Afleveringen
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Think you know Boudicca? Discover the forgotten women who fought beside her.
The story of Boudicca is etched into history, but what if the most powerful warrior queen was actually one of three? In this episode of History Rage, regular host Paul Bavill sits down with journalist and bestselling novelist Elodie Harper to shatter modern prejudices and Victorian myths surrounding Iron Age warrior women. If you’ve ever been told that powerful women didn’t exist in ancient Britain, prepare to have that misconception thoroughly dismantled.
Inside the Episode
Elodie dives deep into the archaeological and written evidence—from warrior style burials to the contemporary Roman records of Tacitus—proving that female authority, status, and military power were very real features of the ancient Celtic world.
Discover the hidden history behind Elodie’s latest book, Boudicca’s Daughter. While the Romans recorded the brutal atrocities committed against Boudicca’s two unnamed daughters to humiliate their bloodline, history has long left them in their mother's shadow as mere ciphers. Elodie explains why she chose to give these women their names and voices back, exploring the psychological aftermath of their trauma and their roles as political figureheads in Rome's greatest provincial crisis.
From the pitfalls of Victorian romanticization to how Elizabeth I invented our image of Boudicca's red hair, this episode is a passionate rally against the failure of imagination in modern historical storytelling.
See Elodie Live at Chalke History Festival
Elodie Harper will be speaking live at the Chalke History Festival on Saturday, 27th June at 1:15 PM. Don't miss your chance to hear more about this incredible history immersive experience!
Get your tickets here: https://www.chalkefestival.com/Support the Author & The Show
Buy the Book: Grab your copy of Boudicca's Daughter directly from the History Rage Bookshop and support independent retailers: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781804544655Follow Elodie Harper: Connect with Elodie on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/elodielharperLove Misunderstood Women in Power? Listen Next:
Episode 306: Kate Williams rages that Catherine the Great didn't die having sex with a horse.Episode 298: Linda Porter rages that Mary Queen of Scots is not a bloody stupid woman.Support History Rage
If you want to help us keep burying historical myths under King's Cross Station, consider becoming a History Rager on Patreon! For just £5 a month, you'll get entry into our monthly book draw, the invite to submit guest questions, access to monthly live streams, and the coveted History Rage mug.
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyrageFollow History Rage on Twitter/X: https://x.com/historyrageStay angry!
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The forgotten woman behind today’s global conspiracy thinking
Conspiracy theories didn’t begin with the moon landing. They didn’t start with QAnon. And they certainly didn’t begin on Reddit.
In this explosive episode of History Rage, Professor James Crossland returns to uncover the origins of modern conspiracy culture — and the overlooked figure who helped shape it. Long before talk of the “deep state,” the “New World Order,” or shadowy global elites, one British writer in the 1920s fused together Jews, Freemasons, Bolsheviks and secret societies into a single sweeping theory of world domination.
Her name was Nesta Helen Webster — and according to Crossland, she is “patient zero for the plague of conspiracy-fed stupidity.”
Drawing on his research into extremism, fascism and political violence, James explains how Webster inherited earlier myths about the Illuminati and the French Revolution and repackaged them for the post–First World War world. In an age of fear, upheaval and political instability, she offered something dangerously seductive: a simple explanation for complex events.
We explore:
The real history of the Illuminati in 1770s BavariaWhy the French Revolution became a conspiratorial blueprintHow the Bolshevik Revolution intensified global paranoiaThe role of the Protocols of the Elders of ZionThe rise of the British FascistiThe roots of the American far right and the John Birch SocietyHow conspiracy thinking evolves, mutates and survivesFrom Adam Weishaupt to QAnon, from interwar Britain to modern America, this episode traces the long thread of conspiratorial belief and asks a crucial question: why do these ideas endure?
If you want to understand the historical roots of today’s global conspiracy movements — and why they feel so persuasive — this is essential listening.
About the Guest
Professor James Crossland is Director of the Centre for Modern and Contemporary History at Liverpool John Moores University. His research focuses on extremism, political violence, war crimes and the darker sides of modern history.
He is also host of the podcast History’s Devils, where each episode dives deep into some of history’s most troubling and complex figures — terrorists, war criminals, spies and ideological extremists.
Follow James:
X (Twitter): @DrJCrosslandBluesky: @james.crossland.bsky.socialPodcast: History’s Devils (available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and all major platforms)Follow History’s Devils on Instagram @historysdevilsWhy This Episode Matters
Conspiracy theories thrive in times of fear. After the First World War, confusion and anger created fertile ground for simple answers. Webster provided a framework so adaptable that it still underpins movements today.
As James argues, conspiracy culture persists because it offers clarity where history offers complexity. It replaces polycausal explanation with villain-driven narrative. It provides belonging, identity and meaning.
Understanding its history is not optional — it’s essential.
Support History Rage
If you enjoy fearless historical debate and myth-busting:
Join the Rage on Patreon: www.patreon.com/historyrage £5 per month includes:Entry into the monthly book drawAccess to the monthly livestreamThe coveted History Rage mugListen ad-free via Apple Subscriptions (£3 per month)Follow and contact History Rage:X (Twitter): @HistoryRageInstagram: @HistoryRageEmail: [email protected]And if you love the show, tell someone. Bring another historian aboard the Rage Train.
History is complex. Conspiracies are simple.
And that simplicity is the danger.
Stay angry.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Discover the truth behind history's most persistent and monstrous sexual slur.
Think you know how Russia’s greatest empress met her end? If you are still repeating the infamous stallion myth, you have fallen hook, line, and sinker for 18th-century wartime propaganda.
In this special episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill sits down with the brilliant Professor Kate Williams to completely dismantle the pervasive, malicious lies built to tear down powerful women in history. From Cleopatra being branded a mere "seductress" to Marie Antoinette's alleged scandals, powerful women have always faced intensely gendered character assassinations.
