Discover the Spanish Infanta who reshaped Renaissance power from behind the throne.

Step into the glittering courts of 16th-century Europe as historian Professor Magdalena Sánchez joins host Paul Bavill to rage against a stubborn myth: that women only matter in history when they command political power.

Catalina Micaela — daughter of Philip II of Spain and Duchess of Savoy — has long been treated as a political footnote. But across 3,000 intimate letters, a forceful, devoted, and highly capable woman emerges: one who shaped diplomacy, managed wars, and commanded a court… while enduring ten pregnancies in thirteen years.

Professor Sánchez reveals how Catalina:

• Asserted her authority as Infanta of Spain, not merely “a duchess”

• Governed Savoy during her husband’s campaigns, acting as his lieutenant

• Challenged ministers, criticised generals, and organised court life with precision

• Maintained deep emotional connection through constant letter-writing and gift-giving

• Balanced political influence with religious devotion and motherhood as central duties

This episode uncovers Catalina’s love story, her leadership, and the invisible labour of royal women — all of which historians have too often ignored.

If you think only queens and rulers shape history, Catalina will change your mind.

Further Listening from the History Rage Archive

For more on powerful and underestimated women of Renaissance Europe:

• Episode 199 — Catherine de’ Medici with Una McElvenna

• Episode 232 — Ruling Queens with Elizabeth Norton

About Our Guest – Professor Magdalena Sánchez

Professor of History at Gettysburg College and author of:

Infanta: The Short Remarkable Life of Catalina Michaela (Yale University Press) — the first major biography to spotlight Catalina’s voice and legacy.

📚 Buy the book

Infanta: The Short Remarkable Life of Catalina Michaela

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780300282832

Listen, Follow & Support History Rage

🎧 New to History Rage? We invite leading historians to vent their anger at the myths we keep getting wrong.

Follow for more raging truth:

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Samuel Pepys exposed: secrets, suppression, and the truth behind his diary. Samuel Pepys Was Not What You Think…

EXPLICIT CONTENT WARNING - NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED!

For generations, Samuel Pepys has been portrayed as a witty observer of Restoration London — a charming administrator who documented plague, fire, and naval reform.

But what if that version of Pepys wasn’t the full story?

In this explosive Gloucester History Festival Special, historian and author Guy de la Bédoyère joins History Rage to challenge the long-standing myth that Pepys was simply “a man of his time.”

Drawing on decades of research — including learning Pepys’s original shorthand — Guy reveals how editors suppressed, mistranslated, and obscured disturbing passages from the diary for over 200 years.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode

This episode goes beyond familiar Pepys anecdotes and digs into the hidden layers of his diary — and the people who shaped how history remembers him.

Inside this episode:

• Why large sections of Pepys’s diary were deliberately removed or mistranslated
• How 19th- and 20th-century editors shaped the public image of Pepys
• The truth behind Pepys’s secret use of foreign languages and coded shorthand
• Why the phrase “a man of his time” can dangerously excuse behaviour
• Why Pepys’s record remains unique in early modern history

Guy explains how Pepys deliberately buried controversial actions within routine daily entries — making them easy to overlook unless carefully decoded.

Why This Episode Matters

Pepys’s diary is one of the most important personal records in English history — documenting events like:

• The Great Plague of 1665
• The Great Fire of London
• The Restoration of monarchy after the English Civil Wars

But Guy argues that understanding Pepys properly means confronting the uncomfortable details — not sanitising them.

This episode challenges the idea that historical figures should be excused simply because of the era in which they lived — and asks what happens when historians uncover what earlier editors chose to hide.

About the Guest — Guy de la Bédoyère

Guy de la Bédoyère is a bestselling historian, broadcaster, and former Time Team presenter.

He is widely known for his work on Roman Britain and historical biography, and his latest research focuses on uncovering suppressed truths within Pepys’s writings.

📖 Buy the book here:

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780349147406

Purchasing through the History Rage Bookshop helps support both the podcast and independent booksellers.

