An army of lovers seems like something from ancient myth but the story of the Sacred Band of Thebes is based on reality. This elite fighting force of the Theban army played a crucial role in ending Spartan hegemony in the 4th century BC.To find

Olaudah Equiano and the British Abolitionist Movement

Nov 3rd, 2020 46m 33s

Olaudah Equiano's autobiography The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano was one of the very first slave narratives that spawned a popular literary genre. However, while relatively famous in the 18th century, his legacy was larg

A Tribute to Olaudah Equiano

Oct 27th, 2020 7m 35s

While Dr Fern Riddell takes a week off before we bring the final two episodes of the series, we have a special teaser for our penultimate episode.The BBC's Calypsonian-in-Residence Alexander D Great regularly works with organisations such as th

Allan Noel Minns the WW1 Officer and Son of Britain's First Black Mayor

Oct 20th, 2020 47m 1s

Allan Noel Minns, son of Dr Allan Glaisyer Minns, Britain's first Black mayor when elected mayor of Thetford in 1904, served in the British Army as a medical officer during the First World War.To find out more Dr Fern Riddell speaks to former s

The Ivory Bangle Lady and Roman Britain

Oct 13th, 2020 38m 45s

What does the archaeological evidence tell us about the Ivory Bangle Lady, a wealthy woman who died in 4th Century York, and what do her grave goods tell us about material culture in the African diaspora throughout history?To find out more Dr F

The First Black British Football Heroes

Oct 6th, 2020 47m 49s

Uncovering the story of our pioneering Black British footballers, finding out what we can learn from their experiences, and their long history in The Beautiful Game.Dr Fern Riddell speaks to The Voice and Football Black List's Rodney Hinds, and

The Night Witches and the Fighting Women of the Soviet Union

Sep 29th, 2020 48m 50s

The Night Witches were the feared, all-female military aviators of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment. Yet the Night Witches weren't the only Soviet women on the front-line during the Second World War. Women were pilots, doctors, partisans, sniper

The Chevalier d'Éon and Gender Nonconformity

Sep 22nd, 2020 45m 55s

Soldier, diplomat, spy and fencing champion: the Chevalier d'Éon lived an extraordinary life. But on top of that they are also an important figure for the understanding of gender diversity throughout history,Dr Fern Riddell speaks to author and

Inghen Ruaidh, the Birka Grave and Viking Warrior Women

Sep 15th, 2020 46m 13s

We touch on the mythology behind Viking shield-maidens, what we do know about Viking warrior women and how we need to address bias in archaeology.Dr Fern Riddell discusses the legend of Inghen Ruaidh with Professor Judith Jesch and the Birka fe

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Dr Fern Riddell returns with a brand new series sponsored by Ancestry

Sep 8th, 2020 59s

Hosted by historian, author and broadcaster Dr Fern Riddell, Not What You Thought You Knew explores some unexpected stories of remarkable characters from history revealing why they’re so important for our view of what the past looked like.Sky H

John Edmonstone the Former Slave who Taught Darwin

Nov 27th, 2019 38m 1s

John Edmonstone was born into slavery in the former Dutch colony of Demerara in the late 1700s but died a free man in Scotland having taught one of the greatest men in the history of science, Charles Darwin, the skill of taxidermy. We speak to

Mary Anning the Pioneering Fossil Hunter

Nov 20th, 2019 42m 29s

A well-known celebrity in her day, we have somewhat struggled to appreciate the incredible weight of what Mary Anning's discoveries of ancient marine reptiles meant at the time for a burgeoning science.We speak to Dr Aubrey Roberts, a palaeonto

Aphra Behn and Female Espionage

Nov 6th, 2019 36m 56s

Aphra Behn, one of the first women in England to make her living as a writer, also just so happened to be one of the country's first female spies.To discover more about the world of female spies, Dr Fern Riddell speaks with Dr Nadine Akkerman,

The Mary Rose and the People of Tudor England

Jul 19th, 2019 33m 32s

Earlier this year, analysis on the remains of eight sailors who drowned on the Mary Rose yielded some astonishing results for our perception of the people of Tudor England.In speaking to Dr Alex Hildred and Dr Onyeka Nubia, we’ll hear that whil

Trailer

Dr Fern Riddell's new history podcast Not What You Thought You Knew

Jul 12th, 2019 38s

Hosted by historian, author and broadcaster Dr Fern Riddell, HISTORY's Not What You Thought You Knew explores some little-known characters from history and reveals not just their incredible story but also why they’re so important for our view o

Trailer

Dr Fern Riddell's #NotWhatYouThought

Jul 10th, 2019 38s

Hosted by historian, author and broadcaster Dr Fern Riddell, Not What You Thought You Knew explores some under-celebrated characters from history and reveals not just their incredible story but also why they’re so important for our view of what

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