Half-Arsed History

In this week's episode, meet Captain William Kidd, the only pirate in history known to have actually buried treasure - something that gave rise to one of the most common and popular pirate-themed tropes. The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy f...

The toothbrush is yet another simple but very important invention that has been a part of everyday life for people for over a thousand years, helping in keeping our choppers clean and in good health.  The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy...

Quarter-Arsed History presents: another telling of the War of the Oaken Bucket, one of the shortest episode topics ever covered by this tinpot history podcast.  The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings: AU/NZ (affi...

In this week's episode, learn the origins of five sayings that all have a nautical origin: logbook, not enough room to swing a cat, grog, three sheets to the wind, and average.  The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Read...

Toilet paper is something we have been wiping our bums with it for almost 1,500 years - an old invention with quite a few interesting details in its story. The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings: AU/NZ (affiliate link...

Quarter-Arsed History presents: a retelling of the Affair of the Diamond Necklace, when a French con woman scammed a rich cardinal in a truly scandalous manner. The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings: AU/NZ (affiliate...

In this episode, learn all about the origin and history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, and the uncertain future it faces in the current global political landscape.  The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readi...

The stirrup is an invention that transformed warfare by making mounted cavalry more effective than ever before - which may have had profound social, not just military, consequences across the centuries.  The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your c...

Quarter-Arsed History presents: D.B. Cooper, a man who hijacked a plane, extracted a US$200,000 ransom, and skydived away, never to be seen again.  The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings: AU/NZ (affiliate link):...

In this week's episode, get to know the real Saint Patrick, whose true life story is often overshadowed by the myths and legends associated with him.  The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings: AU/NZ (affiliate link...

The wheelbarrow has played a huge role across the last two thousands years in making humans work more efficiently, quickly, and safely, boosting our productivity immensely.  The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings...

Quarter-Arsed History presents: a retelling of the story of Olga of Kyiv, first featured in episode four (get across it) - a tale that involves plenty of blood, guts, and 'orrible murder for all to enjoy. The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy...

In this week's episode, meet the Prussian king Frederick the Great for the second time in this podcast's history, with a "remastered" version of the first episode ever released. The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings:...

Paper has spent the last two thousand years becoming more and more popular and important to us as a civilisation - and the "paperless" world they say we're heading into is, in fact, anything but.  The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy fro...

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the podcast's first-ever Ask Me Anything episode, featuring answers to questions sent in by alert listeners about everything from how the podcast is produced to embarrassing anecdotes. The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-orde...

In this week's episode, meet Niccolo Machiavelli, the father of political science, and learn how his writing helped to shape today's global political landscape.  The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings: AU/NZ (aff...

The Arch was a crucially important architectural innovation that unlocked all new buildings and forms, allowing buildings to be built larger and taller than ever before.  The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings: A...

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of Victor Lustig, a conman who managed to scam someone into buying the Eiffel Tower - potentially more than once. The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings: AU/NZ (affiliate link...

In this week's episode, get across a crisis that posed a potentially existential threat to official international cricket in the 1970s, when media mogul Kerry Packer established a private, unofficial cricketing competition known as World Series Cricket. The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and...

Coinage has supported local, regional, and global economies for millennia, ever since we figured out that having a convenient way to store and transfer value was actually a pretty good idea. The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia...

Quarter-Arsed History presents: a brief (and woefully inadequate) overview of humanity's maritime history - from prehistoric wooden canoes to mighty oceangoing container ships. The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings:...

In this week's episode, get to know Xerxes I of the Achaemenid Empire, and think about why his historical legacy is perceived in the way that it is today.  The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings: AU/NZ (affiliate...

Concrete is, unbelivably, the second-most-used substance in the world - second only to water - and has a truly fascinating history, its secrets lost to time for a millennia or so before re-emerging in the modern era. The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-orde...

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of how humanity mastered fire, and the many ways in which this changed us as a species - technologically, culturally, and even biologically. The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Read...

In this week's episode, meet Harriet Tubman, the US activist and abolitionist who aided countless enslaved people in securing their freedom before she went on to take part in the American Civil War.  The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy...