The Mary Rose is probably the best-known ship of the Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. She served for 33 years, performing a wide variety of roles, before sinking in battle in the English Solent in 1545. The Mary Rose was rediscovered in 1971 and was raised in 1982. She is currently on display in Portsmouth. As well as being a relic of the Tudor period, she has also provided an invaluable insight into the life of the sailors on board.

In this episode, Conal (@prohistoricman) answers a wide variety of questions on the Mary Rose. For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com

The TV series Gossip Girl is one of the most popular offerings on the Netflix platform. Set in Manhattan’s exclusive Upper East Side, Gossip Girl features characters such as the young, wealthy socialite Serena van der Woodsen and her similarly wealthy friend, Blair Waldorf. While many people will be familiar with the various trials and tribulations of the main protagonists in the show, perhaps fewer will be aware of the ways in which the rich and varied history of America and New York has been harnessed in the show. For instance, the ‘van der’ element of Serena’s name harks back to the often overlooked and forgotten era of pre-1664 New York, when the City was actually New Amsterdam under the colonial domination of the Netherlands.

In this exciting episode, Patrick (@historychappy) answers a range of questions from Elliot (@thelibrarian6) on the ways in which Gossip Girl has proactively harnessed the history of New York in particular and America more generally, in order to enrich its appeal and allure.

For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com

The history of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) dates back to 1884, as the organisation that codified the various Gaelic Games, including Gaelic Football and Hurling. However, the origins and roots of the various games go back much, much further and could not be more historically significant to the history of Ireland and its people. Today, Gaelic Football is widely popular in Ireland and is played around the world; wherever one finds Ireland’s ‘Wild Geese’, one can find Gaelic Football.

In this episode, Versus History gives a warm welcome to two very special guests: Gaelic Football players from Mayo in the Republic of Ireland, who represent the 'Bahrain Celts' in the Middle East. They are Orla Reilly and John Doherty, who in this episode discuss all aspects of the history of the GAA and the Gaelic Games, with Co-Editors Patrick (@historychappy) and Elliott (@thelibrarian6) asking the key questions. For terms of use please visit www.versushistory.com

British control of the Thirteen Colonies of North America formally ended in 1783. Evacuation Day on 25 November 1783 marked the departure of British forces from New York, following the Declaration of Independence in 1776. However, the American Revolutionary War started in 1775, with the ‘shot that rang around the world’ on Lexington Green, when a contingent of British Redcoats exchanged fire with the colonial militia outisde of Boston. The hostilities quickly escalted and all out war followed. Bunker Hill, Long Island, Brandywine, Saratoga, Charleston, Yorktown are just some of the key battles in the American Revolutionary War. But how and why did the British - the superpower of the day - lose the war?

In this episode, Patrick (@historychappy) explains three key reasons for the defeat that everyone should be aware of, while Elliott (@thelibrarian6) asks the questions.

For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com

The UK Garage scene is well known for its most famous stars. Craig David, So Solid Crew, Artful Dodger, DJ Spoony, Misteeq, DJ EZ, MJ Cole, DJ Luck and MC Neat can all be counted amongst those who became household names during the apex of UK Garage's popularity between 1998-2002. With its origins as a 'Sunday Scene' and as the soundtrack of pirate radio in the mid-late 1990s, UK Garage came a long way in a very short space of time. Indeed, it faded away from the musical limelight in the early 2000s equally as fast, spawning sub-genres such as Grime.

In this podcast, Patrick (@historychappy) answers a range of questions on UK Garage from Elliott (@thelibrarian6) in what is a fascinating verbal tour of the scenes exciting and varied history.

For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com

Henry VIII reigned from 1509 to 1547. He is well known for having six wives, breaking with the Roman Catholic Church in Rome and for dissolving the Catholic monasteries. Indeed, the passage of the 1534 Act of Supremacy meant that the incumbent English monarch - rather than the Pope in Rome - was now the Head of the English Church. However, what combination of factors ultimately resulted in Henry VIII's split from the Catholic Church? After all, Henry had been born, raised and largely continued to practice his faith in a conservatively Catholic manner, even after the split from Rome. The complexity of the issue is not difficult to appreciate; hopefully, this @VersusHistory podcast will help bring about some answers!

In this episode, Patrick (@historychappy) supports the idea that the split was religiously motivated. Elliott (@thelibrarian6) contends that the Pope’s refusal to grant him a divorce from Katherine of Aragon was the primary cause. Conal (@prohistoricman) argues that the break from Rome was triggered by politics. For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com

Superhero characters are a key feature of many cinematic and cartoon productions. Perhaps none are more instantaneously recognisable than Superman, also known as Clark Kent and Kal-El. Originating from the planet Krypton, he first appeared in a comic back in 1938. Just as interestingly, Superman has a long and varied history, both as a character construct and in the ways that he has been depicted and portrayed over through time.

In this episode, Elliott (@thelibrarian6) answers a broad array of questions from Patrick (@historychappy) and Conal (@prohistoricman) on Superman.

For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com

Part Two! Australia's history as an outpost of the British Empire formally began in 1788 with the arrival at Botany Bay of the First Fleet. Australia was initially a British penal colony. With the loss of the Thirteen Colonies in North America, Britain needed a new location to transport its convicts. Australia was to be that place. Australia and her white settler population developed politically, economically and socially under the stewardship of a number of Governors in the late 18th and 19th centuries, some 9500 miles away from the metropole. Within 50 years of British colonisation, Austrailia had experienced many, many seismic changes. The Aboriginal population, undoubtedly, suffered greatly and deeply. Sheep were introduced to help move the colony towards self-sufficiency. Transportation to Australia eventually ceased, with 'free settlers' taking the place of criminals. In the second of two special episodes, Australian academic and Curriculum Manager Dr Dave Brown (@DBrownF6History) shares his expertise and research into Australian colonial history, answering a wide array of questions about the period. For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com

Australia's history as an outpost of the British Empire formally began in 1788 with the arrival at Botany Bay of the First Fleet. Australia was initially a British penal colony. With the loss of the Thirteen Colonies in North America, Britain needed a new location to transport its convicts. Australia was to be that place. Australia and her white settler population developed politically, economically and socially under the stewardship of a number of Governors in the late 18th and 19th centuries, some 9500 miles away from the metropole. Within 50 years of British colonisation, Austrailia had experienced many, many seismic changes. The Aboriginal population, undoubtedly, suffered greatly and deeply. Sheep were introduced to help move the colony towards self-sufficiency. Transportation to Australia eventually ceased, with 'free settlers' taking the place of criminals.

In the first of two special episodes, Australian academic and Curriculum Manager Dr Dave Brown (@DBrownF6History) shares his expertise and research into Australian colonial history, answering a wide array of questions about the period.

For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com

Following the armistice that ended WW1 on 11 November 1918, the victorious allies came together at the Palace of Versailles to discuss how Germany should be treated. The Paris Peace Conference was quickly dominated by the leaders of the USA, Great Britain and France: Woodrow Wilson, David Lloyd George, and Georges Clemenceau - aka the ‘Big Three’. They had very different views as to what they wanted from Germany and to what degree the country should be punished. Once the Treaty of Versailles was finally published and the terms made public, a debate immediately sprang up centring on whether it dealt too leniently with Germany, or too harshly. Of course, this argument might depend upon your viewpoint (as most arguments do), but can we find evidence for both sides?

In this episode, Elliott (@thelibrarian6) argues that the settlement was fair, whilst Patrick (@historychappy) argues that it was indeed overly harsh.

For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com