which Scandinavian countries still issue to citizens today.

This episode explores:

Guest Details

Dr. Nathan Hazlehurst is an emergency preparedness practitioner and contemporary historian specialising in British civil defence and Cold War emergency planning. He is currently developing his doctoral research into a forthcoming book exploring the history and legacy of UK civil defence.

Follow Nathan on X/Twitter:

https://x.com/n_rh1992

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Think we’ve exhausted Tudor history? Think again — what are we missing?

Are the Tudors really overdone, or are we simply telling the same stories over and over again? Dr Joanne Paul joins Paul Bavill for a counter-rage against the idea that historians should stop studying the Tudors.

From the English Reformation and the Break with Rome to poverty, politics, women, immigrants, people of colour and the extraordinary figures operating beyond the royal spotlight, there is far more to sixteenth-century England than Henry VIII, his six wives and Elizabeth I.

Joanne explains why modern Tudor history is busy challenging Victorian misconceptions, uncovering overlooked lives and rethinking how power actually worked. Why did the dissolution of the monasteries fundamentally change the experience of poverty? Were Tudor counsellors sometimes more important than the monarch? Were the seeds of the English Civil War already being planted in sixteenth-century ideas about government?

There is also plenty of discussion about the English Reformation, Lollardy, Renaissance humanism, Edward VI, the Marian regime, Henry VII, the rise of the “new men” and, inevitably, why Edward Seymour sucks.

If you think Tudor history begins and ends with Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, this is your challenge to look again.

Dr Joanne Paul is speaking at the Gloucester History Festival, which runs from 12th–20th September. Joanne will be appearing on Friday 18th September at 4pm, discussing the end of Henry VIII's reign. Find festival information and tickets at: https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk

Find out more about Dr Joanne Paul and follow her work:

Website: https://www.joannepaul.co.uk

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoannePaul

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjoannepaul/

X/Twitter: https://x.com/drjoannepaul

Joanne is the author of Thomas More: A Life and Death in Tudor England and The House of Dudley. Buy The House of Dudley and support History Rage through the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781405937191

Recommended episodes:

Episode 269: Al Murray argues it’s time to shut up about the Tudors.

Episode 266: Dr Joanne Paul rages that it’s not Lady Jane Grey — it’s Queen Jane Dudley.

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If you enjoy History Rage, please follow, subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen — and tell another history lover to climb aboard the rage train.

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Why Caen’s ‘slow’ liberation actually won the Battle of Normandy.

Historian and battlefield guide Ben Mayne joins https://historyrage.com to dismantle one of the most persistent myths of the Second World War: that the British and Canadians were “too slow” to break out from Caen after D-Day.

Drawing on years of battlefield research, veterans’ testimonies and deep study of Operation Charnwood, Ben argues that the fighting around Caen unfolded exactly as Bernard Montgomery intended. Rather than a failed advance, Caen became the crucial “anvil” that trapped and destroyed the bulk of Germany’s Panzer divisions while the Americans prepared their breakout across Normandy.

We explore why the city proved so difficult to capture, the role of the Hillman bunker complex, the impact of Operation Fortitude, and how attritional warfare shaped the wider Normandy campaign. Ben also explains why the RAF bombing raids before Charnwood were never intended to flatten Caen — and how post-war narratives unfairly painted British and Canadian troops as passive or ineffective.

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If you enjoy military history, Normandy battlefield analysis, D-Day history, or debates around Montgomery’s leadership, this episode is essential listening.

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Jane Austen wasn’t polite—she was sharp, savage, and brilliantly misunderstood

For generations, Jane Austen has been portrayed as a quiet, genteel figure—an almost saintly observer of polite Regency society. But what if that image is completely wrong?

In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by Austen expert and What The Austen podcast host Izzy Meakin to dismantle one of literary history’s most persistent myths. Drawing on Austen’s surviving letters, family history, and the subtext of her novels, Izzy reveals a writer who was anything but passive—sharp-tongued, ironic, politically aware, and often brutally funny.

From scathing remarks about neighbours and family to her barely concealed disdain for the Prince Regent, Austen’s private voice tells a very different story. With only around 160 letters surviving—and many deliberately destroyed by her sister Cassandra—the version of Austen we’ve inherited is incomplete at best, curated at worst.

Izzy explores how Austen’s family helped shape her legacy after her death, particularly through her brother Henry’s glowing (and arguably over-sanitised) biography and even her gravestone inscription—both of which emphasised her sweetness and morality while ignoring her literary achievements.

But the real Austen lives in the nuance:

This episode dives into how Austen’s lived experiences—from financial insecurity to complicated family dynamics—fed directly into her fiction, and why her work continues to reward readers who look beyond the surface.

If you think Austen is all romance and manners, this conversation will change your perspective entirely.

About the Guest

Izzy Meakin is the host of the What The Austen podcast, where she explores the life, works, and cultural legacy of Jane Austen with fresh insight and humour.

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Step beyond the myth and rediscover Jane Austen as she really was: complicated, contradictory, and endlessly fascinating.

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Are you sure there is a single, "real" version of Achilles, Helen, or the Odyssey?

In this episode, classicist and author Emily Hauser (creator of Mythica) joins Paul Bavill to dismantle one of the biggest misconceptions in classical literature: the search for a single, definitive "truth" behind ancient myth. From Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey to modern cinematic interpretations, myth was never meant to be a static rulebook. It is a living, flexible oral tradition shaped by who is telling the story, why they are telling it, and which voices—especially those of women—are written into or out of the narrative.

Together, Emily and Paul explore how figures like Penelope, Cassandra, Helen, Briseis, and Andromache offer richer, more complex insights into the ancient world than any rigid timeline ever could. They unpack the ancient concept of Xenia (guest-friendship), the tragedy of divine curses, and why asking "why was this myth told this way?" is far more powerful than chasing a "canon" that never existed.

Key Takeaways & Discussion Highlights

Featured Guest: Dr. Emily Hauser

Dr. Emily Hauser is a classicist, academic, and author of Mythica: A New History of Homer's World Through the Women Written Out of It.

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781804992791

https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk

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The English Civil Wars were far messier than King versus Parliament

The English Civil Wars are often reduced to a simple clash: King versus Parliament, Cavaliers versus Roundheads, tyranny versus democracy. But as historian Jonathan Healey reveals, that tidy narrative collapses the moment you look closer.

In this episode of History Rage, Jonathan dismantles the myths surrounding the mid-17th century conflicts and shows just how tangled the reality truly was. Parliament itself was divided, loyalties shifted constantly, and ordinary people weren’t passive followers—they made choices, took sides, and shaped events in ways that still surprise historians today.

We explore why religion mattered—but not always in the way you think—how political factions splintered into ever more radical movements, and why the execution of Charles I was never inevitable. What began as disputes over authority spiralled into debates about sovereignty, representation, and the limits of monarchy—arguments that would echo through centuries of political thought.

Jonathan also challenges the comforting idea of clear heroes and villains. The English Civil Wars were morally grey, filled with figures whose decisions reshaped the kingdom in unpredictable ways. The result is a conflict far more complicated—and far more fascinating—than the schoolbook version.

Whether you're new to the period or already fascinated by 17th-century politics, this episode will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about the Civil Wars.

About the Guest

Jonathan Healey is a social historian of early modern England and author of The Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary England. His work focuses on the lives, politics, and ideas that transformed Britain during the revolutionary decades of the 17th century.

Follow Jonathan Healey:

Bluesky: @JonathanHealey

Buy the Book:

The Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary England

History Rage Bookshop:

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781526621696

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Think the Crusades were the defining conflict of the medieval Middle East? Think again.

In this opening special for the Gloucester History Festival, host Paul Bavill welcomes back Associate Professor of History at Nottingham Trent University, Dr Nicholas Morton, to tear down one of history’s most persistent misconceptions. While popular memory draws a neat line down the Middle East dividing Crusaders and Islamic forces in endless war, the reality was far richer, more complex, and endlessly fascinating.

While Western crusaders captured only a handful of cities, massive nomadic powers like the Seljuk Turks forged vast empires stretching from Central Asia across Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Far from a permanent warzone, the medieval Middle East served as the global crossroads for trade, culture, and technology. From knightly rivalries turning into unexpected friendships to shared siege catapult designs, international currency trading, and mobile artisans crossing borders, Dr Morton reveals why the Crusades were merely one small piece of a much grander Eurasian mosaic.

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Were Italian soldiers really cowards in World War Two? Think again!

In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by author, former journalist, and WWII enthusiast Karen Farrington to challenge the widespread myth of "Italian cowardice" during the Second World War.

Together, they dive deep into the overlooked history of Italian soldiers, the harsh realities of the Allied prisoner-of-war camps in Italy, and the incredible, highly dangerous escape network that saved thousands of Allied troops following the September 1943 armistice.

Key Takeaways & Historical Myths Debunked

Guest Information & Featured Book

Support the Podcast: Please use the link in these show notes to buy the book via the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781837733736! Ordering through this link helps support the show with a small commission and supports independent bookshops.

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The Byzantine Empire didn’t have to fall—history simply chose differently.

The fall of Constantinople in 1453 is often presented as the inevitable end of a decaying empire—but what if that narrative is completely wrong? In this episode of History Rage, historian and author Laura Bolick dismantles one of history’s most persistent myths: that the Byzantine Empire was doomed long before the Ottoman cannons fired.

Drawing on her book Saving Byzantium: The Struggle to Salvage an Empire, Laura reveals a world full of missed opportunities, fragile alliances, political infighting, and last-minute efforts that nearly changed history. Rather than a slow collapse caused by decadence, the Byzantine story is one of diplomacy, survival, and desperate attempts to rally Western support that very nearly worked.

At the heart of this story are two remarkable figures—Cardinal Johannes Bessarion and Isidore of Kiev—who risked everything to secure military aid from Western Europe. Their mission to unite the Orthodox and Catholic Churches was intended to bring the crusading forces that might have saved Constantinople. Incredibly, Ottoman commanders themselves nearly abandoned the siege before a final breakthrough changed the course of history forever.

This episode explores the deeper causes behind the fall of Byzantium, including Western complacency, internal European conflicts, and the dangerous assumption that great cities could never truly fall. It’s a powerful reminder that history isn’t predetermined—it's shaped by decisions, timing, and human choices.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

About the Guest

Laura Bolick is an art historian and researcher specialising in late medieval Byzantium and Renaissance intellectual culture. Her work focuses on the cultural survival of Byzantium and the figures who fought to preserve its legacy.

Book: Saving Byzantium: The Struggle to Salvage an Empire

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Why This Episode Matters

History often looks inevitable in hindsight—but as this episode reveals, the fall of Byzantium was anything but certain. From near-abandoned sieges to failed crusades and shifting alliances, the fate of Constantinople hung on fragile moments and human decisions. Understanding those moments doesn’t just reshape medieval history—it challenges how we think about the future.

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Think the First World War was just the Western Front and incompetent Eastern armies? Think again!

In this explosive episode of History Rage, First World War historian, Trustee of the Great War Group, and Ring of Fire co-author Nicolai Eberholst tears down the persistent myths surrounding the Russian and Austro-Hungarian armies. Nicolai breaks down why dismissing these powers as "bad armies" or useless corpses is wrong, proving how vital they were to the conflict.

What You’ll Discover:

Don't miss Nicolai speaking live at the Great War Group Conference from 9th – 11th October at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds! Grab your conference tickets here: https://greatwargroup.com/product-category/conference/

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Was the legendary B-17 really brilliant—or dangerously overrated wartime myth?

The B-17 Flying Fortress is one of the most iconic aircraft of the Second World War—but what if its reputation doesn’t match reality?

In this explosive episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill welcomes aviation historian and YouTube creator Will Carver to challenge one of the biggest myths of Allied air power. Known for his sharp analysis and uncompromising views, Will argues that the B-17’s legendary status owes more to storytelling, culture, and Hollywood than battlefield performance.

From its origins in 1930s military theory to the brutal realities of daylight bombing over Germany, this episode digs into why the aircraft that symbolised American courage may not have delivered the technical superiority it promised.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Despite its fearsome reputation, the B-17 often carried smaller bomb loads than British heavy bombers and struggled to defend itself against increasingly capable German fighters. Its reliance on formation flying reduced speed, altitude flexibility, and survivability—sometimes with catastrophic results.

Why This Episode Matters

This episode isn’t about mocking history—it’s about understanding it properly.

Will makes a powerful point: praising equipment as flawless risks overshadowing the extraordinary bravery of the crews who flew it. Many airmen climbed aboard knowing the risks were immense, flying into intense flak and fighter opposition regardless. Their courage deserves recognition grounded in truth, not mythology.

If you love Second World War aviation, strategic bombing history, or myth-busting history podcasts, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Guest Details — Will Carver

YouTube Channel:

▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@HardThrasher

Follow Will on Social Media:

Will produces engaging aviation history content that blends humour, research, and critical analysis to challenge long-held assumptions about military aircraft and wartime strategy.

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The battle that built Arthur’s legend may never have mattered

Was the Battle of Badon really the decisive moment that saved Britain from the Anglo-Saxons — or has history given it far more importance than it deserves?

In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by leading early medieval historian Professor Nick Higham to challenge one of the most persistent myths in British history. The popular narrative tells us that Badon was a crushing British victory that halted Anglo-Saxon expansion for generations — often linked to the legendary figure of King Arthur. But when you dig into the sources, archaeology, and timeline, that story begins to unravel.

Drawing on early texts, including the writings of Gildas, Professor Higham explains how the earliest reference to Badon describes a siege rather than a dramatic battlefield clash. More importantly, the event seems to have been used mainly as a chronological marker rather than as evidence of a decisive national victory. Later writers transformed this brief reference into a heroic turning point, laying the foundations for the Arthurian tradition that still shapes popular history today.

This episode explores how archaeology challenges the idea of a long pause in Anglo-Saxon expansion after Badon. Instead of retreat, the material record shows continued settlement growth and cultural spread across southern Britain. Rather than one defining battle, the fall of Roman Britain and rise of Anglo-Saxon England appears to have been a long, complex transition shaped by migration, shifting power, and cultural change.

If you enjoy myth-busting history and want to understand how legends are created — and why they endure — this episode delivers a powerful rethink of one of Britain’s most famous early medieval events.

About the Guest — Professor Nick Higham

Professor Nick Higham is Emeritus Professor of Early Medieval History at the University of Manchester and one of the UK’s leading experts on the transition from Roman Britain to Anglo-Saxon England. His research focuses on the origins of England, early medieval warfare, and the development of historical traditions.

Buy the Book Featured in This Episode:

How England Began: From Roman Britain to the Anglo-Saxons

Support the podcast and the author by purchasing here:

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780300254921

Find out more about Professor Nick Higham’s work through his academic publications and public history contributions.

Explore More History Rage Episodes

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These episodes expand on the realities behind popular myths about early medieval Britain.

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Forget what you think you know about medieval holy wars. Move over, Richard the Lionheart—the most action-packed, technologically wild campaign happened in the land of the pyramids, and it’s time to stop ignoring it!

In this live episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill sits down with public historian, fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and author Thomas Smith to rescue the Fifth Crusade from historical obscurity. If you think the Crusades were just knights waiting around in a dusty Syrian desert, prepare to have your mind blown by a campaign dominated by amphibious warfare, terrifying medieval technology, and a truly jaw-dropping twist ending.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode:

Links & Resources Mentioned:

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Was England’s greatest medieval villain actually a misunderstood power broker?

Thomas Arundel has long been cast as one of the great villains of English history — a persecutor, a political schemer, even the man blamed for burning heretics. But is that reputation deserved, or is it a product of centuries of misunderstanding?

In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by renowned medieval historian Chris Given-Wilson to challenge one of the most persistent myths of the Plantagenet era. Together, they unpack the life, career, and controversies of the Archbishop of Canterbury who stood at the centre of one of England’s most dramatic regime changes.

Arundel’s rise was meteoric — from a wealthy noble family to Bishop of Ely at just 20, and eventually Archbishop of Canterbury. But his true influence came during the turbulent transition from Richard II to Henry IV, where he played a decisive role in legitimising the overthrow of a king. Far from a shadowy manipulator, Arundel emerges as a crucial architect of political authority in a deeply unstable England.

The episode dives into the chaos of late 14th-century politics: rebellion, deposition, and the uneasy foundations of Lancastrian rule. Arundel wasn’t simply along for the ride — he helped provide the religious and legal justification that made Henry IV’s kingship possible.

But it’s Arundel’s association with the suppression of the Lollards that cemented his dark reputation. Were these early reformers brutally persecuted by a tyrannical churchman? Or was Arundel responding to what he genuinely believed was a dangerous and destabilising religious movement?

Chris Given-Wilson explores the reality behind the accusations — including the controversial introduction of heretic burning in England. The truth is more complex than the legend: Arundel did not create these laws, but he operated within a system determined to preserve religious unity at a time of crisis.

By the end of this episode, the image of Arundel as a pantomime villain begins to crumble. Instead, we see a deeply embedded medieval figure — a man shaped by the politics, religion, and fears of his time.

If you think you know the story of medieval power and persecution, think again.

👤 Guest Information

Chris Given-Wilson

Emeritus Professor of Medieval History, University of St Andrews

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Stop commercializing historical grief and ignoring the true scale of global warfare.

Recorded live at the Imperial War Museum Festival, host Paul Bavill sits down with two of History Rage’s favourite returning guests—Dr. Peter Caddick Adams and Alex Churchill—for an unfiltered, hilarious, and deeply insightful look at how we commemorate global conflicts.

