Best Scot Davenport Podcasts (2025)

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603. Greek Myths: The Riddle of the Sphinx (Part 2) 1:05:34

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22h ago1:05:34

1:05:34

What is the story behind the writing of Oedipus, the notorious king of Thebes who murdered his father and unwittingly married his mother? Was it based on a real historical event? What are Oedipus’ cursed mythic origins in Thebes? Who was Sophocles, the legendary Greek playwright? Why was the play a product of 5th century Athens; its rivalries with …

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602. Greek Myths: Zeus, King of the Gods (Part 1) 1:01:17

2d ago1:01:17

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What are the mythic origins of Zeus, King of the Olympians, and the other Greek gods? From what period did the earliest of the Greek myths derive? Who was Hesiod - alongside Homer, the greatest of the Greek poets, and the father of European literature - who first recorded Zeus’ story? When was the golden age of Greek myth? Who were the Titans, and …

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601. Scandal in the White House 1:11:21

6d ago1:11:21

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Who was Grover Cleveland, and why is he one of the most controversial American Presidents of all time? Why was the run up to his first term, in 1884 at the height of the Gilded Age, so pivotal to American politics? How did he rocket to the heights of political power? What dark secrets began swirling about his disreputable past, and character? Did h…

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600. CHATHAM HIGH STREET 1:01:56

9d ago1:01:56

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Why is Chatham High-street both futuristic and riddled with the past? Why was it a magnet for historical figures such as King John, Charles II, Nelson and Charles Dickens, and the location for some of the most totemic moments in British history? Is it really a melting pot of every epoch - from the Roman invasion of Britain, to the Napoleonic Wars, …

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599. The First World War: Downfall of the Habsburgs (Part 6) 1:01:56

16d ago1:01:56

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After endeavouring to wreak their revenge on Serbia, what would be the greatest hammer blow to the Austro-Hungarian Empire during the First World War? With Leviv having fallen apocalyptically to the Russian hordes, what had gone so wrong? How might the war have been brought to an end before Christmas of 1914? And, with the darkness gathering around…

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598. The First World War: The Eastern Front Explodes (Part 5) 1:10:41

18d ago1:10:41

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While the Western front was raging following the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, what was unfolding on the Eastern Front? Why was it an even bloodier and more brutal arena than the West? As Austria took on its great antagonist - the spark of the entire war - Serbia, why were its early campaigns constantly blighted by disaster? What terribl…

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597. The First World War: The Massacre of the Innocents (Part 4) 55:15

20d ago55:15

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What happened at the crucial, bloody, Battle of Ypres in October 1914? How did the battle come about? Why did the Germans and the British fight each other so brutally and for so long to take Ypres? What made the fighting so particularly violent? How were the British able to repel the relentless German onslaught time after time? What was the famous …

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596. The First World War: The Miracle on the Marne (Part 3) 1:07:35

24d ago1:07:35

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What extraordinary events saw the French - already on the brink of defeat - take on the formerly formidable German army in a remarkable counter-offensive on the 4th of September, in France, in a clash that would later become known as the Miracle on the Marne? Why was this such a decisive moment in the events of the First World War How did it relate…

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595. The First World War: The Battle of the Frontiers (Part 2) 1:00:37

28d ago1:00:37

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What was Britain's first military move following the outbreak of the First World War? Where did the French launch their initial attack on the Germans? Whose army was the biggest and best of all the participants in the war? And, what unfolded at the pivotal Battle of the Ardennes in August 1914, on the frontiers of France, between the Germans and th…

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594. The First World War: The Invasion of Belgium (Part 1) 1:00:11

1M ago1:00:11

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Following the declaration of war in 1914, how did the outbreak of the First World War unfold? What were the earliest military engagements of this terrible, totemic event? Who were its key political players and how did they respond? What was the attitude to the war in Germany? Were the allies unified from this early stage, or were they suspicious an…

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593. The Fight of the Century 57:19