But Catherine the Great took the brunt of it.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
The Cold Hard Truth: Exactly how Catherine the Great actually died (peacefully in her bed at age 67 from a stroke!).The Origin of the Lie: How her British, French, and Polish enemies weaponized satirical gossip to reduce a massive global superpower to a monstrous joke.The Real Legacy: Why Catherine was actually a groundbreaking vaccine pioneer, a champion of state education, and a builder of public health infrastructure.Despot vs. Democrat: The fascinating dichotomy of an absolute ruler who implemented policies we now associate with modern democracies.Stop letting 300-year-old "banter" dictate historical fact. It is time to respect one of Russia's most successful monarchs for her sharp political mind rather than a fabricated bedroom scandal.
Hear More From Kate Williams
· Grab the Book: Unpack the full history of how the images imposed on queens become all-consuming. Buy Kate's latest book, Regina: A New History of Women and Power, directly from the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781474621359
· See Her Live: Kate will be speaking at the Chalke History Festival on Thursday, 25th June at 2:00 PM. Secure your spot and buy tickets now at the Chalke Festival Official Website: https://www.chalkefestival.com/
Connect: Follow Professor Kate Williams on social media for more historical insights on social media at @KateWilliamsmeRecommended Episodes to Catch Next
If this deep dive into historical misrepresentation got your blood boiling, check out these related episodes:
Episode 232: Elizabeth Norton rages about the Queens Regnant.Episode 199: Una McIlvenna rages the truth about Catherine de Medici.Support History Rage & Join the Revolution!
Loved this episode? Help us keep the rage alive and access exclusive perks:
Patreon: Support the podcast for just £5 a month to get entry into our monthly book draw, invite privileges for future guest Q&As, access to monthly live streams, and the highly coveted History Rage Mug! Join the inner circle at https://www.patreon.com/historyrageFollow Us: Stay updated on all future rages by following the show on your favorite podcast platform.Stay angry!
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What if everything you think you know about Ancient Greece is wrong?
In this episode of History Rage, bestselling historian Adrian Goldsworthy dismantles the comforting myth of a civilised, philosophical utopia. Forget marble statues and thoughtful men in cloaks — this is a world of bitter rivalries, brutal warfare, political volatility, and communities obsessed with proving they were the best.
Drawing on his latest book, Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry That Shaped the Ancient World, Adrian reveals a Greek world far more dangerous, competitive and unstable than most documentaries dare to show.
Ancient Greece: 800 Rival States, Not One Noble Nation
There was no “Greece” in the modern sense. Instead, there were 800–1,000 fiercely independent city-states, constantly competing for prestige, power and survival.
In this episode, we explore:
Why the Persian invasions weren’t an attack on a united GreeceWhy more Greeks fought for Persia than against itHow competition — not culture — defined Greek identityWhy colonisation, warfare and rivalry were normalThe performance culture of honour and reputationThis isn’t Plato’s academy come to life. It’s a volatile world where cities needed enemies — but not so destroyed that there was no one left to applaud their victories.
Athens vs Sparta: Democracy, Discipline and Myth
We also unpack the two giants of the Greek world:
Athens – Radical Democracy or Mob Rule?
Athens pioneered a form of direct democracy that feels startlingly modern — and terrifyingly unstable.
Every male citizen could voteThousands could serve on juriesOffices were filled by lotteryCitizens were paid for political serviceLeaders could be exiled through ostracismAdrian explains how Athenian democracy worked in practice — including how the Assembly once voted to execute an entire rebellious city… and reversed the decision the next day.
This was participation politics at its most extreme.
Sparta – Military Machine or Misunderstood Society?
Sparta’s reputation as a society of full-time soldiers doesn’t tell the whole story.
Because the Spartans wrote almost nothing themselves, much of what we “know” comes from outsiders — often centuries later.
Adrian challenges the clichés:
Were Spartans truly permanent warriors?How rigid was their society in reality?What was life like for the Helots?Why did Sparta’s citizen population collapse?How democratic was Sparta — really?The result is a more complex, less cartoonish Sparta than Hollywood’s 300 ever allowed.
About Adrian Goldsworthy
Adrian Goldsworthy is a leading historian of the ancient world and bestselling author. Though best known for his work on Rome, he has written extensively on Greece and the classical world.
Book
Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry That Shaped the Ancient WorldBuy: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781800245426🔗 Website: https://www.adriangoldsworthy.com
Follow & Support History Rage
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Support the Podcast
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History isn’t polite. It isn’t tidy. And it certainly wasn’t pacifist.
This is History Rage — where myth gets fed to Charybdis.
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Think the Black Death was just a medieval European tragedy? Think again.
When you picture the Black Death, you probably imagine a third of Europe being wiped out while flagellants marched through British and French villages. But pandemics don’t stop at borders. What if our standard history lessons have completely ignored more than half of the story?
In this special episode for the Chalke History Festival, host Paul Bavill sits down with Tom Asbridge, Reader in Medieval History at Queen Mary University of London and author of The Black Death, a Global History. Together, they shatter the Euro-centric myths to reveal a truly global disaster that stretched from Central Asia all the way across the medieval world.
Discover how the plague reshaped the wealthy and sophisticated Mamluk Empire. Massive Middle Eastern cities like Cairo—which completely dwarfed London with a population of half a million people—faced unimaginable mass mortality. Tom explains the fascinating doctrinal differences that dictated survival; while Christian Europe viewed the disease as divine punishment that justified flight and abandonment, Islamic doctrine saw it as a merciful martyrdom. This completely altered how communities reacted, locked down, and ultimately collapsed under the weight of the pandemic.
From the horrific eyewitness accounts of parents burying their own children to the long-term socioeconomic shifts that triggered peasant revolts and altered workers' rights, this episode zooms out to a global scale and zooms in on the raw human experience. If you want to understand the true scale of history's most terrifying disease, hit play now!
