Present History Podcast

When I first started this Present History Multimedia Project, one of the main things that I wanted to do, and something that was very high up on my list of priorities, was to speak to Amanda Hale.  While writing my undergraduate dissertation about this topic, her book, Mad Hatter, had provided interesting insights into the character and personality of many of the members of the League of Chri...

When I first started this Present History Multimedia Project, one of the main things that I wanted to do, and something that was very high up on my list of priorities, was to speak to Amanda Hale.  While writing my undergraduate dissertation about this topic, her book, Mad Hatter, had provided interesting insights into the character and personality of many of the members of the League of Chri...

The two black saloon cars had been there all morning. Not many had noticed them, tucked away in an off-road lane. And, if they had, they had not made a fuss. The people of River, however reluctantly, had become used to seeing strange people doing strange things in their serene village. Not too long ago, the peace of the farmland had been broken by the thunderous voice of a Pastor contending for hi...

The Third Episode in the Hitler's Kingdom Come Project! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the breeze curled its way down the street, it carried the low rumble of a black, mud-spattered saloon car. Strapped to its roof were large loud-speakers. It drew up to the massive gate that guarded the entrance to Kingdom House. At the wheel was the 48-year-old Victor Walker. His wide brimmed hat shadowed his eyes from the sun, his jaw set, his heart beginning to pound. He was the pastor of Eli...

Hitler's Kingdom Come - A Present History Multimedia Project - Episode One Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you think of Nazis and religious cults, you probably think of an old gothic castle in a dark corner of Germany. You don’t tend to think of England. Much less, leafy Surrey. But, in 1943, a group of men came together to worship Hitler as the second coming of Christ. They went on to form a church in Petworth, Surrey. Growing to around 12 members, this cult worshiped Hitler at their altar, wrote...

In this episode of the Present History Podcast, Zachary Peatling sat down with Annie Whitehead, an Anglo-Saxon historian and critically acclaimed author, to discuss the Kingdom of Mercia, Aethelflaed, and more! Check out Annie Whitehead: Website: https://www.anniewhiteheadauthor.co.uk Twitter: @AnnieWHistory Mercia: The Rise and Fall of a Kingdom: https://www.waterstones.com/book/mercia/annie-whit...

In this episode of the Present History Podcast, Zachary Peatling sat down with Annie Whitehead, an Anglo-Saxon historian and critically acclaimed author, to discuss the Kingdom of Mercia, Aethelflaed, and more! Check out Annie Whitehead: Website: https://www.anniewhiteheadauthor.co.uk Twitter: @AnnieWHistory Mercia: The Rise and Fall of a Kingdom: https://www.waterstones.com/book/mercia/annie-whit...

In this episode of the Present History Podcast, Zachary Peatling sat down with Joanna Grochowicz, a polar historian and critically acclaimed author, to discuss Ernest Shackleton, the Endurance and the incredible stories of polar exploration!   Check out Joanna Grochowicz:  Website: https://www.joannagrochowicz.com Twitter: @GrochowiczJ  Shackleton's Endurance: An Antarctic Surv...

In this episode of the Present History Podcast, Zachary Peatling sat down with Joanna Grochowicz, a polar historian and critically acclaimed author, to discuss Ernest Shackleton, the Endurance and the incredible stories of polar exploration!   Check out Joanna Grochowicz:  Website: https://www.joannagrochowicz.com Twitter: @GrochowiczJ  Shackleton's Endurance: An Antarctic Surv...

We have a very special episode today, as we are with Dr George Severs, a leading oral historian, specialising in the history of activism, sexuality, religion and work, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London, and a member of the Editorial Board of Oral History, the journal of the UK’s Oral History Society (OHS). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have a very special episode today, as we are with Dr George Severs, a leading oral historian, specialising in the history of activism, sexuality, religion and work, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London, and a member of the Editorial Board of Oral History, the journal of the UK’s Oral History Society (OHS). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The First World War was one of the most catastrophic and impactful events in British history, and the soldiers’ experience of it has often been boiled down to mud, blood, poison gas and ‘going over the top’. But, there are aspects of life that were fundamental to a soldier’s experience that have been simply overlooked. For example, the ‘Trench Talk’; the way in which the soldiers communicated with...

'Henry VIII’s wives have been constantly reinvented. But not Katherine Howard. The legend and the myth often outweigh the actual woman’s story—a multifaceted woman who was both a victim and an agent of her own fate. She was a real teenage girl living in the moment, unaware of the significant consequences lurking in the shadows. Katherine deserves a new analysis in an age in which a woman’s sexual...

'Henry VIII’s wives have been constantly reinvented. But not Katherine Howard. The legend and the myth often outweigh the actual woman’s story—a multifaceted woman who was both a victim and an agent of her own fate. She was a real teenage girl living in the moment, unaware of the significant consequences lurking in the shadows. Katherine deserves a new analysis in an age in which a woman’s sexual...

This episode contains potential spoilers for all the James Bond films and books, so, if by some miraculous turn of events you have managed to avoid them all for the last sixty years, go watch them and then come back! If not, thank you for tuning in and enjoy! Also, a quick little trigger warning, we will be discussing 9/11 and its aftermath. James Bond has been a staple of British literary and cin...

The following episode contains potential spoilers for all the James Bond films and books, so if, somehow, you’ve managed to avoid Bond for your entire life and still don’t know what happens, go watch the films first and then come back. If not, get comfortable and enjoy!  Throughout his cinematic career, Bond has faced stereotypical Soviet threats, grandiose crime lords and eccentric businessmen; h...

The First World War was one of the most catastrophic and impactful moments in British History. It saw the advent of new ways of waging war; a new, more mechanised, more industrial kind of war that began to encompass every aspect of British society. Every class, every position, every man, woman and child; no one and nothing was left untouched by the Great War. In the history of Britain, there are f...

A very special interview with Dr Edward Madigan, lecturer in Public History and First World War Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London, discussing all things World War One! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christianity is the most popular and widespread religion in the world, and it is no less prevalent here, having been the official state religion since the end of the Roman era. And yet, Christianity in Britain has a long, complicated and controversial history. And so, in this episode of the Present History Podcast, we will be examining this history from the Roman Era until now. So, let’s delve int...

The history of Jews in Britain is an often overlooked part of our history. And yet, it is longer, deeper and more violent than many would know. In this episode of the Present History Podcast, we’re going to look at the history of Judaism, antisemitism and Jewishness in Britain, from the Roman era until today. So, let’s dive in to a brief history of being Jewish & British. Hosted on Acast. See...

Thomas Carlyle in 1840 wrote that ‘world history is but the biography of great men’, and yet, British history is filled with powerful, influential and dynamic women, who actively changed the course of Britain forever. In this episode of the Present History Podcast, we’re going to look at the history of women, women’s rights, sexism and feminism. Through the lives of a number of incredible women, w...

The history of race and Britain is a long, complicated and contentious one. In this episode of the Present History Podcast, we’re going to take a deep, but brief dive into this history and how it directly affects us today, taking a particular focus on the treatment of black people in this country. In light of all that has happened recently in America, with the murder of George Floyd, and the overw...