We Are History

By Angela Barnes and John O'Farrell

The less-than-serious history podcast with stand up comedian Angela Barnes (The News Quiz, Mock The Week and Live at The Apollo) and writer John O'Farrell (An Utterly Impartial History of Br... more

· History

4.8

6060 ratings

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FAQs about We Are History:

How many episodes does We Are History have?

The podcast currently has 113 episodes available.

We Are History episodes:

July 24, 2023The Legend of the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass
Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell cavort through history and uncover the most fascinating and down-right bizarre events.

This time; the day hundreds of walkers asserted the Right To Roam across the Peak District against the wishes of the landed gentry who wanted the hills kept private so they could shoot grouse. John and Angela really struggle to take sides on this one.

The protest is seen as an important catalyst to securing access to the countryside, but has the simple story of one dramatic day of action obscured the truth about the decades of diligent campaigning that did the hard work?
Trigger warning; this episode includes John singing a snippet of a folk song.

Support We Are History on Patreon and receive exclusive benefits:
https://patreon.com/WeAreHistory
“I like the idea of a country walk, but the countryside hates me. To insects I’m the equivalent of a restaurant with three Michelin stars.” – Angela Barnes
“The mass trespass was a stunt – it’s a good simple story, with young victims and posh villains which is why it has found its way into public consciousness.” – John O’Farrell

Reading list:
Kinder Scout and the Legend of the Mass Protest by David Haye
Right to Roam by Marion Shoad
Forbidden Land by Tom Stephenson

We Are History is written and presented by Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell. Audio production by Simon Williams and artwork by James Parrett. Lead Producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. We Are History is a Podmasters Production.
https://twitter.com/wearehistorypod

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37min
July 18, 2023The Story of Nancy Wake: The Mouse that ran rings around the Nazis
Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell romp through history, unravelling fascinating and down-right bizarre events.
This time we meet the New Zealand born journalist turned French society housewife Nancy Wake, who became one of Churchill’s most decorated agents and one of the Gestapo’s most wanted.
Whether she was flirting with Nazis to get out of trouble or parachuting into the heart of the French Resistance, Nancy Wake was right in the thick of the action and the woman the Germans called “White Mouse”. She took no shit from anyone. Contemporaries say she ”put the men to shame by her cheerful spirit and strength of character."
Find out exactly how this kick-ass woman kicked some ass.

Get all episodes a week early – when you support We Are History on Patreon: https://patreon.com/WeAreHistory
“In training Nancy had to be bribed with whiskey before jumping out of a plane. I love her.” – Angela Barnes
“Tardivat said about her; ‘She is the most feminine woman I know—until the fighting starts! Then,’ and he kissed his fingers as only a Frenchman can, ‘she is like five men’.” – John O’Farrell
“She went out dancing in occupied France and was doing parachute rolls on the floor. It's a bit of a giveaway.” – Angela Barnes

Reading list:
Nancy Wake by Russell Braddon
White Mouse : The Autobiography of Australia's Wartime Legend

We Are History is written and presented by Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell. Audio production by Simon Williams and artwork by James Parrett. Lead Producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. We Are History is a Podmasters Production.
https://twitter.com/wearehistorypod

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54min
July 11, 2023The 1904 St Louis Olympics: A Marathon Event
Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell romp through history, unravelling fascinating and down-right bizarre events.
This time; the five month-long 1904 Olympic Games which was a catalogue of failures and unbelievably poor decisions. This included restricting liquids during the marathon, one of the runners stopping to practise his english and wild dogs chasing the athletes.
It’s an incredible story so make sure those shoelaces are tied and your nipples are Vaselined.
“Every four years, as a nation, we pick one event we’re experts in, like the Olympic Slalom.” – Angela Barnes
“41 runners signed up for the marathon, but only 32 turned up.” – John O’Farrell
“To be fair, John, we’ve all done it. I’ve signed up for so many races.” – Angela Barnes

Reading list:
The Wildest Race Ever - The Story of the 1904 Olympic Marathon - Meghan McCarthy
Marathon 1904, a standup show by Nic Sampson

We Are History is written and presented by Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell. Audio production by Simon Williams and artwork by James Parrett. Lead Producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. We Are History is a Podmasters Production.

https://twitter.com/wearehistorypod

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48min
July 04, 2023St Patrick and the Patriarchy: Women’s rights in Ireland
Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell present the not-so-serious podcast unravelling fascinating and down-right bizarre historical events.

