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The India Hicks Podcast

India Hicks

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A wonderfully intimate look into the life and work of India Hicks and her extraordinary family. In Season One we're talking Movie Stars, Matadors and Maharajas as we have tea and cake with Lady Pamela, daughter of Lord and Lady Mountbatten and of course India's much moved mum. Now in her 90s Lady Pamela's stories will astound you; she's first cousins with Prince Philip, travelled the world on the famous Commonwealth tour when Princess Elizabeth became Queen, befriended everyone from Grace Ke ...
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Don't mess with Bootnecks! 360 Years of Britain's elite Royal Marines 25:18

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Who and What exactly are the Royal Marines? And what is there history? They’re not the Army. They’re not sailors. And yet somehow they’ve ended up in every war, every landing, every corner of the planet — from storming French ports in the 1700s, to yomping across the Falklands with eighty-pound packs, to creeping up beaches today with drones, fast …
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The Many Faces of Richard Burton: Britain’s Wildest Explorer (and Soldier!) 32:19

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Soldier, scholar, explorer, spy, shagger! A man who spoke twenty-nine languages—plus a dozen more dialects.A man who carried the scars of a spear wound through both cheeks and still managed to insult people afterwards. He was a man who was fascinated by the dark and mysterious corners of the world and of the human psyche. Today we are going to Lear…
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Victorian Crusaders: Britons Who Fought for the Pope’s Army 1:07:55

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Today, we’re really diving into an obscure niche. . . Rome in the 1860s — a decade of revolution, nationalism, and, oddly enough, British and Irish Catholics signing up to fight for the Pope. Our guest is historian Nicholas Schofield, author of Victorian Crusaders: British and Irish Volunteers in the Papal Army, 1860–70. It’s a story of faith, poli…
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Guerrillas, Redcoats, and Empire: Understanding Asymmetric Warfare 46:57

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How do you beat an enemy who refuses to fight by the rules? From ambushes in the forests of North America to the frontier wars in Africa, the British Army faced enemies who fought small, fast, and ruthless. We now call it asymmetric warfare — the clash between the strong and the weak, the lion and the fly. In this episode of Redcoat History, I sit …
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The British Empire’s Regulars 1880-1914 50:45

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This week I’m joined by historian Wendell Schollander to discuss his new book The British Empire’s Regulars 1880–1914. We dive into the lives of the men who fought and marched across the globe in Britain’s name – English, Sikhs, Scots, Gurkhas, Ibos, Zulus and many more – showing how these diverse soldiers were anything but anonymous pawns. Wendell…
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Brevet Ranks, Forgotten Regiments & Bureaucratic Chaos (Britain's Napoleonic Army) 1:03:24

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Did you know a British cavalry captain once held the army rank of lieutenant general… and still just led a squadron? In this episode, we dive deep into the gloriously confusing world of the Napoleonic-era British Army with historian Steve Brown. From "Brevet" ranks, to gentleman volunteers who wielded muskets while hoping someone died so they could…
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Onwards to Omdurman - Empire Strikes Back: The battle for Sudan (1898) 1:42:45

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Today we’re heading to the Sudan—dusty, dangerous, and politically explosive. We’re talking about Onwards to Omdurman, a gripping book by military historian Keith Surridge, which examines the often-overlooked campaigns leading up to Kitchener’s famous victory in 1898. But I’m not in the interviewer’s chair for this one. Instead, friend of the show …
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Courage in Chaos - the Relief of Lucknow (w/ Eva Chatterji) 56:32

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In this episode of the Redcoat History podcast, I’m joined by historian and author Eva Chatterji to uncover the brutal truth behind the Relief of Lucknow during the Indian Mutiny of 1857. We go beyond the siege itself to tell the story of the fighting retreat, political backstabbing, and desperate urban combat that nearly doomed the entire British …
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Outnumbered and Outflanked: Wellington's Toughest Battle (Fuentes de Oñoro) 23:40

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Outnumbered, outflanked, and nearly broken — Wellington’s army during the Peninsular War came dangerously close to collapse at Fuentes de Onoro. In this on-the-ground film, we walk the battlefield to uncover how terrain, timing, and sheer stubbornness turned the tide. If you are interested in the Zulu War, then please sign up for my mailing list to…
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The Rise and Fall of Sir Garnet Wolseley (w/ Stephen Manning) 1:10:45

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Once the most famous soldier in Britain, Sir Garnet Wolseley rose through sheer grit and genius — only to fall hard thanks to arrogance, politics, and a changing empire. Historian Stephen Manning joins me to explore the man behind the moustache in all his brilliant, baffling glory. Stephen's book is available here - https://amzn.to/3ZsBFHT Sign up …
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