Nelson and Winnie Mandela were one of the most famous couples of the 20th century. Their relationship became a powerful symbol of the freedom struggle in apartheid South Africa, but it was also dogged by infidelity, violence, Nelson's long imprisonment and the oppressive weight of the regime they fought against. In Jonny Steinberg's recent book, Winnie & Nel ... Show More
Jul 2024
Charles II's Most Infamous Mistress: Barbara Villiers
<p>The tempestuous and passionate Barbara Villiers captured the hearts of many in Stuart-era Britain, including King Charles II. But she had a dark side, humiliating her husband for decades, plotting the ruin of her enemies, and gambling away vast sums of money.</p><br><p>In this ... Show More
43m 31s
Mar 2025
Real Wives of Dictators | Nadya Alliluyeva, Stalin's Wife
<p>Nadezhda Alliluyeva was born into a revolutionary family, but was it always her fate to marry Joseph Stalin?</p><br><p>She was independent, intelligent and highly politicised. Indeed, Stalin was a hero of hers growing up.</p><br><p>What was it like to be so heavily involved in ... Show More
40 m
Dec 2024
Anne of Cleves | Secret Lives of the Six Wives
<p>Anne of Cleves gets a pretty raw deal in the history books.</p><br><p>She's often accused of being ugly, after Henry VIII claimed the painting he had made of her was overly flattering.</p><br><p>While their marriage was short-lived, is it time we give Anne of Cleves, who haile ... Show More
39m 38s
Dec 2022
The Nelson Mandela no-one knew – with Richard Stengel
The interviews behind Nelson Mandela’s epic memoir The Long Walk To Freedom are out now as the podcast Mandela: The Lost Tapes. Here, South Africa’s first Black president explains himself in his own words – always inspiring, often funny too.
Co-writer Richard Stengel, former Ti ... Show More
28m 36s
Oct 2024
191. Slave, Slaver, Abolitionist: Three Scots in Africa
The extraordinary lives of three Scotsmen - John Henderson, Richard Oswald, and David Livingstone - encapsulate the polarities of the Scottish experience in Africa prior to the 20th century. Henderson, formerly a soldier for the Swedes and the Danes in Europe, was captured and en ... Show More
43m 14s
Jul 2025
Who Will History Remember?
How do we decide who the most significant people in our history are? Whose story is worth telling? In this episode, I’m joined by Eoin Kinsella, managing editor of the Dictionary of Irish Biography, to explore how he and the team behind this remarkable resource tell the story of ... Show More
32m 9s