Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was a scientist, inventor, writer and diplomat. As one of the leading figures of early American history, Franklin helped to draft the Declaration of Independence in 1776, worked to negotiate the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War in 1783, and was a dele...

Several large kingdoms were formed in the Viking-Age period, the best known settlements being in Ireland and York. Dublin became a thriving hub for western Viking expansion and trade. New discoveries of silver and other items show that traded commodities traveled vast distances, but how interconn...

The Demerara Rebellion of 1823 was an uprising of over ten thousand enslaved people in the Crown colony of Demerara-Essequibo (now part of Guyana) on the coast of South America. Having grown tired of their servitude, the enslaved sought to resist in the most direct way they could. The rebellion t...

The legacies of the Ides of March stretch from that very afternoon on March 14th 44BC to the modern day.

From Roman times to the Medieval period, from Dante to Shakespeare, and from Brutus to the other infamous assassin he inspired in John Wilkes Booth, the echoes of Julius Caesar's assassinati...

Towering above the Wiltshire countryside, Stonehenge is perhaps the world's most awe-inspiring ancient stone circle. Shrouded in layers of speculation and folklore, this iconic British monument has spurred myths and legends that persist today. Dan is joined by Neil Wilkin, curator of a special ex...

On 28 March 1942, in the darkest months of World War Two, Churchill approved what seemed to many like a suicide mission. Under orders to attack the St Nazaire U-boat base on the Atlantic seaboard, British commandos undertook “the greatest raid of all”, turning an old destroyer into a live bomb an...

With more and more city-dwellers deciding to up sticks and move to the countryside, author Sally Coulthard joins Jimmy on the farm to discuss what to expect when making the big move.

Sally, who writes a column for Country Living, moved from London to a rural farm in Yorkshire fifteen years ago, ...

Dinosaurs! Spectacular resilient beings who were able to adapt and survive the most terrifying of events. Evolving from a group of mostly humble-sized creatures, into the most enormous beasts that ever existed on land. But how did the first true dinosaurs emerge? In this episode, Tristan is joine...

Shocked by the fall of France in 1940, panicked U.S. leaders rushed to back the Vichy government despite their Nazi sympathies. This policy caused instability at home whilst also driving a wedge between the allied nations.

In this episode, Dan is joined by war historian Michael S. Neiberg to dis...

The dynamics in everyday life in the Medieval period may seem drastically different compared to how we live today. From traditions, gender, power, and religion, advancements in the present seem rapid. But do we have more in common with those of the past than we realise? In this episode of Gone Me...

What happened after the Ides of March? How did the Romans go from co-ordinated assassinations to the Pax Romana? From Tyranny to prosperity?

In this third episode of our Ides of March series, Tristan is joined by Dr Hannah Cornwell to discuss the turbulent relations that erupted between Marc Ant...

To mark the end of a truly epic journey, Dan wanted to hear from you -the listeners- those that have dedicatedly followed the story of Endurance22. Find out the answers to your questions as Dan responds candidly to the things that you all wanted to know.

In the concluding episode of the Enduranc...

As today’s guest puts it, there have been condoms as long as there have been penises. But, how did condoms as we know them — thin, latex and single use — come about?

This episode, Dr Jessica Borge, author of Protective Practices: A History of the London Rubber Company and the Condom Business, ex...

The Confederacy was more than an army. It was a national project. A whole state, albeit an internationally unrecognised one, formed between 1861-1865 complete with its own capital city, constitution and even a postmaster general.

In this episode, Dan is joined by Stephanie McCurry to dig into wh...

From the summer of 1940, approximately 30,000 so-called ‘enemy aliens’ were indefinitely sent to internment camps across Britain.

Gripped by spy fever and the panic over the fall of France, the British government adopted an aggressive internment policy targeting a broad cross-section of Austrian...

It's hard to imagine the familiar places around you disappearing forever. But all across Britain, there are once inhabited towns and buildings that disappeared under the sea, were decimated by plagues, or simply abandoned - leaving no trace of their existence. With discussions of the horrors of ...

Bez from the Happy Mondays: dancer, rockstar and...beekeeper?!

Bez, who has kept bees for more than seven years, shares some hilarious anecdotes about his beekeeping journey, and the lessons he's learnt along the way.

Jimmy also speaks with chair of the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA), An...

Man, myth or legend... who was the real Saint Patrick? Did he really banish all the snakes from Ireland? Where did the shamrock tradition come from? And was he even Irish?

In this episode, Tristan is joined by Professor Lisa Bitel of USC Dornsife to find out more about the true identity of the m...

The use of the word ‘Oligarch’ has been increasingly rampant across international news outlets since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine just weeks ago. But what does it actually mean?

Jeffrey A. Winters, an American political scientist at Northwestern University who specialises in the study of oligarc...

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla has brought the Viking Age to life in stunning detail, and now the game is even being used as an educational tool!

Maxime Durand is World-Design Director at Ubisoft and the mind behind the hit franchise's Discovery Tour, which is a fun way to learn about history in the...

The KGB was the main security agency for the Soviet Union. Tasked with surveillance and rooting out dissidents, religious practitioners and anti-government organisations, the KGB were feared for their intimidation tactics and brutality. They operated across the soviet countries with a particularl...

How would you rule an early medieval dynasty, knowing that every decision you make has consequences on entire societies for generations to come? Would you send your spymaster to dig around for secrets? Or champion honesty to keep your stress levels down? At least, with Crusader King III - an imme...

Missing manuscripts mean melancholy medievalists, mourning materials that might make mysteries manifest.

A gap in knowledge - both of stories and artefacts - provides a frustrating block when looking into the past. But, a new report, based on the use of statistics, is hoping to shine a light on ...

Marcus Junius Brutus is best known as one of the conspirators against Julius Caesar, but there's so much more to his complex story. In today's episode, we continue our mini-series, all about the events of March 15th 44BC. Tristan is joined by Dr. Steele Brand to talk through the rise and downfall...