Present History Podcast

By Present HistoryTV & Film Education History Film History

Present History Podcast episodes

July 18, 2022 The Pastor Who Opposed a Hitler Cult
As the breeze curled its way down the street, it carried the low rumble of a black, mud-spattered saloon car. Strapped to its roof were large loud-speakers. It drew up to the massive gate that guarded the entrance to Kingdom House. At the wheel was the 48-year-old Victor Walker. His wide brimmed hat shadowed his eyes from the sun, his jaw set, his heart beginning to pound. He was the pastor of Elim Four-Square Gospel Church, and had driven 15 miles with the sole intention of engaging these ‘Reformers’. He wanted to call them out for what he believed was blasphemy and believed they deserved to be rebuked. Parking the car, he stepped outside. He looked up at the gate that loomed over him.

He grabbed the wide, ribbed microphone, his Bible under one arm, he adjusted his tie briefly. He lifted the microphone towards his face. And began.

‘Hello everyone. I propose to hold a short religious service here today.’

This is the story of a British pastor who stood up against the Legion of Christian Reformers.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
19 min
July 11, 2022 The British Cult that Worshiped Hitler
Hitler's Kingdom Come - A Present History Multimedia Project - Episode One

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
19 min
July 11, 2022 Introducing the 'Hitler's Kingdom Come' Project
When you think of Nazis and religious cults, you probably think of an old gothic castle in a dark corner of Germany.

You don’t tend to think of England. Much less, leafy Surrey.

But, in 1943, a group of men came together to worship Hitler as the second coming of Christ.

They went on to form a church in Petworth, Surrey. Growing to around 12 members, this cult worshiped Hitler at their altar, wrote letters to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Chief Rabbi and went about attempting to make Hitler's Kingdom Come.

This extreme group of fanatical fascists and radicalised pseudo-Christians were brought up in Parliament 4 times, noticed in Soviet Moscow and reviled by their local community. They wrote books, theological works, memoirs and manifestos, marched the fascist campaign trail, but were seen as slightly too bizarre for Oswald Mosley and his British Union of Fascists.

The government said they couldn’t do anything because, despite being a little 'odd' or 'out there' in the words of their local MP, technically, they had done nothing illegal. It was only after stiff opposition from local churches and pastors, and a violent raid by local mercenaries that the cult finally disbanded.

Using recently declassified MI5 files and the secret letters of its members, this multimedia project will incorporate every social media platform, to tell an innovative, groundbreaking and engaging historical narrative.

We will chart the story of the League of Christian Reformers, from their dark inception in the prison camps on the Isle of Man, through their wacky theology and worldview, and to their eventual demise. We will have deep dives on each of the members, uncovering their lives and stories, including a fascinating interview with one of their daughters! Not only this, we’ll also be looking at British Fascism as a whole, where the league intercepted with men like Oswald Moseley and groups like the British Union of Fascists and the Nordic League.

Make sure to follow us on Instagram and TikTok, subscribe on YouTube, and follow the Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you don’t miss a single piece of content. You can also check out our website at www.presenthistory.co.uk, where they’ll be a homepage for the entire project, so you never lose track.

Stay tuned, its going to be a crazy ride.

...

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@presenthistory

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/presenthistory_/

Podcast:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6BH54bZ944WrcIDxjGmg5N?si=3321ca2bc979452d
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/present-history-podcast/id1519822694
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
4 min
June 01, 2022 The Rise and Fall of Mercia with Annie Whitehead - Part Two
In this episode of the Present History Podcast, Zachary Peatling sat down with Annie Whitehead, an Anglo-Saxon historian and critically acclaimed author, to discuss the Kingdom of Mercia, Aethelflaed, and more!

Check out Annie Whitehead:

Website: https://www.anniewhiteheadauthor.co.uk
Twitter: @AnnieWHistory

Mercia: The Rise and Fall of a Kingdom: https://www.waterstones.com/book/mercia/annie-whitehead/9781398103337

Check out Zachary Peatling:

Website: https://www.presenthistory.co.uk
Twitter: @zjpeatling
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
41 min
May 20, 2022 The Rise and Fall of Mercia with Annie Whitehead - Part One
In this episode of the Present History Podcast, Zachary Peatling sat down with Annie Whitehead, an Anglo-Saxon historian and critically acclaimed author, to discuss the Kingdom of Mercia, Aethelflaed, and more!

Check out Annie Whitehead:
Website: https://www.anniewhiteheadauthor.co.uk

Twitter: @AnnieWHistory

Mercia: The Rise and Fall of a Kingdom: https://www.waterstones.com/book/mercia/annie-whitehead/9781398103337

Check out Zachary Peatling:
Website: https://www.presenthistory.co.uk

Twitter: @zjpeatling
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
36 min
May 16, 2022 The Endurance of Shackleton with Joanna Grochowicz - Part Two
In this episode of the Present History Podcast, Zachary Peatling sat down with Joanna Grochowicz, a polar historian and critically acclaimed author, to discuss Ernest Shackleton, the Endurance and the incredible stories of polar exploration!

Check out Joanna Grochowicz:
Website: https://www.joannagrochowicz.com
Twitter: @GrochowiczJ
Shackleton's Endurance: An Antarctic Survival Story: https://www.waterstones.com/book/shackletons-endurance/joanna-grochowicz/9781911679158

Check out Zachary Peatling:
Website: https://www.presenthistory.co.uk
Twitter: @zjpeatling
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
21 min
May 06, 2022 The Endurance of Shackleton with Joanna Grochowicz - Part One
In this episode of the Present History Podcast, Zachary Peatling sat down with Joanna Grochowicz, a polar historian and critically acclaimed author, to discuss Ernest Shackleton, the Endurance and the incredible stories of polar exploration!

Check out Joanna Grochowicz:
Website: https://www.joannagrochowicz.com
Twitter: @GrochowiczJ
Shackleton's Endurance: An Antarctic Survival Story: https://www.waterstones.com/book/shackletons-endurance/joanna-grochowicz/9781911679158

Check out Zachary Peatling:
Website: https://www.presenthistory.co.uk
Twitter: @zjpeatling
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
38 min
April 08, 2022 The Power of Oral History with Dr George Severs - Part Two
We have a very special episode today, as we are with Dr George Severs, a leading oral historian, specialising in the history of activism, sexuality, religion and work, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London, and a member of the Editorial Board of Oral History, the journal of the UK’s Oral History Society (OHS).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
24 min
April 01, 2022 The Power of Oral History with Dr George Severs - Part One
We have a very special episode today, as we are with Dr George Severs, a leading oral historian, specialising in the history of activism, sexuality, religion and work, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London, and a member of the Editorial Board of Oral History, the journal of the UK’s Oral History Society (OHS).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
34 min
March 25, 2022 Trench Talk - Slang and Banter in WW1
The First World War was one of the most catastrophic and impactful events in British history, and the soldiers’ experience of it has often been boiled down to mud, blood, poison gas and ‘going over the top’. But, there are aspects of life that were fundamental to a soldier’s experience that have been simply overlooked. For example, the ‘Trench Talk’; the way in which the soldiers communicated with one another, how they voiced their feelings and emotions, and even, how they interacted with the public back home. Slang and banter would be crucial parts in how the soldiers on the front experienced and dealt with the horrors of war.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
11 min