Dictators explained

Prosthetic legs, wheelbarrow wheelchairs and guide… children? Those were just some of the assistive technologies and body augmentations available to our medieval and early modern ancestors. In this episode, Rae Gillibrand highlights how bodily difference was understood in this pr ... Show More

It's now often used as an adjective for anything standard, plain, and borderline boring – but the history of vanilla is anything but. Eric T Jennings – whose book Vanilla: The History of an Extraordinary Bean is among the titles shortlisted for the 2026 Cundill History Prize – te ... Show More

Think of alchemy, and you likely imagine bubbling vials of strange potions and molten metals. But how close is this popular perception to the truth? That’s the question behind historian and adventurer Kit Chapman’s latest book, The Age of Alchemy, which was recently announced as ... Show More

<p>This week, the podcast has taken a dark and foreboding turn! We're going to talk about infamous dictators. You'll learn some historical facts about each one and, at the same time, improve your listening skills in English. Welcome to infamous dictators!</p> <p><br /> Show notes ... Show More

How does a single human being convince thousands to kill for them and millions to turn a blind eye? Real Dictators is the new podcast series hosted by Paul McGann (Dr Who, Luther, Withnail and I) that explores the hidden lives of history’s tyrants. We encounter the American-tra ... Show More

Did you know that the team behind the Hitler story have profiled lots of other dictators from history? Follow ‘Real Dictators’ wherever you get your podcasts. As well as the rest of the Stalin story, you’ll discover over 100 episodes on figures including Chairman Mao, Colonel Gad ... Show More

There are many types of dictators, from so called "benevolent" ones to the kind who rule with an iron fist. There are also many ways they can come into power, and they don't all include violence. Learn all about dictators past and present in this classic episode.See omnystudio.co ... Show More