1M ago57:19

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Why did two men - John Heenan and and Tom Sayers - illegally meet in a field in Hampshire, in 1860, to brutally fight one another, captivating Britain in the process? What can the fight tell us about the nature of Britishness in the 19th century? Was this the birth of boxing? Who won the infamous boxing match? And, how did the fight change the cour…

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592. Mad Victorian Sport 56:35

1M ago56:35

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How and when was football invented, and what are the origins of football clubs? What is the connection between public hangings, highwaymen, and early sporting events? Which is the most historically important sporting ground in the world? When was the first cricket test match played? What are the origins of rugby? Who was Richard Manks - the Lionel …

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591. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: Manhunt for the Killer (Part 2) 1:07:56

1M ago1:07:56

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How was President Abraham Lincoln murdered on Good Friday 1865, at Ford’s Theatre, just five days after Robert E. Lee’s surrender? Who was John Wilkes Booth, the racist actor with southern sympathies, who assassinated him? How did he escape before the shocked eyes of the packed theatre, and evade his captors to go on the run? Would they get him in …

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590. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: Death at the Theatre (Part 1) 1:02:24

2M ago1:02:24

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After passing the 13th amendment, in the closing weeks of the brutal American Civil War, what did president Abraham Lincoln - recently re-elected - do next to inflame his detractors? Crippled with guilt for the death and destruction of the war, was he indeed a unionist tyrant? What did Lincoln decide to do with the defeated rebel states? And, with …

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589. Mary, Queen of Scots: Downfall (Part 6) 1:06:13

2M ago1:06:13

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Following the murder of her husband, Lord Darnley, how did Mary Queen of Scots - thought to have conspired for his death - navigate the most precarious situation of her young life so far? Would she marry again, and if so whom? Why was she forced to flee her enemies dressed as a man, and would she escape the threat of imprisonment? Could she look to…

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588. Mary, Queen of Scots: The Mystery of the Exploding Mansion (Part 5) 1:00:08

2M ago1:00:08

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How and why was Mary Queen of Scots’ traitorous husband, Lord Darnley, murdered, and by whom…? Was Mary complicit? Why was his death one of the greatest mysteries in all British history? And, with Mary’s situation growing increasingly precarious, and allies few and far between, to whom would Mary turn next? Join Tom and Dominic as they unravel, tan…

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587. Mary, Queen of Scots: Murder Most Foul (Part 4) 54:22

2M ago54:22

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Why did Mary Queen of Scots’ second marriage to the volatile Lord Darnley threaten to send Scotland into civil war? In what way did she essentially declare war upon her powerful cousin, Elizabeth I? Who was the hotheaded James Hepburn, the Earl of Bothwell, and why would he come to play such a devastating role in Mary’s life? Could Mary survive unb…

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586. Mary, Queen of Scots: The Battle for Scotland (Part 3) 1:04:52

2M ago1:04:52

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Following the death of her husband, the King of France, was the glamorous Mary welcomed back to Scotland, her kingdom since infancy, with open arms or deep suspicion? Did she handle the precarious situation in which she found herself well, or recklessly? Did the majority of Scottish nobles side with Mary, or plot to usurp her in the shadows? When h…

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585. Mary, Queen of Scots: The Royal Rivals (Part 2) 1:00:52

2M ago1:00:52

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What was life like in the glittering French court, for the young and newly married Mary Queen of Scots? What momentous destiny was her formidable mother, Mary of Guise, planning for her? How did Mary become, in 1559, not only the queen of Scotland, but also of France, and - according to her Catholic French supporters - the queen of England? What wo…

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584. Mary, Queen of Scots: Birth of a Legend (Part 1) 54:43

2M ago54:43

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Where was Mary Queen of Scots - Elizabeth I’s most famous rival - born, and who were her parents? What was the nature of the turbulent politically and religiously divided world she was born into? How did she become a queen at only one week old, and betrothed to a French Prince at five? Why was it so dangerous to be a Scottish monarch in the 16th ce…

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583. The Lion, the Priest and the Parlourmaids: A 1930s Sex Scandal 57:35