From the tacky monetization of grief to the complete erasure of French contributions on the Western Front, this live crowd episode pulls no punches. Why has our memory of the First World War become so lazy? The team breaks down the "Airfix School of Military History," explores the forgotten British conflicts post-1945, and takes aim at the deeply problematic world of Axis reenactment cosplay. Finally, they tackle the terrifying future of AI-generated history slop and explain why preserving your personal family archives on physical paper is the ultimate act of historical preservation.

Recommended Episodes to Unleash More Rage

If you loved this live panel, dive back into the archives with these essential episodes:

Featured Book

Support the authors who keep history honest. Grab your copy of Alex Churchill's brilliant book, which balances the scales of global wartime contributions:

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Help us keep the rage alive! Subscribe, review, and join our community of history lovers who prefer hard truths over comfortable myths.

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Victorian England wasn’t calm and orderly—it was a powder keg with Ian Breckon

Victorian England is often remembered as a world of polite manners, strict morality, and orderly progress. But beneath the surface lay unrest, desperation, and rebellion. In this explosive episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by historian and novelist Ian Breckon to dismantle the myth of a peaceful Victorian society.

Drawing on his research for the book Mad Tom’s Rising, Ian reveals the extraordinary story of Sir William Courtenay—better known as “Mad Tom”—a charismatic imposter who led a rural uprising in Kent in 1838. What followed was violent confrontation, mass mobilisation of labourers, and what has sometimes been described as the last battle fought on English soil.

Far from the tranquil image of Victorian England, this episode explores a period rife with poverty, political anxiety, religious fervour, and social upheaval. Ian explains how economic hardship, the legacy of the Poor Laws, and widespread discontent created the conditions for revolt. When “Mad Tom” emerged preaching radical ideas and promising justice for the oppressed, desperate people were ready to follow.

Paul and Ian discuss how this forgotten rebellion challenges popular assumptions about the Victorian era. Was England really stable and orderly—or was it simmering with revolutionary potential? And why has this dramatic episode been pushed to the margins of mainstream history?

Expect a gripping conversation about imposters, messianic leaders, class anger, and the uneasy reality of life for ordinary people in the early industrial age.

About the Guest

Ian Breckon is a historical novelist and researcher whose work explores overlooked and dramatic episodes from the past. His book Mad Tom’s Rising tells the extraordinary story of the Courtenay uprising and the social tensions that made it possible.

📚 Buy the book:

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781837732289

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Think you know the true story behind the birth of the SAS? Think again.

In this extraordinary live episode, recorded on location at the Imperial War Museum History Festival, host Paul Bavill fires up the blue touch paper with best-selling military historian and filmmaker Damien Lewis. Together, they take dead aim at the cheap Hollywood tropes and television distortions that have rewritten the legacy of Britain's most decorated wartime icons.

Damien unleashes a masterclass of historical rage against the BBC’s SAS Rogue Heroes portrayal of Lieutenant Colonel Paddy Mayne. Far from the foul-mouthed, unhinged, drunken stereotype broadcast to millions, the real Paddy Mayne was a qualified solicitor, an Irish rugby international, a devotee of poetry, and the elite unit's hand-picked Discipline Officer who led his men through fraternal brotherhood and transformational command. You will discover the breathtaking truth behind his four Distinguished Service Orders (DSOs), his unmatched record of destroying enemy warplanes on the ground, and the clerical errors that unjustly denied him the Victoria Cross.

But the rage doesn't stop in 1945. Damien connects history directly to the modern day, sharing a raw, unfiltered look at the shocking state of modern British defence funding. From frontline special operations to deep post-war psychological trauma, this episode peels back the curtain on the heavy cost paid by the "raiders of the thug variety" who fought to save Western civilization.

Grab the Books & Follow the Guest

Dive deeper into Damien Lewis's meticulous archival research and gripping historical narratives.

Binge More History Rage Special Forces Episodes

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World War II in Asia began earlier—and was far darker.

When did World War II really begin in the Pacific? According to historian Jenny Chan, the answer isn’t 1941 and Pearl Harbor. It’s 1931—and the consequences reshaped Asia long before Europe went to war.

In this powerful and unflinching episode of History Rage, Paul Bavill is joined by Jenny Chan, historian, author, and co-founder of Pacific Atrocities Education, to expose the forgotten atrocities of the Second World War in Asia. From the Mukden Incident and the invasion of Manchuria to the Rape of Nanjing and the horrors of Unit 731, this episode confronts the systemic violence that began a decade before Pearl Harbor—and challenges the Western narrative of WWII.

Jenny argues that framing the Pacific War as starting in 1941 erases millions of Asian victims. Japan’s occupation of Manchuria in 1931 marked the beginning of large-scale imperial expansion, biological warfare experimentation, forced labour, and state-sponsored sexual slavery. The brutality of the Nanjing Massacre in 1937 shocked even foreign observers. Meanwhile, Unit 731 conducted human experimentation on an industrial scale—research later shielded from prosecution in exchange for scientific data.

This episode explores:

Jenny also explains how Cold War politics reshaped justice in Asia, why some alleged war criminals returned to positions of power, and how unresolved trauma still shapes East Asian geopolitics today.

This is essential listening for anyone interested in World War II history, Pacific War history, Japanese imperialism, war crimes, or the global consequences of empire.

About Jenny Chan

Jenny Chan is a historian, author, and co-founder of Pacific Atrocities Education, a non-profit organisation dedicated to documenting and preserving the history of WWII in Asia.

Her book:

Maruta: Unit 731, Human Experimentation, and the Forgotten Asian Auschwitz

Buy:https://amzn.eu/d/01w9DEyv

She is also the creator of the YouTube channel Pacific Front Untold, featuring survivor testimonies and archival research.

Follow and connect with Jenny Chan:

Support History Rage

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World War II did not begin with Pearl Harbor. It did not end cleanly in 1945. And for millions across Asia, its wounds never truly closed.

Listen now and rethink everything you thought you knew about the Pacific War.

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Think you know Boudicca? Discover the forgotten women who fought beside her.

The story of Boudicca is etched into history, but what if the most powerful warrior queen was actually one of three? In this episode of History Rage, regular host Paul Bavill sits down with journalist and bestselling novelist Elodie Harper to shatter modern prejudices and Victorian myths surrounding Iron Age warrior women. If you’ve ever been told that powerful women didn’t exist in ancient Britain, prepare to have that misconception thoroughly dismantled.

Inside the Episode

Elodie dives deep into the archaeological and written evidence—from warrior style burials to the contemporary Roman records of Tacitus—proving that female authority, status, and military power were very real features of the ancient Celtic world.

Discover the hidden history behind Elodie’s latest book, Boudicca’s Daughter. While the Romans recorded the brutal atrocities committed against Boudicca’s two unnamed daughters to humiliate their bloodline, history has long left them in their mother's shadow as mere ciphers. Elodie explains why she chose to give these women their names and voices back, exploring the psychological aftermath of their trauma and their roles as political figureheads in Rome's greatest provincial crisis.

From the pitfalls of Victorian romanticization to how Elizabeth I invented our image of Boudicca's red hair, this episode is a passionate rally against the failure of imagination in modern historical storytelling.

See Elodie Live at Chalke History Festival

Elodie Harper will be speaking live at the Chalke History Festival on Saturday, 27th June at 1:15 PM. Don't miss your chance to hear more about this incredible history immersive experience!

Support the Author & The Show

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The forgotten woman behind today’s global conspiracy thinking

Conspiracy theories didn’t begin with the moon landing. They didn’t start with QAnon. And they certainly didn’t begin on Reddit.

In this explosive episode of History Rage, Professor James Crossland returns to uncover the origins of modern conspiracy culture — and the overlooked figure who helped shape it. Long before talk of the “deep state,” the “New World Order,” or shadowy global elites, one British writer in the 1920s fused together Jews, Freemasons, Bolsheviks and secret societies into a single sweeping theory of world domination.

Her name was Nesta Helen Webster — and according to Crossland, she is “patient zero for the plague of conspiracy-fed stupidity.”

Drawing on his research into extremism, fascism and political violence, James explains how Webster inherited earlier myths about the Illuminati and the French Revolution and repackaged them for the post–First World War world. In an age of fear, upheaval and political instability, she offered something dangerously seductive: a simple explanation for complex events.

We explore:

From Adam Weishaupt to QAnon, from interwar Britain to modern America, this episode traces the long thread of conspiratorial belief and asks a crucial question: why do these ideas endure?

If you want to understand the historical roots of today’s global conspiracy movements — and why they feel so persuasive — this is essential listening.

About the Guest

Professor James Crossland is Director of the Centre for Modern and Contemporary History at Liverpool John Moores University. His research focuses on extremism, political violence, war crimes and the darker sides of modern history.

He is also host of the podcast History’s Devils, where each episode dives deep into some of history’s most troubling and complex figures — terrorists, war criminals, spies and ideological extremists.

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Why This Episode Matters

Conspiracy theories thrive in times of fear. After the First World War, confusion and anger created fertile ground for simple answers. Webster provided a framework so adaptable that it still underpins movements today.

As James argues, conspiracy culture persists because it offers clarity where history offers complexity. It replaces polycausal explanation with villain-driven narrative. It provides belonging, identity and meaning.

Understanding its history is not optional — it’s essential.

Support History Rage

If you enjoy fearless historical debate and myth-busting:

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History is complex. Conspiracies are simple.

And that simplicity is the danger.

Stay angry.

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Discover the truth behind history's most persistent and monstrous sexual slur.

Think you know how Russia’s greatest empress met her end? If you are still repeating the infamous stallion myth, you have fallen hook, line, and sinker for 18th-century wartime propaganda.

In this special episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill sits down with the brilliant Professor Kate Williams to completely dismantle the pervasive, malicious lies built to tear down powerful women in history. From Cleopatra being branded a mere "seductress" to Marie Antoinette's alleged scandals, powerful women have always faced intensely gendered character assassinations.

But Catherine the Great took the brunt of it.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

Stop letting 300-year-old "banter" dictate historical fact. It is time to respect one of Russia's most successful monarchs for her sharp political mind rather than a fabricated bedroom scandal.

Hear More From Kate Williams

·        Grab the Book: Unpack the full history of how the images imposed on queens become all-consuming. Buy Kate's latest book, Regina: A New History of Women and Power, directly from the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781474621359

·        See Her Live: Kate will be speaking at the Chalke History Festival on Thursday, 25th June at 2:00 PM. Secure your spot and buy tickets now at the Chalke Festival Official Website: https://www.chalkefestival.com/

Recommended Episodes to Catch Next

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What if everything you think you know about Ancient Greece is wrong?

In this episode of History Rage, bestselling historian Adrian Goldsworthy dismantles the comforting myth of a civilised, philosophical utopia. Forget marble statues and thoughtful men in cloaks — this is a world of bitter rivalries, brutal warfare, political volatility, and communities obsessed with proving they were the best.

Drawing on his latest book, Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry That Shaped the Ancient World, Adrian reveals a Greek world far more dangerous, competitive and unstable than most documentaries dare to show.

Ancient Greece: 800 Rival States, Not One Noble Nation

There was no “Greece” in the modern sense. Instead, there were 800–1,000 fiercely independent city-states, constantly competing for prestige, power and survival.

In this episode, we explore:

This isn’t Plato’s academy come to life. It’s a volatile world where cities needed enemies — but not so destroyed that there was no one left to applaud their victories.

Athens vs Sparta: Democracy, Discipline and Myth

We also unpack the two giants of the Greek world:

Athens – Radical Democracy or Mob Rule?

Athens pioneered a form of direct democracy that feels startlingly modern — and terrifyingly unstable.

Adrian explains how Athenian democracy worked in practice — including how the Assembly once voted to execute an entire rebellious city… and reversed the decision the next day.

This was participation politics at its most extreme.

Sparta – Military Machine or Misunderstood Society?

Sparta’s reputation as a society of full-time soldiers doesn’t tell the whole story.

Because the Spartans wrote almost nothing themselves, much of what we “know” comes from outsiders — often centuries later.

Adrian challenges the clichés:

The result is a more complex, less cartoonish Sparta than Hollywood’s 300 ever allowed.

About Adrian Goldsworthy

Adrian Goldsworthy is a leading historian of the ancient world and bestselling author. Though best known for his work on Rome, he has written extensively on Greece and the classical world.

Book

🔗 Website: https://www.adriangoldsworthy.com

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History isn’t polite. It isn’t tidy. And it certainly wasn’t pacifist.

This is History Rage — where myth gets fed to Charybdis.

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Think the Black Death was just a medieval European tragedy? Think again.

When you picture the Black Death, you probably imagine a third of Europe being wiped out while flagellants marched through British and French villages. But pandemics don’t stop at borders. What if our standard history lessons have completely ignored more than half of the story?

In this special episode for the Chalke History Festival, host Paul Bavill sits down with Tom Asbridge, Reader in Medieval History at Queen Mary University of London and author of The Black Death, a Global History. Together, they shatter the Euro-centric myths to reveal a truly global disaster that stretched from Central Asia all the way across the medieval world.

Discover how the plague reshaped the wealthy and sophisticated Mamluk Empire. Massive Middle Eastern cities like Cairo—which completely dwarfed London with a population of half a million people—faced unimaginable mass mortality. Tom explains the fascinating doctrinal differences that dictated survival; while Christian Europe viewed the disease as divine punishment that justified flight and abandonment, Islamic doctrine saw it as a merciful martyrdom. This completely altered how communities reacted, locked down, and ultimately collapsed under the weight of the pandemic.

From the horrific eyewitness accounts of parents burying their own children to the long-term socioeconomic shifts that triggered peasant revolts and altered workers' rights, this episode zooms out to a global scale and zooms in on the raw human experience. If you want to understand the true scale of history's most terrifying disease, hit play now!

About Our Guest

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Berlin wasn’t blockaded — and that changes everything you think.

Was Berlin really “blockaded” in 1948? Or have we been repeating a Cold War myth for nearly eighty years?

In this explosive episode of History Rage, cultural historian and author Joseph Pearson dismantles one of the most entrenched narratives of the early Cold War. We all know the story: Stalin sealed off West Berlin, starving its people, and the West heroically saved the city through the Berlin Airlift. But what if Berlin was never truly blockaded at all?

Drawing on deep archival research and firsthand accounts from Berliners, Pearson argues that the term “blockade” is historically misleading. While ground and rail access from West Germany was restricted, movement between East and West Berlin continued. Civilians crossed borders. Food flowed in. Even Soviet authorities offered rations. The airlift was real — and extraordinary — but the idea of a city completely sealed off is far more myth than fact.

We explore:

Joseph Pearson, originally from Canada and now based in Berlin, specialises in everyday history — the lived experience behind the headlines. His latest book examines the Berlin Airlift through the eyes of civilians and pilots, revealing a more complex, human and politically charged story.

Guest Details:

Joseph Pearson is a cultural historian and author based in Berlin.

Book: The Airlift:Victories, Myths, and the Berlin Blockade

Buy here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781803998220

Follow Joseph on Instagram @writing_joseph

If you care about Cold War history, post-war Germany, the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, or how propaganda shapes memory — this episode will challenge what you thought you knew.

Episode recommendations:

Episode 219 – Giles Milton on Post War Berlin - https://pod.fo/e/2f6bc6

Episode 103 – Katja Hoyer on East Germany - https://pod.fo/e/21793e

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History is human. History is political. And sometimes… history is wrong.

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Why history’s greatest Athenian leader may be wildly misunderstood today

Was Pericles really the mastermind behind Athens’ Golden Age — or have historians spent centuries exaggerating his importance?

In this explosive episode of History Rage, acclaimed classicist and Cambridge professor Paul Cartledge tears apart the modern obsession with “Periclean Athens” and argues that ancient democracy was far more complex than the story of one great man. From the origins of democracy and demagogues to the brutal realities of Athenian politics, this is a fascinating deep dive into Ancient Greece, the Peloponnesian War, Sparta, rhetoric, and political power.

Paul explains why Pericles could never have ruled like a dictator, why Athens executed failed politicians, and why modern comparisons between Pericles and modern autocrats completely miss the point. He also explores the cultural mythmaking around the Parthenon, the famous Funeral Oration, and the role of Thucydides in shaping Pericles’ legendary reputation.

The conversation also shines a spotlight on Aspasia of Miletus — often unfairly dismissed as Pericles’ “mistress.” Paul argues passionately that Aspasia was Pericles’ intellectual equal and one of the most misunderstood women in ancient history.

If you love Ancient Greek history, classical civilisation, democracy, Sparta vs Athens, Greek philosophy, or the politics of historical memory, this episode is essential listening.

In this episode:

Paul Cartledge’s book:

Pericles: Statesman, Demagogue, Eccentric

Buy through the History Rage Bookshop:

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781836392002

See Paul at Chalke History Festival

Paul is speaking at the on Wednesday 24th June.

Tickets available here:

https://www.chalkefestival.com/

Follow Paul Cartledge:

https://www.classics.cam.ac.uk/directory/paul-cartledge

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When history gets reduced to lazy moral takes, it misses the real Cold War truth.

In this episode of History Rage, historian and broadcaster Guy Walters tears into the misunderstandings surrounding Nazi scientists, rocket technology, and one of the most consequential intelligence grabs of the 20th century: the post-war scramble for expertise that became Operation Paperclip.

