History Today Podcast

This year, the US looks back four centuries to an intrepid band of refugees making a perilous home in New England. The Mayflower pilgrims had been outlaws in England, members of an underground church known as the Brownists or Separatists. They believed church should be a voluntary community rather than a compulsory state religion. For their refusal to submit to the Church of England they had faced raids, prison, exile and death for the previous 60 years.This podcast explores a previous expedition to North America. The Separatists had attempted to become the pilgrim fathers in Newfoundland as early as 1597.Join Paul Lay, editor of History Today, in conversation with Stephen Tomkins, author of The Journey to the Mayflower: God’s Outlaws & the Invention of Freedom (Hodder & Stoughton, 2020).You can read Stephen's article in the February issue of the magazine on our website, or buy a copy here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In 1867, a notorious divorce case revealed the horrific methods with which one London surgeon was treating his patients.This article appeared in the February 2020 edition of History Today. Read the article online or buy a copy of this issue from our website.Written by Sarah WiseRead by Greig JohnsonProduced by History Today See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this new podcast series, we speak with historians who are leading in their field. Each episode will be on a different subject and era; and a chance to hear the stories, to ask questions and to indulge our curiosity, with the experts in the area.These conversations will be interspersed with audio articles from the magazine. We’ve specially selected pieces that are eclectic, intriguing, and of course, informative. Our first piece is on the female genital mutilation scandal that shocked Victorian London.Explore all areas of the past, guided by those who know the subjects best. And enjoy more from the leading authoritative history magazine.The first two episodes will be available from 14 February. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Historian Michael Burleigh discusses his new book The Best of Times, the Worst of Times: A History of Now. Is the United States in permanent decline? Will China replace it as the global superpower? Are we entering a post-democratic world? And how do we prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Maiken Umbach and Neil Gregor join History Today editor Paul Lay to discuss the new critical edition of Hitler's notorious book. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We discuss Tantric Buddhism with Ruth Garde, curator of a new show at the Wellcome Collection. Also: Marc Morris on King John and the siege of Rochester. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Amy Fuller discusses the myths surrounding Mexico's Day of the Dead, and Andrew Lownie talks about the obstacles facing historians trying to use the Freedom of Information Act to access government files. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Peter Frankopan joins us to discuss the importance of viewing history not from a western or eastern perspective, but one that links the two together. Plus, Mathew Lyons and Catherine Fletcher on the plight of young academics. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We speak to Katie Donington about the legacies of Britain's involvement in the slave trade. Also: Cambodia's lost rock and roll scene, and a report from the International Medieval Congress. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This month we discuss Proto-Indo-European, the ancestor of almost every language now spoken from the Hebrides to the Himalayas. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This episode is a Magna Carta special. We talk to Alexander Lock about the Charter's importance in America, and Lauren Johnson about the role of women in Magna Carta. Plus, a look at the British Museum's new display the medals of the Sun King. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kate Wiles talks to Lawrence Warner about the origins of the Middle English narrative poem Piers Plowman. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Fern Riddell talks to the historian Greg Jenner about his new book, 'A Million Years In A Day'. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Paul Lay and Richard Dale discuss the mysterious death of a liveryman at St Paul's Cathedral in 1514. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gerard Russell and Tom Holland discuss the plight of religious minorities in Iraq and Syria. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Carr discusses Sherman's March to the Sea, a key turning point in the American Civil War. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Charles Freeman discusses his research into one of history's greatest mysteries. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Roger Moorhouse discusses the pact between Hitler and Stalin, which lasted from 1939 to 1941. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The American filmmaker Ken Burns talks about his latest documentary, The Roosevelts: An Intimate History. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Onyeka joins us to introduce a number of aspiring Africans who made an impact on Georgian society during the 18th century. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.