About Our Guest
Tom Asbridge is a professional historian, author, and Reader in Medieval History at Queen Mary University of London.See Tom Live: Catch Tom speaking at the Chalke History Festival on Friday 26th June at 4:00 PM. Grab your tickets at: https://www.chalkefestival.com/Buy the Book: Get your copy of The Black Death, a Global History directly from the History Rage Bookshop to support the show: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780241399408Recommended Episodes To Check Out Next
Episode 193: Luke Pepera rages that there is an African history long before any Europeans turned up.Episode 143: Eleanor Janega brings the rage to prove that medieval women absolutely worked.Support and Follow History Rage
If you love truth being freed and myth getting a long, slow, brutal death, help us keep the anger alive!
Support us on Patreon: Join the inner circle for £5 a month to get entry into our monthly book draws, pitch questions to future guests, access live streams, and grab the coveted History Rage mug: https://www.patreon.com/historyrageFollow us on Twitter/X: https://x.com/HistoryRageVisit our Website: Get the latest updates and episodes directly at https://www.historyrage.comHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Berlin wasn’t blockaded — and that changes everything you think.
Was Berlin really “blockaded” in 1948? Or have we been repeating a Cold War myth for nearly eighty years?
In this explosive episode of History Rage, cultural historian and author Joseph Pearson dismantles one of the most entrenched narratives of the early Cold War. We all know the story: Stalin sealed off West Berlin, starving its people, and the West heroically saved the city through the Berlin Airlift. But what if Berlin was never truly blockaded at all?
Drawing on deep archival research and firsthand accounts from Berliners, Pearson argues that the term “blockade” is historically misleading. While ground and rail access from West Germany was restricted, movement between East and West Berlin continued. Civilians crossed borders. Food flowed in. Even Soviet authorities offered rations. The airlift was real — and extraordinary — but the idea of a city completely sealed off is far more myth than fact.
We explore:
What a “blockade” actually means — and why the word mattersHow ordinary Berliners experienced the airliftThe women who built Tegel Airport in just 90 daysThe terrifying near-misses that could have sparked World War IIIThe propaganda war that turned former enemies into alliesWhy the Berlin Airlift remains a masterclass in geopolitical brinkmanshipJoseph Pearson, originally from Canada and now based in Berlin, specialises in everyday history — the lived experience behind the headlines. His latest book examines the Berlin Airlift through the eyes of civilians and pilots, revealing a more complex, human and politically charged story.
Guest Details:
Joseph Pearson is a cultural historian and author based in Berlin.
Book: The Airlift: Victories, Myths, and the Berlin Blockade
Buy here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781803998220
Follow Joseph on Instagram @writing_joseph
If you care about Cold War history, post-war Germany, the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, or how propaganda shapes memory — this episode will challenge what you thought you knew.
Episode recommendations:
Episode 219 – Giles Milton on Post War Berlin - https://pod.fo/e/2f6bc6
Episode 103 – Katja Hoyer on East Germany - https://pod.fo/e/21793e
Follow & Support History Rage
🎙 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms
🌐 Website: www.historyrage.com
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👉 www.patreon.com/historyrage
Join the conversation on social media and share your rage @historyrage
Have a myth you want dismantled? Get in touch via the website.
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts — it genuinely helps more people discover the show.
History is human. History is political. And sometimes… history is wrong.
Welcome to History Rage.
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Why history’s greatest Athenian leader may be wildly misunderstood today
Was Pericles really the mastermind behind Athens’ Golden Age — or have historians spent centuries exaggerating his importance?
In this explosive episode of History Rage, acclaimed classicist and Cambridge professor Paul Cartledge tears apart the modern obsession with “Periclean Athens” and argues that ancient democracy was far more complex than the story of one great man. From the origins of democracy and demagogues to the brutal realities of Athenian politics, this is a fascinating deep dive into Ancient Greece, the Peloponnesian War, Sparta, rhetoric, and political power.
Paul explains why Pericles could never have ruled like a dictator, why Athens executed failed politicians, and why modern comparisons between Pericles and modern autocrats completely miss the point. He also explores the cultural mythmaking around the Parthenon, the famous Funeral Oration, and the role of Thucydides in shaping Pericles’ legendary reputation.
The conversation also shines a spotlight on Aspasia of Miletus — often unfairly dismissed as Pericles’ “mistress.” Paul argues passionately that Aspasia was Pericles’ intellectual equal and one of the most misunderstood women in ancient history.
If you love Ancient Greek history, classical civilisation, democracy, Sparta vs Athens, Greek philosophy, or the politics of historical memory, this episode is essential listening.
In this episode:
Was Pericles really responsible for Athens’ Golden Age?How Athenian democracy actually workedWhy the word “demagogue” changed meaningThe truth about Aspasia of MiletusPericles, Sparta and the outbreak of total warAncient rhetoric and political persuasionWhy historians still argue about Pericles todayPaul Cartledge’s book:
Pericles: Statesman, Demagogue, Eccentric
Buy through the History Rage Bookshop:
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781836392002
See Paul at Chalke History Festival
Paul is speaking at the on Wednesday 24th June.
Tickets available here:
https://www.chalkefestival.com/
Follow Paul Cartledge:
https://www.classics.cam.ac.uk/directory/paul-cartledge
Support History Rage:
If you enjoy the podcast, you can support History Rage on Patreon for bonus content, livestreams, book giveaways and more:
https://www.patreon.com/historyrage
Follow History Rage:
https://historyrage.com
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When history gets reduced to lazy moral takes, it misses the real Cold War truth.
In this episode of History Rage, historian and broadcaster Guy Walters tears into the misunderstandings surrounding Nazi scientists, rocket technology, and one of the most consequential intelligence grabs of the 20th century: the post-war scramble for expertise that became Operation Paperclip.
At the heart of the discussion is the extraordinary story of the V2 rocket programme and the Polish resistance operation that recovered an intact missile from occupied territory during the chaos of 1944. That single recovery effort fed directly into Allied intelligence assessments and helped shape how Britain and the United States understood Germany’s technological leap forward in rocketry.
Guy argues that the real story isn’t about moral purity—it’s about survival in an emerging Cold War. As the Iron Curtain fell, the question wasn’t whether these scientists were compromised. It was who would get them first: the West or the Soviet Union.
From covert recoveries in wartime Poland to the intelligence race over German aerospace expertise, this episode reveals how fragile the balance of power really was in 1945—and how close the Soviets came to dominating early rocket science.