At the heart of the discussion is the extraordinary story of the V2 rocket programme and the Polish resistance operation that recovered an intact missile from occupied territory during the chaos of 1944. That single recovery effort fed directly into Allied intelligence assessments and helped shape how Britain and the United States understood Germany’s technological leap forward in rocketry.

Guy argues that the real story isn’t about moral purity—it’s about survival in an emerging Cold War. As the Iron Curtain fell, the question wasn’t whether these scientists were compromised. It was who would get them first: the West or the Soviet Union.

From covert recoveries in wartime Poland to the intelligence race over German aerospace expertise, this episode reveals how fragile the balance of power really was in 1945—and how close the Soviets came to dominating early rocket science.

Guy also dismantles the idea that Operation Paperclip was uniquely scandalous. In reality, every major power—US, UK, USSR, and others—was racing to absorb German technical knowledge. The Cold War, he argues, was shaped as much by captured minds as by captured territory.

The discussion explores:

This is not just a story about rockets. It’s about power, pragmatism, and the uncomfortable truth that technological supremacy often comes with moral compromise.

If you think the Cold War was won by ideals alone, this episode will challenge that assumption. If you already suspect history is messier than textbooks suggest, this is a deep dive into exactly how messy it gets.

Buy the book featured in this episode

📘 Stealing Hitler’s Rocket by Guy Walters

👉 https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781035910854

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In this episode, history doesn’t behave. It collides with ethics, necessity, and Cold War fear—and leaves us with uncomfortable answers about who really shaped the modern world.

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The Crusades reshaped Europe far beyond Jerusalem — and we’ve forgotten it

For most people, the Crusades begin and end with Jerusalem, Richard the Lionheart and Saladin. But that narrow view hides a far bigger story. In this episode of History Rage, medieval archaeologist Professor Aleks Pluskowski takes aim at the myth that crusading was confined to the eastern Mediterranean — and reveals how crusades transformed northern and eastern Europe in ways that still shape the modern world

Drawing on decades of archaeological research and historical evidence, Aleks explains how the Baltic Crusades were longer, more successful, and ultimately more influential than those in the Levant. From the rise of the Teutonic Order to the foundation of cities like Riga and Tallinn, this conversation exposes a forgotten chapter of European history that fundamentally reshaped societies, borders and identities

You’ll hear why crusading was a papally authorised penitential war, how it expanded beyond Jerusalem to target pagans, heretics and political enemies, and why northern Europe became the Crusades’ most enduring battlefield. Aleks also unpacks the diversity of pre-Christian belief systems in the Baltic, the realities of conquest and settlement, and how crusading ideology became a template for later colonialism and modern nationalist myths

The episode also tackles how the Teutonic Order evolved from a humble hospital in Acre into a powerful military state, why it succeeded where the Levantine Crusader states failed, and how its image was later distorted by 19th-century nationalism and Nazi propaganda. This is not just military history — it’s a story about how Europe learned to dominate, govern and remember its past

If you think you know the Crusades, this episode will make you rethink everything.

Guest: Professor Aleks Pluskowski

Professor of Medieval Archaeology, University of Reading

Aleks Pluskowski is a leading authority on crusading in northern Europe, with extensive fieldwork experience across Poland and the Baltic region. His research focuses on material culture, landscapes of conquest, and the long-term impact of crusading societies.

Book

The Black Cross: The Medieval Baltic Crusades

Buy here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780300279061

About History Rage

History Rage is the podcast that hunts down historical myths and kicks them into the long grass. Hosted by Paul Bavill, each episode invites leading historians to vent their fury at what everyone gets wrong about the past — loudly, passionately, and with evidence.

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If you enjoyed this episode, tell a friend and bring someone new aboard the rage train.

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From exploding kings to civil wars, Britain’s royals were never respectable.

Comedy legend, author and podcast host Charlie Higson joins History Rage to dismantle the myth that today’s monarchy is uniquely scandalous. From William the Conqueror’s warring sons to murderous Plantagenets, abusive Hanoverians and Edward VII’s infamous Parisian “sex chair”, Charlie argues the Royal Family has always been gloriously dysfunctional.

Drawing from his brilliant new book Willy, Willy, Harry, Stee, Charlie takes Paul Bavill on a whirlwind tour through a thousand years of royal chaos, revealing why modern headlines about Harry, Meghan and Prince Andrew are tame compared to the behaviour of their ancestors.

Expect exploding corpses, imprisoned wives, civil wars, royal affairs, fathers and sons at war, and the astonishing truth behind Britain’s longest-running soap opera.

In this episode:

Charlie also explains why Britain remains fascinated by royalty — and why countries that abolished monarchies still recreate them through celebrity dynasties and political families.

Charlie Higson will be appearing at the Chalke History Festival on Sunday 28th June. Tickets available here:

https://www.chalkefestival.com/

Buy Charlie’s book here:

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780008741051

Follow Charlie Higson:

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If you enjoy sharp historical debate, outrageous true stories and irreverent takes on Britain’s past, subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Mary Queen of Scots wasn’t stupid — history’s verdict is dangerously wrong.

Was Mary, Queen of Scots really a reckless, lovestruck failure — or has history judged her by impossible standards? In this explosive History Rage counter-rage, acclaimed historian Linda Porter takes aim at one of the most persistent myths in British history and argues that Mary was anything but a “bloody stupid woman”.

Drawing directly on political context, dynastic logic, gendered double standards, and Scotland’s uniquely volatile sixteenth-century landscape, Linda dismantles the lazy comparison between Mary and Elizabeth I. She reveals why Mary’s marriages made sense at the time, how Scottish politics stacked the odds against her, and why hindsight has been weaponised against a queen ruling in near-impossible circumstances.

This episode dives deep into:

If you care about women in power, Tudor and Stuart history, Mary Queen of Scots, or how myths harden into “fact”, this episode is essential listening.

About the guest: Linda Porter

Linda Porter is one of Britain’s leading historians of the Tudor and Stuart period, known for her sharp analysis and willingness to challenge historical orthodoxies. She has written extensively on queenship, power, and dynastic politics.

Buy the Book:

About History Rage

History Rage is the no-nonsense history podcast where leading historians get angry about myths, bad history, and lazy storytelling. Hosted by Paul Bavill, the show strips away comforting narratives and replaces them with evidence, context, and expert fury.

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Support the podcast:

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If you enjoy this episode, tell someone. One recommendation keeps independent history alive.

Related episodes you might enjoy

Mary, Queen of Scots wasn’t stupid — and after this episode, neither will you be about her.

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Weimar Was a Real Place Before It Became a Political Warning

The “Weimar Republic” has become shorthand for collapse, extremism, and economic chaos — but as historian and author Katja Hoyer argues in this episode of History Rage, Weimar was first and foremost a real town with a rich cultural history stretching back centuries. Home to Goethe, Schiller, Liszt and Nietzsche, Weimar was long considered the spiritual and intellectual heart of Germany before it ever became associated with democratic failure.

In this fascinating conversation, Katja dismantles the clichés surrounding interwar Germany by exploring how ordinary people experienced extraordinary political change. Through the lives of Weimar residents — bookbinders, teachers, social democrats and shopkeepers — she reveals how hope, apathy, fear and economic despair gradually transformed a fragile democracy into a dictatorship.

From the optimism surrounding Germany’s first truly democratic elections in 1919 to the devastation of hyperinflation, the Great Depression, and the rise of Nazism, this episode explores how extremism becomes acceptable when people feel abandoned by politics. Katja explains why the Nazis initially remained a fringe movement, how the economic crash of 1929 changed everything, and why so many ordinary Germans convinced themselves to look away from the horrors developing around them.

The discussion also examines Weimar’s proximity to Buchenwald concentration camp and the uncomfortable realities of what civilians knew — or chose not to know — as Nazi brutality escalated. This is a powerful exploration of how democratic societies fracture, and why understanding the everyday experience of historical change matters now more than ever.

Katja’s new book, Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe, is available here:

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780241681244

You can also hear Katja on her podcast Reichs and Republics, and follow her work here:

Substack: https://www.katjahoyer.uk/

X/Twitter: https://x.com/hoyer_kat

🎟️ Katja Hoyer will also be appearing at the Chalke History Festival on Friday 26 June. Tickets available here:

https://www.chalkefestival.com/

If you enjoy History Rage, please follow, rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify — it genuinely helps new listeners discover the show.

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Roman slavery myths shattered with brutal truths historians can’t ignore

Roman slavery is often portrayed as mild, civilised, or even preferable to poverty—but that comforting myth collapses under scrutiny. In this explosive episode of History Rage, historian and author Emma Southon unleashes her fury at the persistent sanitising of Roman slavery and reveals the stark, violent realities behind the Roman Empire’s power.

Drawing on archaeological evidence, ancient writings, and modern scholarship, Emma dismantles the comforting fiction that Roman slavery was temporary, humane, or somehow “not that bad.” Instead, she exposes a system built on terror, exploitation, and absolute lack of human rights—where millions lived in constant fear of violence, separation, and death.

You’ll hear how people became enslaved—from war captives to children born into bondage—and why slavery was so embedded in Roman society that even modest households often owned enslaved people. Emma also reveals the chilling legal reality: for centuries, enslaved people had virtually no protections, and violence against them was both legal and culturally accepted.

From the myth of the “happy slave” taught in school textbooks to the romanticised portrayals in television and fiction, this episode challenges everything you thought you knew about Rome—and shows why understanding slavery is essential to understanding the empire itself.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

About the Guest

Emma Southon is a historian specialising in the Roman Empire and the social realities behind its power. She is the author of “Servus: How Slavery Made the Roman Empire”, a groundbreaking exploration of slavery’s central role in Roman society.

Emma is also co-host of the History Is Sexy, where she explores the ancient world through stories often overlooked in traditional history.

Follow Emma Southon:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmasouthon

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/emmasouton.bsky.social

📚 Buy Emma’s book “Servus: How Slavery Made the Roman Empire “ from the History Rage Bookshop:

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781399741255

Support History Rage

Love hearing historians destroy popular myths? Here’s how to support History Rage:

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If you’ve ever been told Roman slavery “wasn’t that bad,” this episode will leave you questioning everything—and maybe feeling a little angry too.

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Britain’s past politicians were no better—often far worse—than today’s MPs.

Were Britain’s past politicians really more honourable than today’s? Or is nostalgia blinding us to just how corrupt, violent, and self-serving many of them actually were?

In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by historian, author, and Get History founder Debbie Kilroy to rage against one of Britain’s most persistent political myths: that historic MPs were somehow morally superior to the modern lot.

Drawing on over 400 years of parliamentary history, Debbie dismantles the rose-tinted view of Britain’s political past, revealing a parade of bigamists, slave traders, duelists, bribe-takers, fraudsters, and outright psychopaths who once sat comfortably in Parliament.

From Norman MacLeod kidnapping his own tenants into slavery, to Lord Cardigan’s cruelty, incompetence, and vanity, to the systemic corruption that brought down figures like Francis Bacon and David Lloyd George, this episode exposes how power, privilege, and political protection enabled shocking behaviour—often without consequences.

Along the way, Debbie explains:

This is not a defence of modern politics—but a warning against pretending the past was cleaner, fairer, or more honest. Politicians, Debbie argues, haven’t changed. What’s changed is what they can get away with.

About the Guest: Debbie Kilroy

Debbie Kilroy is a historian, writer, and the creator of the popular history platform Get History. She specialises in British political history, focusing on the human realities behind power, myth, and reputation.

She is the author of:

📘 Members Behaving Badly: A History of Britain in 52 Parliamentary Rogues

A deeply researched and often shocking exploration of Britain’s most notorious MPs, spanning four centuries of corruption, cruelty, and chaos.

🔗 Book available via https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781783969388

Connect with Debbie

Recommended Listening

About History Rage

History Rage is the podcast where professional historians confront popular myths head-on and angrily demand historical honesty.

Follow & Contact

Support the Podcast

If you think politicians were better “back then”, this episode may ruin that illusion forever.

Stay angry.

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Cold War Protest Songs, Punk Anthems, and Nuclear Pop Culture Collide

Why did the Cold War produce generations of unforgettable protest songs while today’s crises barely inspire a mainstream anthem? In this electrifying episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill welcomes back historian, author, and Imperial War Museum senior manager Fraser McCallum to trace the history of protest music from folk ballads and Bob Dylan through punk, hip hop, Live Aid, and Cold War pop classics.

From Two Tribes and 99 Red Balloons to Fortunate Son, London Calling, and Born in the USA, Fraser explores how music became the soundtrack to nuclear fear, civil rights, Vietnam, Thatcherism, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Along the way, the pair discuss why protest songs once dominated Top of the Pops and ask the big question: where have all the decent protest songs gone?

Expect passionate debate on:

Fraser also shares fascinating insights into how pop culture and Western music seeped through the Iron Curtain, influencing East Germany and the wider Cold War world.

Fraser is the author of Cold War Britain.

Buy the book from the History Rage Bookshop here:

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780008743994

Listen to Fraser’s specially curated Cold War soundtrack playlists:

Apple Music Playlist:

https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/cold-war-britain-the-soundtrack-to-the-book/pl.u-NRp7s3pq7o

Spotify Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2lZ7HBrKKyBj31wXKXx2nq?si=-jyLeTguToieWb87K3CG3A&pi=0lbsCZu1SV2xV&nd=1&dlsi=0de49b8d828a4db0

Fraser will also be hosting the IWM History Festival at IWM Duxford on 13–14 June 2026, featuring leading historians, authors, and live discussions surrounded by iconic wartime aircraft.

Tickets available here:

https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-duxford/iwm-history-festival

Follow Fraser McCallum and the Imperial War Museum online:

https://www.iwm.org.uk/

Love the show? Support History Rage by subscribing, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and sharing the episode on social media.

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Drones didn’t start in Silicon Valley — they began with Victorians and war

Drones feel like the defining weapon of the 21st century — cheap, disposable, and terrifyingly effective. But what if that belief is completely wrong?

In this episode of History Rage, aviation historian and journalist Mark Piesing explodes the modern myth surrounding drones and reveals a truth that stretches back more than 120 years. Long before satellites, digital cameras, or GPS, Victorian engineers were already imagining — and building — pilotless weapons designed to change warfare forever.

From Nikola Tesla’s radio-controlled boats in the 1890s, to British attack drones planned during the First World War, this episode traces how unmanned warfare evolved through failed experiments, secret Cold War programmes, and nuclear testing — long before the Predator ever flew.

Mark explains why the “father of the drone” was a British engineer targeted by German assassins, how Marilyn Monroe began her career on a drone production line, and why US Navy admirals were signing orders for thousands of attack drones before the Battle of Midway. Along the way, Paul and Mark explore why these technologies repeatedly promised to change war — and why military bureaucracy so often held them back.

This is not a story of sudden innovation. It’s a story of persistence, secrecy, and ideas far ahead of the technology needed to make them work. And it explains why today’s drone warfare in Ukraine looks eerily familiar to predictions made in 1898.

If you think drones are a modern invention, prepare to be very, very angry.

Guest: Mark Piesing

Mark Piesing is an award-winning journalist and aviation historian specialising in unmanned systems, aerospace innovation, and Cold War technology. His work has appeared with the Smithsonian, Royal Aeronautical Society, and major international publications.

Read more here: https://markpiesing.com/2025/07/03/i-was-asked-to-write-this-piece-by-history-com-how-drones-have-upended-warfare/

Follow & contact Mark

Further listening

About History Rage

History Rage is the podcast where historians unleash their fury on the myths, half-truths, and bad history we all think we know. Hosted by Paul Bavill, each episode gives an expert one burning misconception to destroy — loudly, passionately, and with evidence.

Follow History Rage

Support the Podcast

If you enjoy independent, expert-led history without ads, you can support History Rage in several ways:

👉 Support the show at patreon.com/historyrage

Or simply tell someone else about the podcast — word of mouth keeps History Rage alive.

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The Blitz myth shattered: courage, crime, and chaos behind stoicism

The familiar story of Britain’s Blitz—calm, united, unshaken—is one of the most powerful myths of the Second World War. But in this gripping episode of History Rage, historian Joshua Levine dismantles the “Keep Calm and Carry On” narrative and reveals a far more complex reality.

Drawing on firsthand accounts and deep archival research, Joshua shows how the Blitz was not a single story of resilience, but a patchwork of human experiences. Alongside genuine moments of solidarity—strangers comforting each other under falling bombs—there were also spikes in crime, looting, black marketeering, and deeply personal tragedies driven by desperation.

We explore how wartime propaganda helped shape the enduring myth of the “Blitz Spirit,” promoting unity while downplaying panic, fear, and social tension. Even the iconic “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster was barely used during the war, despite becoming a defining symbol decades later.

Joshua also uncovers how the Blitz became a turning point in British society. Class boundaries blurred, communities were reshaped, and people lived with an intensity that led to dramatic social change—including what he provocatively describes as a “first sexual revolution.” At the same time, the government’s response to bombing and homelessness laid early foundations for the modern welfare state.

This episode challenges everything you thought you knew about wartime Britain—and replaces myth with nuance, humanity, and truth.

👤 About the Guest

Joshua Levine is a leading social historian and author specialising in modern British history and the Second World War.

📖 The Secret History of the Blitz

Buy your copy here (and support independent bookshops):

👉https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781398550681

🎤 Live Event:Joshua will be speaking at the Imperial War Museum History Festival at IWM Duxford on Saturday 13th June.

