logo
episode-header-image
May 2025
1h 2m

563. Peter the Great: Bloodbath in the K...

Goalhanger
About this episode
What abominable mischief and hedonism did the seventeen year old Peter the Great revel in during his strange and remarkable travels through Europe, before truly stepping into the role of Tsar of all the Russias? Did it serve a secret political purpose? What was the outcome of the first war he chose to wage against the Ottoman Empire? Why did he go on a cruci ... Show More
Up next
Nov 20
619. Elizabeth I: The Virgin Queen (Part 4)
How was Elizabeth I finally crowned Queen of England, after long years of perilous waiting? Why was her early reign so fraught with danger? Who was William Cecil, Elizabeth’s new secretary, and the key political player of her rule? And, why was she so determined to remain the unm ... Show More
1h 9m
Nov 17
618. Elizabeth I: The Shadow of the Tower (Part 3)
Why did Elizabeth I’s brother, Henry VIII’s heir, Edward VI, choose his cousin Jane Grey to succeed him, rather than either of his wily Tudor sisters? Later, how did Elizabeth survive the reign of her once dear Catholic sister, “Bloody Mary”, given Mary’s growing resentment? And, ... Show More
1h 12m
Nov 13
617. Elizabeth I: Anne Boleyn's Bastard (Part 2)
What happened to the infant Elizabeth I following the bloody execution of her mother Anne Boleyn? How did her father Henry VIII and his next four wives treat her? And, what became of Elizabeth following the death of Henry, and the succession of her protestant brother Edward…?  ... Show More
1h 1m
Recommended Episodes
May 2025
50. The Man Who Tried To Kill The KGB: On the Run from Russia (Ep 2)
He risked everything to expose the KGB's darkest secrets, but Vasily Mitrokhin had two non-negotiable demands: his family's safety and his archive's publication. How did MI6 navigate these unprecedented requests? What secret deal was struck with the Americans to fund his resettle ... Show More
44m 46s
May 2025
49. The Man Who Tried To Kill The KGB: A Traitor in the Kremlin (Ep 1)
The Cold War may have ended, but the hunt for dangerous secrets never truly stops. What happens when a disillusioned KGB archivist decides to betray his masters? How did he manage to steal masses of top-secret files from the heart of the Soviet Union? And what did the CIA miss th ... Show More
45m 48s
Sep 9
81. The Man Who Saved The World: Abandoning Communism (Ep 2)
How did Oleg Gordievsky get recruited to work for MI6? What effect did living in Copenhagen have on his political views? And how did Britain nearly blow the recruitment of one of the most consequential spies in history? Listen as David and Gordon continue their series on Oleg Gor ... Show More
47m 37s
Sep 7
80. The Man Who Saved The World: Making of a Traitor (Ep 1)
What makes a spy betray the very system that raised him? How does a loyal KGB officer, born into the service, become Britain’s most valuable Cold War agent? And how did one man’s intelligence reports help stop the world from sliding into nuclear confrontation? This is the story o ... Show More
45m 34s
Sep 25
EXCLUSIVE: The Spy Who Smuggled Gordievsky Out of Russia
*Declassified Club exclusive: SUBSCRIBE to listen to the full interview* What does it take to smuggle the West’s most valuable Russian agent out of the Soviet Union, under the noses of the KGB? How do you lose a KGB surveillance team on the road from Moscow, while hiding a defect ... Show More
5m 30s
May 2025
256. Stalin & 8 Days That Changed The World (Ep 1)
How did one peace conference in Yalta in 1945 completely transform the world in just eight days? What was Joseph Stalin's backstory before becoming the Soviet leader? What is the relevance of the Yalta conference to global politics today? In a brand new series, Anita and William ... Show More
38m 25s
Sep 23
85. The Man Who Saved The World: The Great Escape (Ep 6)
Oleg Gordievsky wants to leave Moscow, but how? How can a man under suspicion of being a traitor escape the watchful eye of the KGB? Do MI6 have a plan to rescue him? Or will the man who has leaked countless state secrets become the next victim of the USSR? Listen as David and Go ... Show More
55m 48s
Oct 1
295. Crusader Gaza: Saladin & Richard The Lionheart (Part 5)
Why did Crusaders travel from Western Europe to Gaza and The Levant in the 11th century? Who was Saladin and how did he conquer the Franks? How did the Mamluks defeat the Mongols in the 1200s and usher in an era of prosperity for Gaza? Anita and William are joined by Jonathan Phi ... Show More
49m 7s
Jul 2025
276. The Biggest Corruption Scandal in French History (Part 4)
How was George Eiffel of the Eiffel Tower involved in a huge corruption scandal associated with the Panama Canal? How many workers died during the French attempt to build the canal? And who was Bunau-Varilla and how did this smooth-talking moustache-wielding French engineer manag ... Show More
32m 1s
Feb 2025
20. Death on the Thames: An Assassin in London (Ep 1)
How do you get away with murder in the heart of London? And which weapon would you choose to avoid arousing suspicion? Georgi Markov was a Bulgarian dissident writer wanted by the Eastern Bloc for spreading anti-regime messaging across Western Europe. He'd fled to London and beg ... Show More
41m 33s