Willy Willy Harry Stee...

In this edition of his Summer History Book Reading Club, Charlie Higson invites Amy Licence back to the podcast to talk about her new book, The Sixteenth Century in 100 Women.  As part of her self-confessed mission to shine a light on forgotten but important women in history, Amy has scoured the records from Europe and beyond to tell the stories of mistresses and martyrs, witches and muses, pirat...

As the summer sun beats down......probably..... Charlie Higson brings you another great historical book to get your sunglasses into. The Light Ages by Seb Falk, A Medieval Journey Of Discovery. It's easy to form an impression of how backward and ignorant everybody was in the Middle Ages, BUT in his book, Seb explores the time through the life of an extraordinary monk, John of Westwick and he uncov...

In this episode of  Charlie Higson's Summer Reading History Book Club,  we're edging away from the Fourteenth Century and the Wars of The Roses. Well, when I say edging, I mean hurtling, as we reach the 20th, and indeed the 21st Century, to a group of young men whose impact on culture and society, fashion and of course music is pretty hard to overstate. In Stuart Maconie’s new book,&nbsp...

How's the summer reading going? Well, today's episode of The Willy Willy Harry Stee Summer Reading History Book Club features a book that will grip you from start to finish, one definitely worth adding to your suitcase. The book is Sceptred Isle and the author chatting to Charlie Higson  is Helen Carr who's been a guest on the show a few times. Helen's big interest is the Middle Ages and her...

In this episode of  The Summer History Reading Book Club, Charlie Higson  is talking to  Tom Phillips , author of a series of very funny books known as the ‘Brief History’ series. These books include  Humans - A Brief History of How We Fucked It All Up  which was published in 2018. He followed this up with  Truth - A Brief History of Total Bullshit,  in 2019 – an...

Yes, Summer is here and for many, that means a break and the chance to dig into a good book. In this special set of episodes, to run through July and August, Charlie Higson delves headfirst into some of the current crop of history books and invites the authors onto the podcast. In 1603 England was on the edge of crisis. Queen Elizabeth I had died, bringing the Tudor line to an end. Enter King Jame...

In this episode, Charlie Higson digs into the dark world of a man sometimes called the first serial killer. Gilles de Rais was accused of, and eventually confessed to some awful, depraved crimes, and this was a man who was a companion in arms of Joan of Arc! At his trial, he was hanged for the murder of 140 children, both young men and women, killed for sexual pleasure and to help him in satanic r...

In this episode, Charlie Higson shines a light on the life of Margaret Beaufort, a really extraordinary woman who was a major figure in the Wars Of The Roses of the late 15th century, and mother of Henry VII the first Tudor monarch. But she was so much more than that, and became instrumental in orchestrating the rise to power of the Tudor dynasty. To help Charlie tell her incredible...

In this brand-new episode of Willy Willy Harry Stee Charlie Higson is looking at Jasper Tudor. Although he's a name that doesn't spring to many people's lips in everyday conversation, he is a fascinating and important character, describing himself as brother and uncle of kings, his nephew being Henry VII, father of the most infamous Tudor of them all, Henry VIII. To help Charlie unwrap Jasper's li...

In this episode, Charlie Higson is heading into the barrel. No, not to scrape the bottom of it, but to talk about George Duke of Clarence. If you know anything about him, the one fact is probably that he was famously drowned on the orders of his own brother in a barrel of Malmsy wine. But why? Well that is the question Charlie is going to be answering in this episode and to help him, he welcomes b...

In this episode, Charlie Higson delves into the life of a fascinating woman, Cecily Neville, daughter of Ralph Neville, wife of Richard, Duke Of York. As a Neville, she was a member of one of the most powerful families in the Kingdom and she had an extraordinary life. The youngest of her father's 22 children, she went on to have 12 children of her own, two of whom became King of England. Helping u...

As Charlie Higson continues his canter through history, he lands on Margaret Of Anjou, t he powerful French woman who fought so hard for her husband, Henry VI when his rule was challenged in the Wars of the roses, and was called by Shakespeare "The She Wolf of France", in Henry VI part III. As ever though, historical research tells a different story of a woman who was a better leader than man...