🎟️ Tickets available here:https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-duxford/iwm-history-festival

Check out the IWM Sound Archive at:https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/sound

🎧 Follow History Rage

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Love what you hear? Become a History Rager on Patreon:

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If you’re tired of oversimplified history, this episode is your antidote—revealing the Blitz as it truly was: messy, contradictory, and profoundly human.

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Bletchley Park wasn’t built by one man—and history must stop pretending otherwise

For most people, Bletchley Park means one thing: Alan Turing, Enigma, and a single heroic breakthrough.

That story is neat, cinematic—and deeply misleading.

In this episode of History Rage, Paul Bavill is joined by historian, author, and Bletchley Park trustee Sir Dermot Turing to dismantle one of Britain’s most comfortable Second World War myths. What follows is a forensic, passionate unpicking of how thousands of codebreakers—most of them women—have been written out of history.

This is not an attack on Alan Turing. It’s a demand for accuracy.

Sir Dermot explains why Enigma has become a historical obsession, how it eclipses dozens of other vital ciphers, and why reducing Bletchley Park to a single man does a disservice to everyone involved—including Turing himself. From Spanish and Italian diplomatic codes to Japanese military signals, this episode reveals just how broad, complex, and international the intelligence war really was.

Crucially, the conversation exposes how women codebreakers were systematically downgraded by job titles, pay grades, and later historians. Clerical assistants, typists, and “support staff” were in reality performing some of the hardest cryptographic work of the war—often better than the men promoted over them. Figures such as Joan Clarke, Wendy White, Helen Hazelden, Marie Rose Egan, and many others emerge not as footnotes, but as central players.

This episode also explores:

If you think you know the story of Bletchley Park, this episode will make you angry—for all the right reasons.

About the Guest: Sir Dermot Turing

Sir Dermot Turing is a historian, author, and trustee of Bletchley Park, specialising in intelligence history and overlooked figures of the Second World War. He is the nephew of Alan Turing and a leading voice challenging simplistic narratives around wartime codebreaking.

Recommended Reading

📘 Misread Signals: How History Overlooked Women Codebreakers

An essential corrective to the Enigma-centric story, uncovering the vital contributions of women across British intelligence.

Available here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781803997933

Explore More from History Rage

🎧 History Rage is the podcast where historians confront the myths that refuse to die.

Support the Podcast

If you value independent, ad-free history:

👉 Support the show at patreon.com/historyrage or directly through Apple Podcasts subscriptions.

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Tell someone. History only changes when the story spreads.

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Daniel Defoe wasn’t just a novelist — he helped forge Britain itself

Daniel Defoe is remembered as the author of Robinson Crusoe — but that legacy hides a far more dangerous, politically explosive truth. Long before his novels reshaped literature, Defoe was shaping nations.

In this episode of History Rage, Paul Bavill is joined by historian Marc Mierowsky, Fellow and Lecturer in English at the University of Melbourne, to rage against the idea that Defoe was “just” a novelist. Instead, we uncover Defoe as a government propagandist, intelligence agent, and covert operator, working at the very heart of early British state power.

Marc reveals how Defoe:

This is a story of dirty tricks, espionage, pamphlet warfare, and political manipulation, all carried out by a man later celebrated as a literary pioneer. It also raises uncomfortable questions about state power, surveillance, and whether the foundations of modern Britain were laid through persuasion — or coercion.

If you think you know Daniel Defoe, this episode will leave you furious, fascinated, and questioning everything.

About the guest

Marc Mierowsky is Fellow and Lecturer in English at the University of Melbourne, specialising in Restoration and early eighteenth-century literature, politics, and espionage. His research focuses on Daniel Defoe’s secret service work, propaganda networks, and the intelligence machinery behind the Anglo-Scottish Union.

Marc Mierowsky – links & contact

Why this episode matters

Defoe’s story forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth: the modern British state was built using surveillance, propaganda, and manipulation of public opinion. The debates around sovereignty, identity, and union that rage today were already burning in the early 1700s — and Defoe was pouring fuel on the fire.

This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in:

About History Rage

History Rage is the podcast that smashes historical myths and takes cherished assumptions out back and wrecks them. Hosted by Paul Bavill, each episode gives expert historians space to rage about the misconceptions they want destroyed.

Follow & contact History Rage

Support the podcast

If you love fearless history without the myths:

Supporting the podcast keeps independent, expert-led history alive — and angry.

Stay angry.

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Discover the Spanish Infanta who reshaped Renaissance power from behind the throne.

Step into the glittering courts of 16th-century Europe as historian Professor Magdalena Sánchez joins host Paul Bavill to rage against a stubborn myth: that women only matter in history when they command political power.

Catalina Micaela — daughter of Philip II of Spain and Duchess of Savoy — has long been treated as a political footnote. But across 3,000 intimate letters, a forceful, devoted, and highly capable woman emerges: one who shaped diplomacy, managed wars, and commanded a court… while enduring ten pregnancies in thirteen years.

Professor Sánchez reveals how Catalina:

• Asserted her authority as Infanta of Spain, not merely “a duchess”

• Governed Savoy during her husband’s campaigns, acting as his lieutenant

• Challenged ministers, criticised generals, and organised court life with precision

• Maintained deep emotional connection through constant letter-writing and gift-giving

• Balanced political influence with religious devotion and motherhood as central duties

This episode uncovers Catalina’s love story, her leadership, and the invisible labour of royal women — all of which historians have too often ignored.

If you think only queens and rulers shape history, Catalina will change your mind.

Further Listening from the History Rage Archive

For more on powerful and underestimated women of Renaissance Europe:

• Episode 199 — Catherine de’ Medici with Una McElvenna

• Episode 232 — Ruling Queens with Elizabeth Norton

About Our Guest – Professor Magdalena Sánchez

Professor of History at Gettysburg College and author of:

Infanta: The Short Remarkable Life of Catalina Michaela (Yale University Press) — the first major biography to spotlight Catalina’s voice and legacy.

📚 Buy the book

Infanta: The Short Remarkable Life of Catalina Michaela

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780300282832

Listen, Follow & Support History Rage

🎧 New to History Rage? We invite leading historians to vent their anger at the myths we keep getting wrong.

Follow for more raging truth:

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• Ad-free listening available via Apple Podcasts subscription at £3/month

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📣 Love this episode?

Tell one friend, one colleague, one fellow history-nerd — and help the rage spread.

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Samuel Pepys exposed: secrets, suppression, and the truth behind his diary. Samuel Pepys Was Not What You Think…

EXPLICIT CONTENT WARNING - NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED!

For generations, Samuel Pepys has been portrayed as a witty observer of Restoration London — a charming administrator who documented plague, fire, and naval reform.

But what if that version of Pepys wasn’t the full story?

In this explosive Gloucester History Festival Special, historian and author Guy de la Bédoyère joins History Rage to challenge the long-standing myth that Pepys was simply “a man of his time.”

Drawing on decades of research — including learning Pepys’s original shorthand — Guy reveals how editors suppressed, mistranslated, and obscured disturbing passages from the diary for over 200 years.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode

This episode goes beyond familiar Pepys anecdotes and digs into the hidden layers of his diary — and the people who shaped how history remembers him.

Inside this episode:

Guy explains how Pepys deliberately buried controversial actions within routine daily entries — making them easy to overlook unless carefully decoded.

Why This Episode Matters

Pepys’s diary is one of the most important personal records in English history — documenting events like:

But Guy argues that understanding Pepys properly means confronting the uncomfortable details — not sanitising them.

This episode challenges the idea that historical figures should be excused simply because of the era in which they lived — and asks what happens when historians uncover what earlier editors chose to hide.

About the Guest — Guy de la Bédoyère

Guy de la Bédoyère is a bestselling historian, broadcaster, and former Time Team presenter.

He is widely known for his work on Roman Britain and historical biography, and his latest research focuses on uncovering suppressed truths within Pepys’s writings.

📖 Buy the book here:

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780349147406

Purchasing through the History Rage Bookshop helps support both the podcast and independent booksellers.

See Guy Live — Gloucester History Festival

🎟 Live Event Announcement

Gloucester History Festival

📅 Saturday 18th April 2026

🎤 The Confessions of Samuel Pepys

Guy will be speaking live about the hidden realities behind Pepys’s diary and answering audience questions.

🎟 Get tickets:

https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk/events/the-confessions-of-samuel-pepys/

Follow History Rage

Stay connected with the podcast and never miss an episode.

📱 Follow History Rage

Support the Podcast

If you enjoy History Rage and want to keep the show going, there are several ways to help:

⭐ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps others discover the show.

🎧 Share the episode with friends and fellow history lovers.

☕ Support via Patreon — early access, livestreams, and exclusive extras.

👉 Join here: https://www.patreon.com/historyrage

Subscribers receive:

Listen Next

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

Both continue the theme of challenging historical myths and misconceptions.

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Titanic myths sink fast when the real evidence finally surfaces.

For decades, J. Bruce Ismay has been cast as the Titanic’s cowardly villain—but what if almost everything you think you know is wrong? In this revelatory episode, Paul Bavill is joined by Clifford Ismay, author of Understanding J. Bruce Ismay: The True Story of the Man They Call the Coward of the Titanic, to explore the real man behind the myths.

Drawing on family documents, maritime records, witness statements, and newly uncovered letters, Cliff exposes how false press narratives, Hollywood invention, and long-lived conspiracy theories reshaped Ismay’s legacy beyond recognition.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

This is Titanic history stripped of melodrama and rebuilt from primary sources—the closest you’ll get to the truth without descending to the wreck yourself.

ABOUT THE GUEST – Clifford Ismay

Clifford Ismay is a maritime historian, museum director, and author specialising in Edwardian shipping history and the legacy of the White Star Line. As a distant relative of J. Bruce Ismay, he brings unparalleled insight into both the man and the myths that engulfed him.

Clifford Ismay – Contact & Follow

📘 Book: Understanding J. Bruce Ismay

👉 Order here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780750998666

Listen Next

🎧 Episode 117 – Gareth Russell on Third Class “Locked Below Deck” Myths

🎧 Episode 91 – Anne Fletcher on the Widows of the Scott Expedition

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The Mercian king history reduced to a ditch—but changed England

Most people know Offa of Mercia for one thing: a giant ditch dividing England and Wales. But that familiar image hides a far more powerful—and fascinating—figure.

In this episode, host Paul Bavill is joined by Cambridge historian Rory Naismith to challenge the long-standing myth of Offa as a brutal warlord. Instead, we uncover a ruler who helped shape the political, economic, and diplomatic foundations of early England.

Why Offa of Mercia deserves a rethink

For centuries, narratives shaped by sources like the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle have painted Offa as a violent tyrant. But as Rory explains, that version of history is incomplete—and often biased.

Look closer, and a different picture emerges:

Offa wasn’t just surviving—he was building something lasting.

More than Offa’s Dyke

Yes, Offa's Dyke is impressive—stretching coast to coast and rivaling Roman engineering in scale. But it wasn’t simply a defensive ditch.

It was:

Offa wasn’t just reacting—he was sending a message.

The king who connected kingdoms

Far from being isolated, Offa operated in a deeply interconnected world.

This episode explores:

From Rome to Francia, Offa was playing the game of international politics at the highest level.

Offa’s real legacy

Forget the “bloodthirsty conqueror” cliché. Offa’s greatest achievement was something far more significant:

Without Offa, the later successes of rulers like Alfred may not have been possible.

Listen More

Episode 16 – Eleanor Janega on the Dark Ages: https://pod.fo/e/11c7f3

Episode 240 – Dirk Hoffman-Becking on the Holy Roman Empire: https://pod.fo/e/3330ce

Guest details: Rory Naismith

📚 Buy the book “Offa: King of the Mercians” via the History Rage Bookshop:

👉 https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780300257465

See Rory live

🎤 Gloucester History Festival

📅 Sunday 19th April

🎟️ Tickets: https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk/events/anglo-saxon-kings/

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Your support helps bring more expert guests and untold stories to the surface.

History isn’t just what we’re told—it’s what we question.

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The Cambridge Five were not heroes—just dangerous traitors with devastating consequences

The Cambridge Five have long been shrouded in myth, glamour, and intrigue—but what if the truth is far darker? In this explosive episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by journalist, historian, and History Book Buffs co-host Antonia Senior to dismantle one of the most persistent legends of the Cold War.

From Kim Philby to Guy Burgess, these men have often been portrayed as charming ideologues or romantic anti-establishment figures. Antonia Senior tears that narrative apart, revealing a group defined not by idealism, but by betrayal, violence, and catastrophic consequences.

You’ll discover how these well-connected Cambridge graduates infiltrated the highest levels of British intelligence, why their crimes were overlooked for so long, and how their actions directly served Stalin’s brutal regime. This episode goes beyond the spy story—exposing the human cost, the institutional failures, and the dangerous myths that still persist today.

If you think you know the Cambridge Five, think again.

What We Cover:

About the Guest – Antonia Senior:

Antonia Senior is a journalist, historian, novelist, and co-host of the History Book Buffs podcast. With a background in intelligence history from Cambridge, she brings deep expertise and sharp analysis to Cold War espionage.

Follow Antonia Senior:

Book Recommendation:

Antonia’s latest book Stalin’s Apostles uncovers the true story of the Cambridge Five and their role in advancing Soviet strategy.

👉 Buy your copy from the History Rage Bookshop:

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781399727891

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If you’re tired of history myths and want the truth—raw, unfiltered, and unapologetic—this is the episode for you.

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Forgotten Restoration women reshaped power, culture, and scandal in spectacular ways.

Step into a vibrant, myth-busting journey through the 17th century as cultural historian Breeze Barrington joins History Rage to tear down the idea that the only women worth remembering from the Restoration were Charles II’s mistresses. Drawing on her new book The Extraordinary Untold Lives of Women at the Restoration Court, Breeze exposes a world of creativity, politics, sisterhood, and survival that history has long pushed into the shadows.

From the resilience of Mary of Modena, to the poetic brilliance of Anne Finch and Anne Killigrew, to the raw force-of-nature independence of Hortense Mancini, this episode pulls you straight into the hidden engines of Restoration court culture—where women shaped politics, art, learning, and identity in ways that changed Britain.

You’ll hear:

• The truth behind the so-called “tragic” Queen Mary of Modena—and her remarkable resilience.

• How mistresses became only one slice of a much bigger story of women’s influence.

• The thriving creative world of the Duchess of York’s court.

• Why Restoration salons—especially Hortense Mancini’s—were radical, inclusive, and politically dangerous.

• How Sarah Churchill’s early years at Maria’s court set the stage for her dominance under Queen Anne.

• The explosive religious divide that shaped every personal and political decision of the age.

Breeze brings the fury, the humour, and the research to show why these women deserve to be household names—far beyond scandal and stereotype.

📚 About Breeze Barrington

Breeze Barrington is a cultural historian specialising in the 17th century.

Book: The Extraordinary Untold Lives of Women at the Restoration Court – available from: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781526663788

Website: https://breezebarrington.com

Instagram: @breeze_barrington

🔗 Links & Further Reading

Order Breeze’s book: The Extraordinary Untold Lives of Women at the Restoration Court

Recommended episodes:

• Ep 127 – Charlotte White on Barbara Villiers

• Ep 80 – Linda Porter on Catherine of Braganza

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Cleopatra revealed: power, propaganda, and the woman behind the myth

Most people think they know Cleopatra — the irresistible seductress who captivated Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. But what if that story is largely fiction, shaped by political spin and centuries of retelling?

In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by acclaimed historian and author Lucy Hughes-Hallett to dismantle the enduring myths surrounding Cleopatra VII — and reveal the formidable ruler hidden beneath the legend.

Cleopatra: More Than a Seductress

Cleopatra has long been reduced to a caricature — a femme fatale whose beauty brought powerful men to ruin. But as Lucy Hughes-Hallett explains, this version of Cleopatra owes more to Roman propaganda than historical reality.

Much of what we “know” comes from sources loyal to Octavian (Augustus), who had every reason to discredit his rival Mark Antony. Portraying Cleopatra as a dangerous, manipulative temptress helped justify his victory — and reshape history.

The truth? Cleopatra was a highly capable ruler who:

The Politics Behind the Passion

While her relationships with Caesar and Antony are often framed as epic romances, this episode explores their political importance.

Cleopatra needed Roman military backing. Rome needed Egypt’s immense wealth. Their alliances were strategic — not just romantic.

Even the famous “love stories” were later exaggerated to serve narratives about:

Beauty, Myth and Misrepresentation

Was Cleopatra truly the legendary beauty of popular culture?

Ancient sources suggest otherwise. Coins from her reign depict a strong, distinctive profile — not the flawless icon of Hollywood. According to later accounts, her real strength lay in her intelligence, charisma, and political skill.

Her story evolved over centuries:

Each version reveals more about the storyteller than Cleopatra herself.

About Lucy Hughes-Hallett

Lucy Hughes-Hallett is an award-winning cultural historian and author, known for exploring how history and myth intertwine.

📚 Book: Cleopatra: Histories, Dreams and Distortions

👉 Buy via the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780008781323

📲 Follow Lucy:

🎤 Live Event:

Lucy will be speaking at the Gloucester History Festival on Saturday 18th April.

🎟️ Tickets: https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk/events/cleopatra-life-legend/

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Related Episodes

Cleopatra wasn’t just a seductress. She was a strategist, a ruler, and a master of image in an age defined by power struggles and propaganda.

