logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2023
20m 6s

The Steam Tunnel Incident and the D&D Pa...

JODY AVIRGAN & RADIOTOPIA
About this episode
tail spinning
Up next
Jan 27
The "Axis Of Evil" (2002) [Part 1]
This week on "50 Weeks That Shaped America," we're headed to January 2002 and the first State of the Union speech after the 9-11 attacks. In it, George W Bush referred to Iran, Iraq, and North Korea as an "axis of evil," signalling that the response to 9-11 would be a much larger ... Show More
30m 13s
Jan 25
A New Orleans Slave Rebellion [Some Sunday Context]
For our "Sunday Context" series, we build on this past week's coversation about the Battle of New Orleans with a look at the largest slave rebellion in US history, led by Charles Deslondes, which took place just outside of New Orleans in 1811. Like the story of the War of 1812, t ... Show More
18m 42s
Jan 22
Andrew Jackson Takes Control (1815) [Part 2]
If part two of our "50 Weeks" look at the Battle Of New Orleans. Jody, Niki, and Kellie look at the pirates, generals, and others who fought that day in January of 1815 -- and how the events burnished the reputation of future President Andrew Jackson. In the end, the battle itsel ... Show More
24m 57s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2016
54A-Gilgamesh: Did We Just Become Best Friends?
The Epic of Gilgamesh is amazing. It is quite possibly the oldest epic we have, and though it only exists in fragments, it tells a surprisingly human story. There are questions of life and death, such as what it all means and why are we here? It delves into the issues of what it ... Show More
31m 26s
Jun 2016
36B-Pocahontas: Between Two Streams
An abbreviated history of Pocahontas and John Smith, this episode looks at the conflict largely from the Powhatan side. This isn't the Disney version. It is gritty, dark, violent, and, if Mattaponi oral history is to be trusted, fairly disturbing. Still, it tells the story of a c ... Show More
1h 1m
Jun 2023
More Than You Ever Really Wanted to Know About Sewers (Encore)
Sometimes the most important things are things we don’t even want to think about let alone talk about.  The issue of handling and removing human waste and dirty water is one such problem that has confronted humans since the dawn of time.  The elimination of waste and excess water ... Show More
11m 15s
Jun 2022
What Stories Do America’s Monuments Tell? with Dr. Elizabeth Alexander
You’re planning an afternoon with friends, just east of Atlanta, Georgia. A picnic, maybe a scenic walk, some fireworks as the sun goes down. You find a park that seems to have it all: Stone Mountain. Then you do some research on it—and learn that it holds significance for the Co ... Show More
53m 29s
Jan 2024
Introducing On This Day in Working Class History: A new daily podcast from WCH
Introducing a brand-new daily podcast from the team at WCH. On This Day in Working Class History will be a brief reminder each morning of our collective struggles for a better world which have taken place on this date in history.<br />Launching on 1 February on a trial basis, eac ... Show More
2m 32s
Sep 2023
Sabotage & Secret Weapons: The WW2 Dirty Tricks Department
<p>What is a bat bomb? Why would you cover a fox in radioactive paint? And who are the masterminds behind the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA?</p><br><p>In this episode, Don is joined by John Lisle to discuss the creations of the Research and Development br ... Show More
36m 1s
Dec 2021
How Julius Caesar Changed Time
<p>We’re finishing off 2021 with what is perhaps Julius Caesar’s greatest legacy. It’s not a military victory or battle, but one of the many political reforms that truly has stood the test of time: the Julian calendar. Before, calendars were largely based on the lunar calendar, a ... Show More
46m 4s
Apr 2022
266-1001 Nights: Good Night and Good Luck
<p>A story from One Thousand and One Nights of an incompetent dude, a genie that's more than happy to be used for evil, and how the best legal outcome is one that involves free honey cakes. This is also where we wrap up the framing narrative, and we see if Scheherazade's gambit, ... Show More
45m 55s
Dec 2020
221. Confusion on Gold Beach
James Holland explains the challenges of researching the events of D Day for his new book about the Sherwood Rangers. Al Murray discusses the difficulty of relying on the memories of men caught up in dangerous events. We Have Ways has a membership club which includes a live versi ... Show More
1h 3m
Apr 2021
303. Enigma and Escapees
Britain’s war time intelligence operations are the subject of discussion as Al Murray and James Holland exchange notes on their latest reading matter, Behind the Enigma: The Authorised History of GCHQ. The boys also explore the escape attempts of British and Allied POWs in Italy. ... Show More
45m 14s