2M ago57:35

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Who was the Rector of Stiffkey, Harold Davidson - the "Prostitutes' Padre" - and why was he Britain’s most notorious curate? Was it his unnerving infatuation with girls that saw him put on trial and defrocked in 1932? What was the nature of the scandal surrounding the case? What did he do in later life that saw him displaying himself publicly in a …

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582. The Body in the Woods: A Medieval Murder Mystery 1:00:54

2M ago1:00:54

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Why was a boy grotesquely and mysteriously murdered in a wood in Norwich in the 12th century? Who was his killer? Was it a ritual child sacrifice? Why was the murder blamed on Norwich's Jewish community, and in what appalling way? How did the incident set in motion a whole wave of Jewish persecution across the world, as more and more children disap…

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581. The Irish Civil War: The Killing of Michael Collins (Part 2) 45:22

3M ago45:22

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After the assassination of Sir Henry Wilson and the signing of the polarising Anglo-Irish Treaty, how did the bombastic Battle of the Four Courts break out in Dublin? With British guns opening fire on the building, how long did the men of the IRA hold out? What was the outcome of the battle? With the IRA split, were more people for or against the A…

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580. The Irish Civil War: The Assassination of Sir Henry Wilson (Part 1) 47:32

3M ago47:32

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Who was Sir Henry Wilson, and how was he shockingly murdered in 1922? Who ordered it? What was his attitude to the question of Irish Home Rule? Why has death been compared to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose death triggered the First World War? How did he garner the undying enmity of British Prime Minister, Herbert Henry Asquith…

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579. The Irish War of Independence: Showdown in London (Part 4) 1:06:07

3M ago1:06:07

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What were the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed in December 1921, following negotiations between the UK and Sinn Féin? How was it received by the Irish people? What was the process by which it was agreed between Lloyd George, Winston Churchill, Michael Collins, and Arthur Griffith? Why did Éamon de Valera object to the treaty, and how did thi…

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578. The Irish War of Independence: Bloody Sunday (Part 3) 57:46

3M ago57:46

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What occurred on Bloody Sunday on 21 November 1920 - a turning point in the Irish War of Independence and one of the bloodiest and most brutal moments in Irish history? How many British Army Officers were assassinated on the instructions of firebrand political leader, Michael Collins, that morning? Then, how many civilians did the British army gun …

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577. The Irish War of Independence: The Violence Begins (Part 2) 1:03:37

3M ago1:03:37

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What was Sinn Féin’s totemic first move after winning a majority seat in 1917? Were the IRA’s methods during this early stages of the war as violent as they are commonly believed to have been? How sectarian was the IRA? What crucial strategy did the Irish adopt in order to overwhelm English efforts to re-establish control in Ireland? As a victor of…

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576. The Irish War of Independence: Rise of the IRA (Part 1) 1:09:58

3M ago1:09:58

1:09:58

What are the origins of the Irish War of Independence? What impact did the First World War have on Irish efforts for Home Rule? What was the mood in Ireland following the bloody Easter Rising of 1916? And, who was Éamon de Valera, the man who dominated the story of not only Irish politics in the 20th century, but also the entire story of Irish inde…

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575. The Medici: The Bonfire of the Vanities (Part 4) 1:09:09

3M ago1:09:09

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Following the death of Lorenzo the Magnificent, who was his Medici successor? Could he overcome the political turmoil and religious fervour in Florence, and rebuff the storm clouds of war gathering over his city with the approaching French army? How did this burgeoning catastrophe catapult the magnetic priest, Savonalrolla, to supreme power in Flor…

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574. The Medici: Curse of the Mad Monk (Part 3) 59:33

3M ago59:33

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Did Lorenzo de’Medici’s rule in Florence incur prosperity, or was it a corrupt and autocratic regime, rife with torture, that would spell the doom of the former Republic? While building an edifice of power, wealth and luxury, how was he secretly bankrupting his famous family and city? Was he really the perfect Renaissance Prince, and how did he lau…

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573. The Medici: Lorenzo the Magnificent (Part 2) 59:58