Whan that aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of march hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licour Of which vertu engendred is the flour; These lines, although difficult to understand, are from a key work in English literature. They have endured today, in part, thanks to a man called William Caxton, who chose a book called 'The Canterbury Tales' as the first book to be p...

In this brand new episode of Willy Willy Harry Stee, Charlie Higson takes in the historical view from across the pond. What do Americans think of English history and how much do they know about it? Are they really obsessed with the Royal Family? And Henry VIII? is the UK's thirst for history echoed over the Atlantic? To help Charlie get some insight into the American historical mindset, he's joine...

Henry V wasn't on the throne that long, BUT his big military gains in the Hundred Years War against France helped England position itself as one of the strongest military powers in Europe. So why would we be interested in his little brother, John? Well, quite simply, Henry V couldn't have achieved all he did without him! Supremely loyal, a great administrator and soldier, Henry relied heavily on h...

When you think of Oxford University, what springs to mind. A serious yet peaceful seat of learning, full of people in robes with nothing more on their minds than the study of Latin or Theology. Certainly not a place of murder, of people being thrown into wells or drowned in privies!??!? Well, that’s just what Charlie Higson thought of it too, until that is, he studied the life of John Wycliffe in...

Happy Easter! Right, that's enough of that, it's time to think about Christmas. It's a tricky time of year, knowing what to buy for friends and family. BUT, Good News, Charlie Higson has solved all your problems by writing Willy Willy Harry Stee - An Epically Short History Of Our Kings & Queens Yes, it's the book of the podcast and even better, you can pre-order your copy by clicking the link...

We're still in the 14th century and in this episode, Charlie Higson is looking at the confusion that ensued after Edward III basically had too many sons. His success in the bedroom created a tangled web of family intrigue, thwarted ambition and bitter rivalry that led to Richard II's cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, kicking him off the throne and taking over.  Assisting Charlie through this quagmir...

As Charlie Higson guides us through some of the fascinating folk who litter English history, he lands upon John Wycliffe, an academic, a philosopher, a priest, a preacher and a religious reformer who lived during the reigns of Edward III and Richard II.  A passionate reformer, he was behind the first translation of the bible to into English – creating the so called Wycliffe bible - one that d...

As he continues his romp through English history, in this episode Charlie Higson looks at the life and work of Geoffrey Chaucer. A key figure in English social history and the history of English writing, Chaucer's greatest work is The Canterbury Tales , considered to be one of the pillars of English literature. Charlie and his guest help us understand.......in some cases literally....Chaucer's wor...

In this episode, Charlie Higson looks at the development of English music - what we know about its early history and the way the sound and styles developed from the kind of monastic chanting in unison you get in Monty Python through the introduction of polyphony and harmony, to the wonders of Thomas Tallis, the first great English composer  Assisting Charlie on his musical odyssey is Robert H...

In this episode, Charlie Higson delves into the life of a 12 year old girl bride, who went on to rule England. Isabella of France led an invasion that ultimately resulted in the deposition of her King and husband,  Edward II , in January 1327. Isabella is a fascinating character and assisting Charlie to understand her motivation and drive, we welcome the bestselling historian Alison Weir, aut...

In this episode, Charlie Higson uncovers a bromance. In fact he uncovers TWO bromances, both involving King Edward II. If the names Piers Gaveston and Hugh Despencer don't mean anything to you now, listen on, for it is a tale of male bonding that ultimately ends in the death of two of the Kings best friends, people to whom he'd given way too much power. And what a death for one of them! Helping Ch...

In this episode,  Charlie Higson  heads north of the border. Joined by eminent Scottish historian  Alistair Moffat , Charlie discovers the truth behind  Macbeth  and tracks a path from him, (don't believe anything Shakespeare told you!), through to the decisive victory for  Robert The Bruce  at  The Battle Of Bannockburn. As well as the excellent stories he...

In this episode, Charlie Higson gets properly acquainted with the great knight and statesman, Simon De Montfort, who started out originally as one of Henry III's chief supporters but became increasingly enraged by how badly he thought Henry was running the country. Inevitably this led to wars and power struggles as de Montfort ended up leading the opposition to Henry as head of the baronial forces...