The History Podcast

Where does the British love affair with tea begin? It all starts with a Portuguese princess…

In this first episode of Here For The History, Alice Loxton and Ben Henderson explore the origin story of the British love of tea. Starting with the first appearance of tea in England in the 1600s and its popularisation in the English royal court, the story takes a dark turn as the British East India Company seeks to break China’s monopoly on tea production leading to the Opium Wars and corporate espionage.

Here For The History is a new...

Ahead of England's 2026 World Cup match with Mexico, David Baddiel and Nick Robinson reflect on what it means to be an England Men's Football fan.

They discuss National Anthems and football songs, power vs the underdog, the emotionality of Football, Tuchel’s choice of players, the climate in the Azteca and how taking a penalty is like theatre, plus take questions from the audience.

In the last episode of his series on the history of the England Men's football team, David Baddiel looks at that most magical, and most tantalising of all things - hope.

Sixty Years of Hurt with David Baddiel' explores the meaning of England and Englishness through the history of the England Men’s Football team. This is a social and cultural history as much as a sporting one, examining the story England tells about itself and how it's changed, via the medium of the international game. In episode three, David tackles the ‘English disease’ of hooliganism and looks...

Sixty Years of Hurt with David Baddiel explores the meaning of England and Englishness through the history of the England Men’s Football team. This is a social and cultural history as much as a sporting one, examining the story England tells about itself and how it's changed, via the medium of the international game.

Having put it off as long as he possibly could, David devotes episode 5 to the collective and individual agonies of the the penalty shoot out.

The series delves deep into how national myths are both forged and reflected in the fa...

Sixty Years of Hurt with David Baddiel explores the meaning of England and Englishness through the history of the England Men’s Football team. This is a social and cultural history as much as a sporting one, examining the story England tells about itself and how it's changed, via the medium of the international game.

In Episode Four, David looks at the 1990s and 2000s. He sees how Italia 90 was a turning point for perceptions of the sport, before turning his attention to the glamour and promise of the 'golden generation' of English players and the subsequent sl...

Sixty Years of Hurt with David Baddiel' explores the meaning of England and Englishness through the history of the England Men’s Football team. This is a social and cultural history as much as a sporting one, examining the story England tells about itself and how it's changed, via the medium of the international game. In episode three, David tackles the ‘English disease’ of hooliganism and looks at how it was, if not cured, then certainly treated.

England fans are not defined by hooliganism, but it’s impossible to look at the story of the England team without...

'Sixty Years of Hurt with David Baddiel' explores the meaning of England and Englishness through the history of the England Men’s Football team. This is a social and cultural history as much as a sporting one, examining the story England tells about itself and how it's changed, via the medium of the international game.

In episode two, England v Mavericks, David shares a theory that he once unsuccessfully shared with England Manager, Terry Venables. England isn’t good at dealing with talent, specifically with maverick talent, talent that doesn’t play by the rules - the best k...

'Sixty Years of Hurt with David Baddiel' explores the meaning of England and Englishness through the history of the England Men’s Football team. This is a social and cultural history as much as a sporting one, examining the story England tells about itself and how it's changed, via the medium of the international game.

“Football is singularly the most important cultural institution in the country for defining Englishness” says Historian David Goldblatt, as the series begins looking at the most famous moment in English football – the world cup win in 1966. Comedian, writer and football fan, David Baddiel...

'Sixty Years of Hurt with David Baddiel' explores the meaning of England and Englishness through the history of the England Men’s Football team. This is a social and cultural history as much as a sporting one, examining the story England tells about itself and how it's changed, via the medium of the international game.

The series delves deep into how national myths are both forged and reflected in the fate of eleven young men with three lions on their shirts. It takes in the view from England’s sporting rivals, from Wales to Argentina, and asks what...

Jamie Bartlett asks why, in so many parts of modern life, fakery is no longer punished - it's rewarded. And why so many of us seem strangely unbothered by it.

After a show trial in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Aiden Aslin has been sentenced to death. He endures months on death row, where his days are filled with further propaganda videos and psychological torment. But in September 2022, his life takes an abrupt and unexpected turn: he is hooded, and led onto a truck, awaiting what his captors term a ‘Russian Surprise’.

