In this episode we look at what our old friend Herodotus has to say about the Conquest of Lydia. Featuring lots of interference by the Gods, fortune telling oracles and more camels than you shake a stick at.  

In this episode we look at what Herodotus and our other sources have to tell us about the conquest of the Medes covered in Episode 1 of this series. 

The first episode in our new Ancient History GCSE series on the Persian Empire looks at the problems with sources and where Cyrus came from. 

What can castle Acre tell us about the influence of the Cluniac Order on England? Who were the Cluniacs? And how did the complicated relationships between powerful individual men in this period impact on the revival of monasticism in England? How did monasteries impact on the political, economic and social fabric of this new, Norman state?

Buckle in, because it's a long one as we look at the site study for the 2021 exam and dig into the birth and development of Castle Acre Priory. 

The Historic Site Study for 2021 is Castle Acre Priory; but you can't understand why Castle Acre is so important without the context of monastisicm in Norman england. What is a monastery? Who do monks do?

The next episode will dig deeply into Castle Acre and how it links to the rest of Norman England. 

Alongside the economic and political stability of the Stresemann period came a flowering of Weimar Culture. What did this look like, how did it impact our world today and how did it give the Nazis a wedge issue they could use to gain political traction with people in the countryside?

The Weimar Republic seemed on the brink of collapse in 1923 - yet it survived for another ten years. Was this miracle a true recovery or merely papering over the cracks? Join us as we look at the career of Gustav Stresemann and struggle to agree on a single pronunciantion for his name. 

1066 is regarded as a watershed moment when all of life in England changed. How far is this accurate? In this episode we look at the various ways that life changed in Norman England - and the ways in which is changed. 

In this special episode for GCSE Film Studies students we are joined by John Rain, host of SMERSHPOD

And author of THUNDERBOOK to talk about the underlying aesthetic of Bond films. Unsuprisingly, we also veer off the topic a bit and end up talking about Marvel films and why Infinity War is better than Endgame and why Film Studies students should watch JFK. 

The Nazi state had very clear plans for the young men and women of Germany; these plans would be reflected in the changes to the education system and the creation of youth groups. In this episode we look at the interplay of these two factors and the overall impact of Nazi youth policies.