See Guy Live — Gloucester History Festival

🎟 Live Event Announcement

Gloucester History Festival

📅 Saturday 18th April 2026

🎤 The Confessions of Samuel Pepys

Guy will be speaking live about the hidden realities behind Pepys’s diary and answering audience questions.

🎟 Get tickets:

https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk/events/the-confessions-of-samuel-pepys/

Follow History Rage

Stay connected with the podcast and never miss an episode.

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• Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/HistoryRage
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Support the Podcast

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⭐ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps others discover the show.

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Subscribers receive:

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Listen Next

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

• Episode 241 — Quakers weren’t peaceful outsiders
• Episode 284 — The forgotten women of the Restoration court

Both continue the theme of challenging historical myths and misconceptions.

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Titanic myths sink fast when the real evidence finally surfaces.

For decades, J. Bruce Ismay has been cast as the Titanic’s cowardly villain—but what if almost everything you think you know is wrong? In this revelatory episode, Paul Bavill is joined by Clifford Ismay, author of Understanding J. Bruce Ismay: The True Story of the Man They Call the Coward of the Titanic, to explore the real man behind the myths.

Drawing on family documents, maritime records, witness statements, and newly uncovered letters, Cliff exposes how false press narratives, Hollywood invention, and long-lived conspiracy theories reshaped Ismay’s legacy beyond recognition.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why the infamous “coward” label doesn’t match documented evidence
• How J. Bruce Ismay actually spent the final hours on the Titanic
• Why claims that he forced Captain Smith to speed up are baseless
• The truth about “unsinkable” myths and who really said it
• How William Randolph Hearst ignited a media assault that changed history
• The bizarre “Olympic switch conspiracy”—and why it’s complete nonsense
• How Ismay lived after the disaster, and why the recluse narrative isn’t true
• How film portrayals from A Night to Remember to Titanic distort the facts

This is Titanic history stripped of melodrama and rebuilt from primary sources—the closest you’ll get to the truth without descending to the wreck yourself.

ABOUT THE GUEST – Clifford Ismay

Clifford Ismay is a maritime historian, museum director, and author specialising in Edwardian shipping history and the legacy of the White Star Line. As a distant relative of J. Bruce Ismay, he brings unparalleled insight into both the man and the myths that engulfed him.

Clifford Ismay – Contact & Follow

📘 Book: Understanding J. Bruce Ismay

👉 Order here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780750998666

Listen Next

🎧 Episode 117 – Gareth Russell on Third Class “Locked Below Deck” Myths

🎧 Episode 91 – Anne Fletcher on the Widows of the Scott Expedition

FOLLOW & SUPPORT HISTORY RAGE

If you’re raging right along with us, here’s how to keep the fury flowing:

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Spread the Rage

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The Mercian king history reduced to a ditch—but changed England

Most people know Offa of Mercia for one thing: a giant ditch dividing England and Wales. But that familiar image hides a far more powerful—and fascinating—figure.

In this episode, host Paul Bavill is joined by Cambridge historian Rory Naismith to challenge the long-standing myth of Offa as a brutal warlord. Instead, we uncover a ruler who helped shape the political, economic, and diplomatic foundations of early England.

Why Offa of Mercia deserves a rethink

For centuries, narratives shaped by sources like the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle have painted Offa as a violent tyrant. But as Rory explains, that version of history is incomplete—and often biased.

Look closer, and a different picture emerges:

• A king who ruled for nearly 40 years, stabilising a vast kingdom
• A ruler who centralised power across southern England
• A leader who pioneered systems later used by kings like Alfred the Great

Offa wasn’t just surviving—he was building something lasting.

More than Offa’s Dyke

Yes, Offa's Dyke is impressive—stretching coast to coast and rivaling Roman engineering in scale. But it wasn’t simply a defensive ditch.

It was:

• A symbol of power and dominance
• A political statement to neighbouring Welsh kingdoms
• Part of a wider strategy to control borders and project authority

Offa wasn’t just reacting—he was sending a message.

