Half-Arsed History

Rubber has a history that is a lot longer than you might expect - it dates back over 3,500 years, to ancient Mesopotamia, and has had a long and interesting journey to become the commonplace material 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 yo...

Quarter-Arsed History presents: a brief history of stone tools, one of if not the oldest pieces of technology in history - so old, in fact, they predate humanity itself. 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 (...

In this week's episode, become familiar with 4,500 years of Greenlandic history, from the settlement of pre-Inuit, Norse, and Inuit peoples, through to the current importance it has in global affairs.  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 cop...

Glass, technically, may be a naturally-occuring material, but the way that humans have learn to create, shape, and change it over the millennia has had a strong influence on the way we live our lives - an influence that we take for granted. 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...

Quarter-Arsed History presents: a brief account of how a relatively minor colonial spat between Britain and Spain became known by one of the silliest names in history - the War of Jenkins' Ear. 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 Bookto...

In this week's episode, hear the tale of the mutiny on the Wager, when a group of sailors stranded off the South American coast rose up against their stubborn captain, leaving him for dead.  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 Book...

Soap has been used by humans for thousands and thousands of years to keep our things clean, and for hundreds and hundreds of years to keep our bodies clean. By most people, anyway. 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 Readin...

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the biggest cop-out episode in this podcast's entire history, one that involves Riley just reading out a week of entries from Samuel Pepys' diary. More like Eighth-Arsed History tbh 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 y...

In this week's episode, learn all about the Great Fire of London, which ripped through the city in 1666, turning it into a smoking ruin.  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): https://bo...

Writing is a transformative invention, enabling human development and advancement by offering language persistence and durability, creating a collective memory for humankind and transmitting meaning across time. 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 you...

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the supposed tale behind the creation of the poem Kubla Khan, one of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's most famous works.  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): h...

In this week's episode, meet Marco Polo, the famous Italian explorer, and learn all about his travels to the Far East.  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): https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net...

The plough is a humble and ancient invention that revolutionised agriculture around the world, helping to generate food surpluses that in turn enabled human development and technological advancement.  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: the tale of Ubre Blanca, a cow that rose to become a national icon in Cuba, a favourite of the Cuban leader at the time, Fidel Castro. 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...

In this week's episode, continue to learn the history of cricket, from its rise as an international sporting competition across the late 19th century to the popular, professional sport 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 Bo...

The wheel was and still is a revolutionary invention, transforming transportation, agriculture, and industry, while laying a technological foundation for countless other immensely significant innovations.  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...

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of Australia's first-ever international sporting tour, when in 1868 a group of indigenous Australians travelled all the way to England to play 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 Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Bookto...

In this week's episode, learn about the early origins of cricket, and its development from an informal childrens' game to a major sport played across the world, throughout the British Empire. 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 Booktopi...

Here is a brief retrospective on the Monuments series, including the reasoning behind the exclusion of some monuments, what went into making the series, and the biggest challenges in putting episodes together. 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...

This week's monument is the Sydney Opera House, one of the most famous and instantly-recognisable Australian landmarks, one that has graced the Sydney skyline since 1973. 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...

Quarter-Arsed History presents: a brief history of Santa Claus, and how he has emerged and developed as a central part of modern Christmas celebrations, with a multifaceted origin story that goes back 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 you...

In this week's episode, get across the history of Christmas, from its emergence as an early Christian festival co-opting existing celebrations, to the massive, worldwide event 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 o...

This week's monument is the Berlin Wall, an enormous, 155 kilometre-long wall that once divided the city of Berlin in two before its eventual fall in 1989. 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: Frank Shackleton and his potential connection with the theft of the Irish Crown Jewels - never conclusively proven, but nonetheless involving quite a few controversial and scandalous details. 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. P...

In this week's episode, meet the famed explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, who led the ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition into the Antarctic. 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): http...