Thirty years ago, a deadly standoff in Texas between a religious cult and the FBI hit the headlines around the United States. The story of leader David Koresh and the power he held over the Branch Davidian religious group has fascinated and appalled in the decades since, and has cast an increasingly dark shadow over US politics. Matt Elton spoke to author St ... Show More
Apr 30
George Orwell's final chapter
Did you know that George Orwell only found national acclaim as an author in the final years of his life, as his health was worsening? Or that, with the growing prospect of death looming increasingly large, he sought refuge on a remote Scottish island? Historian Robert Colls tells ... Show More
40m 12s
Apr 28
Was Elizabeth II's reign a golden age?
When the late Queen acceded to the throne in 1952, Britain, though left bankrupt and reeling from the Second World War, was still a major global power. By the end of Elizabeth II’s reign in 2022 – the longest in Britain’s history – the nation and its place in the world was marked ... Show More
37m 45s
Dec 2024
Waco: A Cult, the FBI and a Fiery Ending
<p>76 people died on 19th April 1993 when the compound of a religious sect, the Branch Davidians, went up in flames. It had been under siege by government agencies for 51 days, but no one knows what started the fire.</p><br><p>Don is joined by Jeff Guinn, investigative reporter a ... Show More
53m 43s
Sep 2024
145: Ruby Ridge, Waco, & the bombing that TERRIFIED America | Dark History
Hi friends, happy Wednesday!Most of us here at Dark History know about the Waco massacre. But nobody really talks about how the Waco massacre led to the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in United States history. And the story of how we got there is *WILD.* I’m talking Doomsday ... Show More
43m 46s
Nov 2022
Waco Siege & Branch Davidians Pt. 1
On February 28th, 1993, ATF agents raided a compound in Waco, Texas, belonging to a religious group known as the Branch Davidians. A 51-day standoff ensued, ending in a violent siege. Eighty-one people lost their lives, many of them children — but to this day, no one knows which ... Show More
33m 53s
Sep 2024
What’s The Matter With Texas? feat. Steven Monacelli & Dr. Michael Phillips
Steven Monacelli, a journalist in Texas focused on politics and extremism, and Dr. Michael Phillips, a historian of racism and eugenics in Texas, team up to explain the apocalyptic religious belief that shapes politics in Texas — and in turn, the nation and world.See omnystudio.c ... Show More
54m 52s
Mar 2025
25. Trump vs the CIA: The Halloween Massacre (Ep 2)
When the CIA is forced to downsize, who gets cut? What happens to the intelligence left behind? And how does political control change the way spies operate?
In the late 1970s, Jimmy Carter’s CIA director launched a brutal purge, firing hundreds of intelligence officers in what b ... Show More
41m 49s
Jun 2025
54. Bin Laden vs the CIA: 9/11 (Ep 4)
On a clear September morning, the American homeland was shattered, revealing a vulnerability unforeseen for nearly two centuries. But, how did Osama bin Laden, soon to become the world's most wanted terrorist, orchestrate the largest mass murder in American history? What was the ... Show More
42m 56s