4M ago59:58

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Who was Lorenzo the Magnificent, the most glamorous, glittering, and blood-soaked of all the Medici, who became his family’s formidable but compulsive “Godfather” from the age of only twenty one? What was the Pazzi Conspiracy, in which he was almost murdered in a bloody plot to eliminate Medici supremacy in Florence, in the middle of a church mass?…

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572. The Medici: Masters of Florence (Part 1) 1:03:45

4M ago1:03:45

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What are the origins of one of history’s most glittering, and for a time, most powerful families in Europe; the Medici? How were they able to seize supreme power in the Republic of Florence , one of the most dazzling cities in the world, during the 15th century, at the height of the Renaissance? When did Florence’s explosive growth begin, and how? …

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571. Hannibal: Roman Bloodbath at Cannae (Part 4) 58:26

4M ago58:26

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How did the Battle of Cannae - one of the most important battles of all time for Ancient Rome, with a whole Empire at stake, and a reputation that had reverberated across the centuries - in 216 BC, unfold? What brilliant tactics did Hannibal adopt in order to overcome the Roman killing machine, with its vast numbers and relentless soldiers? Why did…

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570. Hannibal: The Invasion of Italy (Part 3) 56:00

4M ago56:00

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How did Hannibal achieve the remarkable feat of crossing the Alps with his army, and elephants? How many of his men survived the treacherous journey? Was it worth sacrificing so much of his army in order to fight the Romans in Italy? And, what unfolded during the first great clash between Hannibal and Rome, at dawn, by the Trebbia River, in 218 BC……

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569. Hannibal: Elephants Cross the Alps (Part 2) 58:28

4M ago58:28

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Why did Hannibal choose to cross the Alps with his elephants in 218 BC, when invading Rome? Was it a brilliant stratagem or a military disaster? What was the secret to the Roman Republic’s growing military success at this time? And, why did Carthage, under Hannibal’s formidable generalship, believe they were more than capable of taking on the might…

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568. Hannibal: Rome's Greatest Enemy (Part 1) 55:36

4M ago55:36

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Who was Hannibal, the flawed but brilliant Carthaginian general? What makes Rome vs Carthage in the third century BC one of the most totemic ancient rivalries of all time? How did Hamilcar, father of Hannibal, restore the fortunes of Carthage following their devastating defeat to the Romans in 264 BC? And, what personal tragedy spurred Hannibal on …

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567. The Great Northern War: Murder in Moscow (Part 4) 1:05:18

4M ago1:05:18

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What were the consequences of Peter the Great’s mighty victory over Sweden at the Battle of Poltova in 1707? How great was the impact of his reign upon Russia overall, and was he responsible for turning it into one of Europe’s greatest powers? What occurred during the later years of his life? And, what is the story behind his bloody, terrible and t…

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566. The Great Northern War: Slaughter on the Steppes (Part 3) 1:01:36

4M ago1:01:36

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Why was the greatest and most climactic battle of the Great Northern War, the Battle of Poltova, one of the most important in all European history? What drove Charles XII of Sweden to invade Russia in the Summer of 1707, in the lead up to that totemic clash? Exactly what happened on the day of the Battle? Would both Peter the Great and Charles surv…

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565. The Great Northern War: Revenge of the Cossacks (Part 2) 1:07:05

4M ago1:07:05

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After establishing the city of St Petersburg, what was Peter the Great’s next step in his titanic struggle against Charles XII of Sweden, for mastery of northern and eastern Europe? What drastic, brutal action did he take against Poland, to slow the Swedish advance into his territories? And, after the defection of one of his oldest and most importa…

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564. The Great Northern War: The Battle of the Baltic (Part 1) 1:07:07

5M ago1:07:07

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How did the Great Northern War, which saw Sweden pitted against Peter the Great’s Russia and her allies, and would transform Europe forever, begin? Who was Charles XII, Sweden’s King, and a worthy antagonist for the formidable Peter? What terrible miscalculation saw Russia’s Danish allies brutally knocked from the war in its early stage? What dread…

