Versus History Podcast

Queen Elizabeth I - daughter of Henry VIII and Ann Boleyn - reigned from 1558 to 1603 as Queen of England. Elizabeth was not the first woman to rule as Queen in her own right, but she is perhaps one of the most historically significant English sovereigns of all time. Elizabeth never married, preferring instead to rule alone under the moniker ‘The Virgin Queen’, but she was linked to many potential...

King Richard III was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1483 until his defeat and death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, to the forces of Henry Tudor (who became King Henry VII until his death in 1509). Richard III was the last king of the House of York and also the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, was the decisive battle of the Wars of the Ros...

The Versus History Editors and Guests discuss the key achievements of 2018 and their favourite episodes and blog posts. A few jokes are thrown in along the way, along with the vision for 2019. Happy Holidays and all the best for 2019! Please visit www.versushistory.com for terms of use.

The Gallipoli Campaign of 1915-1916 during World War One resulted in a defeat for Britain, France and the British Empire against the Ottoman Empire. The Allies sought to capture control of the Dardanelles, to weaken the Ottomans and ultimately open a supply route to Russia. The Allies launched a large naval attack, followed by an amphibious landing on the peninsula, which was ultimately rebuffed b...

This special episode celebrates the launch of Co-Editor Elliott's (@thelibrarian6) new book, entitled 'Blowing Up The Nazis'. The book contains a treasure trove of historical information on the Nazis. Think you know everything there is to know about the Nazis? Think again. Do you know what a Beefsteak Nazi is? Were you aware that the Holocaust can be traced back to the murder of one German baby? D...

The Mary Rose is probably the best-known ship of the Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. She served for 33 years, performing a wide variety of roles, before sinking in battle in the English Solent in 1545. The Mary Rose was rediscovered in 1971 and was raised in 1982. She is currently on display in Portsmouth. As well as being a relic of the Tudor period, she has also provided an invaluable insight int...

The TV series Gossip Girl is one of the most popular offerings on the Netflix platform. Set in Manhattan’s exclusive Upper East Side, Gossip Girl features characters such as the young, wealthy socialite Serena van der Woodsen and her similarly wealthy friend, Blair Waldorf. While many people will be familiar with the various trials and tribulations of the main protagonists in the show, perhaps few...

The history of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) dates back to 1884, as the organisation that codified the various Gaelic Games, including Gaelic Football and Hurling. However, the origins and roots of the various games go back much, much further and could not be more historically significant to the history of Ireland and its people. Today, Gaelic Football is widely popular in Ireland and is p...

British control of the Thirteen Colonies of North America formally ended in 1783. Evacuation Day on 25 November 1783 marked the departure of British forces from New York, following the Declaration of Independence in 1776. However, the American Revolutionary War started in 1775, with the ‘shot that rang around the world’ on Lexington Green, when a contingent of British Redcoats exchanged fire with...

The UK Garage scene is well known for its most famous stars. Craig David, So Solid Crew, Artful Dodger, DJ Spoony, Misteeq, DJ EZ, MJ Cole, DJ Luck and MC Neat can all be counted amongst those who became household names during the apex of UK Garage's popularity between 1998-2002. With its origins as a 'Sunday Scene' and as the soundtrack of pirate radio in the mid-late 1990s, UK Garage came a long...

Henry VIII reigned from 1509 to 1547. He is well known for having six wives, breaking with the Roman Catholic Church in Rome and for dissolving the Catholic monasteries. Indeed, the passage of the 1534 Act of Supremacy meant that the incumbent English monarch - rather than the Pope in Rome - was now the Head of the English Church. However, what combination of factors ultimately resulted in Henry V...

Superhero characters are a key feature of many cinematic and cartoon productions. Perhaps none are more instantaneously recognisable than Superman, also known as Clark Kent and Kal-El. Originating from the planet Krypton, he first appeared in a comic back in 1938. Just as interestingly, Superman has a long and varied history, both as a character construct and in the ways that he has been depicted...