And as this episode proves — history is rarely what it first appears.

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Horatio Nelson. Glorious victory. Britain “ruling the waves.”

We've all heard the legend — but what if the real story of Trafalgar is far more complicated… and far less heroic… than we’ve been led to believe?

In this episode of History Rage, three-time returning rager Dr Zack White tears apart centuries of patriotic mythmaking to reveal the uncomfortable truths behind Britain’s most celebrated naval battle. From propaganda to psychology, from invasion fears to Victorian moralising, Zack makes the case that Trafalgar’s fame owes more to storytelling than strategy.

Discover why Napoleon had already abandoned his invasion plan before the battle… why Nelson himself was disappointed… why the French and Spanish navies were nowhere near as formidable as we imagine… and how Victorian historians rewrote the whole saga to craft a national legend of heroic sacrifice and divine destiny.

This episode is a masterclass in myth-busting — bold, funny, furious and absolutely packed with historical insight.

What You’ll Learn

About Our Guest: Dr Zack White

Dr Zack White is a historian, broadcaster and host of The Napoleonic Wars Podcast, exploring every corner of the era from major battles to the strangest personalities.

Follow & Contact Zack:

👉 Social media: @zwhitehistory

👉 Listen to The Napoleonic Wars Podcast: available on all major podcast apps

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The General Strike wasn’t revolutionary chaos—it was disciplined working-class resistance

The 1926 General Strike is often painted as Britain’s near-miss with revolution—but the reality is far more revealing, and far more powerful. In this episode of History Rage, Paul Bavill is joined by historian Geoff Andrews to dismantle the myths and uncover the true story of working-class politics, solidarity, and identity in modern Britain.

Far from a Bolshevik uprising, the General Strike was a highly organised, largely peaceful protest rooted in fairness, dignity, and community. Geoff explains how millions of workers mobilised not to overthrow the state, but to defend mining communities facing wage cuts and harsh conditions. The strike wasn’t the beginning of revolution—it arguably marked the end of it.

This conversation dives deep into the ethos of the British labour movement: a tradition shaped not just by ideology, but by education, self-improvement, and collective values. From the Workers’ Educational Association to the rise of autodidact culture, the working classes were not passive victims—they were active architects of modern Britain.

We also explore:

Geoff Andrews challenges the idea that the left was ever truly revolutionary in Britain—and instead reveals a more complex, ethical, and democratic tradition that has been largely forgotten.

About the Guest

Geoff Andrews is a Senior Lecturer in Politics at The Open University and a leading historian of the British labour movement. His work focuses on the Labour Party, radical traditions, and working-class political culture.

📖 Book: Radicals: The Working Classes and the Making of Modern Britain

👉 Buy via the History Rage Bookshop:

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780300265897

🎤 Catch Geoff live at the Gloucester History Festival

https://gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk

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Renaissance medicine wasn’t ignorant—its cures were stranger and smarter than you think.

Step back into a world of blood, bones, bile, and groundbreaking innovation as Dr Alanna Skuse dismantles the biggest myths about Renaissance medicine. From battlefield surgeries and prosthetics, to midwives, quacks, toads, and the four humours, this episode reveals a medical world far more logical, experimental, and effective than popular history suggests.

Discover why Renaissance surgeons weren’t reckless, why quacks sometimes worked wonders, and why patients were far from naïve. Packed with bizarre cures, pioneering breakthroughs, and the surprising origins of modern treatments, this is the ultimate guide to the misunderstood world of 16th and 17th-century healing.

Whether you're into medical history, social history, early modern England, quackery, midwifery, apothecaries, or surgical innovation, this episode of History Rage delivers deep insight, dark humour, and a fresh perspective.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

About Our Guest: Dr Alanna Skuse

Dr Alanna Skuse is a literary scholar, medical historian, and author specialising in early modern disease, surgery, and the cultural history of the body. Her latest trade book uncovers the real experience of staying alive in Renaissance England.

📚 Buy Her Book

The Surgeon, the Midwife, the Quack: How to Stay Alive in Renaissance England

👉 https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781836430773

📨 Contact / Follow Dr Alanna Skuse

Website: https://www.dralannaskuse.co.uk/

Twitter / X: @alanna_skuse

Instagram: @historian_alanna

Explore More Medical History Episodes

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Jungle warfare that reshaped the war – and history forgot it

Step into the dense, unforgiving jungles of Burma in WWII as Dr Richard Duckett and Duncan Gilmour uncover the astonishing, largely untold story of Lt. Col. Edgar Peacock – the man they argue was Britain’s greatest SOE commander. In this gripping episode of History Rage, we expose the scale, the bravery, and the strategic brilliance of Operation Character, the SOE mission whose impact rivals anything achieved in Europe… yet is almost never discussed.

Episode Summary

Hear how Peacock’s unique upbringing in the jungles of India and Burma forged a commander with unmatched environmental mastery; how SOE recruited thousands from 19 different ethnic groups; how Operation Character halted entire Japanese divisions; and why internal politics and secrecy kept these achievements out of mainstream military history for decades.

This is military history at its rawest and most revealing.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

About the Guests

Dr. Richard Duckett -Historian, researcher, and leading authority on SOE operations in the Far East.

Website & SOE Burma Database: https://www.soeinburma.com

Follow Richard on X/Twitter: @RichardDuckett

Duncan Gilmour -Author, researcher, and grandson of Lt. Col. Edgar Peacock.

Follow Duncan on X/Twitter: @DuncanGilm4133

Discover the full story of Edgar Peacock and SOE’s epic Burma operations in

“Jungle Warrior: Britain’s Greatest SOE Commander”

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781916556843

This is the definitive account of the unseen heroes who helped turn the tide in the Far East.

Further Listening

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When a respectable Victorian doctor became Britain’s most feared poisoner

Victorian England believed murder belonged to the gutters. Then Dr William Palmer shattered that illusion.

In this gripping episode of History Rage, award-winning journalist and author Stephen Bates exposes the dark truth behind the case of William Palmer — the Midlands doctor hanged in 1856 for poisoning his friend John Parsons Cook.

Known as the “Rugeley Poisoner”, Palmer was a churchgoing professional, a gambler drowning in debt, and a man suspected of killing far more than the one murder for which he was convicted. His weapon? Newly available strychnine — a terrifying poison that left victims writhing in agony and Victorian society gripped by fear.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode

Stephen also explores parallels with later cases, including Herbert Rouse Armstrong, the subject of his book The Poisonous Solicitor, and reflects on how professional status has long influenced public perceptions of guilt.

This is Victorian true crime at its most unsettling: insurance fraud, gambling debts, missing betting slips, botched inquests, and a public execution witnessed by 30,000 people.

About Our Guest – Stephen Bates

Stephen Bates is an award-winning journalist and former political correspondent. He is the author of:

The Poisoner was shortlisted for the prestigious Agatha Award for True Crime in the United States.

🔗 Website: https://stephenbateswriter.com

Why This Case Still Matters

Palmer’s trial raises urgent questions that still resonate:

From Victorian strychnine to modern medical murderers, the uncomfortable truth remains: monsters don’t always look like monsters.

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Victorian crime wasn’t just about back alleys and desperation. Sometimes it wore a respectable face, attended church — and carried a vial of poison.

Listen now and stay angry.

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Britain’s upper class isn’t a relic of the past—it’s still here, still powerful, and still shaping the land beneath our feet. In this gripping episode, journalist and author Eleanor Doughty dismantles the pervasive myth that the aristocracy simply “disappeared” in the 20th century. Spoiler: they didn’t. They just got quieter.

Eleanor takes us inside the private estates, inherited titles, and soft power that still define the modern British upper class. With first-hand insight from years spent interviewing dukes, earls, viscounts and secretive landowners, she exposes how much influence remains—and why we’ve failed to notice.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

About Our Guest: Eleanor Doughty

Eleanor Doughty is a journalist and the author of

👉 Heirs and Graces: The History of the Modern British Aristocracy

Her work explores the lives, estates, and enduring influence of Britain’s hereditary elite. If you’ve ever wondered what really goes on behind the big gates of the great houses, she’s the one to follow.

Connect With Eleanor

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The vampire didn’t rise from Transylvania — it crawled out of the Balkans.

Forget Count Dracula — before Stoker’s gothic horror came centuries of chilling folklore, blood-soaked superstition, and very real vampire panics. In this spine-tingling episode, travel writer and award-winning author Nick Jubber joins Paul Bavill to rage against the myth that vampires were born in Transylvania.

From Serbian graveyards and Croatian legends to the age of Enlightenment and Hammer Horror, Nick traces how fear, politics, and imagination turned the undead into one of history’s most enduring monsters. Discover how the printing press helped spread vampire hysteria, how priests profited from graveyard rituals, and why monsters mirror humanity’s deepest desires and darkest fears.

Whether you’re a folklore fan or just love a good supernatural tale, this episode will have you rethinking everything you thought you knew about the vampire myth.

🎙️ In This Episode

👤 Guest: Nick Jubber

Nick Jubber is a writer, traveller and author of Monsterland, a journey through history, folklore, and our fascination with monsters. His work has taken him across continents exploring how stories shape societies.

📚 Buy his book: Monsterland:A Journey Around the World’s Dark Imagination

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781915590299

🌐 Website: www.nickjubber.com

📸 Instagram: @NickJubber

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A conqueror, a god, or just a man lost in myth?

Alexander the Great: the name conjures images of conquest, charisma, and an empire that stretched from Greece to India. But how much of what we “know” is actually true?

In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by Dr Stephen Harrison, lecturer in Ancient History at Swansea University and author of Alexander: The Lives and Legacies, to rage against the myths that have defined Alexander for over two thousand years.

Stephen dismantles the biggest misconceptions about the Macedonian conqueror — from his supposed divine ambitions and romantic legends to the illusion that historians can truly know what drove him. Together, they explore how unreliable ancient sources, political storytelling, and centuries of retelling have turned Alexander into a mythic figure rather than a historical one.

This isn’t just another tale of military glory — it’s a journey through evidence, propaganda, and how history becomes legend.

🎧 Listen now to discover:

About Dr Stephen Harrison

Dr Stephen Harrison is a lecturer in Ancient History at Swansea University. His research explores the legacy of Alexander the Great and the politics of memory in the ancient world.

📘 Book: Alexander: The Lives and Legacies — available now from Bloomsbury.

👉 Order here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781789149975

📸 Follow Stephen on Instagram: @stephenharrisonhistory

Support History Rage

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💥 History Rage – where historians demolish myths, one episode at a time.

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Forget the katana myth — Japan’s samurai didn’t shun guns, they embraced them. 🔥

Were the samurai really noble warriors who turned their noses up at guns? This week on History Rage, host Paul Bavill sits down with historian, author, and YouTuber Matt Okuhara to demolish the myth of the “honourable warrior.” From matchlocks and martial arts to gun control laws in the 1600s, Matt reveals how Japan’s most famous warriors were some of the earliest adopters of firearms — and how Hollywood got it all wrong.

Matt takes us through the real evolution of samurai warfare — from their rise as Japan’s ruling military elite to the fall of their class during the Meiji Restoration. Along the way, he explains why Tokugawa’s gun laws were among the world’s first, how firearms shaped the great battles of Nagashino and beyond, and why the “sword-only” image is pure cinematic fiction.

If you’ve ever wondered what happened when the sword met the gun in feudal Japan, this is the history lesson you didn’t know you needed.

🎯 In this episode:

📚 Guest Info – Matt Okuhara

Matt is a British historian, author, interpreter, and YouTuber based in Japan. He’s a member of the Matsumoto Castle Gun Corps, one of Japan’s largest historical shooting teams. His work explores Japanese military history, samurai culture, and the global myths surrounding them.

👉 Find Matt Online:

🌐 Website: gunsamurai.com

📺 YouTube: @Gun_Samurai

📸 Instagram: @gun.samurai

🎧 Listen to Related Episodes:

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Discover how drugs shaped empires, creativity, and chaos throughout history.

From ancient battlefields to Victorian medicine cabinets, this week’s episode of History Rage dives into the surprising — and often shocking — role of substance use across the ages. Host Paul Bavill is joined by historian and writer Sam Kelly (@humanhistoryondrugs) for a deep, thought-provoking journey through how drugs influenced the world’s most famous figures, ideas, and empires.

Together, they uncover how Alexander the Great, Sigmund Freud, Queen Victoria, and even Pope Leo XIII all encountered (and indulged in) mind-altering substances — often with world-changing consequences. From Freud’s cocaine-fuelled psychology to the British Empire’s opium trade, from religious visions to artistic inspiration, Sam and Paul reveal the hidden highs and devastating lows that shaped history’s greatest moments.

You’ll learn how drugs were once tools of power and creativity, but also instruments of destruction. And, as Sam reminds us, it’s never a simple story — these substances weren’t inherently good or bad, but they were always influential.

If you’ve ever wondered what connects emperors, popes, poets, and programmers — or how LSD helped inspire modern computing — this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

🎧 Episode Highlights

📚 About the Guest – Sam Kelly

Sam Kelly is a historian, writer, and host of Human History on Drugs, where he explores the complex and often surprising intersections between humanity and its intoxicants. His work brings wit, nuance, and compassion to a subject too often oversimplified.

👉 Follow Sam on Instagram: @human_history_on_drugs

🎙️ Check out the TikTok Channel: @human_history_on_durgs

________________________________________

💬 Connect with History Rage

📱 Follow for more history myth-busting and expert rants:

Instagram: @historyrage

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📧 Contact Paul Bavill: historyragepod@gmail.com

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Anne Boleyn myths destroyed live at Katherine of Aragon Festival

Recorded live at the Katherine of Aragon Festival, this special episode of History Rage sees host Paul Bavill joined on stage by Owen Emerson (Assistant Curator, Hever Castle) and Alfred Hawkins (Curator, Tower of London) to challenge the biggest myths surrounding Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII and Tudor England.

Anne Boleyn remains one of the most mythologised figures in British history. Was she a ruthless schemer? A Protestant heroine? A tragic innocent? Owen Emerson argues that much of what we “know” about Anne was shaped by Victorian historians. Far from being a woman without substance, she was highly educated, shaped by Renaissance France, politically aware and deeply engaged in religious reform — though not the architect of the English Reformation.

The panel explores:

Alfred Hawkins also tackles a major misconception: the idea that the Tower of London is simply a grim execution site. While Anne’s death looms large, the Tower was a royal palace, administrative hub, armoury, archive and community for centuries. Reducing it to a Tudor “theatre of death” ignores over 1,000 years of English history.

This live discussion is packed with Tudor historiography, debates about historical “expertise”, the limits placed on queenship, and why applying modern labels to early modern women can distort more than it clarifies.

If you’re interested in Anne Boleyn, Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII, the English Reformation, Tudor queens, or the Tower of London, this episode restores complexity to one of the most dramatic periods in British history.

Guest Details

Owen Emerson

Assistant Curator, Hever Castle

Visit: https://www.hevercastle.co.uk

Alfred Hawkins

Curator, Tower of London

Visit: https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london

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Recorded live at the Katherine of Aragon Festival.

Stay angry.

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The Desert Fox legend endures, but how much of it is true?

In this landmark 200th episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined once again by military historian and author Peter Caddick Adams to dismantle the enduring myths surrounding one of WWII’s most famous — and most misunderstood — figures: Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox.

Rommel has long been painted as the daring genius of North Africa and even as a “good German” who stood against Hitler. But how much of that is reality, and how much is myth-making? Paul and Peter dig deep into the legend, the propaganda, and the politics that shaped Rommel’s reputation during the war — and long after it.

The Strategic Genius?

Rommel’s early victories in North Africa cemented his reputation, but Peter reveals the other side: his lack of staff training, his tendency to lead like a battalion commander even at army level, and how much his success relied on captured British equipment, Allied weakness, and signals intelligence.

The Propaganda Machine

Rommel wasn’t just lucky; he was a propaganda dream. From his days as Hitler’s bodyguard in Poland to his carefully staged desert photographs, he cultivated the Desert Fox image with Nazi backing.

Politics and the July Plot

Did Rommel oppose Hitler? Peter explains why there’s no evidence he joined the July 20th plot — a post-war myth shaped by biography and politics.

The Post-War Reinvention

After 1945, Rommel was recast as the “clean Wehrmacht” figure NATO needed. Churchill himself called him “a daring and skilful opponent,” sealing the legend.

Packed with anecdotes— from a dachshund in the classroom, to Coronation Street’s “Rommel the cat” — this milestone episode strips away the myth to reveal the complex man behind the Desert Fox.

🎧 Celebrate 200 episodes of History Rage with a myth-busting deep dive into Rommel’s real legacy.

Guest Information:

Follow Peter Caddick Adams on X: @militaryhistori and Instagram: @pcaddickadams

Support History Rage:

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Why history lessons drain passion – and how we can fix it

History should ignite curiosity, creativity and connection. Instead, too often, it does the opposite.

In this powerful History Rage Live episode, host Paul Bavill is joined by medievalist, broadcaster and historian Professor Janina Ramirez to rage against the way history is taught – and how rigid curricula, “great man” narratives and siloed subjects are snuffing out a lifelong love of the past.

Drawing on her own personal journey, Janina explains how school history almost drove her away from the subject she loved, why women and ordinary people remain marginalised in classrooms, and how our education system has all but killed the polymath. From medieval walls to modern smartphones, she makes a passionate case for interdisciplinary history that reflects real human lives – not just battles, kings and dates.

