This week Angela drags John around the shops of Britain for about 200 years as we take a look at the history of how we shop. We look at why shopping moved out of town centres and ask the important questions like “Does Selfridges sell fridges?”

The Brighton Bomb – 1984

9 days ago 50m 10s

How the IRA came very close to killing Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the British Cabinet and triggered a massive manhunt for that world famous crime fighting agency, the Sussex County Constabulary.Reading List: Killing Thatcher by Rory

The History of April Fool’s Day

17 days ago 58m 51s

This week Angela tricks John into learning about the history of April Fool’s Day. Where did it originate? Why do we do practical jokes on people we are supposed to love? Fom the Swiss spaghetti harvest to the Black Cliffs of Dover, we look at s

The Grand Tour

23 days ago 48m 42s

Centuries ahead of those “Brits Abroad” tabloid headlines that make us hang our heads in shame, the British were still managing to cause chaos on the continent. The Grand Tour was a chance for upper class boys to kick up their heels and party a

The French Revolution

1 month ago 1h 2m

In 18th Century France the Ancien Regime comes up against the Enlightenment and Age of Reason and, spoiler alert, it doesn’t end well for the monarchy. In this episode that serves as a sort of French revolution for dummies we look at what happe

The Story of Live Aid

Mar 12th, 2024 44m 54s

How one scruffy Irish popstar saw a terrible famine being reported on his television and decided to do a bit more than just send a cheque to Oxfam. (John spent so long researching this podcast on Live Aid that he thought he might as well do a W

International Women’s Day

Mar 5th, 2024 39m 25s

Just in time for International Women’s Day on March 8, we dig into the surprising history of this worldwide celebration of patriarchy-pummeling. Angela Barnes and feminism “expert” John O’Farrell trace IWD’s roots from its beginnings in Communi

The Glorious Revolution of 1688

Feb 27th, 2024 34m 52s

John O’Farrell and Angela Barnes return for a new season of We Are History! In this first episode they explore how the British had a very polite revolution without anyone getting hurt, and then pretended they’d actually wanted to be invaded by

The Golden Age of Smuggling

Nov 14th, 2023 33m 55s

For the final episode in this series, the ever-so-honest John O’Farrell and Angela Barnes find out how and why smuggling in Britain became a crime epidemic that benefited everyone except the tax man.Source:Smuggling in the British Isles by R

The Green Belt: Contentious countryside

Nov 7th, 2023 53m 45s

This week on We Are History, Angela Barnes and John O'Farrell look at the origins of the Green Belt, what is it and why do we have it? Spoiler alert, it’s not for holding up your green trousers. The Green Belt is a phrase we’ve heard politician

The Gunpowder Plot: He didn’t start the fire

Oct 31st, 2023 43m 50s

This time on We Are History; our bold and fearless non-historians Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell find out how and why Britain’s first major terrorist plot was conceived and ultimately thwarted. Expect barrels of explosive fun, gory retributi

From Bits to Bots: A History of AI

Oct 24th, 2023 1h 4m

Our technologically-challenged hosts Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell trace the history of Artificial Intelligence from Greek Mythology, via Alan Turing and the Speak and Spell to the rapid developments we’re seeing today. Should we be afraid o

Nudity down the centuries

Oct 17th, 2023 52m 32s

John O’Farrell and Angela Barnes take a not-so-serious look at the most captivating and bizarre moments in history.This time things get very silly as John sneaks a peek at nakedness and how our attitudes to it has changed throughout history. H

The Zimmermann Telegram

Oct 10th, 2023 56m 42s

John O’Farrell and Angela Barnes take a not-so-serious look at the most captivating and bizarre moments in history.This time Angela tells John how in 1917, the German Foreign Minister, Arthur Zimmerman sent a telegram to his man in Washington.

The Haitian Revolution - the slave rebellion that succeeded

Oct 3rd, 2023 39m 58s

This time; our eager non-historians Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell discuss the amazing story of the enslaved people of Haiti, who rose up and defeated a major world power and established the New World’s first independent black state. Episode

The Glamour Boys

Sep 26th, 2023 1h

Series 8 of the hit podcast continues to romp its way through history unravelling fascinating and down-right bizarre events.This time: Angela Barnes tells John O’Farrell about The Glamour Boys – a group of courageous queer MPs in buttoned-up B

The Race for the Bomb

Sep 19th, 2023 53m 41s

Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell are back with Series 8 of the hit podcast which romps through history unravelling fascinating and down-right bizarre events.This time: how the Nazis and Allies became locked in a race for the atom bomb, keeping

Bonuscast: Angela Barnes and John O'Farrell answer your questions.

Sep 7th, 2023 1h 2m

We put the call out, and you came, in your droves! Thank you so much to everyone who made the first ever We Are History Live Q+A.The video is available to watch back over on our Patreon page and here is a special audio mix. Angela and John ans

The Legend of the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass

Jul 24th, 2023 36m 44s

Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell cavort through history and uncover the most fascinating and down-right bizarre events.This time; the day hundreds of walkers asserted the Right To Roam across the Peak District against the wishes of the landed

The Story of Nancy Wake: The Mouse that ran rings around the Nazis

Jul 18th, 2023 53m 23s

Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell romp through history, unravelling fascinating and down-right bizarre events.This time we meet the New Zealand born journalist turned French society housewife Nancy Wake, who became one of Churchill’s most decor

The 1904 St Louis Olympics: A Marathon Event

Jul 11th, 2023 47m 49s

Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell romp through history, unravelling fascinating and down-right bizarre events.This time; the five month-long 1904 Olympic Games which was a catalogue of failures and unbelievably poor decisions. This included res

St Patrick and the Patriarchy: Women’s rights in Ireland

Jul 4th, 2023 51m 31s

Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell present the not-so-serious podcast unravelling fascinating and down-right bizarre historical events.New Episode!For much of the 20th century the Catholic establishment had a stranglehold over Ireland’s morali

Saucy Seaside Postcards - A Celebration of Great British Smut

Jun 27th, 2023 55m 2s

Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell present the not-so-serious podcast unravelling fascinating and down-right bizarre historical events.This week; you ordered an innuendo, so we’re giving you one. Yes, it’s that stalwart of smut, the saucy seasi

Great Fire of London: Burning down the house

Jun 20th, 2023 36m 51s

Angela Barnes and John O'Farrell dust off more delightful and unbelievable details from the pages of history.This time: How most of London was destroyed after a baker ignored his wife’s advice to check if the fire had gone out, saying ‘Oh, wha

Navajo Code Talkers – America's secret WWII weapon

Jun 13th, 2023 1h 11m

Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell present the not-so-serious podcast unravelling fascinating and down-right bizarre historical events.This week; our history enthusiasts discuss how the US military used an indigenous American language to outfox