Versus History Podcast

Cricket as a game has a long, diverse and very interesting history. Infact, the history of the game continues to shape and sculpt it. However, developments such as the shorter format T20 game are becoming ever more popular. In this episode, cricket historian Rakesh Pathak (@RPathak1975) answers some of these key questions and many more! How did the British Empire spread and shape cricket? How has...

INTERVIEW WITH LIZ KESSLER ABOUT HER NEW HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK, WHEN THE WORLD WAS OURS Bestselling author Liz Kessler talks to co-editor Elliott about her fantastic new historical fiction book, When The World Was Ours. Inspired by the true story of her father’s escape from Nazi-occupied Europe, When The World Was Ours, takes the reader through the increasingly tragic course of Nazi anti-Semitis...

In this episode, we interview historian Andrew Chatterton, who is a volunteer at the Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team (CART). CART (@staybehinds) researches the Auxiliary Units and Special Duties Branch in Britain during the Second World War. Both groups, made up of civilian volunteers, were trained to hold up any German invasion of the British Isles. Researchers from CART look into their activit...

In this episode, we interview Peter Millar, who is an award-winning journalist, author and translator. Born in Co. Down. Ireland, Peter read French and Russian at Oxford, lived in Paris and then Brussels as a reporter for Reuters. In early 1981, at the age of 26, he was sent as correspondent to East Berlin and then to Moscow, where he lived three years, from the death of Brezhnev to the rise of Go...

Emeritus Professor in American Studies, Jon Roper, puts Donald Trump’s presidency in historical perspective and offers his expert insights into the 2020 presidential election. Professor Roper covers comparisons to previous presidents, explains his interpretation of what Trump calls ‘21st century presidential’, offers his views on the Electoral College, and much more.

In this interview with Damien Lewis - Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author - we discuss the fascinating role of the SAS in WW2. For twenty years Damien worked as a war and conflict reporter for the world’s major broadcasters, reporting across Africa, South America, the Middle East and Far East winning numerous awards. Several of his books are being made into feature films and his books have been t...

In October 1953, Vice President Richard Nixon embarked on a precedent-setting tour of the countries of South and South East Asia. The newly elected republican President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, reinvented the office of the Vice Presidency by elevating it from a nominal and ceremonial position to one of unprecedented responsibility in US foreign policy. Nixon’s core remit was to reinforce, consolidat...

This week we interview Professor Carlton F.W. Larson on the History of Treason in America and his brand new book, 'On Treason: A Citizen's Guide to the Law'. Treason — the only crime specifically defined in the United States Constitution — is routinely described by judges as more heinous than murder. Today, the term is regularly tossed around by politicians and pundits on both sides of the aisle....

In this episode of @VersusHistory podcast, we interview Kevin Jackson, the author of the new Audible book 'LEGION: Thirteen Ways Of Looking At Lawrence Of Arabia'. The book is a captivating and revealing novel, that explores the unknown life of Lawrence of Arabia in a quest to understand his genius. Kevin Jackson has previously worked as a teacher, director, broadcaster on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radi...

In this episode, we interview Historian David Gessner (@DavidGessner), the author of the new book ‘LEAVE IT AS IT IS: A Journey Through Theodore Roosevelt’s American Wilderness’, published by Simon & Schuster. David is the author of eleven books that blend a love of nature, humor, memoir, and environmentalism, including the New York Times-bestselling 'All the Wild That Remains: Edward Abbey, W...

In this episode of the @VersusHistory Podcast, we are delighted to interview Thomas Levenson, Professor of Science Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His new book ‘Money for Nothing' is the remarkable tale of the world’s first-ever financial crash, which took place 300 years ago, in the year 1720. It tells the captivating stories of a host of entertaining characters who be...

In the 100th episode of the @VersusHistory Podcast, we are joined by author Richard Kreitner to discuss his brand new book 'BREAK IT UP: Secession, Division, and the Secret History of America’s Imperfect Union' published by Little, Brown and Company. We discuss a range of issues in the podcast, including the origins of political union in America, the threats that the union has faced throughout his...

In this exciting episode, we interview Professor Victoria de Grazia, who is the Moore Collegiate Professor of History at the Ivy League's Columbia University and a founding editor of Radical History Review. Her widely translated, prizewinning books include Irresistible Empire: America’s Advance through Twentieth-Century Europe and How Fascism Ruled Women. She has received the Woodrow Wilson, Jean...