Guy also dismantles the idea that Operation Paperclip was uniquely scandalous. In reality, every major power—US, UK, USSR, and others—was racing to absorb German technical knowledge. The Cold War, he argues, was shaped as much by captured minds as by captured territory.
The discussion explores:
The Polish resistance recovery of a near-intact V2 rocket Why Allied intelligence needed it so urgently Whether Nazi rocket science could have changed WWII or only the Cold War The ethical grey zone of recruiting former Nazi scientists How figures like Wernher von Braun influenced the space race and beyondThis is not just a story about rockets. It’s about power, pragmatism, and the uncomfortable truth that technological supremacy often comes with moral compromise.
If you think the Cold War was won by ideals alone, this episode will challenge that assumption. If you already suspect history is messier than textbooks suggest, this is a deep dive into exactly how messy it gets.
Buy the book featured in this episode
📘 Stealing Hitler’s Rocket by Guy Walters
👉 https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781035910854
Follow the guest
Instagram: @guyebwalters X / other platforms: @GuyWaltersSupport History Rage
If you enjoy the show and want to help it grow:
Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyrage Or listen ad-free via Apple Subscriptions (£3/month) Tell someone else about the show and spread the RageIn this episode, history doesn’t behave. It collides with ethics, necessity, and Cold War fear—and leaves us with uncomfortable answers about who really shaped the modern world.
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The Crusades reshaped Europe far beyond Jerusalem — and we’ve forgotten it
For most people, the Crusades begin and end with Jerusalem, Richard the Lionheart and Saladin. But that narrow view hides a far bigger story. In this episode of History Rage, medieval archaeologist Professor Aleks Pluskowski takes aim at the myth that crusading was confined to the eastern Mediterranean — and reveals how crusades transformed northern and eastern Europe in ways that still shape the modern world
Drawing on decades of archaeological research and historical evidence, Aleks explains how the Baltic Crusades were longer, more successful, and ultimately more influential than those in the Levant. From the rise of the Teutonic Order to the foundation of cities like Riga and Tallinn, this conversation exposes a forgotten chapter of European history that fundamentally reshaped societies, borders and identities
You’ll hear why crusading was a papally authorised penitential war, how it expanded beyond Jerusalem to target pagans, heretics and political enemies, and why northern Europe became the Crusades’ most enduring battlefield. Aleks also unpacks the diversity of pre-Christian belief systems in the Baltic, the realities of conquest and settlement, and how crusading ideology became a template for later colonialism and modern nationalist myths
The episode also tackles how the Teutonic Order evolved from a humble hospital in Acre into a powerful military state, why it succeeded where the Levantine Crusader states failed, and how its image was later distorted by 19th-century nationalism and Nazi propaganda. This is not just military history — it’s a story about how Europe learned to dominate, govern and remember its past
If you think you know the Crusades, this episode will make you rethink everything.
Guest: Professor Aleks Pluskowski
Professor of Medieval Archaeology, University of Reading
Aleks Pluskowski is a leading authority on crusading in northern Europe, with extensive fieldwork experience across Poland and the Baltic region. His research focuses on material culture, landscapes of conquest, and the long-term impact of crusading societies.
Book
The Black Cross: The Medieval Baltic Crusades
Buy here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780300279061
About History Rage
History Rage is the podcast that hunts down historical myths and kicks them into the long grass. Hosted by Paul Bavill, each episode invites leading historians to vent their fury at what everyone gets wrong about the past — loudly, passionately, and with evidence.
Follow History Rage
Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/historyrage
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyrage
Support the podcast
Join the rage on Patreon for bonus content, livestreams and early access:
https://www.patreon.com/historyrage
Or support via Apple Podcasts Subscriptions for ad-free listening and early releases.
If you enjoyed this episode, tell a friend and bring someone new aboard the rage train.
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From exploding kings to civil wars, Britain’s royals were never respectable.
Comedy legend, author and podcast host Charlie Higson joins History Rage to dismantle the myth that today’s monarchy is uniquely scandalous. From William the Conqueror’s warring sons to murderous Plantagenets, abusive Hanoverians and Edward VII’s infamous Parisian “sex chair”, Charlie argues the Royal Family has always been gloriously dysfunctional.
Drawing from his brilliant new book Willy, Willy, Harry, Stee, Charlie takes Paul Bavill on a whirlwind tour through a thousand years of royal chaos, revealing why modern headlines about Harry, Meghan and Prince Andrew are tame compared to the behaviour of their ancestors.
Expect exploding corpses, imprisoned wives, civil wars, royal affairs, fathers and sons at war, and the astonishing truth behind Britain’s longest-running soap opera.
In this episode:
Why William the Conqueror’s family immediately descended into violence The endless cycle of Plantagenet betrayal and civil war Why Edward II may have been too normal to be king The shocking dysfunction of the Georgian monarchy The real story behind George IV and Queen Caroline Edward VII’s scandalous private life and surprising political successes Why the monarchy survives despite centuries of scandalCharlie also explains why Britain remains fascinated by royalty — and why countries that abolished monarchies still recreate them through celebrity dynasties and political families.
Charlie Higson will be appearing at the Chalke History Festival on Sunday 28th June. Tickets available here:
https://www.chalkefestival.com/
Buy Charlie’s book here:
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780008741051
Follow Charlie Higson:
https://x.com/monstrosoFollow and support History Rage:
https://historyrage.com/ https://www.patreon.com/historyrage https://www.facebook.com/historyragepodcast https://www.instagram.com/historyragepodcast/ https://x.com/historyrageIf you enjoy sharp historical debate, outrageous true stories and irreverent takes on Britain’s past, subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Mary Queen of Scots wasn’t stupid — history’s verdict is dangerously wrong.
Was Mary, Queen of Scots really a reckless, lovestruck failure — or has history judged her by impossible standards? In this explosive History Rage counter-rage, acclaimed historian Linda Porter takes aim at one of the most persistent myths in British history and argues that Mary was anything but a “bloody stupid woman”.