The king who connected kingdoms

Far from being isolated, Offa operated in a deeply interconnected world.

This episode explores:

• His rivalry and diplomacy with Charlemagne
• Trade, coinage, and economic reform across his realm
• A remarkable gold coin linking Mercia to the Islamic world

From Rome to Francia, Offa was playing the game of international politics at the highest level.

Offa’s real legacy

Forget the “bloodthirsty conqueror” cliché. Offa’s greatest achievement was something far more significant:

• Creating a unified system of kingship
• Bringing together multiple regions under one authority
• Laying the groundwork for the future kingdom of England

Without Offa, the later successes of rulers like Alfred may not have been possible.

Listen More

Episode 16 – Eleanor Janega on the Dark Ages: https://pod.fo/e/11c7f3

Episode 240 – Dirk Hoffman-Becking on the Holy Roman Empire: https://pod.fo/e/3330ce

Guest details: Rory Naismith

• Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rory_naismith

📚 Buy the book “Offa: King of the Mercians” via the History Rage Bookshop:

👉 https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780300257465

See Rory live

🎤 Gloucester History Festival

📅 Sunday 19th April

🎟️ Tickets: https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk/events/anglo-saxon-kings/

Follow & support History Rage

Love the show? Here’s how to keep the rage alive:

• 🔔 Follow History Rage on your podcast platform
• ⭐ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
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Your support helps bring more expert guests and untold stories to the surface.

History isn’t just what we’re told—it’s what we question.

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The Cambridge Five were not heroes—just dangerous traitors with devastating consequences

The Cambridge Five have long been shrouded in myth, glamour, and intrigue—but what if the truth is far darker? In this explosive episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by journalist, historian, and History Book Buffs co-host Antonia Senior to dismantle one of the most persistent legends of the Cold War.

From Kim Philby to Guy Burgess, these men have often been portrayed as charming ideologues or romantic anti-establishment figures. Antonia Senior tears that narrative apart, revealing a group defined not by idealism, but by betrayal, violence, and catastrophic consequences.

You’ll discover how these well-connected Cambridge graduates infiltrated the highest levels of British intelligence, why their crimes were overlooked for so long, and how their actions directly served Stalin’s brutal regime. This episode goes beyond the spy story—exposing the human cost, the institutional failures, and the dangerous myths that still persist today.

If you think you know the Cambridge Five, think again.

What We Cover:

• Who the Cambridge Five really were—and how they infiltrated British intelligence
• Why they’ve been wrongly romanticised in popular culture
• The devastating impact of their espionage during and after WWII
• The shocking personal behaviour and moral failures behind the myth
• How class, privilege, and institutional blind spots enabled their success
• The truth about their exposure, confessions, and escapes

About the Guest – Antonia Senior:

Antonia Senior is a journalist, historian, novelist, and co-host of the History Book Buffs podcast. With a background in intelligence history from Cambridge, she brings deep expertise and sharp analysis to Cold War espionage.

Follow Antonia Senior:

• X (Twitter): @tonisenior
• Podcast: History Book Buffs (available on all major platforms)

Book Recommendation:

Antonia’s latest book Stalin’s Apostles uncovers the true story of the Cambridge Five and their role in advancing Soviet strategy.

👉 Buy your copy from the History Rage Bookshop:

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781399727891

Listen Next:

• Episode 203: Female Intelligence Operatives with Claire Hubbard-Hall
• Episode 219: Post-War Berlin with Giles Milton

Follow & Support History Rage:

🔥 Love the show? Join the rage!

• 🎧 Subscribe on your favourite podcast platform
• ⭐ Leave a rating & review on Apple Podcasts to boost visibility
• 📣 Share the episode and spread the rage

Support the Podcast:

• Patreon (join livestreams & exclusive content): https://www.patreon.com/historyrage
• Apple Subscriptions: Ad-free listening from £3/month

Stay Connected:

• Website: https://historyrage.com
• Newsletter: https://historyrage.substack.com

If you’re tired of history myths and want the truth—raw, unfiltered, and unapologetic—this is the episode for you.

