Episodes

  • The Spartans (Repeat)

    The Spartans (Repeat)
    Dec 30 2024
    In 480BC, the Spartans secured their place in history when 300 of their soldiers fought to the death against the mighty Persian army at Thermopylae. Their reputation for brutal decisiveness and simple living have been admired for thousands of years. But what about the darker side of Spartan ideology, a society that culled weak babies, forced children to fight, and enslaved its neighbours? Was Sparta really a utopia? Or was Aristotle right when he said that Spartans simply made men into machines? This is a Short History of the Spartans. Written by Jo Furniss. With thanks to Dr Andrew Bayliss, Associate Professor of Greek History at the University of Birmingham, UK, and author of The Spartans: A Very Short Introduction. Get every episode of Short History Of a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material, and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    55 mins
  • Stonehenge (Repeat)

    Stonehenge (Repeat)
    Dec 23 2024
    Older than the pyramids and just as cryptic, the prehistoric British site of Stonehenge has dominated its landscape for thousands of years. But what is Stonehenge? A celestial clock? An ancient computer to predict eclipses? Was it a temple, a cemetery, or a site of execution? And who were the people who lived and died to create this Stone Age masterpiece? This is a Short History of Stonehenge. Written by Jo Furniss. With thanks to Julian Richards, archaeologist, broadcaster and author of the official Stonehenge guidebook. Get every episode of Short History Of a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material, and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Beatrix Potter

    Beatrix Potter
    Dec 16 2024
    Beatrix Potter’s tales and illustrations of Peter Rabbit, Tom Kitten and friends, set in quintessential English villages and on Edwardian farms, have charmed children for decades. But alongside being an artist and author, Beatrix Potter was a natural scientist, a conservationist, a farmer, sheep-breeder, and shrewd businesswoman. So how did this shy, sheltered Victorian girl become a literary phenomenon? What did it take to succeed in the male dominated world of publishing? Why did she focus so much of her attention on the conservation of the Lake District? And what was the tragedy that might have stopped her career in its tracks? This is a Short History Of Beatrix Potter. A Noiser Production. Written by Fiona Veitch-Smith. With thanks to Libby Joy, from the Beatrix Potter Society. Get every episode of Short History Of a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material, and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    56 mins
  • Introducing: Sherlock Holmes Short Stories

    Introducing: Sherlock Holmes Short Stories
    Dec 12 2024
    A brand-new release from the Noiser Network. Join Hugh Bonneville on a thrilling journey through Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most celebrated Holmes mysteries - read in their original, masterful form. If you enjoy this taster episode, search ’Sherlock Holmes Short Stories’ in your podcast app and hit follow for more episodes. Or follow this link: https://podfollow.com/sherlock-holmes-short-stories-1 Part 2 of The Adventure of the Speckled Band is live now and waiting for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • The Panama Canal

    The Panama Canal
    Dec 9 2024
    A 50-mile man-made waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the creation of the Panama Canal was arguably the greatest infrastructure project the world had ever seen. But its journey from concept to completion was anything but simple, as it failed repeatedly, and passed through numerous pairs of hands, before a decade-long construction began, fronted by the United States. But what made the creation of the canal the single most expensive construction effort in American history, both in dollars and human life? Why did a seemingly simple ditch-digging exercise stump the era’s greatest engineers? And who was responsible for reversing the fate of the Panama Canal Project? This is a Short History Of the Panama Canal. A Noiser production, written by Olivia Jordan. With thanks to Julie Greene, Professor of History at the University of Maryland, and author of The Canal Builders. Get every episode of Short History Of a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material, and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Buckingham Palace

    Buckingham Palace
    Dec 2 2024
    The official seat of Britain’s monarchy for almost 200 years, Buckingham Palace has provided the stage and backdrop to countless events that have shaped the nation and the wider world. An iconic building, family home, and nucleus of political power, it’s one of the nation’s most expensive estates. But how did a singular building become such a staple part of Britain’s landscape? How did the royal headquarters develop? And what is its future in the 21st century and beyond? This is a Short History Of Buckingham Palace. A Noiser production. Written by Nicole Edmunds. With thanks to Philip Scott, a City of Westminster tour guide with an interest in Buckingham Palace, as well as a former teacher of history and politics. Get every episode of Short History Of a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material, and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Chichen Itza

    Chichen Itza
    Nov 25 2024
    Nestled in the heart of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, the ancient city of Chichén Itza stands as a majestic testament to the architectural ingenuity and cultural richness of the ancient Maya civilization. It’s long been regarded as a shining example of Maya influence, yet today, many experts agree it’s not typically Maya at all, but rather a reflection of a shifting, adapting civilisation. So how did the city become such an important hub to a dominant Mesoamerican superpower? What were the cultural and political dynamics that shaped its unique evolution? And why was it so suddenly abandoned, and left to be reclaimed by the jungle? This is a Short History Of Chichen Itza. A Noiser Production. Written by Sean Coleman. With thanks to Annabeth Headrick, Director of the School of Art and Art History at the University of Denver, and a specialist in Ancient American Cultures. Get every episode of Short History Of a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material, and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    59 mins
  • Sir Isaac Newton

    Sir Isaac Newton
    Nov 18 2024
    Sir Isaac Newton became one of history’s most important scientists - all thanks, as legend has it, to an apple falling from a tree. But beyond the famous anecdote is the story of a polymath who revolutionised our grasp of how the universe works, and led a life plagued by rivalries, grudges, and accusations of plagiarism. Loved by some, derided by others, why was Newton so controversial? What were his most enduring discoveries? And why did he step away from science? This is a Short History Of Sir Isaac Newton. A Noiser production, written by Fiona Ford. With thanks to Dr Patricia Fara, a historian, Fellow of Cambridge University, and author of Life After Gravity: Isaac Newton’s London Career. Get every episode of Short History Of a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material, and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    56 mins