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563. Peter the Great: Bloodbath in the Kremlin (Part 2) 1:02:19

5M ago1:02:19

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What abominable mischief and hedonism did the seventeen year old Peter the Great revel in during his strange and remarkable travels through Europe, before truly stepping into the role of Tsar of all the Russias? Did it serve a secret political purpose? What was the outcome of the first war he chose to wage against the Ottoman Empire? Why did he go …

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562. Peter the Great: The Rise of Russia (Part 1) 1:03:32

5M ago1:03:32

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Why was the early life of Peter the Great - Tsar and autocrat of all the Russias, who endures to this day as an iconic symbol of Russian might - drenched in blood and violence? What amalgamation of court politics and family feuding saw him catapulted to the role of Tsar against all the odds? What did he do during the course of his colourful life an…

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561. The Golden Age of Japan: Secrets of the Imperial Court (Part 2) 1:06:47

5M ago1:06:47

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In the vibrant but vicious golden age of Imperial Japan, how did women use writing as a way to secure their status, and express their deepest desires? Who was Sei Shōnagon, the witty courtier whose account of life around the Japanese Empress during the iconic Heian period, provides a scintillating insight into this colourful world? And, behind the …

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560. The Golden Age of Japan: Lady Murasaki and the Shining Prince (Part 1) 54:14

5M ago54:14

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At the height of Imperial Japan, during a golden age of court intrigue, obsessive hierarchy, and fabulous sophistication, who was the legendary lothario and emperor’s son, Genji? What can the Tale of Genji - a great masterpiece of Japanese literature - tell us about this remarkable and alien world, and the imperial family at the heart of it? Who wa…

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559. The Rolling Stones: Satanic Majesties of Sixties Rebellion (Part 2) 1:08:55

5M ago1:08:55

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"We're not worried about petty morals." What happened to the Rolling Stones in 1967 to see them on the brink of imprisonment and mass censure, while at the height of their success, with fame, fortune, mansions, world tours, and best selling albums to their names? Was Brian Jones, the band's founder, murdered, after being found floating in his swimm…

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558. The Rolling Stones: Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll (Part 1) 1:08:08

5M ago1:08:08

1:08:08

What are the origins of Britain’s original bad boys, The Rolling Stones? Where did they all come from and how did they meet? What was it about the 1960s, with its air of sexual liberation, newly elected Labour government, and rising youth culture that allowed them to burst onto the musical scene? Who was Brian Jones, the band's troubled founder? An…

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557. 1066: The Norman Conquest (Part 4) 1:03:47

5M ago1:03:47

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What happened in the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings? What horrors did William the Conqueror have to inflict upon his Anglo Saxon subjects in order to consolidate his new realm? And, what role did castles, the Harrowing of the North, and the Doomsday Book play in the creation of a new England? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss William the Co…

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556. 1066: The Battle of Hastings (Part 3) 57:01

6M ago57:01

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Following King Harold Godwinson’s climactic victory at the Battle of Stanford Bridge, and the death of Harald Hardrada, what did he do when news reached him that William of Normandy’s army had landed further south? How did the two armies finally come together for one of the most totemic clashes of all time, on the morning of the 14th of October 106…

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555. 1066: Slaughter at Stamford Bridge (Part 2) 1:09:27

6M ago1:09:27

1:09:27

In the tumultuous climax of 1066, why was Harold’s very own brother Tostig the first of the mighty foes he had to face? How did Harald Hardrada then launch his invasion of England, and how much resistance did he initially receive? And, what unfolded at the bloody battle of Stamford Bridge, in which Harold Godwinson and Harald Hardrada, two terrible…

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554. 1066: The Shadows of War (Part 1) 1:01:09

6M ago1:01:09

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Why is 1066 the most important year in English history? Who were the three main candidates vying for the English throne on the eve of Edward the Confessor’s death? And how did the coronation of one of them on the 14th of October 1066 trigger one of the most famous invasions of all time? Join Tom and Dominic as they launch into the dramatic series o…