From Poland with Love

Cyrano de Bergerac is a larger-than-life figure in pop culture, whose story has been adapted countless times. But it turns out, Cyrano was a real man, albeit possibly with a smaller nose than media has led you to believe. Support Noble Blood:— Bonus episodes, stickers, and script ... Show More

In 1897, a Swedish engineer set out to reach the North Pole ... by balloon. With two companions, a crate of champagne, and the faith of a nation, he rose into the Arctic fog — and vanished. Decades later, their frozen journals and undeveloped film emerged from the ice, revealing ... Show More

The Florentine Diamond was one of the crown jewels (sorry) of the Habsburgs—a 137-carat diamond that had come from the court of the Duke of Tuscany. But after World War I, when the Austrian Empire collapsed, the royal family fled to Switzerland, taking the diamond with them. From ... Show More

<p>From Hitler’s love of young adult fiction to Saddam Hussein's shameful romance novels, this podcast sheds new, weird light on history's monsters. </p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.co ... Show More

In the latest in our series charting the contested reputations of key historical figures, Joyce Tyldesley and Catharine Edwards discuss the life and cultural afterlife of Egyptian queen Cleopatra – from her association with feminine beauty to the focus on her romantic relationshi ... Show More

Have you watched Hulu's series, The Great, and wondered what parts were true? Here is a revisit to part one of our coverage of the very true life of Catherine the Great, a German princess who became the Empress of Russia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com ... Show More

<p>Toto Koopman was remarkable; she was a high society socialite who risked her life wining and dining with Italian blackshirts in order to gather information for the Dutch intelligence service in WWII. When she refused to work as a spy for the Italians, she was thrown in a deten ... Show More

<p>Sophia Dorothea of Celle married her cousin, George I of Great Britain. Sophia had an affair with a Swedish count, and her in-laws decided to stop the couple from running away together. The ensuing events became known as the Königsmarck Affair.</p><p> </p> Learn more about you ... Show More

During the age of European expansion, members of the Jewish diaspora traveled to Caribbean and the continents of North and South America, often escaping the intense persecution of the Inquisition. Some became merchants, others explorers -- and some became pirates. Join Ben and No ... Show More

<p>This is often held up as one of history’s great love stories – Plutarch wrote that Pericles kissed Aspasia every single day. And that’s very sweet and romantic, but their high-profile relationship was central to a key period in Greek history.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ... Show More

In the midst of the Cold War, Joseph Stalin's only daughter, Svetlana Alliluyeva, decides to flee Mother Russia to start a new life in America. But with the KGB on her tail, how on earth is she going to get out? Playwright Dan Kitrosser unravels her story. See omnystudio.com/list ... Show More

<p>A princess of the Sikh empire, Sophia Duleep Singh grew up in Great Britain, and was Queen Victoria's god daughter. But her childhood was not exactly a charmed one, and her family, caught between two worlds, experienced great upheaval and tragedy.</p><p> </p> Learn more about ... Show More

<p>Empress Elisabeth of Austria, better known as Sisi, is often considered the public's "favorite" member of the Habsburgs. She only reluctantly carried out her duties, but her murder created an outcry across Europe -- and the story doesn't end there.</p><p> </p> Learn more about ... Show More