Present History Podcast

Stirling first encountered Lewes in Cairo, where Lewes had already distinguished himself as a disciplined, thoughtful officer, sceptical of Stirling’s audacious but half-formed ideas. Yet Lewes saw in Stirling’s reckless vision the seed of something that could be made workable, and together they began shaping the outline of a force that would strike deep behind enemy lines. Mayne entered the pictu...

When people think of the Special Air Service, names like David Stirling or Paddy Mayne often dominate the conversation. Yet behind those celebrated figures was another man, often overlooked, whose intellect, vision, and daring helped shape the very foundations of Britain’s most famous special forces unit: John Steel "Jock" Lewes. To understand the SAS’s origins fully, one must place Lewes at the c...

The year 1066 is etched deeply into the English imagination. Hastings, Harold, and William the Conqueror are familiar names, tied to a story of ambition, betrayal, and the seismic shift that followed the Norman Conquest. Recently, the television series King & Conqueror has attempted to dramatise this defining moment. But how well does it succeed? Is it faithful to the facts of history, or does...

When we think of elite military units today, the Special Air Service (SAS) stands at the forefront—a name synonymous with daring raids, stealth, and extraordinary courage. But the SAS had a beginning, and it began with one man: David Stirling. A tall, charismatic, and unconventional soldier, Stirling transformed modern warfare with his vision of small, highly trained units operating deep behind en...

Copyright Disclaimer: This video contains copyrighted material from the television series Peaky Blinders. All rights to Peaky Blinders, including its footage, characters, and music, are owned by Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd and Tiger Aspect Productions, and are distributed by BBC Studios. The use of this material is for educational and commentary purposes only and is used under the principles o...

On the morning of May 8, 1945, radios crackled with the sound of history. Across Europe and beyond, people gathered around wireless sets in kitchens, town halls, and barracks, listening to the news they had longed for through six relentless years: the war in Europe was over. Nazi Germany had surrendered. Victory in Europe Day—VE Day—had come. The joy was immediate, but it was also uncertain, the e...

Behind the legend of St George lies a real man - an elite Roman soldier, a bold Christian martyr, and a symbol of resistance that echoed through the Crusades to modern England. In this gripping dive into history, we uncover the truth behind the dragon, the myths, and the man who became a national icon. Was there ever a real dragon? Why did a Middle Eastern martyr become England’s patron saint? The...

In the gritty, lawless underworld of Victorian London, few names inspired as much fear and admiration as Hezekiah Moscow, Sugar Goodson, and Mary Carr. This episode delves into the raw, untamed world of bare-knuckle boxing, high-stakes crime, and gang warfare. It follows the legendary bout between Moscow - the cunning, fleet-footed Jamaican fighter - and Goodson, the one-eyed bruiser who ruled the...

From his early days as a brilliant sportsman and scholar in Northern Ireland to his rise as one of the most decorated and feared special forces leaders of the Second World War, Lieutenant Colonel Robert ‘Paddy’ Mayne embodied a rare blend of raw physicality, intellectual depth, and unbreakable spirit. His journey from rugby pitches to battlefields, from courtrooms to clandestine raids deep behind...

Every March 17th, the world dons green, raises a glass, and celebrates Saint Patrick’s Day. But behind the shamrocks, leprechauns, and parades lies a remarkable story of a man whose life was more profound than the legends he inspired. The real Saint Patrick was a sinner, a slave, a missionary, and a man whose unwavering faith transformed a nation. His journey from captivity to compassion, from suf...

How do you win a world war? How do you liberate a city overrun with an overwhelming number of enemy soldiers? How do you take out a fortress perching on a cliff-edge, behind enemy lines? How do you escape a prisoner of war camp? How do you stop a fleet of enemy planes before they take to the skies? Sometimes, it takes those we might call ‘crazy’. That rare-breed of people with low risk aversion, a...

It has never failed to deliver drama, intensity and truly lives up to the reputation as the longest lasting and greatest rivalry in international football. Here's a short history of the oldest rivalry in football: England vs Scotland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the story of the little island of the coast of England: Britain's little companion. From its earliest geographical formation, to the Second World War, this island has seen occupations and invasions, kings and queens, uprisings, bombings, war and peace; saints and sinners, devils and angels. This is a short history of the Isle of Wight: Britain's little friend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

Music has always been able to elicit powerful emotional reactions in its listeners, and this was utilised to an impressive degree by those artistes and music halls that rallied to the war effort. They were a successful means by which to drive recruitment, and helped mobilise a generation of men to fight ‘The War to End All Wars’. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did our cultural identity come about? How were myths, legends and stories of British history used to form, impact, and, in many ways, control British cultural identity? By looking at the myths of King Arthur and St George, Zachary Peatling explores the construction of British Cultural Identity, and how it was weaponised during the First World War. Recorded live at Chalke History Festival 2024....

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. This is a history of Britain through the stories of 15 women, and maybe a couple more too.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Singing Hymns Until Death: The Joy of the British Martyrs | Zachary Peatling | Live at Chalke Valley History Festival 2023 In this talk, recorded live at Chalke Valley History Festival 2023, Zachary Peatling investigates the stories of some of Britain's protestant martyrs, getting to the core of how, why, they could go to their deaths with a sense of joy and hope. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pr...

Although she is not often remembered or celebrated, it is difficult to overstate the importance of Æthelflæd and her rule. She was pivotal as a founding mother of England, and ruled with cunning, power and success. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Zachary Peatling had the opportunity to sit down with Philip K. Allan, a critically acclaimed naval historian and author. Check out Philip: http://philipkallan.com https://twitter.com/PhilipKAllan Follow Zachary: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zacharypeatling Website: https://www.presenthistory.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this very special episode, Zachary Peatling had the opportunity to sit down with Hannah Greig, an eighteenth-century historian and TV/film historical consultant who’s worked on the likes of Poldark, Bridgerton and The Favourite, and has a wildly successful podcast of her own, the Historical Film Club with Alex von Tunzelmann. Follow Hannah: https://twitter.com/Hannah_Greig https://twitter.com/H...

In this episode, Zachary Peatling had the chance to sit down with Grace Beattie, a public historian and podcaster, to chat about her podcast, Wicked Women . It also includes a very exciting announcement: Wicked Women: The Podcast is joining the Present History network! They were adulterers, murderers, mistresses, religious zealots, thieves, and traitors. They were queens, wives, mothers, young, an...

Welcome to the Present History Podcast! We have a very special episode today, as we are with Stephen Bourne, an award-winning and critically acclaimed writer and social historian. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whisky has been a staple of Scottish culture for hundreds of years. And, to the Scottish people, whisky is more than just a drink. As literary historian David Daiches once wrote: “The proper drinking of Scotch whisky is more than indulgence: it is a toast to civilisation, a tribute to the continuity of culture, a manifesto of man’s determination to use the resources of nature to refresh mind and b...

2022 was a tumultuous and potentially disastrous year for the institution of the Prime Minister. The trust in the position had been undermined, the ability of the structure of British government brought into question and the office made into a hollow shell of the power and authority it was meant to yield.  In many ways, the sentiment towards the institution of the Prime Minister in 2022 was r...

After 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II has passed away. With the end of the longest reign in British history, comes the end of an era. She had become more than just a queen. In many ways, she had become the figurehead for Britain itself. She encapsulated many of the things that represent ‘Britishness’. She was was a stalwart believer in duty, responsibility and faith. She was guided by h...