If It Ain't Baroque...

Right trusty and well beloved, we greet you well! Welcome to the 100th Episode of our podcast, If It Ain’t Baroque… I am absolutely delighted to introduce today’s guest - Dr Joanne Paul. She is a professor at University of Sussex; She was the historical advisor on the brilliant Amazon Prime show My Lady Jane (2024); She has also written one of the best history books of the last few years...

Let’s talk about ...Saints! Please give a massive round of applause for Amy Jeffs , author of a new book Saints : a New Legendary of Heroes, Humans and Magic. Published by Riverrun . This chat has it all, a cult of Edward the Confessor, a definition of what a saint actually is and was, a mention of a man covered in pricks (yes, those) and why Henry VIII is to be blamed for everything yet again......

Today we’re talking about Margaret Whigham, the it-girl of 1930’s, who became Mrs Sweeny with her first marriage - Cole Porter mentioned her in a song - and Duchess of Argyll with her second.  She is remembered today for a sex scandal initiated by the 11th Duke of Argyll during their divorce proceedings. She is also responsible for restoring Inveraray Castle in Scotland; and one can...

Let's talk Vikings... What is true, what is false? What myths persist about this ...group (?) of people and what makes them so fascinating? Tune in and find out... Get Forgotten Vikings: https://www.amberley-books.com/forgotten-vikings.html Alex' First Book Riddles of the Isle : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Riddles-Isle-History-Axholme-Normans/dp/1739191641 Find Alex here: https://x.com/AlexHarvv on X...

Right trusty and well beloved, we greet you well! On the 6th December 1421 a baby boy is born in Windsor Castle…his parents are Catherine of Valois and Henry V ..this boy would be a crowned king of England as well a crowned king of France, the only one to ever achieve this honour. Sadly, he would come to lose both his crowns and his life.  Henry VI, as he became, is often blamed to be the cau...

This time we talk to the historian Sharon Bennett Connolly, who's back on the podcast to talk about her new book Women of the Anarchy released by Amberley Publishing . Let's talk about all the Matildas that were involved in the conflict, following the White Ship Disaster in 1120; let's talk about all the Henrys and just one King Stephen, because one was enough... Find Sharon here: @sharonbennettco...

On the 19th November in the year 1600, a boy was born in Scotland at Dunfermline Palace - he was the second son and the third child of the King of Scotland, James VI. Few could have predicted he would one day be king, not just of Scotland, but also of England and Ireland. No one could have foretold this boy would die on the scaffold for treason… This boy was of course, Charles James Stuart, who wo...

It is our absolute pleasure to introduce today’s guest, Elizabeth Fremantle, and we’ll be talking about her novel Queen’s Gambit, which has recently been made into a film Firebrand starring Alicia Vikander as Katherine Parr and Jude Law as Henry VIII.  (The novel has been updated under the new name as well.) Please welcome, Elizabeth! Find Firebrand (a.k.a Queen's Gambit) Book : https://www.p...

Today we bring to you our interview with Callum Watson, and we’ll be discussing the Battle of Flodden Field, wherein the Scottish King James IV was massively defeated by the English army which is ironic since the King of England Henry VIII was in France fighting the French. What’s even more ironic, is the fact that the Scottish King was married to Henry’s sister Margaret, from whom our King Charle...

Right trusty and well beloved, we greet you well! On the 16th November 1272 Henry III died after a 56 year reign. His rule spanned the better part of the 13th century, and took England from the disaster that was King John to the conquering macho that was Edward I.  Neatly sandwiched in between these two vastly different kingships is Henry III, the man who gave us Westminster Abbey , peace wit...

Right trusty and well beloved, we greet you well! Today we present to you our chat with historian and author Steven Veerapen, and we talk about several murders set at the courts of Mary Queen of Scots and her son, James VI and I.  Get Steven's Books : https://www.waterstones.com/author/steven-veerapen/4403209 https://www.stevenveerapen.com/ https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/steven-veerapen/ I...

Right trusty and well beloved, we greet you well! It is my absolute pleasure to announce today’s guest - please welcome Helen Castor to the pod, and we talk about her new book The Eagle and the Hart - the Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV. Who were these kings? Who was Richard II and Henry IV? Let's see what was their story beyond what Shakespeare told us. Why were their lives so intertwined? Did...

Right trusty and well beloved, we greet you well! Welcome to Season 5 of If It Ain’t Baroque …your independent history podcast! Today is Guy Fawkes Night, a.k.a. Bonfire Night… Let’s talk about the history of it with James Travers, who has published three books on the topic. His last book, published with Amberley in 2019, also makes evident the connections of the Gunpowder Plot to Shakespeare... L...