After making his video with Aiden, Graham Phillips faces his own reckoning. Their story becomes big news in the UK, and possible legal consequences of Graham’s actions become all too real. Will he be able to...

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine begins in February 2022, and Aiden Aslin finds himself fighting on the frontline. After a desperate retreat towards the port city of Mariupol, Aiden spends six harrowing weeks defending the massive steelworks, the final sanctuary for Ukrainian forces. As food and ammunition ran out, Aiden is forced to make an agonizing choice.

Graham Philips was in the UK when the full-scale invasion began, but quickly makes it back to the Donbas to continue his reporting. And it is not long before he makes his biggest scoop to date: the interview with Aiden Aslin. 

Aiden Aslin and Graham Philips take very different routes to get to that prison in Donetsk in 2022 – but their journeys cemented their destinies in Ukraine.

For Aiden, his evolution from young truant to soldier takes place in the crucible of war in Syria – volunteering for the free Kurdish forces fighting against ISIS. But after trouble with the British state on his return, another conflict called: Ukraine. Aiden’s time fighting in the Donbas war confirms his commitment to the country, and leads to him being at the heart of some terrifying events.

Meanwhile, Graham is becomi...

Donetsk, April 2022. Two men find themselves face to face in a prison building. One is a prisoner of war, captured fighting for Ukraine. The other is a self-styled independent journalist, filming an interview for his online audience.  But these two men are not Ukrainian. They’re British – and they were both born in Nottingham.

Graham Philips had been documenting the growing war in the East of Ukraine since 2014, amassing thousands of followers keen to see the war from what appears to be a pro-Russian viewpoint. Aiden Aslin had been fighting for Ukraine since 2018, but was captured not long a...

Aiden Aslin from Nottingham had been fighting for Ukraine since 2018. Graham Phillips, from the same British city, was a self-styled ‘independent journalist’ filming the war up close since 2014, from a viewpoint that appears to be sympathetic to Russia. But just months after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the pair had a chilling encounter in a prison in the occupied city of Donetsk. Aiden was now a prisoner of war, and Graham was his interviewer. The 44 minute video filmed by Graham Phillips was uploaded to YouTube - changing both of their lives forever.

Two Nottingham Lads begins with this...

Augusto Pinochet is woken by his nurse around midnight and a few minutes later finds a handful of British police officers at the foot of his bed, with an international warrant for his arrest.

The dictator is furious, as are his supporters, but among his victims and their families there is joy and relief.

His arrest is unprecedented and is hailed by human rights campaigners as a landmark moment - a "wake-up call to tyrants around the world" - but will the general actually face justice?

The Arrest is presented by Philippe Sands. ...

When the Spanish judge pursuing Augusto Pinochet learns the dictator is about to leave London - for the safety of Chile - much sooner than expected, he makes a snap decision that will have enormous international consequences.

He needs Spain's legal machinery to act, but there's one big problem - it's a Friday afternoon, and almost everyone at Madrid's National Court has gone home for the weekend.

The Arrest is presented by Philippe Sands The series producer is Simon Tulett The editor is Matt Willis

Augusto Pinochet won't be in London for much longer, so the lawyer leading the case against the dictator needs to act fast if he is to secure the help of the UK authorities. But the Spanish judge in charge of the investigation is moving too slowly.

Meanwhile, there are powerful figures in the Spanish legal establishment trying to block the case, and the former Chilean dictator himself - now aware of the moves being made against him - has been applying pressure to shut it down.

So the lawyer takes a professional risk and looks...

When diplomat Carmelo Soria doesn't come home from work in July 1976 his wife, Laura, fears the worst. Augusto Pinochet has been in power in Chile for almost three years and the disappearances of his political opponents have become hard to ignore.

The Spaniard's body is found, floating in a Santiago canal, two days later. The police say he'd had a car accident, but his widow is convinced he'd been kidnapped, tortured, and murdered.

When, 20 years later, she meets a Spanish lawyer building a complaint against Pinochet, the legal case against the former dictator finds a...

As Augusto Pinochet recovers from minor surgery in London in October 1998, a lawyer for his victims races to seize an unlikely opportunity to bring the Chilean dictator to justice.

The general, who seized power in a military coup in 1973, is thought to be responsible for orchestrating the execution of more than 3,000 political opponents, and the torture, kidnapping and disappearance of 40,000 more. Until this point he has been untouchable - safe from prosecution in Chile, and protected by diplomatic immunity abroad.

