Aphra Behn was a true original. Not only was she the first woman to earn a living by writing, she was also a spy, a political propagandist and a revolutionary. Publicly she was all brash sexuality and outspoken politics, but what is known about the woman beneath? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Janet Todd to discuss how Behn navigated the complexities of 17th-century society and crafted her public persona while challenging cultural and sexual norms.

Hear our episode on Tudor Spycraft >

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. Readings by Sarah Perceval.

The researcher is Alice Smith, edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

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Professor Suzannah Lipscomb steps into the electrifying world of Elizabethan theatre to unravel the dark allure of Christopher Marlowe's Dr. Faustus, a work that would forever change English drama. Together with Professor Emma Smith, she decodes the Renaissance masterpiece that dared to humanize the devil and challenge religious orthodoxy. How did Dr. Faustus become a cultural phenomenon that still echoes through history via Mary Shelley, John Grisham and James Bond?

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK

Henry VIII's desire to divorce Catherine of Aragon changed England; it could be justified by a biblical law that prohibited a man from marrying his brother's widow, yet another passage seemed to suggest otherwise. In a surprising move, Henry called upon Italian rabbis to interpret these ancient laws.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb delves into the turbulent world of the Tudors, where the lines between faith and politics blurred. She's joined by Jerry Rabow to explore how Jewish, Catholic and Protestant perspectives intertwined and ultimately raised more questions than answers.

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

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**This podcast contains graphic descriptions of murders and the punishments of those convicted**

Gruesome murders carried out by women captivated the public imagination in Early Modern Britain. Pamphlets, ballads, and woodcuts spread the stories of traitorous wives, cunning poisoners, child killers, and alleged witches. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by historian and former police officer Dr. Blessin Adams on a journey through the shocking stories of women who defied societal norms with acts of violence that both horrified and fascinated society.

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK

Exactly 400 years ago, the Dutch West India Company built Fort Amsterdam on the southern tip of Manhattan island, a beacon of power and resilience against threats from Europeans and Indigenous Americans. But how did things change when England invaded in 1664?

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Russell Shorto, author of Taking Manhattan, to uncover the untold stories of New York City's emergence as a hub of capitalism and pluralism, laying the groundwork for America's rise and shaping the city's enduring legacy.

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith. Edited by Amy Haddow. Produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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In 1711, a wave of terror gripped the Islandmagee peninsula in County Antrim. First there was the haunting and supernatural murder of a local clergyman's wife. Then 18-year-old Mary Dunbar suffered violent convulsions, levitation and vomiting of pins, feathers, and buttons, sparking accusations against eight local women. After Mary’s sudden death, the trial took an unprecedented turn when one William Sellar was put on trial.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more from Dr. Andrew Sneddon about this chilling true story of possession, witchcraft accusations, and Ireland’s only recorded execution of a man for witchcraft.

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith. Edited by Amy Haddow. Produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

Passion, scandal, and power collided in the tumultuous relationship between Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley. Rumours of secret trysts between them set the court ablaze, but their love was doomed from the start.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Dr. Joanne Paul unravel the complex tapestry of Dudley's life, Elizabeth's devotion and the decades of political intrigue and personal heartbreak. Then, Dr. Tracey Wedge explores how Dudley's extravagant wardrobe became a powerful tool in the game of courtly politics.

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith. Produced and edited by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

The brief life of William Shakespeare's son Hamnet is now quite well known, thanks to Maggie O'Farrell's novel, but Hamnet also had a twin sister Judith, who outlived her brother by many decades. Now it's time for Judith to take centre stage in the highly anticipated novel The Owl Was a Baker's Daughter by Professor Grace Tiffany. 

Judith lived through a time of chaos and conflict when cavaliers clashed with roundheads and religious fervour threatened to tear the kingdom apart. Grace Tiffany joins Professor Suzannah Lipscomb to talk about themes in Judith's life that resonate deeply with our world today, from religious extremism to the challenges faced by women in male-dominated professions. 

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

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What happens when a small island faces the might of the Ottoman Empire?

In 1565, Malta was the setting for a brutal clash between the forces of the Ottoman Empire and the defiant Knights of the Order of St.John, warrior monks led by the iron-willed Jean de Valette. This extraordinary siege pitted faith against empire, innovation against desperation, and a handful of defenders against an unstoppable superpower.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor Marcus Bull about the battle that reshaped Mediterranean power dynamics, shattered Ottoman invincibility, and forged legends that still echo in Malta’s fortified walls today.

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Theme music from All3Media. Other music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb delves into the world of Stuart-era recipe books, in which medicine, cookery and women's roles combine in fascinating ways. She discovers how these volumes were far more than just cookbooks, offering a window into how women collected and shared knowledge, and how female identity was shaped within the domestic sphere.

Suzannah's guest Dr. Kimberley Connor introduces the intriguing 1675 recipe book of Margaret Baker, which includes everything from plague preventatives to culinary delights, for example a simple spiced eggy bread that was both a tasty breakfast and a remedy for back pain.

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, the editor and producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Theme music from All3Media. Other music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on