Along the way, the conversation ranges widely:

• Why women’s history is still treated as optional or tokenistic

• How figures like Christine de Pizan and Hildegard of Bingen challenge everything we think we know about the past

• Why timelines matter – but rigid periodisation often doesn’t

• How digital access could create a new generation of polymaths

• And why rewriting history isn’t about politics, but accuracy

This episode is essential listening for teachers, students, parents, historians and anyone who’s ever felt bored by history lessons – and wondered why.

If you’ve ever loved history but felt pushed away by how it’s taught, this rage is for you.

About the guest: Professor Janina Ramirez

Professor Janina Ramirez is a medievalist, art historian and broadcaster, and President (for life) of the Gloucester History Festival. She is renowned for bringing interdisciplinary, people-centred history to wide audiences through books, television and public scholarship.

Books

📘 Legenda: The Real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe

Available here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780753560419

Follow & contact Janina Ramirez

More History Rage with Janina Ramirez

🎧 Episode 82 – Medieval women written out of history: https://pod.fo/e/1ef944

🎧 Episode 147 – Life inside a medieval convent: https://pod.fo/e/269598

About History Rage

History Rage is the podcast where historians vent their frustrations and dismantle the myths we were taught at school. Hosted by Paul Bavill, each episode challenges comfortable narratives and puts passion back into the past.

Follow History Rage

Support the podcast

❤️ Join Patreon for live streams and exclusive content:

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🎧 Listen ad-free on Apple Podcasts for just £3 per month via Apple Subscriptions

⭐ And if you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review or recommend History Rage to a friend – it really helps the podcast grow.

Stay angry. History depends on it.

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Why are we still obsessed with the Tudors?

In this lively episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by the brilliant comedian and World War II historian Al Murray to tackle the relentless fixation on the Tudor dynasty. With a blend of humour and historical insight, Al argues that it’s high time we move beyond the soap opera of Henry VIII and his six wives to explore the far more transformative events of the 17th century — namely, the English Civil War.

Join us as we delve into:

- Tudor Fatigue: Al’s candid thoughts on why the Tudors have overstayed their welcome in popular history.

- The English Civil War: Discover why Al believes this tumultuous period is far more relevant and interesting than the Tudor saga.

- Revolutionary Ideas: How the Civil War set the stage for modern British governance and the ongoing struggle between power and the people.

- Historical Narratives: The importance of perspective in history and how personal biases shape our understanding of the past.

- Fresh Approaches: Al shares insights from his writing, including how to approach historical events without the burden of hindsight.

With Al's unique blend of comedy and historical analysis, this episode is a call to arms for history enthusiasts to broaden their horizons and explore the rich tapestry of our past beyond the Tudors. Get ready for a passionate discussion that challenges the status quo of historical storytelling!

📚 Connect with Al Murray

Check out his latest book Victory 45 co-authored with James Holland: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781472146360

Follow Al on social media: Instagram/Threads: @thealmurray | Twitter/Bluesky: @almurray

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Join us for a spirited debate that’s sure to ignite your passion for history and challenge your views on what truly matters in our past!

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James I wasn’t weak, stupid, or slobbering — history got lazy

James I has gone down in history as a disappointment, a fool, a drunken slob — a king wedged awkwardly between Elizabeth I and Charles I and remembered largely for what others did to him. But what if almost everything you think you know about James I is wrong?

Historian and author Gareth Russell returns for a record-breaking fifth appearance to dismantle the enduring caricature of James I of England and VI of Scotland. From supposed physical deformities and “slobbering” table manners to accusations of cowardice, weakness, and religious extremism, Gareth takes aim at centuries of lazy myth-making and historical snobbery.

Drawing directly on contemporary sources, Gareth explains why the image of James as a grotesque failure tells us far more about xenophobia, propaganda, and bad history than it does about the man himself.

This episode explores:

This is not an exercise in rehabilitation or hero-worship. As Gareth makes clear, James I was deeply flawed — but he was also intelligent, scholarly, peace-driven, and far more effective than history likes to admit.

If you’ve ever repeated the myths, laughed at the caricature, or dismissed James I outright — this episode is your invitation to rage at bad history and demand better.

Live Appearance Announcement

📍 Gareth Russell is speaking at the Katharine of Aragon Festival

🗓 31 January & 1 February

🎟 In-person tickets and digital passes available here:

https://peterborough-cathedral.org.uk/about/history/katharine-of-aragon/kofa_26/

Gareth’s festival talk explores the powerful and emotionally complex relationship between James I and his mother, Mary Queen of Scots, whose remains were once held at Peterborough Cathedral.

About the Guest: Gareth Russell

Gareth Russell is a historian, broadcaster, and bestselling author specialising in early modern Britain and Europe.

Books:

Podcast:

Follow Gareth Russell:

About History Rage

History Rage is the podcast where professional historians come armed with evidence — and fury — to tear down historical myths, misinformation, and lazy storytelling.

Hosted by Paul Bavill, History Rage challenges everything you think you know about the past and demands better standards from popular history.

Follow History Rage:

Support the podcast:

History Rage is proudly independent. You can support the show, access bonus content, and help keep historians raging by backing the podcast on Patreon. www.patreon.com/historyrage

If you care about truth, nuance, and calling nonsense what it is — this one’s for you.

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Templars weren’t the greatest, the longest-lasting, or even the most useful of the medieval military orders.

⚔️ Forget the Bloody Templars. It's Time for the Knights Hospitaller.

In this fiery episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by historian Rory MacClellan (author of Warrior Monks: Politics and Power in Mediaeval Britain) to tear down the Templar myth and put the spotlight where it belongs—on the far more fascinating Knights Hospitaller.

🔥 The Hospitallers: Beyond the CrusadesRory rages against the obsession with Templars in films, books, and conspiracy theories. He argues the Hospitallers were more interesting and important, with a much longer history, existing as an active military force for almost 600 years. Unlike their rivals, the Hospitallers had a dual purpose: they founded hospitals to care for pilgrims and the sick, a function they maintained throughout their history, from Jerusalem to Rhodes to Malta. After losing the Holy Land in 1291, they successfully reinvented themselves as a naval power, while the Templars failed to adapt and were wiped out.

🏰 Politics, Intrigue, and BeheadingsFar from being mere crusaders, the Hospitallers were significant landowners and powerbrokers across Europe, a role that drew them into local politics. Rory shares gripping stories of their deep entanglement in royal courts, civil conflicts, and even assassination plots. Key examples include:

💡 Legacy That Outlived the HypeSo why did the Hospitallers survive when the Templars burned? They acquired their own independent base on Rhodes, which was far away from rulers like the King of France who went after the Templars. They also had a reputation for charity and ran a big network of hospitals, a function the Templars did not have. The Hospitallers' legacy as both warriors and caregivers kept them relevant for 600 years. Today, their legacy is still alive—long after the Templars vanished into myth.

📚 Guest Info Find more from Rory MacClellan in Warrior Monks: Politics and Power in Mediaeval Britain. Support independent bookshops and authors through this link :https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781803996776

Follow Rory on X: @RFMacLellan

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Stay angry. Stay curious. And never stop questioning the myths.

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She wasn’t a pawn — Lady Jane Dudley was shaped by power, politics and purpose

For centuries she has been remembered as Lady Jane Grey: the tragic, passive “Nine Days’ Queen.” - But what if that story is wrong?

In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by historian and author Dr Joanne Paul to rage against one of Tudor history’s most persistent myths — the erasure of Lady Jane Dudley and the deliberate sidelining of the Dudley dynasty from her story.

This conversation dismantles the idea of Jane as a helpless victim of ruthless men and instead reveals a highly educated, politically aware young woman who understood exactly what the Tudor succession crisis meant — and what it might cost her. Drawing on contemporary evidence, Dr Paul explores Jane’s agency, intelligence and religious conviction, and explains why the Dudleys became convenient scapegoats once Mary I reclaimed the throne.

As the discussion widens, the episode exposes the brutal realities of Tudor power: shifting loyalties, manufactured villainy, and the dangerous fiction of “legitimate” succession. From Edward VI’s handwritten Device for the Succession to the execution of John Dudley and the astonishing rehabilitation of Robert Dudley under Elizabeth I, this is a deep dive into how dynasties rise, fall — and rise again.

Crucially, this episode also restores women to the centre of the narrative. From Jane Dudley herself to Jane, Duchess of Northumberland, the Dudley women emerge as formidable political operators whose influence shaped events long after the axe fell.

If you think you know the story of Lady Jane Grey, this episode will change your mind.

Key themes explored

Festival Info:

The Katherine of Aragon Festival Talks are on January 31st and February 1st 2026 at Peterborough Cathedral:

Tickets are available at:https://peterborough-cathedral.org.uk/about/history/katharine-of-aragon/kofa_26/

About the guest

Dr Joanne Paul is a historian, writer and public historian specialising in Tudor politics, power and reputation. She is the author of The House of Dudley, a groundbreaking study of one of Tudor England’s most misunderstood dynasties, and has consulted on major television productions including My Lady Jane.

Follow & contact Dr Joanne Paul

About History Rage

History Rage is the podcast where historians stop being polite and start getting angry — debunking myths, challenging lazy narratives and reclaiming complexity from centuries of oversimplification.

Follow History Rage

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Until next time — stay angry.

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Why the Jack the Ripper legend is completely useless.

Get ready to hear the truth behind the headlines with social historian Hallie Rubenhold. Her groundbreaking book, The Five, challenges everything you thought you knew about the case by focusing on the victims, not the killer.

Hallie explains why the endless speculation about Jack the Ripper's identity is "useless" and built on "pure mythology". As a trained museum curator, she argues that applying modern DNA testing is impossible due to tainted evidence and a lack of provenance for objects. The real "restorative justice," she argues, comes from understanding the lives of the women themselves.

Discover the shocking reality of the five women's lives, which were far more complex than the common "prostitute" label suggests. Hallie reveals that only two of the women, Elizabeth Stride and Mary Jane Kelly, were known to engage in sex work.

You'll learn:

Hallie argues that the Victorian press and police unfairly labelled these women based on moral judgment, and that this same bias influenced investigations much like it did with the Yorkshire Ripper case decades later. The true value of history, she says, is not to romanticize the past but to "shock" us with the "ugly shit" of truth.

Join us and rage against the myths that have long obscured the truth.

Guest Information

Support History Rage on Patreon

If you're enjoying this episode, please consider supporting the show. Your support helps us to continue to produce well-researched episodes and bring you unique and compelling conversations with experts who are as passionate and angry about history as we are!

As a thank you, you'll receive access to a range of exclusive benefits, including:

Join the History Rage community here: patreon.com/historyrage.

Stay connected with History Rage

From all of us at History Rage, stay curious, stay passionate, and above all—stay angry!

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Stop pitting Tudor queens against each other and confront the real villain.

Two of the most famous women in Tudor history are still framed as enemies—but what if that story is fundamentally wrong?

In this History Rage festival special for the Katherine of Aragon Festival, castle historian and Assistant Curator of Hever Castle, Kate McCaffrey, dismantles the deeply entrenched myth that Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn were bitter rivals defined by loyalty versus seduction. Instead, this conversation reveals two strikingly similar women shaped by education, intelligence, faith, and survival in a brutally patriarchal court.

Kate draws on her original research into Anne Boleyn’s Books of Hours—including a remarkable discovery that both Anne and Katherine owned copies of the same edition—to expose moments of shared piety, cultural sophistication, and even reluctant solidarity. These sources challenge simplistic labels such as “Catholic martyr” and “Protestant temptress” and reveal how both queens were politically astute, internationally educated, and fiercely protective mothers to England’s first two queens regnant.

The episode explores how Henry VIII’s needs, insecurities, and ambition have long been obscured by narratives that pit women against each other. From Katherine’s prolonged legal resistance to Anne’s calm dignity in the face of a foregone conclusion, this is a reassessment of queenship, downfall, and legacy that puts responsibility firmly back where it belongs.

If you’re interested in Tudor history, women’s power, religious reform, or how historical myths are created and sustained, this episode offers a compelling, evidence-based rethink of one of the most enduring rivalries in popular history.

Festival Info:

The Katherine of Aragon Festival Talks are on January 31st and February 1st 2026 at Peterborough Cathedral:

Tickets are available at:https://peterborough-cathedral.org.uk/about/history/katharine-of-aragon/kofa_26/

Guest: Kate McCaffrey

Kate McCaffrey is Castle Historian and Assistant Curator at Hever Castle, co-creator of Owen & Kate History, and a PhD researcher specialising in Tudor material culture, religion, and queenship.

Follow & contact Kate

More from History Rage

History Rage is the podcast where historians challenge myths, confront bad history, and rage against lazy narratives.

Follow & listen

Support the podcast

Recommended listening

History isn’t a catfight.

It’s complicated, political, and far more interesting than the myths we inherit.

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The War of 1812 wasn’t sailors’ rights — it was empire.

Think you know why the War of 1812 started? Most people believe it was all about the Royal Navy “pressing” innocent American sailors. Historian Matt Taylor calls nonsense on that myth – and reveals how the real story is far darker, and far more explosive.

Paul Bavill is joined by Matt Taylor, author of Black Redcoats, to uncover the hidden narratives of the War of 1812. From the forgotten African Americans who fought for Britain to the political smokescreens that dragged America into war, Matt shatters the schoolbook version of this conflict.

Highlights include:

This episode doesn’t just retell history – it rips apart comfortable myths and shows how race, freedom, and empire collided in ways that shaped nations. If you want history with bite, this is it.

📚 Connect with Matt Taylor

❤️ Support the Show

If this episode fired you up, join the Angry Mob on Patreon for exclusive content, early access, and the iconic History Rage mug. Subscribe at www.patreon.com/historyrage or join through Apple Subscriptions

🔗 Follow the Rage

Join us as we rage against the myths of the War of 1812 and rediscover the extraordinary African Americans who fought for freedom.

Stay angry

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Henry VIII: beloved monarch or mass-murdering tyrant we refuse to confront?

Why do we glorify a king who executed 1% of England and displaced over 10,000 people for his own power?

It’s time to dismantle everything you thought you knew about Henry VIII.

Historian and educator Jackson Van Uden joins History Rage to expose the real Tudor ruler: a man his own contemporaries labelled a tyrant, not the charming Christmas-bauble king of Hampton Court gift shops. Henry didn’t just kill wives — he destroyed lives, seized land, staged show trials, and crushed dissent with Stalin-level brutality.

We dig into:

If pop culture has convinced you Henry was a misunderstood romantic, strap in — Jackson launches a rage that puts Henry in the same moral category as history’s worst dictators.

By the time we’re finished, those Holbein portraits will never look the same again.

Festival Info:

The Katherine of Aragon Festival Talks are on January 31st and February 1st 2026 at Peterborough Cathedral:

Tickets are available at:https://peterborough-cathedral.org.uk/about/history/katharine-of-aragon/kofa_26/

🎙 Guest: Jackson Van Uden

Historian • Teacher • Host of History With Jackson

Katherine of Aragon Festival contributor and organiser

Tickets for the festival via Peterborough Cathedral link in show notes

📌 Listen to History With Jackson wherever you get your podcasts

📱 Follow Jackson:

🙌 Support History Rage & Join the Fight Against Bad History

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🛍 Grab your coveted History Rage mug at Patreon’s £5 tier

💬 Or simply tell a friend and get another person aboard the Rage Train!

🔗 Connect with History Rage

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In this exhilarating episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill takes to the skies with social historian and author Midge Gillies, whose latest book, Atlantic Furies: The Women Who Risked Everything to Be the First to Fly, uncovers the remarkable stories of the female pioneers of early aviation. Join us as we journey through the daring feats and forgotten legacies of women who soared to new heights long before the fame of Amelia Earhart.

Challenging the Narrative:

Midge passionately argues that the contributions of women like Amy Johnson, Beryl Markham, and Ruth Elder are often overshadowed by the singular narrative of Earhart. Discover how these aviators faced societal constraints and media scrutiny while bravely pursuing their dreams of flight, and why it's crucial to acknowledge their stories within the broader context of aviation history.

The Perils of Flight:

As Midge shares the harrowing tales of women who attempted to cross the Atlantic, we delve into the dangers they faced, including harsh weather conditions and the ever-present threat of disappearance. Midge reflects on the tragic fates of pilots like Frances Grayson and Lady Anne Saville, who risked everything in their pursuit of adventure.

Women in Aviation:

Explore the camaraderie and competition among these pioneering women as Midge highlights their relationships and rivalries. Learn how the media of the time played a role in shaping their legacies, and why it’s essential to remember the collective efforts of these remarkable figures who pushed the boundaries of what was possible for women in aviation.

Join us for this thrilling discussion that not only celebrates the bravery of female aviators but also challenges the misconceptions that have long persisted in the annals of history. For more insights into Midge Gillies’ work, be sure to check out her book available in the History Rage bookshop.

Buy the book: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781915590527

Follow Midge on Social Media @midgegilles

Stay Connected: Follow History Rage on social media for updates and discussions:

Twitter: @HistoryRage

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Support History Rage: 

If you’re passionate about this episode, consider joining the 'Angry Mob' on Patreon at patreon.com/historyrage for exclusive content, early access, and the iconic History Rage mug.

Stay passionate, stay curious, and most of all stay angry!

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Jane Boleyn did not orchestrate the downfall of Anne and George Boleyn

In this gripping episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by Tudor historian and author Adam Pennington to unravel the tangled web of intrigue surrounding Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford. Adam passionately dismantles the long-held belief that Jane was an evil schemer responsible for the downfall of her husband, George Boleyn, and sister-in-law, Anne Boleyn.