Drawing directly on political context, dynastic logic, gendered double standards, and Scotland’s uniquely volatile sixteenth-century landscape, Linda dismantles the lazy comparison between Mary and Elizabeth I. She reveals why Mary’s marriages made sense at the time, how Scottish politics stacked the odds against her, and why hindsight has been weaponised against a queen ruling in near-impossible circumstances.
This episode dives deep into:
Why Mary’s upbringing in France is misunderstood — and misused against herThe unfair Elizabeth I vs Mary, Queen of Scots comparisonThe dynastic logic behind the Darnley marriageWhy the Bothwell marriage looks far more like coercion than romanceHow trauma, pregnancy, betrayal, and political violence shaped Mary’s decisionsWhy calling Mary “stupid” says more about historians than historyIf you care about women in power, Tudor and Stuart history, Mary Queen of Scots, or how myths harden into “fact”, this episode is essential listening.
About the guest: Linda Porter
Linda Porter is one of Britain’s leading historians of the Tudor and Stuart period, known for her sharp analysis and willingness to challenge historical orthodoxies. She has written extensively on queenship, power, and dynastic politics.
Buy the Book:
The Thistle and The Rose: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781801105798About History Rage
History Rage is the no-nonsense history podcast where leading historians get angry about myths, bad history, and lazy storytelling. Hosted by Paul Bavill, the show strips away comforting narratives and replaces them with evidence, context, and expert fury.
Follow & support History Rage:
🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast app💥 Ad-free listening: £3/month on Apple Subscriptions or Patreon🔥 Full supporter perks (£5/month on Patreon): live streams, asking guest questions, and the coveted History Rage mugSupport the podcast:
👉 Patreon: www.patreon.com/historyrage
👉 Apple Podcasts subscriptions available in-app
If you enjoy this episode, tell someone. One recommendation keeps independent history alive.
Related episodes you might enjoy
Episode 216 — Mary Queen of Scots: What a Bloody Stupid Woman (with Tracy Borman) https://pod.fo/e/2e60bdEpisode 186 — Katherine Parr (with Linda Porter): https://pod.fo/e/2b3cc9Episode 80 — Catherine of Braganza (with Linda Porter): https://pod.fo/e/1ef377Mary, Queen of Scots wasn’t stupid — and after this episode, neither will you be about her.
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Weimar Was a Real Place Before It Became a Political Warning
The “Weimar Republic” has become shorthand for collapse, extremism, and economic chaos — but as historian and author Katja Hoyer argues in this episode of History Rage, Weimar was first and foremost a real town with a rich cultural history stretching back centuries. Home to Goethe, Schiller, Liszt and Nietzsche, Weimar was long considered the spiritual and intellectual heart of Germany before it ever became associated with democratic failure.
In this fascinating conversation, Katja dismantles the clichés surrounding interwar Germany by exploring how ordinary people experienced extraordinary political change. Through the lives of Weimar residents — bookbinders, teachers, social democrats and shopkeepers — she reveals how hope, apathy, fear and economic despair gradually transformed a fragile democracy into a dictatorship.
From the optimism surrounding Germany’s first truly democratic elections in 1919 to the devastation of hyperinflation, the Great Depression, and the rise of Nazism, this episode explores how extremism becomes acceptable when people feel abandoned by politics. Katja explains why the Nazis initially remained a fringe movement, how the economic crash of 1929 changed everything, and why so many ordinary Germans convinced themselves to look away from the horrors developing around them.
The discussion also examines Weimar’s proximity to Buchenwald concentration camp and the uncomfortable realities of what civilians knew — or chose not to know — as Nazi brutality escalated. This is a powerful exploration of how democratic societies fracture, and why understanding the everyday experience of historical change matters now more than ever.
Katja’s new book, Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe, is available here:
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780241681244
You can also hear Katja on her podcast Reichs and Republics, and follow her work here:
Substack: https://www.katjahoyer.uk/
X/Twitter: https://x.com/hoyer_kat
🎟️ Katja Hoyer will also be appearing at the Chalke History Festival on Friday 26 June. Tickets available here:
https://www.chalkefestival.com/
If you enjoy History Rage, please follow, rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify — it genuinely helps new listeners discover the show.
You can support the podcast and become an official History Rager here:
https://www.patreon.com/historyrage
Follow and contact History Rage:
Website: https://historyrage.com
X/Twitter: https://x.com/historyrage
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Roman slavery myths shattered with brutal truths historians can’t ignore
Roman slavery is often portrayed as mild, civilised, or even preferable to poverty—but that comforting myth collapses under scrutiny. In this explosive episode of History Rage, historian and author Emma Southon unleashes her fury at the persistent sanitising of Roman slavery and reveals the stark, violent realities behind the Roman Empire’s power.
Drawing on archaeological evidence, ancient writings, and modern scholarship, Emma dismantles the comforting fiction that Roman slavery was temporary, humane, or somehow “not that bad.” Instead, she exposes a system built on terror, exploitation, and absolute lack of human rights—where millions lived in constant fear of violence, separation, and death.
You’ll hear how people became enslaved—from war captives to children born into bondage—and why slavery was so embedded in Roman society that even modest households often owned enslaved people. Emma also reveals the chilling legal reality: for centuries, enslaved people had virtually no protections, and violence against them was both legal and culturally accepted.
From the myth of the “happy slave” taught in school textbooks to the romanticised portrayals in television and fiction, this episode challenges everything you thought you knew about Rome—and shows why understanding slavery is essential to understanding the empire itself.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Why Roman slavery was widespread across every level of societyHow people entered slavery through war, birth, crime, or kidnappingThe reality of daily life under constant threat of violenceThe truth about manumission and why freedom was rarer than often claimedHow myths about Roman slavery developed—and why they still persistWhy slavery may have slowed Roman technological innovationAbout the Guest
Emma Southon is a historian specialising in the Roman Empire and the social realities behind its power. She is the author of “Servus: How Slavery Made the Roman Empire”, a groundbreaking exploration of slavery’s central role in Roman society.