In this episode of the @VersusHistory Podcast, we interview Charles Freeman, who is a specialist on the ancient world and its legacy. He has worked on archaeological digs on the continents surrounding the Mediterranean and develops study tour programs in Italy, Greece, and Turkey. Freeman is Historical Consultant to the Blue Guides series and the author of numerous books, including the bestseller...

Dr Miranda Malins (@MirandaMalins) is a writer and historian specialising in the history of Oliver Cromwell, his family and the politics of the Interregnum period following the Civil Wars. She studied at Cambridge University, leaving with a PhD, and continues to speak at conferences and publish journal articles and book reviews, as well as being a Trustee of the Cromwell Association. Her brand new...

In this exciting episode of the @VersusHistory Podcast, we are joined by Dr Kirsteen MacKenzie (@kirsteenMM) for an interview on the focus of her book, The Solemn League and Covenant of the Three Kingdoms and the Cromwellian Union 1643-1663 (Routledge: London, 2017). In the interview, Kirsteen discusses a range of issues in depth related to Cromwell's tenure as Lord Protector, the English Civil Wa...

The Asian Flu pandemic of 1957–1958 was a global pandemic of influenza A virus subtype H2N2 which originated in Guizhou, China and killed over 1 million people worldwide. It had a significant impact on Britain, the United States of America and many other countries around the world. Given the current Covid-19 context, this topic is particularly pertinent and important. In this episode, Dr Dave Brow...

Netflix has emerged as a premier provider of streaming televisual content in recent years. From its base on the creative West Coast on the USA, millions of subscribers regularly enjoy its content, from films to dramas to documentaries. The question posed by the @VersusHistory Editors today is 'Netflix: is it good for History?' The team offer and cite a range of diverse examples, from 'WW2 in Colou...

In this exciting episode, the @VersusHistory team were delighted to welcome Historian and pioneering History Teacher Scott Allsop (@MrAllsopHistory) to the podcast to discuss his work with @History_Pod, the daily History podcast series and his two fascinating books, '366 Days' and 'Another 366 Days'. In this episode, Scott discusses a range of factors that are of critical interest to anyone with a...

In this episode the @versushistory team spoke to Donny O'Rourke about the events of the Battle of George Square. This violent confrontation between police officers and Glaswegian workers striking in support of a 40-hour working week, took place on January 31st 1919 and the UK government would send 10,000 troops and 6 tanks to Glasgow as a result. The events of the day were the inspiration for Donn...

In this episode, the @VersusHistory team interviewed Ra Page, the Editor of a new book entitled 'Resist: Stories of Uprising', published by @commapress. The book is a very interesting one, inasmuch as it fuses the realm of non-fiction and fiction while evaluating a range of uprisings and rebellions in Britain, ranging from Boudica's Uprising to the Battle of Cable Street to the Tottenham Riot to G...

Beer has a very, very long history. It is amongst the oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic tipples in the world today. Find out how the first canning of this drink in 1935 has changed world history, as well as the high street. Moreover, find out how 'real ale' and craft beer has changed the habits of drinkers in recent years. For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com

During the Montgomery Bus Boycott, African Americans in refused to ride city buses in a protest against segregated seating. The boycott took place from December 5, 1955, to December 20, 1956 in Montgomery, Alabama and was precipitated by the actions of Rosa Parks, when she refused to vacate her seat to a white passenger. The Boycott launched a figure to the centre of public consciousness - Dr. Mar...

Happy Holidays from all here @VersusHistory! Can you remember the Xmas Number 1 Chart Hits from years gone by? Do you know what toys, gadgets and gifts were the 'must have' from the festive periods of yesteryear? In this special holiday episode, the @VersusHistory team explore the song and toy ghosts from Christmas past. For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com

In this podcast, co-editor Elliott gives us a brief history of the genre-defining piece of action cinema that is Die Hard. He looks at the historical origin of the term ‘die hard’, through to the impact the film had on cinema, as well as a weighing-up of the key question: Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? All via a seminal piece of music by Run DMC. “Ho, ho, ho...now I have a machine gun”. For terms...