Right trusty and well beloved, we greet you well! Welcome to Season 5 of If It Ain’t Baroque …your independent history podcast! We continue a new mini series - SCARY HISTORY, wherein we’ll explore the many stories of humans mistreating other humans, and the lessons we can draw upon these examinations.   Today we have a short bonus episode for you and our guest is Chris Wood, the author o...

Right trusty and well beloved, we greet you well! Welcome to Season 5 of If It Ain’t Baroque …your independent history podcast! Today we continue a new mini series - SCARY HISTORY, wherein we’ll explore the many stories of humans mistreating other humans, and the lessons we can draw upon these examinations.   Please welcome back to the podcast, Ben Norman, who this time will be talking a...

Right trusty and well beloved, we greet you well! Welcome to Season 5 of If It Ain’t Baroque …your independent history podcast! Today we continue a new mini series - SCARY HISTORY, wherein we’ll explore the many stories of humans mistreating other humans, and the lessons we can draw upon these examinations.   Please welcome to the podcast, the Stuart Anderson Harris, who has a very popul...

Right trusty and well beloved, we greet you well! Welcome to Season 5 of If It Ain’t Baroque …your independent history podcast! Today we start a new mini series - SCARY HISTORY, wherein we’ll explore the many stories of humans mistreating other humans, and the lessons we can draw upon these examinations.   Please welcome to the podcast, the author Erin Fetterly, a.k.a. The Canadian Londo...

Our great friend Chris Riley is back, this time to tell us all about the Battle of Agincourt of 1415, the one Shakespeare made famous with speeches like ‘Once More unto the Breech, dear friends, once more’ and ‘we few, we happy few, we band of brothers’... Welcome back, Chris! You can find Chris on @chrisrileyhistory on IG Our favourite books on The The Battle of Agincourt: https://www.bloomsbury....

Heather R Darsie is back on the podcast, this time with her brand new book Stuart Spouses: A Compendium of Consorts from James I of Scotland to Queen Anne of Great Britain, published by Pen & Sword . Who were the Consorts, supporting Scottish monarchs, from 15th to 18th century? Why did Mary Queen of Scots have three of them? Who was Mary of Guelders and why does this duchy keep coming up when...

Right trusty and well beloved, we greet you well! Today we present to you our interview with Richard Wallace, who has recently written a book for The History Press , titled ‘The King’s Loot: The Greatest Royal Jewellery Heist in History',  What did Edward VIII inherit when his father died? Why was Queen Mary called a Royal Magpie? How did Queen Victoria change the history of Royal Jewellery f...

Andrea Zuvich a.k.a. The 17th Century Lady is back on the podcast, and today we’re discussing her latest book - Ravenous: A Life of Barbara Villiers, Charles II’s Most Infamous Mistress. And what a life!  Welcome back, Andrea! Barbara Villiers is known for being a mistress to Charles II, and a cousin to George, the Second Duke of Buckingham. Did you know she may have had a child with John, th...

Right trusty and well beloved, we greet you well! Chris Riley is back on the podcast, with a four-part mini series on the Norman Conquest and the year 1066.  This is the final one. And today we’ll be talking about the Legacy of the year 1066 and the Battle of Hastings. Why does it matter, almost a thousand years later, that the Saxons were defeated by the Normans? What did William do after be...

The historian Chris Riley, is back on the podcast, to talk about all things 1066: The Norman Conquest. This is the third of these episodes, and today we’re talking about the Battle of Hastings itself, the anniversary of which is today! You can find Chris on @chrisrileyhistory on IG Our favourite books on The Norman Conquest: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/405905/the-norman-conquest-by-marc-morris...

Right trusty and well beloved, we greet you well! Let me introduce today’s guest Michèle Schindler, and we’ll be talking about a forgotten matriarch from the Wars fo the Roses - Alice Chaucer, who was Geoffrey Chaucer’s grandchild. Get Michèle's book here: https://www.amberley-books.com/what-is-better-than-a-good-woman.html For more history fodder please visit https://www.ifitaintbaroque.art/ and...

The historian Chris Riley, is back on the podcast, to talk about all things 1066: The Norman Conquest. This is the second of these episodes, and today we’re talking about the Battle of Stamford Bridge, the anniversary of which is today! Why was this a fight few remember, instead always focussing on the Battle of Hastings? Why was Stamford Bridge important? You can find Chris on @chrisrileyhistory...