Charles Dickens was a master of managing his personal brand. In fact, almost everything we know about him comes from one biography, written by his friend John Forster. But, if you dig a little deeper, strange biographical inconsistencies begin to emerge. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, Helena Kelly outlines her new theories on the truth behind the stories Dicke ... Show More
Today
Why Pompeii's tragedy still captivates us today
When the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried by ash spewed out of Vesuvius in AD 79, so too were their inhabitants, frozen in the moment of their deaths. In the final episode of our four-part series, Kev Lochun is joined by historian Dr Jess Venner to discuss the myriad ... Show More
46m 1s
Jan 30
The United States and Latin America: a turbulent history
Has the United States always seen Latin America as its ‘backyard’? And when did influence tip into intervention? In this episode, Danny Bird is joined by Yale University's Greg Grandin to explore the long, turbulent history of US–Latin American relations, from westward expansion ... Show More
38m 23s
Oct 2022
452 Charles and Mary Lamb | A Letter To My Transgender Daughter (with Carolyn Hays)
In this episode, Jacke takes a look at two topics. First, the story of Charles and Mary Lamb, whose children's book Tales from Shakespeare (1807) was published more than two hundred years ago and has never been out of print. Part of the literary circle that included Romantic-era ... Show More
59m 50s
Jan 2024
581 The Venerable Bede (with Michelle P. Brown) | My Last Book with Adrian Edwards
Jacke talks to author Michelle P. Brown about her new book, Bede and the Theory of Everything, which investigates the life and world of Bede (c. 673-735), the foremost scholar of the Middle Ages and the "father of English history." PLUS Adrian Edwards, Head of Printed Heritage Co ... Show More
46m 17s
Dec 2023
573 A Conversation with Anne Enright, Winner of the Man Booker Prize | My Last Book with Christopher Morash
After taking a look at Emily Dickinson's Poem #269 ("Wild Nights - wild nights!"), Jacke talks to novelist Anne Enright about growing up in Ireland, her writing career, and her new book The Wren, The Wren. PLUS Dublin literary historian Christopher Morash (Dublin: A Writer's City ... Show More
57m 56s