Reassessing Jane Boleyn:

Adam challenges the narrative that paints Jane as a malicious figure, arguing instead that she was a loyal wife and a supportive member of the Boleyn family.

He delves into Jane's background, her marriage to George, and the dynamics of their life at the Tudor court, highlighting the absence of evidence for the claims against her.

The Trials of Anne and George Boleyn:

Exploring the trials of Anne and George, Adam reveals the lack of credible evidence linking Jane to their accusations, urging listeners to reconsider the role she played during this tumultuous period.

He discusses the historical context of their trials and how misconceptions have perpetuated the myth of Jane as a treacherous figure.

The Downfall of Catherine Howard:

As the episode unfolds, Adam examines Jane’s later involvement in the court of Catherine Howard, questioning her motivations and the circumstances that led to her own tragic end.

The discussion highlights the complexities of Tudor court politics and how Jane's actions were often misinterpreted through a modern lens.

Join Paul and Adam as they navigate the murky waters of Tudor history, urging listeners to challenge preconceived notions and seek the truth behind the myths. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the real stories of the Tudor dynasty.

Guest Information:

Check out Adam Pennington's podcast, The Tudor Chest, available on all major platforms.

https://podcasts.apple.com/eg/podcast/the-tudor-chest-podcast/id1704070565

Buy Adam’s book, Henry VIII and the Plantagenet Poles, through the link in the show notes to support independent bookstores.

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781399071710

Follow Adam on Social Media @thetudorchest

Support History Rage:

For exclusive content and early access to episodes, consider supporting History Rage on Patreon for just £3 per month at patreon.com/historyrage.

Stay Connected:

Follow us on all social media for updates and more historical discussions @historyrage

Stay angry, stay informed, and let the truth of history prevail!

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💥 Jane Austen wasn’t all tea, weddings, and waltzes — she was writing through war, poverty, and radical politics!

In this episode of History Rage Live, host Paul Bavill is joined by historian and author Dr Helena Kelly to take a sledgehammer to the myths surrounding one of England’s most beloved writers — Jane Austen.

Think Austen only wrote about polite society, balls, and matchmaking? Think again. Dr Kelly reveals how Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion are steeped in the Napoleonic Wars, rural poverty, class tension, and even political radicalism. From cousin marriage to enclosure, from naval officers to the fear of French invasion — Austen’s world was anything but tranquil.

Dr Kelly explains how Persuasion unfolds during Napoleon’s exile and return, why Emma explores the politics of land and hunger, and how Austen’s teenage “History of England” may have been a bold critique of monarchy itself. Together, Paul and Helena expose how critics and TV adaptations have softened Austen’s sharp social observations into a genteel myth — and why it’s time to reclaim the radical Jane.

Whether you’re a lifelong Austen fan or “Austen-curious,” this episode will make you see her world — and her wit — in an entirely new light.

About Our Guest — Dr Helena Kelly

📚 Author of Jane Austen: The Secret Radical and The Worlds of Jane Austen

Dr Helena Kelly is a literary historian and acclaimed Austen scholar whose work uncovers the hidden politics and subversive messages behind England’s favourite novelist.

📖 Buy her books:

📲 Follow Helena:

About History Rage

🎙 History Rage is the podcast where historians deliver their anthems for doomed myths — where truth has its mention in despatches and lazy legends are made to listen to all that bloody poetry.

📡 Follow & Contact:

💬 Support the Podcast:

Help keep the Rage alive and get early, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and access to live streams!

👉 Join us on Patreon or subscribe via Apple Podcasts.

www.patreon.com/historyrage

📢 If you enjoyed this episode:

Tell a friend, share the rage, and leave us a review — it really helps other history lovers discover the truth behind the myths.

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Hollywood got it wrong: The Spitfire was not the work of one man.

Aviation historian Paul Beaver dismantles the myths created by the Hollywood film, First of the Few. He reveals that while Mitchell was a brilliant engineer, the idea of him single-handedly designing the Spitfire is a fantasy. Instead, the aircraft was the result of a collaborative, unsung team at Supermarine.

Discover how films distort historical truths and why figures like Mitchell and Alan Turing are often misrepresented to create a more dramatic narrative. Paul Beaver exposes a compelling, untold story of engineering genius, collaboration, and a team of unsung heroes who truly built the Spitfire.

A Team, Not a Single Hero

While Mitchell was a brilliant engineer and a visionary team leader, the Spitfire was the product of a dedicated team at Supermarine. Beaver highlights key figures who deserve recognition:

A More Nuanced Legacy

Paul argues for a more truthful understanding of Mitchell's legacy. Mitchell, who died at the age of 42 in 1937, was a prolific engineer with 24 different aircraft types to his name. His work extended far beyond the Spitfire, including designs for bombers and seaplanes. He even famously redesigned a colostomy bag after his surgery, showing his relentless engineering mindset.

Ready to challenge everything you thought you knew about the Spitfire? Listen now and get the full story.

Stay curious, stay passionate, and let the rage for historical truth burn on!

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This week on History Rage, host Paul Bavill welcomes the brilliant mythologist and author Natalie Haynes, to unravel the tangled web of Greek mythology and challenge the male-centric narratives that often dominate our understanding of these ancient tales.

Myth vs. Reality: Natalie passionately argues that the stories from ancient Greece are not as male-dominated as they are often portrayed. She encourages listeners to reconsider the powerful roles women play in these myths, particularly through figures like Medea and Hera, who defy the traditional expectations of their time.

The Argo and Its Heroes: Dive into the legendary quest for the Golden Fleece as Natalie dissects the dynamics of the Argonauts. Are they truly a cohesive unit or merely a collection of egos? Discover the complexities of their relationships and the conflicts that arise as they embark on their perilous journey.

Women in Mythology: Explore the surprising strength and agency of female characters in Greek mythology. Natalie highlights how goddesses like Athena and Artemis offer a stark contrast to the often flawed male heroes, challenging the notion that women were merely passive figures in these ancient stories.

Hollywood’s Take: The conversation takes a critical turn as Natalie examines the portrayal of Greek myths in popular culture, particularly in films like Jason and the Argonauts and Disney’s Hercules. She reveals how these adaptations often strip away the complexity and richness of the original tales, reducing powerful female figures to mere side characters.

Support History Rage on Patreon for exclusive content and early episode access at www.patreon.com/historyrage.

Follow History Rage on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HistoryRage

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Buy the Book: No Friend to this House:https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781529061543

Listen to Natalie Haynes Stands Up For the Classics: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b077x8pc/episodes/player

Follow Natalie

Instagram:@nataliehaynesauthor

Twitter:@officialnhaynes

Bluesky:@nataliehaynes.bsky.social

Stay Angry, Stay Informed - History Rage

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This week on History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by historian and author Mark Ellis, known for his gripping Frank Merlin detective novels and his latest work, Boom Time: True Crime in World War II London. Together, they traverse the shadowy underbelly of wartime Britain, revealing the grim realities that lay beneath the celebrated Blitz spirit.

The Dark Side of the Blitz: Mark passionately confronts the myth that the British public maintained a dignified composure during the war. He unveils the shocking truth: crime surged by 60% from 1939 to 1945, with ordinary citizens engaging in looting, black market dealings, and even violent crime amidst the chaos.

Notorious Criminals: Delve into the lives of infamous figures like Gordon Cummins, the 'Blackout Ripper', and John Haig, the 'Acid Bath Killer', whose heinous acts thrived in the cover of darkness. Mark shares harrowing accounts of wartime crimes that challenge the narrative of British resilience.

The Black Market Boom: Explore the expansive black market that flourished during the war, as spivs and organised gangs capitalised on rationing and scarcity. Mark explains how these operations were not merely opportunistic but well-planned criminal enterprises that included everything from armed robberies to the theft of military supplies.

Police Struggles: With police numbers dwindling as many officers enlisted, Mark discusses the challenges faced by law enforcement in combating this surge in crime. The episode highlights the corruption and complicity within the ranks, as some officers became entangled in the very criminal activities they were meant to suppress.

American Influence: The arrival of American troops brought both camaraderie and chaos, introducing their own brand of crime and racial tensions to the streets of London. Mark reveals how the differing legal systems between the UK and the US created unique challenges for law enforcement and military justice.

Join us for this eye-opening exploration of crime in wartime Britain, where the reality of human behaviour starkly contrasts with the glorified myths of the Blitz. Stay tuned for more episodes of History Rage, where we continue to uncover the hidden truths of our past.

Support History Rage on Patreon for exclusive content and early episode access and the coveted History Rage Mug at www.patreon.com/historyrage.

For more historical insights, visit our website www.historyrage.com.

If you want to get in touch with History Rage, email us at historyragepod@gmail.com.

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Stay Angry, Stay Informed - History Rage

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This week on History Rage, Paul is joined by historian, archaeologist, and author Dr. Simon Elliott, who takes us on an enlightening journey through the life of Septimius Severus, the often-overlooked African emperor of Rome. Together, they challenge the prevailing myths surrounding Julius Caesar and explore the rich tapestry of Severus's reign.

Debunking Caesar: Simon passionately argues against the common misconceptions about Julius Caesar, asserting that he was never an emperor and highlighting the true origins of his name. From his PR genius to his military campaigns, Simon dismantles the romanticised narratives that have persisted for centuries.

The Rise of Septimius Severus:

Discover the dramatic rise of Severus, who seized power during the tumultuous Year of the Five Emperors. Simon recounts how Severus, with sword drawn, commanded respect from the Senate and established the Severan dynasty, leaving a profound impact on Roman history.

Military Might and Legacy: As a military historian, Simon delves into Severus's extensive campaigns, including his ambitious invasion of Britain. Learn how Severus expanded the Roman Empire's territorial reach and the monumental statements he made through his military conquests.

North African Heritage: Simon highlights the significance of Severus's North African roots and how they shaped his approach to governance and military leadership. This episode sheds light on the cultural dynamics of the Roman Empire and the importance of inclusivity in its ranks.

Guest Information:

Explore Dr. Simon Elliott's work by purchasing his book, The African Emperor: The Life of Septimus Severus, through the History Rage Bookshop at https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781837731725

Follow Simon on X: @simonelliott20 and on Instagram: @simonelliott8671.

Join the conversation and share your historical rants on Twitter @HistoryRage . Use the hashtag #HistoryRage.

Support History Rage on Patreon for early episode access, ad-free listening, and exclusive perks at www.patreon.com/historyrage.

For more historical insights, visit our website www.historyrage.com.

If you want to get in touch with History Rage, email us at historyragepod@gmail.com.

Follow History Rage on Social Media:

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Stay Angry, Stay Informed - History Rage

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This week on History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by historian and author Rachel McCarthy James, the mind behind the intriguing book "Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder." Together, they delve into the infamous case of Lizzie Borden, a crime so notorious it has inspired nursery rhymes and countless myths.

Debunking the 40 Whacks: Rachel sets the record straight on the infamous rhyme, revealing that Lizzie did not deliver 40 whacks, but rather a significantly lower number—18 to her stepmother and 10 to her father. This episode challenges the sensationalism surrounding the case, highlighting how historical narratives can be distorted over time.

The Axe Myth: Explore the myth surrounding the weapon itself. Rachel argues that the axe attributed to Lizzie was almost certainly not the murder weapon, as the prosecution's case hinged on dubious evidence and assumptions rather than concrete facts.

Life of Lizzie Borden: Discover who Lizzie Borden was, the tensions within her household, and the societal constraints she faced as an upper-class woman in the late 19th century. Rachel provides a vivid picture of the events leading up to the murders and the aftermath that left Lizzie both infamous and isolated.

Guest Information:

Purchase Rachel McCarthy James’ book "Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder" through the History Rage Bookshop at https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781837733286.

Follow Rachel on Bluesky: @rmccarthyjames.bsky.social

Join the conversation and share your thoughts on Lizzie Borden and historical myths on Twitter @HistoryRageor directly with Paul Bavill @PaulBavill. Use the hashtag #HistoryRage.

Support History Rage on Patreon for early episode access, the chance to submit questions to guests, prize draws, and the exclusive History Rage mug at www.patreon.com/historyrage.

For more historical rants and insights, visit our website www.historyrage.com.

If you want to get in touch with History Rage, email us at historyragepod@gmail.com.

Follow History Rage on Social Media:

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Stay Angry, Stay Informed - History Rage

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This week on History Rage, host Paul Bavill welcomes the insightful Dr. Faith Tibble, a historian specialising in iconography and the author of Crown of Thorns, Humble Gods and Humiliated Kings. Together, they delve into the complex and often misunderstood symbolism of one of Christianity's most iconic images: the crown of thorns. Join them as they unravel the layers of history, art, and theology that have shaped our perception of this powerful symbol.

The Crown of Thorns Reimagined

Beyond the Thorns: Dr. Tibble challenges the conventional belief that the crown was made of sharp thorns, revealing instead its true nature as a wreath of acanthus leaves, symbolising triumph rather than mockery.

Historical Context: Explore the socio-political landscape of first-century Judea and how the Roman perspective on Jesus’ crucifixion plays a crucial role in understanding the symbolism behind the crown.

Art and Iconography

Evolution of Imagery: Discover how the representation of the crown of thorns evolved over centuries, from a symbol of victory to one of suffering, as Christianity shifted its focus towards the passion of Christ.

Royal Connections: Delve into the concept of Christo mimesis, where medieval kings sought to imitate Christ's humility and suffering as a means of legitimising their own rule.

The Relic and Its Impact

The Crown in Paris: Learn about the journey of the purported crown of thorns to Notre Dame and how King Louis IX's veneration of the relic shaped its significance in Christian iconography.

Lasting Legacy: Reflect on how the crown of thorns continues to be a powerful symbol in both art and faith, influencing countless representations of the passion narrative.

Get Involved

Follow Dr. Faith Tibble: Connect with her on Twitter @faithtibble and on Instagram and Bluesky @DrFaithTibble.

Buy Faith’s book: The Crown of Thorns: Humble Gods and Humiliated Kings: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780567713223

Support History Rage: 

If you’re passionate about this episode, consider joining the 'Angry Mob' on Patreon at patreon.com/historyrage for exclusive content, early access, and the iconic History Rage mug.

Stay Connected

Join the conversation and keep the rage alive! Visit historyrage.com for past episodes and updates.

Follow us on:

Facebook: History Rage

Twitter: @HistoryRage

Instagram: @historyrage

Stay passionate, stay curious, and let the rage for historical truth burn brighter!

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This week on History Rage, host Paul Bavill welcomes Tudor historian and author Dr. Joanne Paul to dissect the life and legacy of the enigmatic Thomas More. As they navigate the treacherous waters of Tudor England, they delve into the myths and misconceptions surrounding this controversial figure, aiming to separate fact from fiction.

Episode Highlights:

Join us for a riveting conversation that not only unravels the complexities of Thomas More but also prompts us to reflect on the nature of power, authority, and individual conscience in turbulent times. Dr. Joanne Paul's new book, Thomas More: A Life and Death in Tudor England, is available now, and you can find a link to purchase it in the show notes.

Buy the Book: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780008370740

Connect with Dr. Joanne Paul:

- Follow her on X: @joanne_paul_

- Follow her on Instagram: @drjoannepaul

Support History Rage:

If you’re enjoying the show, consider joining the 'Angry Mob' on Patreon at patreon.com/historyrage for exclusive content, early access, and the iconic History Rage mug.

Follow the Rage:

- Twitter: @HistoryRage

- Instagram: @historyrage

Stay curious, stay passionate, and most importantly, stay angry!

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In this gripping episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill welcomes back acclaimed historian Dr Helen Fry to uncover the hidden world of Belgium’s wartime intelligence networks — the unsung heroes of espionage who risked everything to fight from behind enemy lines. Drawing from her new book The White Lady, Helen reveals how Belgian agents shaped the course of both World Wars, often at extraordinary personal cost.

Far from the glamorous myths of spies in tuxedos and coded martinis, this conversation exposes the real stories of courage, sacrifice, and moral complexity. You’ll hear how intelligence flowed from occupied Belgium to Britain, how messages were smuggled in the most ingenious ways, and why Belgium’s location made it one of the most important hubs of wartime espionage.

Helen also explores the vital – and too often overlooked – role of women in intelligence, from couriers and code-runners to key figures in networks like the White Lady. These were ordinary citizens performing extraordinary acts of defiance, held together by trust, loyalty, and an unwavering sense of duty.

If you think WWII espionage was all about the SOE and France, think again. This episode pulls back the curtain on a hidden front of the intelligence war, filled with daring operations, hidden heroes, and a vast archive of untold stories waiting to be rediscovered.

🎧 Whether you’re a history enthusiast, a fan of true espionage, or simply love hearing history’s myths get blown apart — this is one you can’t miss.

📚 Connect with Helen:

• Follow her on Instagram: @drhelenfry

• Find her on X (Twitter): @drhelenfry

• Purchase her book: The White Lady – The Story of Two Key British Secret Service Networks Behind German Lines at Bookshop.org

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• Subscribe for just £3/month on Apple or Patreon

• Unlock additional perks for £5/month: patreon.com/historyrage

• Spread the word and bring more listeners into the Rage!

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In this enlightening episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by historian and author Dr. Francis Young to delve into the often overlooked history of Eastern Europe. Together, they challenge the dominant narratives surrounding the region, particularly the misconceptions that arise from a focus solely on the 20th century and the pervasive influence of Russian perspectives.