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Forgotten Restoration women reshaped power, culture, and scandal in spectacular ways.

Step into a vibrant, myth-busting journey through the 17th century as cultural historian Breeze Barrington joins History Rage to tear down the idea that the only women worth remembering from the Restoration were Charles II’s mistresses. Drawing on her new book The Extraordinary Untold Lives of Women at the Restoration Court, Breeze exposes a world of creativity, politics, sisterhood, and survival that history has long pushed into the shadows.

From the resilience of Mary of Modena, to the poetic brilliance of Anne Finch and Anne Killigrew, to the raw force-of-nature independence of Hortense Mancini, this episode pulls you straight into the hidden engines of Restoration court culture—where women shaped politics, art, learning, and identity in ways that changed Britain.

You’ll hear:

• The truth behind the so-called “tragic” Queen Mary of Modena—and her remarkable resilience.

• How mistresses became only one slice of a much bigger story of women’s influence.

• The thriving creative world of the Duchess of York’s court.

• Why Restoration salons—especially Hortense Mancini’s—were radical, inclusive, and politically dangerous.

• How Sarah Churchill’s early years at Maria’s court set the stage for her dominance under Queen Anne.

• The explosive religious divide that shaped every personal and political decision of the age.

Breeze brings the fury, the humour, and the research to show why these women deserve to be household names—far beyond scandal and stereotype.

📚 About Breeze Barrington

Breeze Barrington is a cultural historian specialising in the 17th century.

Book: The Extraordinary Untold Lives of Women at the Restoration Court – available from: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781526663788

Website: https://breezebarrington.com

Instagram: @breeze_barrington

🔗 Links & Further Reading

Order Breeze’s book: The Extraordinary Untold Lives of Women at the Restoration Court

Recommended episodes:

• Ep 127 – Charlotte White on Barbara Villiers

• Ep 80 – Linda Porter on Catherine of Braganza

🎧 Follow & Support History Rage

Love the show? Help us grow!

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Share the show, tell a friend, and help unleash more historical rage into the world.

Until next time—stay angry!

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Cleopatra revealed: power, propaganda, and the woman behind the myth

Most people think they know Cleopatra — the irresistible seductress who captivated Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. But what if that story is largely fiction, shaped by political spin and centuries of retelling?

In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by acclaimed historian and author Lucy Hughes-Hallett to dismantle the enduring myths surrounding Cleopatra VII — and reveal the formidable ruler hidden beneath the legend.

Cleopatra: More Than a Seductress

Cleopatra has long been reduced to a caricature — a femme fatale whose beauty brought powerful men to ruin. But as Lucy Hughes-Hallett explains, this version of Cleopatra owes more to Roman propaganda than historical reality.

Much of what we “know” comes from sources loyal to Octavian (Augustus), who had every reason to discredit his rival Mark Antony. Portraying Cleopatra as a dangerous, manipulative temptress helped justify his victory — and reshape history.

The truth? Cleopatra was a highly capable ruler who:

• Stabilised Egypt’s economy during crisis
• Built powerful political alliances
• Ruled independently in a male-dominated world
• Understood and deployed propaganda just as effectively as her enemies

The Politics Behind the Passion

While her relationships with Caesar and Antony are often framed as epic romances, this episode explores their political importance.

Cleopatra needed Roman military backing. Rome needed Egypt’s immense wealth. Their alliances were strategic — not just romantic.

Even the famous “love stories” were later exaggerated to serve narratives about:

• Power and masculinity in Rome
• Fear of powerful women
• Suspicion of foreign rulers
• The dangers of “losing control” to desire

Beauty, Myth and Misrepresentation

Was Cleopatra truly the legendary beauty of popular culture?

Ancient sources suggest otherwise. Coins from her reign depict a strong, distinctive profile — not the flawless icon of Hollywood. According to later accounts, her real strength lay in her intelligence, charisma, and political skill.

