Given a certain degree of infamy thanks to Charles Darwin, the Galapagos Islands are far less famous for their role in playing host to a tiny, isolated German ex-pat community in the 1930s, living quietly, surrounded by the unending blue of the Pacific Ocean. The motley crew of settlers included a doctor with philosophical aspirations, a pregnant housewife a ... Show More
Jul 14
William Heirens & The Lipstick Killer
In the early twentieth century, Chicago was a city already familiar with violence and corruption, but in 1946, a new case hit the headlines that introduced a whole new level of shock and scandal to the hardened city residents. Savage murders, a message scrawled across the wall in ... Show More
1h 10m
Jun 30
The Miracle Cures of Doctor John Brinkley
In an era when medicine was still finding its footing, John Romulous Brinkley built an empire on impossible cures, relentless ambition, and astonishing lack of a moral compass. In a shocking display of charm and manipulation, he managed to sell his patients on a cure for diseases ... Show More
1h 10m
Jun 15
Folk Exorcism & The Cornish Ghost Layers
The early modern period was a rocky time for religion across Europe, fundamental pinnings of everyday life were being questioned and changing, as the reformation shifted authority away from the church. Thoughts on death and the afterlife were turned upside down, and in villages a ... Show More
50m 50s
Nov 2024
Love Murder Island: The Galapagos Affair
Three sets of exiles populate a remote Galapagos island at the dawn of World War II. All three groups are searching for different things, but all they found was strife, violence and heartbreak. Drama and terror abound when some islanders mysteriously disappear, another is found d ... Show More
1h 54m
Aug 2025
Paradise Poisoned: How Utopias Fall Apart
Dore Strauch and Friedrich Ritter make an unconventional couple, united by their contempt for shoes, root vegetables and, above all, society. In 1929 they leave Germany and begin anew on the deserted Galapagos island of Floreana. At first, it feels like a paradise, but soon crack ... Show More
41 m
May 2024
American Castaways: Treachery & Survival in the Falklands
<p>Today we dive into the little-known true story of American castaways abandoned on the Falkland Islands during the War of 1812 ― a tale of treachery, shipwreck, isolation and a desperate struggle for survival.</p><br><p>In this fascinating episode, best-selling author Eric Jay ... Show More
32m 49s
Dec 2022
283: Ecuador: Darwin's Adventure to the Galapagos
Ecuador: Darwin's Adventure to the Galapagos
Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss Charles Darwin's time in Ecuador, where his observation of Finches, Mockingbirds, Iguanas, and many other animals native to the Galapagos, sowed the seed of his theory of evolution...
Join The Rest ... Show More
35m 10s
Jun 2019
6. Easter Island - Where Giants Walked
On one of the world’s most isolated islands, hundreds of vast stone statues lie mouldering in the grass. In this episode, we take a look at one of archaeology’s most enduring puzzles: the mystery of Easter Island. Find out how this unique community grew up in complete isolation, ... Show More
1h 43m