Two Spanish lawyers have spent the last few years building a case against him, and...

When Augusto Pinochet visits London for minor surgery, a small team of lawyers races to seize an unlikely chance to catch the Chilean dictator and, perhaps, bring him to justice.

The Eisners prized art work, Eisenwalzwerk, depicting a huge steel factory, was stolen under the Nazis. "Eisenwalzwerk," Antony says, "is the ultimate representation of the Eisners. And its story was the story of my family." Can Antony get it back and bring it home? And in this final episode, he gathers his family to tell them what he's discovered about their past. The House at Number 48 is presented by Charlie Northcott. The series producer is Jim Frank. Sound design and mixing by Tom Brignell. The Editor is Matt Willis.

We meet the descendants of Martin Hartig who are still living in the House at Number 48 today. How much of their family's past did they know about? And what has its legacy meant for them and the younger generation?

The House at Number 48 is presented by Charlie Northcott. The series producer is Jim Frank. Sound design and mixing by Tom Brignell. The Editor is Matt Willis.

After 80 years since losing a huge and grand property in Germany which used to belonged to his family, Antony sets off to confront the people who now own The House at Number 48.

The House at Number 48 is presented by Charlie Northcott. The series producer is Jim Frank. Sound design and mixing by Tom Brignell. The Editor is Matt Willis.

Antony tries to find out what became of his family's business empire and properties. To help him he hires a brilliant young researcher, Yana Slovona. Within weeks, she has made some startling discoveries.

The House at Number 48 is presented by Charlie Northcott. The series producer is Jim Frank. Sound design and mixing by Tom Brignell. The Editor is Matt Willis.

In July 1939, industrialist Rudolph Eisner, his wife Hildegard and their two young children arrive in the small port city of Harwich in England. Life as Germans in the Uk was tough. But what of Antony's relatives who stayed on in Germany, what became of them?

The House at Number 48 is presented by Charlie Northcott. The series producer is Jim Frank. Sound design and mixing by Tom Brignell. The Editor is Matt Willis.

Antony Easton's relatives, the Eisners were one of the richest Jewish families in Berlin. The patriarch, Rudolph Eisner, has done everything he possibly could to steer them safely through the rise of the Nazis. But now, as the net finally closes in, what will they do?

The House at Number 48 is presented by Charlie Northcott. The series producer is Jim Frank. Sound design and mixing by Tom Brignell. The Editor is Matt Willis.

As the net closes in on the Eisners, Antony's grandfather, Rudolph, has come up with an ingenious plan to save his family and their business empire. Will it work? And who is this mysterious man who enters the lives of the Eisners? Is he a friend or foe?

The House at Number 48 is presented by Charlie Northcott. The series producer is Jim Frank. Sound design and mixing by Tom Brignell. The Editor is Matt Willis.

Antony Easton begins to investigate his family's history. What he finds astonishes him: his relatives were owners of a huge steel empire worth billions today. But what has happened to this family fortune?

The House at Number 48 is presented by Charlie Northcott. The series producer is Jim Frank. Sound design and mixing by Tom Brignell. The Editor is Matt Willis.

After the death of his enigmatic and distant father, Antony Easton finally gets to go through his Dad's secret suitcase: "This was his life," Antony says. As he forensically trawls through its contents, Antony discovers a series of clues which are about to change his life forever. And, after decades, a woman from Antony's childhood gets in touch. For her, time is running out. She says she must see him one last time... The House at Number 48 is presented by Charlie Northcott. The series producer is Jim Frank. Sound design and mixing by Tom Brignell. The Editor is Matt...

When Antony Easton’s enigmatic father passes away, he goes through his Dad's suitcase, filled with cryptic clues: neatly stacked German money, a family tree he doesn’t recognise, and books filled with sprawling notes. He also finds his father’s birth certificate, but bearing a different name. Confronting his dad’s double identity, Antony begins a ten-year quest to uncover the truth. Piece-by-piece he comes to understand his family’s dark history as he attempts to reclaim his grandfather’s property and art empire, and expose the historic robbery and murder of his relatives. Antony is determined to find the des...

When Antony Easton’s enigmatic and distant father passes away, he begins sorting through suitcase filled with cryptic clues.