New Episode!
For much of the 20th century the Catholic establishment had a stranglehold over Ireland’s morality and used it to deny Irish women basic rights such as contraception, divorce and abortion. When a series of scandals stripped away the hypocrisy of the church, the women of the country took their chance to stand up against the patriarchy and were finally able to win basic human rights – and even win the presidency.

This is a real-life story of hope, sacrifice and the power of Irish women.

Get all episodes a week early and ad-free – when you support We Are History on Patreon: https://patreon.com/WeAreHistory
“Ireland wasn’t oppressed by the Catholic church with nuns wielding batons and water canons…the only torture was the really long sermons.” – Angela Barnes
“When the Church tells you what you have to do, it always ends well.” – John O’Farrell
“John explains feminism to me, part 723!” – Angela Barnes
“Erm, so if I could just talk over you, about this feminism…” – John O’Farrell

Reading list:
We Don’t Know Ourselves by Fintan O’Toole.
Ireland – the autobiography. A collection of essays and articles edited by John Bowman

We Are History is written and presented by Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell. Audio production by Simon Williams and artwork by James Parrett. Lead Producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. We Are History is a Podmasters Production.
https://twitter.com/wearehistorypod

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52min
June 27, 2023Saucy Seaside Postcards - A Celebration of Great British Smut
Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell present the not-so-serious podcast unravelling fascinating and down-right bizarre historical events.

This week; you ordered an innuendo, so we’re giving you one. Yes, it’s that stalwart of smut, the saucy seaside postcard. Join us as we enter a cartoon world of buxom ladies and henpecked men. But enough about us here’s a podcast about the history of this great British institution.

Get all episodes a week early – when you support We Are History on Patreon: https://patreon.com/WeAreHistory
“In a show about double entendre I really should’ve milked ‘seamen’ - oh no!” – Angela Barnes
“All together: It was a different time!” – John O’Farrell
“Y’know that bit in The Shining, when Jack Nicholson goes off when he’s disturbed writing? I think he’s right! He was disturbed!” – Angela Barnes

Reading list:
Please be warned both of these sources contain language and descriptions of their time, which may cause offence.
Please Excuse Me While I Kick Fido - The World Of Donald McGill by Elfreda Buckland
The Art of Donald McGill by George Orwell

We Are History is written and presented by Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell. Audio production by Simon Williams and artwork by James Parrett. Lead Producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. We Are History is a Podmasters Production.
https://twitter.com/wearehistorypod

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56min
June 20, 2023Great Fire of London: Burning down the house
Angela Barnes and John O'Farrell dust off more delightful and unbelievable details from the pages of history.
This time: How most of London was destroyed after a baker ignored his wife’s advice to check if the fire had gone out, saying ‘Oh, what’s the worst that could happen?’

Get all episodes a week early – when you support We Are History on Patreon: https://patreon.com/WeAreHistory
“Does one tip the man with the corpse cart? It’s one of those embarrassing social dilemmas.” – John O’Farrell
“We need a radical solution to these wooden houses being so close together – if only there was some way of starting again…” – Angela Barnes
“Inflammable and flammable mean the same thing. I studied linguistics, this annoys me” – Angela Barnes
“Angela, you're pinpointing the real tragedy of the Great Fire there.” – John O’Farrell

Reading List:
By Permission of Heaven: The Story of the Great Fire of London by Adrian Tinniswood.

We Are History is written and presented by Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell. Audio production by Simon Williams and artwork by James Parrett. Lead Producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. We Are History is a Podmasters Production.

https://twitter.com/wearehistorypod

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37min
June 13, 2023Navajo Code Talkers – America's secret WWII weapon
Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell present the not-so-serious podcast unravelling fascinating and down-right bizarre historical events.
This week; our history enthusiasts discuss how the US military used an indigenous American language to outfox the Nazis. By taking a gamble that there weren’t many natural Navajo speakers in Berlin, the Americans kept their secret messages unbreakable by the enemy.

