From ancient origins, to Churchill, who popularised the Victorian phrase “The black dog on your back”, the concept of the spectral black dog as a portent of doom, death and catastrophe is one that has maintained, with a constant slow progression throughout centuries. From musty old tomes maintained in cold damp monasteries, to the pages of Harry Potter, the ... Show More
Jun 30
Murder, Madness and The Unusual Life of William Minor
When you pick up a dictionary and look up a word, have you ever stopped to consider who it was that compiled such meticulous work? Was it a scholar, or group of scholars, holed up in a musty backroom somewhere dedicating their lives to the task, or a wide group of volunteers, cro ... Show More
58m 55s
Apr 3
Episode 229: Teammates
Order The Memory Palace book now, dear listener. On Bookshop.org, on Amazon.com, on Barnes & Noble, or directly from Random House. Or order the audiobook at places like Libro.fm.During mid-April, 2025, I'm doing a southern book tour, with stops in San Antonio, Houston, Gainesvill ... Show More
15m 56s
Jul 2022
Haunting Tales of a Victorian Crime- The Ghost of Fanny Adams
Alton in Hampshire, England, is home to a particular tragic and haunting story. A story that captured newspapers and imaginations at the time and would go on to create macabre words and phrases that are still used today but for whom few know the dark, etymological root.
In today ... Show More
14m 22s
Dec 2024
Episode 10: History Special with Al Murray, James Holland and Terry Deary
Joining us in the studio to provide reading inspiration from the Roman Empire to the Second World War are author and podcast duo of We Have Ways of Making You Talk, James Holland and Al Murray, plus creator of Horrible Histories, Terry Deary
For the full list of books plus transc ... Show More
48m 46s
Aug 2022
Episode 115: A Brief Eulogy for a Commercial Radio Station
The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows.
This episode was originally released in October of 2017 and was produced with engineering assistance from Elizabeth Aubert.
Music
Sunrise Through the Dusty Nebula ... Show More
13m 13s