Ho Chi Minh is a man of many mysteries and many names (including the Kissing President…). But to most, he’s the man who midwifed a nation and kicked out the colonisers. He’s the revolutionary head of the Viet Minh who lead Viet Nam to independence in 1945. And through it all he found time to be a ferry pastry chef! In 1969, Billy is struck by his death, so it’s time for us to reflect on the life of Uncle Ho, the Vietnamese Revolution, and course, the Vietnam War.

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Here’s another podcast we think you’ll enjoy. It’s a tale of secrets, smugglers, spies, and how 852 people died on a ferry. From the team behind The Secret History of Flight 149, journalist Stephen Davis investigates the tragic sinking of the passenger ship, The Estonia, uncovering a mysterious trail that leads back to the Cold War. You can listen to the series by searching ‘The Secret History of the Estonia’ wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are released weekly, with the whole series available ad-free on the Crowd Stories channel on Apple Podcasts (where you can also get ad-free and early access to Fire episodes!). You can also listen ad-free on Amazon Music.

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The free love of the 1960s was a crucial step in the world becoming more sex positive, but would any of it have happened without the invention of The Pill? 

This week, we're chatting all things birth control - how it came about, the reaction (hello again Pope Paul!), and allll the weird old timey forms of birth controls that once existed. Plus, we discuss the long term legacy of The Pill, the controversial idea of male birth control, and the modern day battle for bodily autonomy. To wade through it all, we're joined by Dr Catherine Roach, the author of 'Good Sex: Transforming America through the New Gender and Sexual Revolution'.

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The assassination of John F Kennedy was one of the most significant events of the 20th Century. The young president who was supposed to change America, has his life cut short in an open topped limousine in Dallas, Texas. Supposedly, he’s killed by lone gunsman Lee Harvey Oswald, who’s later shot on live TV in the basement of Dallas’ Police HQ. But, according to some, the official story doesn’t quite stack up. So what actually happened? Was Lee Harvey Oswald acting alone? Do we actually believe any of the conspiracies? And why are conspiracy theories so damn tantalising anyway?! What else do we have to say… it’s time to chat about the Kennedy assassination. 

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In the 1960s, a sordid sex scandal rocked the British press. What appeared to be a shallow affair between Conservative MP John Profumo and teenage call girl Christine Keeler, spiralled into a suspected case of Soviet espionage. But how did it change the trajectory of sex-positivity in the UK? And how did it bring down a government? Kate Lister, host of Betwixt the Sheets is here to talk us through it all.

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Malcolm X is a civil rights revolutionary. He’s not playing the establishment’s game. He’s not keeping the peace and hoping if he’s a good enough Black man, he’ll be allowed to get ahead. Instead, he’s calling out white segregationists. And to some people, he’s an aggressive reverse-racist. But to the African American community, he’s a game-changer. Before this, our exposure to Malcolm was restricted to Gen X hip hop music and being scaremongered as a young American teen. So we need to talk to an expert about all this - thank goodness for Dr Peniel Joseph!

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Pope Paul VI was in charge of the Catholic Church in a tumultuous time. Communists are locking up Catholic priests, the Vietnam War is raging on, and free love is in full swing. Does he modernise and change with the time? Or does he batten the hatches and stick to the status quo? How does he react to birth control? And how does Billy Joel come to have a Beatlemania-esque experience with this pope? Professor of History and Catholic Christianity, James Felak is here to walk us through the life of the paper-pushing pope! 

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Liston vs Patterson is a boxing match to remember. It's an easy win for Liston and his 14 inch fists and he's extraordinary to watch. So why are the crowd so upset when it's over? It's because they think it's a fix, that the mob's somehow involves. Because everyone hates Sonny Liston. With his mob ties and bad attitude, he's wrong kind of African American. The NAACP even warn against the fight because they're worried that increasing Liston's profile will only worsen how society viewed African Americans. So, it's a boxing match to remember, but it's also a snapshot of 1965 American society. There's so much to talk about, from how the fight unfolded and the rest of their careers, to their future fights against Muhammad Ali and Liston's tragic end. So, this week we're joined by boxing journalist and co-host of the George Groves Boxing Club podcast, Declan Taylor.

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