Her story evolved over centuries:

• Medieval writers like Geoffrey Chaucer recast her as a model of devotion
• Renaissance dramatists, including William Shakespeare, emphasised passion and tragedy

Each version reveals more about the storyteller than Cleopatra herself.

About Lucy Hughes-Hallett

Lucy Hughes-Hallett is an award-winning cultural historian and author, known for exploring how history and myth intertwine.

📚 Book: Cleopatra: Histories, Dreams and Distortions

👉 Buy via the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780008781323

📲 Follow Lucy:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/LucyHH
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/hugheshallett

🎤 Live Event:

Lucy will be speaking at the Gloucester History Festival on Saturday 18th April.

🎟️ Tickets: https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk/events/cleopatra-life-legend/

Follow & Support History Rage

Love the show? Here’s how to stay connected and support the podcast:

🎧 Subscribe & Listen: Available on Apple Podcasts and all major platforms

⭐ Leave a review: Help more listeners discover History Rage

📣 Spread the word: Share the episode with fellow history fans

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Join the Rage community for just £5/month:

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👉 https://www.patreon.com/historyrage

💡 Prefer ad-free listening? Subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Patreon.

Related Episodes

• Alexander the Great with Steven Harrison
• Septimius Severus with Simon Elliott

Cleopatra wasn’t just a seductress. She was a strategist, a ruler, and a master of image in an age defined by power struggles and propaganda.

And as this episode proves — history is rarely what it first appears.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Horatio Nelson. Glorious victory. Britain “ruling the waves.”

We've all heard the legend — but what if the real story of Trafalgar is far more complicated… and far less heroic… than we’ve been led to believe?

In this episode of History Rage, three-time returning rager Dr Zack White tears apart centuries of patriotic mythmaking to reveal the uncomfortable truths behind Britain’s most celebrated naval battle. From propaganda to psychology, from invasion fears to Victorian moralising, Zack makes the case that Trafalgar’s fame owes more to storytelling than strategy.

Discover why Napoleon had already abandoned his invasion plan before the battle… why Nelson himself was disappointed… why the French and Spanish navies were nowhere near as formidable as we imagine… and how Victorian historians rewrote the whole saga to craft a national legend of heroic sacrifice and divine destiny.

This episode is a masterclass in myth-busting — bold, funny, furious and absolutely packed with historical insight.

What You’ll Learn

• Why Trafalgar did NOT end the French invasion threat
• How Nelson’s death became the backbone of a nation-building myth
• The real state of the French and Spanish fleets
• How British naval supremacy was already secured before Trafalgar
• What actually changed the balance of power in the Napoleonic Wars
• Why Victorian writers reshaped Nelson’s story — and erased the uncomfortable bits
• How propaganda shaped the way Britain remembers its “great men”
• Why battles like Copenhagen and the Nile mattered just as much — if not more

About Our Guest: Dr Zack White

Dr Zack White is a historian, broadcaster and host of The Napoleonic Wars Podcast, exploring every corner of the era from major battles to the strangest personalities.

Follow & Contact Zack:

👉 Social media: @zwhitehistory

👉 Listen to The Napoleonic Wars Podcast: available on all major podcast apps

Enjoying History Rage?

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The General Strike wasn’t revolutionary chaos—it was disciplined working-class resistance

The 1926 General Strike is often painted as Britain’s near-miss with revolution—but the reality is far more revealing, and far more powerful. In this episode of History Rage, Paul Bavill is joined by historian Geoff Andrews to dismantle the myths and uncover the true story of working-class politics, solidarity, and identity in modern Britain.

Far from a Bolshevik uprising, the General Strike was a highly organised, largely peaceful protest rooted in fairness, dignity, and community. Geoff explains how millions of workers mobilised not to overthrow the state, but to defend mining communities facing wage cuts and harsh conditions. The strike wasn’t the beginning of revolution—it arguably marked the end of it.