Emma is also co-host of the History Is Sexy, where she explores the ancient world through stories often overlooked in traditional history.
Follow Emma Southon:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmasouthon
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/emmasouton.bsky.social
📚 Buy Emma’s book “Servus: How Slavery Made the Roman Empire “ from the History Rage Bookshop:
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781399741255
Support History Rage
Love hearing historians destroy popular myths? Here’s how to support History Rage:
⭐ Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favourite app📣 Share this episode with a friend who loves history🎧 Subscribe for ad-free listening via Apple Podcasts🔥 Join the rage community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyrageGet in Touch with History Rage
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: https://www.historyrage.com
📱 Follow on social media:
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If you’ve ever been told Roman slavery “wasn’t that bad,” this episode will leave you questioning everything—and maybe feeling a little angry too.
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Britain’s past politicians were no better—often far worse—than today’s MPs.
Were Britain’s past politicians really more honourable than today’s? Or is nostalgia blinding us to just how corrupt, violent, and self-serving many of them actually were?
In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by historian, author, and Get History founder Debbie Kilroy to rage against one of Britain’s most persistent political myths: that historic MPs were somehow morally superior to the modern lot.
Drawing on over 400 years of parliamentary history, Debbie dismantles the rose-tinted view of Britain’s political past, revealing a parade of bigamists, slave traders, duelists, bribe-takers, fraudsters, and outright psychopaths who once sat comfortably in Parliament.
From Norman MacLeod kidnapping his own tenants into slavery, to Lord Cardigan’s cruelty, incompetence, and vanity, to the systemic corruption that brought down figures like Francis Bacon and David Lloyd George, this episode exposes how power, privilege, and political protection enabled shocking behaviour—often without consequences.
Along the way, Debbie explains:
Why we keep romanticising historic politiciansHow corruption adapted rather than disappeared over timeWhy reforms like the 1832 Reform Act only scratched the surfaceHow crowds, riots, and popular protest once held MPs to accountWhy the system itself—not just individuals—remains the problemThis is not a defence of modern politics—but a warning against pretending the past was cleaner, fairer, or more honest. Politicians, Debbie argues, haven’t changed. What’s changed is what they can get away with.
About the Guest: Debbie Kilroy
Debbie Kilroy is a historian, writer, and the creator of the popular history platform Get History. She specialises in British political history, focusing on the human realities behind power, myth, and reputation.
She is the author of:
📘 Members Behaving Badly: A History of Britain in 52 Parliamentary Rogues
A deeply researched and often shocking exploration of Britain’s most notorious MPs, spanning four centuries of corruption, cruelty, and chaos.
🔗 Book available via https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781783969388
Connect with Debbie
Website: Get History: https://gethistory.co.uk/Social media: @debbiekilroyauthor (Instagram, Facebook and most platforms)X (Twitter): @DebbieKilroyRecommended Listening
Episode 241 – Erica Canella on chaos and dissent in the early Quaker movementEpisode 181 – Shalina Patel dismantles the myths of the PankhurstsAbout History Rage
History Rage is the podcast where professional historians confront popular myths head-on and angrily demand historical honesty.
Follow & Contact
Website: www.historyrage.comSocial media: @HistoryRage on X, Instagram, FacebookPatreon: www.patreon.com/historyrageSupport the Podcast
Get ad-free episodes on Apple Podcasts or Patreon for £3/monthJoin monthly live streams with historians via PatreonOr simply help by telling one other person to listenIf you think politicians were better “back then”, this episode may ruin that illusion forever.
Stay angry.
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Cold War Protest Songs, Punk Anthems, and Nuclear Pop Culture Collide
Why did the Cold War produce generations of unforgettable protest songs while today’s crises barely inspire a mainstream anthem? In this electrifying episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill welcomes back historian, author, and Imperial War Museum senior manager Fraser McCallum to trace the history of protest music from folk ballads and Bob Dylan through punk, hip hop, Live Aid, and Cold War pop classics.
From Two Tribes and 99 Red Balloons to Fortunate Son, London Calling, and Born in the USA, Fraser explores how music became the soundtrack to nuclear fear, civil rights, Vietnam, Thatcherism, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Along the way, the pair discuss why protest songs once dominated Top of the Pops and ask the big question: where have all the decent protest songs gone?
Expect passionate debate on:
Bob Dylan and the birth of modern protest music Folk traditions, skiffle, and anti-war ballads Vietnam War classics like Fortunate Son and Paint It Black Punk, Thatcherism, and London Calling Nuclear anxiety in Two Tribes and 99 Luftballons Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, and Cold War Berlin Why modern artists rarely risk overt political protest songsFraser also shares fascinating insights into how pop culture and Western music seeped through the Iron Curtain, influencing East Germany and the wider Cold War world.
Fraser is the author of Cold War Britain.
Buy the book from the History Rage Bookshop here:
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780008743994
Listen to Fraser’s specially curated Cold War soundtrack playlists:
Apple Music Playlist:
https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/cold-war-britain-the-soundtrack-to-the-book/pl.u-NRp7s3pq7o
Spotify Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2lZ7HBrKKyBj31wXKXx2nq?si=-jyLeTguToieWb87K3CG3A&pi=0lbsCZu1SV2xV&nd=1&dlsi=0de49b8d828a4db0
Fraser will also be hosting the IWM History Festival at IWM Duxford on 13–14 June 2026, featuring leading historians, authors, and live discussions surrounded by iconic wartime aircraft.
Tickets available here:
https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-duxford/iwm-history-festival
Follow Fraser McCallum and the Imperial War Museum online:
https://www.iwm.org.uk/
Love the show? Support History Rage by subscribing, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and sharing the episode on social media.
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Drones didn’t start in Silicon Valley — they began with Victorians and war
Drones feel like the defining weapon of the 21st century — cheap, disposable, and terrifyingly effective. But what if that belief is completely wrong?
In this episode of History Rage, aviation historian and journalist Mark Piesing explodes the modern myth surrounding drones and reveals a truth that stretches back more than 120 years. Long before satellites, digital cameras, or GPS, Victorian engineers were already imagining — and building — pilotless weapons designed to change warfare forever.