Episode Highlights:

Join us for a thought-provoking discussion that not only sheds light on the historical significance of Eastern Europe but also encourages a deeper appreciation for its diverse cultures and identities. Dr. Young's book, Silence of the Gods, is set to be released in June, and you can find a link to pre-order it in the show notes.

Connect with Dr. Francis Young:

- Follow him on X: @rfrancisyoung

Support History Rage:

If you’re enjoying this episode, consider joining the 'Angry Mob' on Patreon at patreon.com/historyrage for exclusive content, early access, and the coveted History Rage mug.

Follow the Rage:

- Twitter: @HistoryRage

- Instagram: @historyrage

Stay curious, stay passionate, and most importantly, stay angry!

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Discover the untold story of the RAF heroes who photographed victory.

What if the intelligence that won World War II didn’t come from Bletchley Park — but from the skies above? In this gripping episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by historians and podcasters Dave Robertson and Tony Hoskins from For You The War Is Over to uncover the hidden story of the RAF’s Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (PRU) — the unarmed pilots who risked everything to capture the images that shaped Allied strategy and victory.

These daring aviators, flying stripped-down Spitfires and Mosquitos, gathered over 26 million photographs during the war — producing 80% of all Allied intelligence. But their story remains one of WWII’s least recognised triumphs.

The Untold Legacy of Aerial Intelligence

Enigma cracked codes, but aerial reconnaissance won battles.

Dave and Tony reveal how the PRU began as a handful of maverick pilots before evolving into a highly specialised global intelligence unit that transformed modern warfare. They share the staggering dangers these pilots faced — flying alone, unarmed, and often without armour — at freezing altitudes to capture photos over heavily defended targets.

From the development of stereography and 3D imaging that made D-Day possible, to the astonishing innovation behind Sandy Gunn’s Spitfire, the episode brings to life the courage, technology, and sacrifice of those who turned cameras into weapons of war.

You’ll also hear how today’s historians and engineers are preserving this legacy — including the restoration of Sandy Gunn’s Spitfire (AA810) and the creation of a new memorial in London to honour PRU crews.

Featuring Guests:

🎙️ Dave Robertson & Tony Hoskins

Hosts of For You The War Is Over — the hit WWII podcast exploring POW escapes and forgotten wartime stories.

👉 Listen to their show here: For You The War Is Over Podcast

📘 Learn more about their projects and the Spitfire restoration at www.spitfireaa810.co.uk

Join Us Live at the Imperial War Museum Podcast Festival 🎤

Both History Rage and For You The War Is Over will be appearing LIVE at the Imperial War Museum Podcast Live Festival on 1st November.

🎟️ Get your tickets now → https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/podcast-live

Follow and Support History Rage

🔥 Never miss an episode!

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In this thought-provoking episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill engages with historian and author Ada Palmer, whose book Inventing the Renaissance challenges the romanticised narratives surrounding this revered period in Western history. Together, they dissect the myths of golden and dark ages, revealing the complexities and realities that often go unnoticed.

The Myth of the Renaissance:

Art and Power:

Inquisition and Control:

Guest Information:

If you’re inspired by this episode, consider joining the 'Angry Mob' on Patreon at patreon.com/historyrage for exclusive content, early access, and the iconic History Rage mug.

Follow the Rage:

- Twitter: @HistoryRage

- Paul on Twitter: @PaulBavill

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HistoryRage

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyrage

Stay curious, stay passionate, and most importantly, stay angry!

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Is Tom Hanks too old to storm Omaha Beach?

Host Paul Bavill welcomes Rob Hutton and Duncan Weldon, hosts of the War Movie Theatre podcast, to kick off a series of previews for the Imperial War Museum’s (IWM) Podcast Live Festival. This week, they are raising the curtain on movies in a historical setting with a fierce debate on the one historical inaccuracy that Hollywood keeps getting away with.

Rob and Duncan unleash their rage on the persistent and problematic trend in war cinema: the casting of much older actors as young combat soldiers in World War II movies.

Don't miss this heated discussion!

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This week on History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by military historian and expert on Ian Fleming, Dave Roberts, as they delve into the intriguing world of wartime intelligence and the often-overlooked contributions of Fleming during the Second World War. Together, they dismantle the myths surrounding Fleming's role, revealing the truth behind the man who created James Bond and his significant impact on British Naval Intelligence.

The Real Ian Fleming:

Beyond the Desk: Dave discusses the misconceptions that portray Fleming as merely a desk-bound author, highlighting his pivotal role in shaping Naval Intelligence and his innovative ideas that contributed to the war effort.

Wartime Operations: Explore Fleming's involvement in the formation of 30 Assault Unit, an elite intelligence unit tasked with capturing enemy secrets and technology, showcasing his strategic mind and leadership abilities.

Operation Ruthless:

A Wild Plan: The episode reveals the audacious Operation Ruthless, where Fleming proposed a daring scheme to capture German Enigma machines by crash-landing a Heinkel bomber in the English Channel, demonstrating his bold and unconventional thinking.

Capturing Secrets: Learn about the successes of 30 Assault Unit in securing vital intelligence, including Enigma machines and Italian naval charts, that played a crucial role in the Allies' strategic planning.

Fleming's Legacy:

A Man of Influence: Dave articulates how Fleming's charm and connections made him an indispensable figure within British intelligence, proving that his contributions went far beyond his literary fame.

Recognition: The discussion emphasises the need to acknowledge Fleming's wartime achievements, which have been overshadowed by his later success as the author of the iconic James Bond series.

Guest Information:

Discover more about Dave Roberts and his work with 30 Assault Unit at 30au.co.uk.

Follow Dave on Twitter at @ihistorical for insights and updates.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for History Rage on Apple, Spotify, or Podchaser! Join the 'Angry Mob' on Patreon for early episodes, exclusive content, and the coveted History Rage mug. Subscribe at www.patreon.com/historyrage.

Follow the Rage:

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For all the latest episodes and updates, visit our website at www.historyrage.com.

Stay Angry, Stay Informed - History Rage

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Britain’s Cold War story is bigger than you ever knew.

In this explosive episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill sits down with historian and author Fraser McCallum to uncover the often-overlooked story of Cold War Britain. Too often reduced to a superpower showdown between the United States and the Soviet Union, the Cold War was a global conflict — and Britain was absolutely central to it.

Fraser, author of Cold War Britain: 50 Years in the Shadow of the Bomb, reveals how the Cold War reshaped the UK — from British intelligence and its notorious spy scandals to the rise of protest movements like CND and the Greenham Common protests. He shows how Britain’s nuclear ambitions, NATO involvement, and cultural life all intertwined with a conflict that defined half a century.

You’ll discover:

From the NHS scaling back services to fund the bomb to Margaret Thatcher turning “Iron Lady” into her personal brand, this episode reveals the Cold War as a British story — one of espionage, nuclear strategy, protest, and pop culture.

If you’ve ever thought of the Cold War as a distant standoff between Washington and Moscow, Fraser McCallum will change your mind. The story of Cold War Britain is one of courage, compromise, scandal, and survival — and it still shapes our world today.

🎟️ Don’t miss the chance to engage with history live! Join us at the Imperial War Museum Podcast Live Festival on 1st November: https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/podcast-live

📚 Connect with Fraser MacCallum:

🔥 Support History Rage for ad-free episodes and exclusive content:

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Think the WWII U-Boat War was Britain’s closest brush with defeat? Think again. In this live History Rage special, historian Roger Moorhouse – author of Wolfpack: Inside Hitler’s U-Boat War – joins host Paul Bavill to torpedo one of the Second World War’s most persistent myths.

Drawing on brand-new research from the German perspective, Roger reveals why the Battle of the Atlantic was not the near-disaster Churchill’s famous quote suggests.

He walks us through:

It’s WWII history as you’ve never heard it before — directly from the other side of the periscope. If you’re fascinated by Second World War naval history, military myths, or the Battle of the Atlantic, this episode is a must-listen. Roger Moorhouse blends gripping stories with hard data to show how the real U-boat war unfolded — and why understanding it matters.

Roger’s new book Wolfpack: Inside Hitler’s U-Boat War (out 9 October) is the definitive account of Germany’s submarine campaign told from the inside.

🔗 Listen now to bust the “close-run” myth of the U-boat war.

📚 Pre-order Roger Moorhouse’s book: Wolfpack: Inside Hitler’s U-Boat War

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780008644895

💬 Join the History Rage Live community – for £5/month on Patreon you can take part in monthly livestreams, ask your own questions, win prizes and bag the coveted History Rage mug.

👉 Subscribe on your favourite podcast app and leave us a 5-star review to help more history fans find the show.

Connect with Roger Moorhouse:

- Follow Roger on Twitter: @roger_moorhouse

Stay connected with History Rage on social media:

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- Instagram: @historyrage

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Stay curious, stay passionate, and most importantly, stay angry!

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In this gripping episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by historian and author Jem Duducu, who returns to tackle the myths surrounding the Wild West. Together, they delve into the fantastical narratives spun by Hollywood and how these portrayals have distorted our understanding of American history.

Myth vs. Reality:

- Jem passionately argues that the glorified image of cowboys and gunfights has overshadowed the true complexities of life on the frontier, revealing how the reality was far less glamorous than the movies suggest.

The Role of the US Army:

- Discover the uncomfortable truths about the US Army’s role in the westward expansion and how it contributed to the displacement and suffering of Native American populations.

Rethinking Cowboys:

- Explore the actual duties of cowboys, who were primarily ranch hands, and learn how their portrayal in film has led to a misunderstanding of their lives and contributions.

Hollywood's Influence:

- Jem critiques the Western genre, highlighting how films have shaped popular perceptions of historical events while often sacrificing accuracy for entertainment value.

Unpacking Cultural Representation:

- The conversation also touches on the representation of women and people of colour in Westerns, challenging the simplistic narratives that have dominated the genre.

Join us for an enlightening discussion that not only dissects the myths of the Wild West but also encourages a deeper understanding of the historical realities that shaped it. Jem's latest book, History of Western Movies, will be available this September, and you can catch more of his insights on the Condensed Histories podcast.

Connect with Jem:

- Follow Jem on Instagram: @jemduducu and on Bluesky: @jemduducu

Buy the book:https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781538177068

Support History Rage:

If you’re enjoying this episode, consider joining the 'Angry Mob' on Patreon at patreon.com/historyrage for exclusive content, early access, and the iconic History Rage mug.

Follow the Rage:

- Twitter: @HistoryRage

- Instagram: @historyrage

- Facebook: History Rage

From all of us at History Rage, stay curious, stay passionate, and most importantly, stay angry!

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The Troubles remain one of the most defining and misunderstood chapters in modern British and Irish history. In this powerful episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by Oliver Webb-Carter, host of the Aspects of History podcast, to confront the myths, explore the roots of conflict, and reveal why Britain has too often turned a blind eye to Northern Ireland’s past.

Oliver explains how partition, systemic discrimination, and political mismanagement created a cycle of unrest that escalated into 30 years of violence. From the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s to the IRA split, from Bloody Sunday in 1972 to the shocking events of Mad March 1988—including the Gibraltar shootings, Milltown Cemetery attack, and Enniskillen bombing—this conversation cuts through euphemism to show the real human and political cost of the Troubles.

For Oliver, the rage is clear: too many in mainland Britain still ignore Irish history, even though its legacy shapes politics and society today. His passion is matched with deep historical knowledge, making this essential listening for anyone who wants to understand the path that eventually led to the Good Friday Agreement.

🎟️ Be part of the conversation live! Get your tickets now for the Imperial War Museum Podcast Live Festival on 1st November at IWM London: https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/podcast-live

📚 Find out more from Oliver Webb-Carter:

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Think Quakers are all pacifism, porridge and quiet meetings? 🕊️🥣 Think again.

In this electrifying History Rage LIVE episode recorded at the Gloucester History Festival, host Paul Bavill welcomes historian Dr. Erica Canela to uncover the shocking, dramatic and often law-breaking beginnings of Quakerism.

From the 17th-century English Civil Wars to miracle attempts on the banks of the Severn, Erica reveals how early Friends were anything but mild-mannered. Discover:

If you’ve only known the Quakers as a peaceful, progressive religious society, this episode will change everything. You’ll gain a fresh, deeper understanding of how a disruptive 17th-century sect transformed into a global movement renowned for social justice, abolitionism and pacifism — what Dr. Canela calls the Quakers’ “incredible glow-up.”

Connect with Dr. Erica Cannella:

- Follow Erica on Social Media: @ericanela

Buy the Book: The Dark Side of the Early Quakers:

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781036112141

Support History Rage on Patreon for exclusive content, early access to episodes, and more at patreon.com/historyrage.

Stay connected with History Rage on social media:

- Twitter: @HistoryRage

- Instagram: @historyrage

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Stay curious, stay passionate, and most importantly, stay angry!

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In this gripping episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by historian and podcaster Dirk Hoffman-Becking to challenge one of the most pervasive myths about the Holy Roman Empire. Together, they dissect the infamous quip that it is "neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire," revealing the rich and complex history that contradicts this oversimplification.

Unraveling the Myth:

- Dirk passionately argues against the misconception that the Holy Roman Empire was irrelevant, highlighting its significance as a political institution that lasted for over a millennium and shaped the course of European history.

The Role of the Emperor:

- Explore the pivotal role of emperors like Charlemagne and Otto I in the development of medieval Christianity and the reform of the Church, showcasing how they were integral to the spiritual and political landscape of Europe.

A Holy Institution:

- Discover how the concept of 'holiness' was intertwined with the empire's legitimacy, as emperors took on the mantle of spiritual leadership during a time of significant church reform.

Roman Legacies:

- Delve into the Roman influences that permeated the empire, from legal frameworks to architectural styles, and understand how these connections shaped the identity of the Holy Roman Empire.

Challenges of Power:

- Dirk discusses the intricate balance of power between the emperor and the pope, revealing the tensions that arose and the consequences of their conflicts for the empire's stability.

Join us as we navigate the intricacies of the Holy Roman Empire, dispelling myths and illuminating the historical truths that deserve recognition. For more insights from Dirk, don't miss his podcast, The History of the Germans, available on all major platforms and at www.historyofthegermans.com

Follow Dirk on social media: Instagram at @history_of_the_germans and on Bluesky at @hotgpod.

Support History Rage:

If you’re enjoying this episode, consider joining the 'Angry Mob' on Patreon at patreon.com/historyrage for exclusive content, early access, and the iconic History Rage mug.

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- Twitter: @HistoryRage

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From all of us at History Rage, stay curious, stay passionate, and most importantly, stay angry!

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In this eye-opening episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by Professor Hanna Diamond, a leading expert in French history and author of "Josephine Baker's Secret War." Together, they uncover the remarkable and often overlooked wartime contributions of the iconic entertainer and spy, Josephine Baker, who defied expectations and played a crucial role in the Second World War.

Episode Highlights:

Join us for a compelling journey through history that not only celebrates Josephine Baker's extraordinary life but also challenges us to reconsider the narratives we hold about historical figures. For those eager to learn more, Hanna's book "Josephine Baker's Secret War" is a must-read.

Connect with Professor Hanna Diamond:

- Follow Hanna on Twitter: @hannaediamond

- Follow Hanna on Instagram: @hdiamond2010

- Find her on Bluesky: hdiamond.bsky.social

Buy the Book: Josephine Baker’s Secret War: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780300279986

Support History Rage on Patreon for early episode access, exclusive content, and the chance to engage with future guests at patreon.com/historyrage.

Stay connected with History Rage on social media:

- Twitter: @HistoryRage

- Instagram: @historyrage

- Facebook: HistoryRage

Stay curious, stay passionate, and most importantly, stay angry!

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In this riveting episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill welcomes ancient historian and author Alexandra Sills to explore the captivating world of gladiators in ancient Rome and Greece. Together, they cut through the myths and misconceptions surrounding these iconic figures, offering a fresh perspective on their roles in society and the true nature of the games.

Setting the Record Straight:

- Alexandra passionately debunks the Hollywood portrayal of gladiators as mere mindless killers, arguing instead that the reality was far more complex and nuanced.

Gladiators: More Than Just Fighters:

- Discover how gladiators were not just slaves, but often free citizens and even members of the elite, challenging the stereotype that has long persisted in popular culture.

The Spectacle of the Games:

- Learn about the diverse forms of entertainment in ancient Rome, from chariot races to naval battles, and how gladiatorial combat was just one part of a larger spectacle designed to engage and enthral the audience.

Trauma and Entertainment:

- Explore the idea that gladiatorial games were a form of mass trauma response, a way for Romans to cope with the psychological impact of military defeats and societal upheaval.

Women in the Arena:

- Alexandra reveals the scant evidence of female gladiators, discussing their portrayal and the cultural implications of their presence in the arena.

Join us for a thought-provoking discussion that challenges preconceived notions and sheds light on the true nature of gladiatorial combat and its significance in ancient society. Follow Alexandra on Bluesky at @belovedofoises for more insights into her research.

Support History Rage on Patreon at patreon.com/historyrage for exclusive content, early episode access, and the chance to engage with future guests.

Stay connected with History Rage on social media:

Twitter: @HistoryRage

Instagram: @historyrage

Facebook: HistoryRage

Bluesky: historyrage.bsky.social

Stay curious, stay passionate, and most importantly, stay angry!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.