Neatly stacked German money, a family tree he doesn’t recognise, and books filled with sprawling notes. He also finds his father’s birth certificate, but bearing a different name.

Confronting his dad’s double identity, Antony begins a ten-year quest to uncover the truth.

Piece-by-piece he comes to understand his family’s dark history.

Large numbers of his relatives were murdered by the Nazis and a vast fortune was stolen from his grandp...

Ragnar and the family try to understand what the confession from the basement means. Is it the truth? Or was it just another story that Jimmy spun? Determined to find something to disprove the statement, they head to the National Archive in search of answers.

While the family have been grappling with the confession and what it means for them, Louise Shorter has been going through the evidence around the case with an experienced Kings Council. And what they have to say could put new life in a story that’s over 80 years old. The question is, do...

In 1995, a mysterious man phones the O’Connors. He wants to get something off his chest. Sensing something potentially huge, Nemone secretly records their meeting. What happened next could have change everything. The secret the mysterious man wants to share? He knows who killed Donk Ambridge.

Meanwhile Ragnar is forced to confront everything he thought he knew about this case and his father. Hidden in the family archive is an account of the night Donk Ambridge was murdered that could turn everything upside down.

Presenter: Ragnar O’Connor Producer: Emily Esson, Victoria McArthur Research: Elizabeth Ann...

The fortunes of the O’Connors flip almost overnight. Nemone is no longer allowed to practice law, even after appealing to the highest authority, the Lord Chancellor. Meanwhile Jimmy’s confrontational style of writing attracts the attention of the BBC, landing him several prime-time TV plays. All the while Jimmy’s conviction is a constant shadow in their marriage.

Meanwhile, in the present, the family continue to investigate the case. They uncover brand new documents that have never been seen before. Could these hold the key to getting Jimmy’s conviction overturned?

Presenter: Ragnar O’Connor P...

Jimmy is saved from the hangman’s noose with just hours to spare. With his sentenced commuted to life in penal servitude, he sets out to pass the time by learning how to write dramas. After ten years of moving from prison to prison, he’s finally released. But freedom doesn’t cut it for Jimmy. He wants to clear his name. He still maintains that he didn’t kill Donk Ambridge, and he’s determined to show it. He meets and woos the young Nemone Lethbridge, in a whirlwind romance that will have devastating effects for Nemone and the path s...

Jimmy O’Connor was a small-time thief, making the most of the opportunities war torn London presented to him. How did he end up in a condemned cell at Pentonville?

On the Easter weekend 1941, a man is murdered in a London suburb. The police have little evidence to go on, and the usual suspects are pulled in for questioning. Among them is 23-year-old Jimmy O’Connor. He’s eventually charged and tried for the crime, though he maintains his innocence. Sentenced to death, the outlook is bleak as Jimmy awaits his final appointment with hangman Albert Pierrepoint.

P...

In order to unspool a family saga that has lasted over 80 years, Ragnar heads back to where it all began. He starts with the story of his mum, Nemone Lethbridge.

Her younger years were spent watching The Battle of Britain over the skies of Kent, and visiting the bunker where Hitler took his own life. This extraordinary childhood gave way to an extraordinary career as Nemone is one of the UK’s first female barristers. From defending the Kray Twins, to Winston Silcott, she’s made an incredible name for herself in her legal career.

And...

For 80 years, the O'Connors have battled what they believe to be a miscarriage of justice. Small time criminal Jimmy O'Connor was arrested for the murder of 'Donk' Ambridge and narrowly escaped the noose.

Fast-forward 25 years and Jimmy is living a wonderful life on the Greek island of Mykonos. Now a sought after TV scriptwriter, he rubs shoulders with The Rolling Stones and Jackie Onassis and entertains the great and the good with his wife Nemone Lethbridge, one of the UK's first female barristers who defended the Kray twins.

Yet the shadow of his conviction looms...

Rory Stewart explores ideas of what it means to be a hero from the ancient world to the present day. How have these ideas changed? Why do heroes matter? Who are the heroes we need today?

With the help of leading historians, psychologists, philosophers and theologians, he examines how heroism is continually questioned and re-invented in every age, and how these contrasting visions of the hero might speak to us in our own time. What does it mean for our moral life? How should we perceive and pursue human excellence?

In this first episode of...