The British Army is one of the world’s most experienced fighting forces. From Blenheim to Waterloo, from Balaclava to the Somme, it has played its part in the history’s most bloody conflicts. But as these troops executed Herculean tasks in the worlds harshest terrains, what were they wearing? How did epaulettes, sashes, pantaloons and wellington boots end up clothing British troops on the battlefield? From primitive to protective, from efficient to downright extravagant, over the years, military clothing has both enabled and inhibited objectives, and the uniform we see today is the result of 400 years of spectacular trial and error. Alice Loxton is joined by Sophie Anderton, as they answer these questions through the secrets of the National Army Museum collection.
I invited Kate Lister to join me after the enormous popularity of her last appearance on the pod. But this time we talked about how our sexual habits are both dulled and invigorated in unprecedented times - wars, plagues, pandemics. We discussed licentious widows who let loose during plagues, the...
Andrew Simms is an author, analyst and co-director of the New Weather Institute. He comes on the show to explain how history is full of examples where humans have proven their capacity to make radical transformation. He explains why we must be capable of similarly-extraordinary things today to co...
Richard Sugg, author of a new book on real vampires, talks Dan through the weird world of supernatural bloodsuckers. Myths of Vampires have their roots in the condition of sleep paralysis and popular Enlightenment literature while being distinct to certain countries and cultures.