From Nikola Tesla’s radio-controlled boats in the 1890s, to British attack drones planned during the First World War, this episode traces how unmanned warfare evolved through failed experiments, secret Cold War programmes, and nuclear testing — long before the Predator ever flew.
Mark explains why the “father of the drone” was a British engineer targeted by German assassins, how Marilyn Monroe began her career on a drone production line, and why US Navy admirals were signing orders for thousands of attack drones before the Battle of Midway. Along the way, Paul and Mark explore why these technologies repeatedly promised to change war — and why military bureaucracy so often held them back.
This is not a story of sudden innovation. It’s a story of persistence, secrecy, and ideas far ahead of the technology needed to make them work. And it explains why today’s drone warfare in Ukraine looks eerily familiar to predictions made in 1898.
If you think drones are a modern invention, prepare to be very, very angry.
Guest: Mark Piesing
Mark Piesing is an award-winning journalist and aviation historian specialising in unmanned systems, aerospace innovation, and Cold War technology. His work has appeared with the Smithsonian, Royal Aeronautical Society, and major international publications.
Read more here: https://markpiesing.com/2025/07/03/i-was-asked-to-write-this-piece-by-history-com-how-drones-have-upended-warfare/
Follow & contact Mark
Twitter/X: @markpiesingInstagram: @markpiesingwritesFurther listening
History Rage Episode 196 – Mark rages against polar explorers: https://pod.fo/e/2c75bdHistory Rage Episode 53 – Nikola Tesla with Iwun Morus: https://pod.fo/e/16c1d5About History Rage
History Rage is the podcast where historians unleash their fury on the myths, half-truths, and bad history we all think we know. Hosted by Paul Bavill, each episode gives an expert one burning misconception to destroy — loudly, passionately, and with evidence.
Follow History Rage
Twitter/X: @HistoryRageInstagram: @historyrageWebsite: www.historyrage.comSupport the Podcast
If you enjoy independent, expert-led history without ads, you can support History Rage in several ways:
£3/month – Ad-free listening via Apple Podcasts or Patreon£5/month – Ask questions to future guests and receive the coveted History Rage mug👉 Support the show at patreon.com/historyrage
Or simply tell someone else about the podcast — word of mouth keeps History Rage alive.
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The Blitz myth shattered: courage, crime, and chaos behind stoicism
The familiar story of Britain’s Blitz—calm, united, unshaken—is one of the most powerful myths of the Second World War. But in this gripping episode of History Rage, historian Joshua Levine dismantles the “Keep Calm and Carry On” narrative and reveals a far more complex reality.
Drawing on firsthand accounts and deep archival research, Joshua shows how the Blitz was not a single story of resilience, but a patchwork of human experiences. Alongside genuine moments of solidarity—strangers comforting each other under falling bombs—there were also spikes in crime, looting, black marketeering, and deeply personal tragedies driven by desperation.
We explore how wartime propaganda helped shape the enduring myth of the “Blitz Spirit,” promoting unity while downplaying panic, fear, and social tension. Even the iconic “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster was barely used during the war, despite becoming a defining symbol decades later.
Joshua also uncovers how the Blitz became a turning point in British society. Class boundaries blurred, communities were reshaped, and people lived with an intensity that led to dramatic social change—including what he provocatively describes as a “first sexual revolution.” At the same time, the government’s response to bombing and homelessness laid early foundations for the modern welfare state.
This episode challenges everything you thought you knew about wartime Britain—and replaces myth with nuance, humanity, and truth.
👤 About the Guest
Joshua Levine is a leading social historian and author specialising in modern British history and the Second World War.
📖 The Secret History of the Blitz
Buy your copy here (and support independent bookshops):
👉 https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781398550681
🎤 Live Event: Joshua will be speaking at the Imperial War Museum History Festival at IWM Duxford on Saturday 13th June.
🎟️ Tickets available here: https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-duxford/iwm-history-festival
Check out the IWM Sound Archive at: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/sound
🎧 Follow History Rage
Stay connected and never miss an episode:
🌐 Website: www.historyrage.com
🐦 Twitter/X: @HistoryRage
📘 Instagram: @historyrage
📩 Email: [email protected]
💥 Support the Show
Love what you hear? Become a History Rager on Patreon:
👉 £5/month gets you:
Entry into the monthly book draw 📚Access to exclusive listener Q&As 🎙️The coveted History Rage mug ☕If you’re tired of oversimplified history, this episode is your antidote—revealing the Blitz as it truly was: messy, contradictory, and profoundly human.
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Bletchley Park wasn’t built by one man—and history must stop pretending otherwise
For most people, Bletchley Park means one thing: Alan Turing, Enigma, and a single heroic breakthrough.
That story is neat, cinematic—and deeply misleading.
In this episode of History Rage, Paul Bavill is joined by historian, author, and Bletchley Park trustee Sir Dermot Turing to dismantle one of Britain’s most comfortable Second World War myths. What follows is a forensic, passionate unpicking of how thousands of codebreakers—most of them women—have been written out of history.
This is not an attack on Alan Turing. It’s a demand for accuracy.
Sir Dermot explains why Enigma has become a historical obsession, how it eclipses dozens of other vital ciphers, and why reducing Bletchley Park to a single man does a disservice to everyone involved—including Turing himself. From Spanish and Italian diplomatic codes to Japanese military signals, this episode reveals just how broad, complex, and international the intelligence war really was.
Crucially, the conversation exposes how women codebreakers were systematically downgraded by job titles, pay grades, and later historians. Clerical assistants, typists, and “support staff” were in reality performing some of the hardest cryptographic work of the war—often better than the men promoted over them. Figures such as Joan Clarke, Wendy White, Helen Hazelden, Marie Rose Egan, and many others emerge not as footnotes, but as central players.
