‘If it became necessary immediately to discard every line and method of communications used on the front, except one, and it were left to me to select that one method, I should unhesitatingly choose the pigeons’, wrote Major General Fowler, Chief of Signals and Communications of the British Army, after the First World War.
On today's podcast Tom and Dominic ... Show More
Aug 12
696. Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: Killing the Queen of Scots (Part 6)
How did the Babington Plot, another Catholic conspiracy to assassinate Elizabeth I and replace her with the imprisoned Mary Queen of Scots, unfold? Did the Spanish help her? How did Sir Francis Walsingham and his web of spies foil the plot? And, what would become of Mary once put ... Show More
1h 9m
Aug 9
695. Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: The Shadow War (Part 5)
Who was the charismatic Sir Philip Sidney, a beloved but also suspect courtier to Elizabeth I? Why, in 1585, was England in such danger from a Spanish invasion? And, would Sydney, with his friend Sir Francis Drake, help to save their beloved queen? Join Tom and Dominic as they pl ... Show More
1h 1m
Aug 2015
Pigeons: Homing, Passenger, Carrier and Otherwise
<p>Pigeons can get a little confusing. Passengers, messengers, carriers, homing - the list goes on. But when it comes down to it, they're all variations of the same smart bird with a knack for getting home to roost. Learn about these clever creatures in today's episode.</p><p> </ ... Show More
48m 21s
Jul 2024
10. Journalists on the Front Line
Allied journalists parachute into France and land on the beaches with the invasion force. Legendary reporter Martha Gellhorn stows away on a ship, determined to beat her estranged husband, Ernest Hemingway, to the D-Day scoop. And a homing pigeon known as Gustav brings the first ... Show More
38m 33s
Nov 2023
Bras, Paratroopers, and Pigeons
The brassiere became an essential foundation garment during the early 20th century, but its origins may be traced back more than 1,500 years...oh and birds are involved
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1h 7m
Aug 2024
American Operators on WW1's Front Line
<p>When the First World War ended at 11am on 11 November, 1918, how did army command relay the ceasefire to their troops? In fact, before radios and computer systems, in the early years of the telephone, how were messages passed along trenches at all?</p><br><p>In this episode, D ... Show More
30m 40s
<p>Once considered noble and heroic, pigeons are now viewed as an urban nuisance — one that costs cities millions of dollars a year. Zachary Crockett tosses some crumbs.</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="http://www.andrewblechman.com/">Andrew Blechman</ ... Show More