This conversation dives deep into the ethos of the British labour movement: a tradition shaped not just by ideology, but by education, self-improvement, and collective values. From the Workers’ Educational Association to the rise of autodidact culture, the working classes were not passive victims—they were active architects of modern Britain.

We also explore:

• Why the myth of a “revolutionary working class” distorts history
• The real role of figures like Churchill in escalating tensions
• How the Labour Party evolved from Lib-Lab roots into a political force
• The enduring impact of adult education on political culture
• Why figures like Ramsay MacDonald remain so controversial
• What today’s political landscape has lost from its working-class roots

Geoff Andrews challenges the idea that the left was ever truly revolutionary in Britain—and instead reveals a more complex, ethical, and democratic tradition that has been largely forgotten.

About the Guest

Geoff Andrews is a Senior Lecturer in Politics at The Open University and a leading historian of the British labour movement. His work focuses on the Labour Party, radical traditions, and working-class political culture.

📖 Book: Radicals: The Working Classes and the Making of Modern Britain

👉 Buy via the History Rage Bookshop:

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780300265897

🎤 Catch Geoff live at the Gloucester History Festival

https://gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk

Listen More from History Rage

• Episode 189: Maureen Wright on Victorian feminists
• Episode 181: Shalina Patel on the Pankhursts and women’s suffrage

Follow & Support History Rage

🔥 Patreon (bonus content, livestreams & book giveaways):

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🍏 Apple Subscriptions (ad-free listening):

Available via Apple Podcasts

📩 Newsletter:

https://historyrage.substack.com/

🐦 Socials:

Follow History Rage @historyrage across social media for updates, guest announcements, and more historical rants.

If you enjoy the show, share it, review it, and bring someone else aboard the rage train.

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Renaissance medicine wasn’t ignorant—its cures were stranger and smarter than you think.

Step back into a world of blood, bones, bile, and groundbreaking innovation as Dr Alanna Skuse dismantles the biggest myths about Renaissance medicine. From battlefield surgeries and prosthetics, to midwives, quacks, toads, and the four humours, this episode reveals a medical world far more logical, experimental, and effective than popular history suggests.

Discover why Renaissance surgeons weren’t reckless, why quacks sometimes worked wonders, and why patients were far from naïve. Packed with bizarre cures, pioneering breakthroughs, and the surprising origins of modern treatments, this is the ultimate guide to the misunderstood world of 16th and 17th-century healing.

Whether you're into medical history, social history, early modern England, quackery, midwifery, apothecaries, or surgical innovation, this episode of History Rage delivers deep insight, dark humour, and a fresh perspective.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why Renaissance medical practitioners were not ignorant or cruel
• How surgeons made astonishing breakthroughs long before modern medicine
• Why patients demanded treatments like bloodletting
• The strange power of quacks—and why some were surprisingly effective
• How apothecaries, midwives, and women healers shaped everyday healthcare
• The bizarre logic behind cures involving toads, spiders, and boiling puppies
• The truth about syphilis nose reconstruction, battlefield prosthetics, and chemical medicine
• Why the four humours actually made intuitive sense
• What Renaissance medical thinking still influences today
• What future historians will find horrifying about modern treatments

About Our Guest: Dr Alanna Skuse

Dr Alanna Skuse is a literary scholar, medical historian, and author specialising in early modern disease, surgery, and the cultural history of the body. Her latest trade book uncovers the real experience of staying alive in Renaissance England.

📚 Buy Her Book

The Surgeon, the Midwife, the Quack: How to Stay Alive in Renaissance England

👉 https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781836430773

📨 Contact / Follow Dr Alanna Skuse

Website: https://www.dralannaskuse.co.uk/

Twitter / X: @alanna_skuse

Instagram: @historian_alanna

Explore More Medical History Episodes

If this episode left you hungry for more medical history:

• Ep 161 – Karen Bloom Gevirtz on 17th-century healer-women
• Ep 56 – Louise Wilkie on Robert Liston & Victorian surgery

Follow & Support History Rage

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