Get all episodes a week early – when you support We Are History on Patreon: https://patreon.com/WeAreHistory
“You couldn’t choose just any language for coded messages; for instance; ‘we’ll just send all our messages in french’ as if the Nazi’s couldn’t speak french.” – Angela Barnes
“The Navajo language hadn’t ever been written down in 1940; there was no Duolingo for Navajo.” – John O’’Farrell
“They created a new code, as a crossword nerd I love this.” – Angela Barnes
“Their name for Adolf Hitler was ‘crazy white man’, doesn’t narrow it down, does it?” – John O’Farrell

Reading List:
Navajo Code Talkers by Nathan Aaseng
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee by Dee Brown

We Are History is written and presented by Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell. Audio production by Simon Williams and artwork by James Parrett. Lead Producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. We Are History is a Podmasters Production.

https://twitter.com/wearehistorypod

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1h 12min
June 06, 2023Albania: Communism, capitalism, chaos
Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell bring us more ridiculous history facts and a less-than serious romp through an event from the past.
This time: How one small country in Europe lurched suddenly from hardline Stalinism to Disaster Capitalism, and then gave everyone guns and said ‘Oh sort it out yourselves’.
Albania has suffered a stormy history of dictatorships, a king called Zog and being economically choked by the iron grip of mass pyramids schemes which provided false hope to millions.

Get all episodes a week early – when you support We Are History on Patreon: https://patreon.com/WeAreHistory
“King Zog wasn’t royal he just decided to be king” – Angela Barnes
“None of the books I read have any of these titbits” – John O’Farrell
“Albania had the illusion of democracy, the homeopathy of democracy” – Angela Barnes
“This is the biggest understatement you've ever written in your notes, John; ‘not an ideal situation” – Angela Barnes

Reading List: Free by Lea Ypi
A Concise History of Albania by Bernd J. Fischer and Oliver Jens Schmitt
Modern Albania From Dictatorship To Democracy in Europe by Fred C Abrahams.
We Are History is written and presented by Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell. Audio production by Simon Williams and artwork by James Parrett. Lead Producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. We Are History is a Podmasters Production.

https://twitter.com/wearehistorypod

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41min
May 30, 2023The 1968 US Presidential Election: Rotting from the head down
Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell present the not-so-serious podcast unravelling fascinating and down-right bizarre historical events.
This time: They dive deep into the year American politics took a dark turn towards lies, divisiveness and criminality. As is said so often on this podcast; 'it could never happen now'.
This is the bitterly fought American Election that set the modern tone with its controversy and dishonesty - and heralded the rise of the new right in America. Spoiler alert - Richard Nixon ends up as a preserved head in Futurama.

Get all episodes a week early – when you support We Are History on Patreon: https://patreon.com/WeAreHistory
“That guy off the chimp movie? No way!” – John O’Farrell
“I am alone in the land of the aardvarks.” – Senator Eugene McCarthy
“If there’s one thing I know about American politics, is that they don’t want a poet for president.” – Angela Barnes

Reading List: An American Melodrama; the Presidential Campaign of 1968 by Lewis Chester, Geoffrey Hodgson and Bruce Page.

We Are History is written and presented by Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell. Audio production by Simon Williams and artwork by James Parrett. Lead Producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. We Are History is a Podmasters Production.

https://twitter.com/wearehistorypod

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47min
May 23, 2023Radium: A toxic love affair
NEW SERIES! The not-so-serious podcast unravelling fascinating and down-right bizarre historical events.

Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell celebrate the return of We Are History by plunging into the luminous but lethal history of Radium. They reveal how its discovery led to a craze for radio-active health and beauty treatments, which had the slight drawback of eventually killing you.

Angela and John share our predecessors ill-advised fascination with radium; its myriad ‘miracle’ uses include a radium jock strap and the pair wonder whether to name their next pub-rock band Liquid Sunshine or The Radium Runners…

Get all episodes a week early – when you support We Are History on Patreon: https://patreon.com/WeAreHistory
“I should say, we’re not scientists.” – Angela Barnes
“To be fair we’re not historians either and that’s never stopped us.” – John O’Farrell
“When I was a kid it was completely normal to have your feet x-rayed in the shoe shop. That’s why my hair fell out.” – John O’Farrell

Reading List: Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium by Lucy Jane Santos

We Are History is written and presented by Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell. Audio production by Simon Williams and artwork by James Parrett. Lead Producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. We Are History is a Podmasters Production.

https://twitter.com/wearehistorypod

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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1h 3min

FAQs about We Are History:

How many episodes does We Are History have?

The podcast currently has 113 episodes available.

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