Part Two! Australia's history as an outpost of the British Empire formally began in 1788 with the arrival at Botany Bay of the First Fleet. Australia was initially a British penal colony. With the loss of the Thirteen Colonies in North America, Britain needed a new location to transport its convicts. Australia was to be that place. Australia and her white settler population developed politically,...

Australia's history as an outpost of the British Empire formally began in 1788 with the arrival at Botany Bay of the First Fleet. Australia was initially a British penal colony. With the loss of the Thirteen Colonies in North America, Britain needed a new location to transport its convicts. Australia was to be that place. Australia and her white settler population developed politically, economical...

Following the armistice that ended WW1 on 11 November 1918, the victorious allies came together at the Palace of Versailles to discuss how Germany should be treated. The Paris Peace Conference was quickly dominated by the leaders of the USA, Great Britain and France: Woodrow Wilson, David Lloyd George, and Georges Clemenceau - aka the ‘Big Three’. They had very different views as to what they want...

HMT Empire Windrush is one of the most significant vessels in British history. In 1948, the Empire Windrush safely navigated the Atlantic Ocean, having started its journey in the Caribbean and concluding its voyage at Tilbury Docks in South-East England. The passengers were from the Caribbean; they were looking to find homes and work in Britain, as the whole of the UK underwent a rebuilding proces...

Jamestown in the 'New World' was settled by the English in 1607. However, the episode that has gone down as the most significant in early British North America is the voyage of the Mayflower in 1620, from England to America. Some of its passengers were intent on establishing a 'New World' along religious lines in America, to live in a 'godly' fashion, away from the corruptions of the 'old world'....

Dr Carrie Gibson (@carrieegibson) is a leading scholar & esteemed expert on the history of the Caribbean. Carrie has served as a journalist for the Guardian and the Observer; her work has also featured in the New York Times, in addition to BBC Radio 4. Dr Carrie Gibson's book 'Empire's Crossroads' is an academic - yet entirely accessible and captivating - tour de force on the varied history of...

Gertrude Bell, CBE (1868 – 1926) is a woman that many people have never heard of. Many people, however, have heard of her colleague T.E Lawrence, a.k.a 'Lawrence of Arabia'. However, Gertrude's life and work deserve recognition. Gertrude was a writer, explorer and archaeologist; she spent a significant proportion of her life establishing and cultivating links and with the populations of the Arabic...

1775-1848 was a turbulent period in global history. Revolution took place in - but was not limited to - the United States of America, with the Declaration of Independence in 1776. In addition, the island of Haiti was able to rebel successfully against its French colonial overlord. France itself witnessed the execution of its monarchy in this period. The Peterloo Massacre in England perhaps indicat...

The moniker 'Jack the Ripper' is familiar across the world. History students from all continents have studied the Whitechapel Murders of 1888, highlighting the sustained historical significance of the killings which occurred during the reign of Queen Victoria. The murder of five prostitutes from East London caused mass hysteria and terror, put the spotlight on the socio-economic conditions of Lond...

Soccer / Football has deep roots in English society, dating back to the Tudor times when people used the bladder of a pig filled with sawdust, in a game played between different villages. The more recent English Football Association was formed in 1863, which aimed to unite and codify the different variants of the game being played in England. Since then, the English Football Association has evolve...

Democracy has a long and varied history as a political concept. The history of democracy in ancient Athens in Greece is a fascinating subject which has enticed scholars of Politics, History and Classical Civilizations for many centuries. The concept of (some!) people participating in the process of political decision making and sharing the levers of power is one that we return to again and again....

In 2003, Saddam Hussein's Iraq was invaded by allied forces, including Great Britain. The British RAF played a significant role in undertaking that invasion, including preparing the way for British ground troops. In this episode, former Squadron Leader of the RAF Ian Davies discusses his experiences in Iraq in 2003. For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com

The Great Depression caused significant economic and social hardship across the world in the 1930s. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 had triggered a deep and protracted economic downturn that lasted well into the 1930s. America was particularly hard hit during this time. In the United States of America, President Roosevelt launched a vast and unprecedented programme of federal government intervention...