This episode also explores:
Why Enigma machines themselves were never the real secretHow civil service bureaucracy distorted the historical recordThe hidden importance of German diplomatic intelligenceWhy Bletchley Park was far messier, more political, and more human than popular culture admitsIf you think you know the story of Bletchley Park, this episode will make you angry—for all the right reasons.
About the Guest: Sir Dermot Turing
Sir Dermot Turing is a historian, author, and trustee of Bletchley Park, specialising in intelligence history and overlooked figures of the Second World War. He is the nephew of Alan Turing and a leading voice challenging simplistic narratives around wartime codebreaking.
Recommended Reading
📘 Misread Signals: How History Overlooked Women Codebreakers
An essential corrective to the Enigma-centric story, uncovering the vital contributions of women across British intelligence.
Available here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781803997933
Explore More from History Rage
🎧 History Rage is the podcast where historians confront the myths that refuse to die.
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platformsFollow History Rage on social media for episode clips, debates, and announcementsSupport the Podcast
If you value independent, ad-free history:
£3/month – ad-free listening£5/month – bonus content and the legendary History Rage mug👉 Support the show at patreon.com/historyrage or directly through Apple Podcasts subscriptions.
And if you loved this episode?
Tell someone. History only changes when the story spreads.
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Daniel Defoe wasn’t just a novelist — he helped forge Britain itself
Daniel Defoe is remembered as the author of Robinson Crusoe — but that legacy hides a far more dangerous, politically explosive truth. Long before his novels reshaped literature, Defoe was shaping nations.
In this episode of History Rage, Paul Bavill is joined by historian Marc Mierowsky, Fellow and Lecturer in English at the University of Melbourne, to rage against the idea that Defoe was “just” a novelist. Instead, we uncover Defoe as a government propagandist, intelligence agent, and covert operator, working at the very heart of early British state power.
Marc reveals how Defoe:
Operated as a political fixer and spy for Robert HarleyBuilt one of Britain’s earliest nationwide intelligence and propaganda networksInfiltrated Scottish politics during the crisis years before the 1707 Act of UnionManipulated religious divisions, rebellion, and public opinionHelped sabotage organised resistance to the Union of England and ScotlandThis is a story of dirty tricks, espionage, pamphlet warfare, and political manipulation, all carried out by a man later celebrated as a literary pioneer. It also raises uncomfortable questions about state power, surveillance, and whether the foundations of modern Britain were laid through persuasion — or coercion.
If you think you know Daniel Defoe, this episode will leave you furious, fascinated, and questioning everything.
About the guest
Marc Mierowsky is Fellow and Lecturer in English at the University of Melbourne, specialising in Restoration and early eighteenth-century literature, politics, and espionage. His research focuses on Daniel Defoe’s secret service work, propaganda networks, and the intelligence machinery behind the Anglo-Scottish Union.
Marc Mierowsky – links & contact
Book: A Spy Amongst Us: Daniel Defoe’s Secret Service and the Plot to End Scottish IndependencePublisher page / book retailers: Available via major academic and online booksellersAffiliation: University of MelbourneWhy this episode matters
Defoe’s story forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth: the modern British state was built using surveillance, propaganda, and manipulation of public opinion. The debates around sovereignty, identity, and union that rage today were already burning in the early 1700s — and Defoe was pouring fuel on the fire.
This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in:
British historyScottish independence and the Act of UnionEarly modern espionageThe hidden political origins of the novelPropaganda, intelligence, and state powerAbout History Rage
History Rage is the podcast that smashes historical myths and takes cherished assumptions out back and wrecks them. Hosted by Paul Bavill, each episode gives expert historians space to rage about the misconceptions they want destroyed.
Follow & contact History Rage
Website: https://historyrage.comTwitter / X: @HistoryRageBluesky: historyrage.bsky.socialEmail: [email protected]Support the podcast
If you love fearless history without the myths:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyrageApple Subscriptions: Ad-free listening from £3 per month£5 tier: Bonus content and the legendary History Rage mugSupporting the podcast keeps independent, expert-led history alive — and angry.
Stay angry.
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Discover the Spanish Infanta who reshaped Renaissance power from behind the throne.
Step into the glittering courts of 16th-century Europe as historian Professor Magdalena Sánchez joins host Paul Bavill to rage against a stubborn myth: that women only matter in history when they command political power.
Catalina Micaela — daughter of Philip II of Spain and Duchess of Savoy — has long been treated as a political footnote. But across 3,000 intimate letters, a forceful, devoted, and highly capable woman emerges: one who shaped diplomacy, managed wars, and commanded a court… while enduring ten pregnancies in thirteen years.
Professor Sánchez reveals how Catalina:
• Asserted her authority as Infanta of Spain, not merely “a duchess”
• Governed Savoy during her husband’s campaigns, acting as his lieutenant
• Challenged ministers, criticised generals, and organised court life with precision
• Maintained deep emotional connection through constant letter-writing and gift-giving
• Balanced political influence with religious devotion and motherhood as central duties
This episode uncovers Catalina’s love story, her leadership, and the invisible labour of royal women — all of which historians have too often ignored.
If you think only queens and rulers shape history, Catalina will change your mind.
Further Listening from the History Rage Archive
For more on powerful and underestimated women of Renaissance Europe:
• Episode 199 — Catherine de’ Medici with Una McElvenna
• Episode 232 — Ruling Queens with Elizabeth Norton
About Our Guest – Professor Magdalena Sánchez
Professor of History at Gettysburg College and author of:
Infanta: The Short Remarkable Life of Catalina Michaela (Yale University Press) — the first major biography to spotlight Catalina’s voice and legacy.
📚 Buy the book
Infanta: The Short Remarkable Life of Catalina Michaela
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780300282832
Listen, Follow & Support History Rage
🎧 New to History Rage? We invite leading historians to vent their anger at the myths we keep getting wrong.
Follow for more raging truth:
→ Search History Rage on Apple Podcasts or your preferred app
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• Ad-free listening available via Apple Podcasts subscription at £3/month
• Join the £5/month Patreon for monthly livestream access — search History Rage Patreon to subscribe
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Tell one friend, one colleague, one fellow history-nerd — and help the rage spread.
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