453 – Odo’s Rebellion: The Cold War

It was Easter of 1088. This was, typically, a time when the most powerful figures of England would gather at Court. But this wasn’t a typical year. 

Word of Rufus’ army, and the destruction of the rebel forces at Tunbridge, had no doubt reached Pevensey and its commander, Robert of Mortain… and I think it’s highly likely that the messengers also reported that the King’s army had turned north, towards Rochester. Bishop Odo’s s ... Show More

Got a jealousy problem and a spare leek? Boy, do we ever have a cure for you. 

Synopsis: In Shalmaneser’s final years, his eldest son – the crown prince Assur-danin-pal – enters into rebellion, while his younger son, Shamshi-Adad, struggles to defend his father’s legacy. “Where my brother Assur-danin-pal, in the time of Shalmaneser, his father, acted wicked ... Show More

Throughout their centuries-long dynasty, the Romanovs oversaw the transformation of Russia from a fragmented medieval state, into a vast empire. Despite their power though, the period of the Romanovs was plagued by violence, assassinations, and the heavy hand of autocratic rule. ... Show More

Rome’s conquest of Britain in the first century AD was a brutal affair, as was the revolt against it led by Boudica. Duncan Mackay guides David Musgrove through the course of the rebellion, sharing the location of the final bloody battle, considering what we know about Boudica he ... Show More

There are few twentieth century figures as mysterious as Grigori Rasputin. The Siberian mystic has been portrayed as a scheming dark magician who seduced the Russian Queen and made a cuckold of Tsar Nicholas II. He's been blamed for everything from the First World War to the Bols ... Show More

Yangdi was the last emperor of the short-lived Sui dynasty. He was responsible for many great things like strengthening the northern border by rebuilding the Great Wall and building the Grand Canal. But he also had a violent streak which he used to seize power by killing both his ... Show More

It's considered to be the bloodiest civil war in history, but there's a fair chance you've never heard of it. The Taiping Rebellion convulsed China from 1850 to 1864, leading to over 20 million deaths and severely weakening the Qing dynasty, but it remains little known outside of ... Show More

People will do crazy things to keep hold of power.The Habsburgs - one of the most powerful families in European history - were a prime example of this. To keep hold of their power, they decided they would keep their gene pool as small as possible.What were the disastrous conseque ... Show More

What sparks a nation to turn against its own king? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb dives into the turbulent and transformative decade that witnessed the English Civil Wars — a bloody clash that claimed nearly 185,000 lives and reshaped the very soul of Britain. From the power struggl ... Show More

The Tudors are the most famous royal family in English history, ruling from 1485 to 1603. The dynasty began with the reign of King Henry VII, and ended with his granddaughter, Elizabeth I. Marked by political, religious, and cultural change, the Tudor era shaped the course of Eng ... Show More