1666 and All That

Oliver Cromwell is one of the giants of English history, a man who believed himself to be called by God to transform the political and moral structures of the nation, and to extend his writ, by whatever means necessary, into Ireland and Scotland. Yet his inner life remains an enigma, obscured by the intensity of his religious fervour and by the brevity of the constitutional revolution he set in mo...

In the latest episode of their podcast about all things 17th century, Paul and Miranda talk to historian Jonathan Healey, author of an ambitious new narrative history of the period. In 'The Blazing World', Healey brings a social historian's eye for telling detail to an age of tumult and revolution in England and beyond. He talks about the challenges of combining an overview of the century's dramat...

The revealing and entertaining new podcast about all things 17th century. Historians have portrayed Oliver Cromwell as a very masculine, martial figure – a man who made his name in Parliament's army during the British Civil Wars of the 1640s and went on to preside over a military-backed republican regime as Lord Protector in the 1650s. But this is a misleading perspective. Cromwell spent his life...

Paul and Miranda set sail for the 17th century to explore the origins of one of the greatest adventure stories ever written: Daniel Defoe's 'The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe'. Behind the ripping yarn of a castaway's struggle for survival lie some of the great themes of the age: providence, redemption, a thirst for exploration and difficult first encounters between worlds old and new. And we hear...

The revealing and entertaining new podcast about all things 17th century. Paul and Miranda talk to historian Jessie Childs about her acclaimed book 'The Siege of Loyalty House', which takes us back to the fierce struggle of the Civil War of the 1640s in all its gore and glory. It's a gripping story told through the lens of the besieged royalist stronghold of Basing House in Hampshire, and the peop...

Great storytelling meets rigorous research in this vivid new podcast that brings the 17th century to life.  In this episode, hosts Miranda Malins and Paul Lay tell a darkly compelling story that resonates powerfully in our age of conspiracies and false accusations. In 1678, an obscure churchman called Titus Oates alleged that the Jesuits and their allies were plotting to assassinate King Charles I...

Miranda and Paul recall the strange story of the Spanish Match. In 1623, the future King Charles I travelled incognito to Spain in search of a bride, a sometimes farcical escapade that sparked years of diplomatic intrigue. Their guest is historian Alexander Samson, who explores how the journey left Charles with a lifelong love of art - and a dangerous taste for absolutism.

Hosts Paul Lay and Miranda Malins kick off Series 1 with special guest Robert Harris. Robert discusses the events that inspired his latest novel, Act of Oblivion, set in the years following the Restoration of King Charles II. And he gives us revealing insights into how he researches and plans his bestselling historical novels. Don't want to miss the next installment of 1666 and All That? Remember...

A new podcast devoted to all things 17th century. Historians and authors Paul Lay and Miranda Malins believe this dramatic century shaped the world we live in today. They combine historical rigour, entertaining storytelling and revealing guest interviews to draw this crucial period out of the shadows.   Music: Silent Ocean by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)