logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2022
1h 3m

WWII Code Girls with Ellie Marney

Kate J. Armstrong, Carly A. Quinn
About this episode

Season 3, Episode 24. Murder, mystery, and WWII code girls: oh my! Join me as I chat with Ellie Marney, the New York Times bestselling author of the new YA historical novel The Killing Code. Atmospheric, compulsive, and deliciously dark, it's the perfect book to kick off the spooky season, and it'll introduce you to a slice of women's history you might not know that much about. Ellie joined me to talk about the real-life female codebreakers who inspired her novel, as well as life for women in wartime D.C. in the 1940s. 

To find out more about Ellie and The Killing Code, visit her website. For this episode's show notes, including a transcript and some fun links, go to The Exploress website. To support the show, become a patron

Up next
Oct 2022
Magic, Poison, and Sex in the French Court of King Louis XIV
Season 3, Episode 25. What connects a sorceress, a murderess, a mistress and a French king? Let's find out in this special Halloween bonus. For this episode's show notes, including a transcript and tons of images, go to The Exploress website. To support the show, become a patron. ... Show More
30m 44s
Nov 2022
Sex in Tudor England with Queen Catherine Howard
<p>Season 3, Episode 26. In this episode, Queen Catherine Howard is going to be our guide as we explore all things sex for Tudor women. We'll walk through the era's expectations and understanding of a woman's virtue, how a lady might keep from getting pregnant should she choose t ... Show More
1h 2m
Dec 2022
Education in Tudor England with Queen Katherine Parr
<p>Season 3, Episode 27. Survived. Join Henry VIII's sixth and final queen, Katherine Parr, as we explore what education looked like for women in Tudor England. We'll discover where girls studied, what subjects they learned, and how many of them could read and write. We'll also l ... Show More
52m 18s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2024
521. Warlords of the West: Killer Queens (Part 2)
Following the death of the legendary Frankish King Clovis, his son Clothar I divided the mighty realm his father had hacked out from the warring warlords of Europe between his four sons. But peace was not to reign…the most ambitious of his brood - Chilperic - seized Paris, his br ... Show More
1 h
Oct 2024
Pyrrhus: Warlord of Ancient Greece
<p>It’s 279 BC. On a large plain in Southern Italy near the town of Asculum, a famous Greek warlord likened to Alexander the Great faces down the legions of the Roman Republic. His name was Pyrrhus of Epirus. And the victory that he won at Asculum would come to define his legacy. ... Show More
1h 7m
Oct 16
Alexander the Great, with Mary Beard
No one was like him, terrible were his crimes… Where was Alexander the Great born, and who were his parents? What drove him to go beyond the Aegean empire he had already carved out for himself, and conquer lands beyond the limits of the Greek world? Why did Alexander eventually t ... Show More
10m 52s
Feb 2025
The Persian Wars: Darius, Athens and the Battle of Marathon
<p>490 BC. On the plains of Marathon, Athens faced down a mighty army of the Persian Empire - the superpower of the time It was an underdog clash that would echo throughout history. But how did it all begin?</p><br><p>In this episode of <em>The Ancients</em>, Tristan Hughes kicks ... Show More
58m 21s
Sep 2024
Women Leaders, part 3: Boudica (Literally) Burned London Down (Rerelease)
It's a rerelease of a classic Vulgar History episode, now with better editing! Boudica was Queen of the Iceni, a Celtic tribe during the Roman conquest of Britain. She led a rebellion of united tribes against their Roman invaders, leaving a path of death and bloodshed in her wake ... Show More
58m 22s
Sep 2024
Irene of Athens, Byzantine Empress
Queens of the World Series: Irene of Athens ruled as regent for her son, Easter Roman Emperor, Constantine VI. But when he rose up against her and threatened her religious conviction, she had his eyes gouged out. Thus she became the first Roman Empress to rule in her own right. B ... Show More
23m 21s
Apr 2025
Alexander the Great
Though he ruled for just 13 years, Alexander the Great is as famed for his hedonistic lifestyle as his military genius. But how did he become one of the best known military leaders in history? What inspired such loyalty among his troops? And what drove this young man in his endle ... Show More
47m 59s