History's Devils

Episodios

• Andrew Jackson Part 2: Populist Politics, The Trail of Tears, and the Creation of the American Presidency 01.07.2026 1h 2m

  In part two of this double-episode on Andrew Jackson, James and Edd explore his rise to the presidency, his turbulent years in the White House, and the lasting impact of his populist politics on America. From the disputed election of 1824 to his victory in 1828, Andrew Jackson transformed American politics and became one of the most controversial presidents in U.S. history. This episode examines Jackson’s battles with political rivals, the expansion of voting rights, the Petticoat Affair, the...
• Andrew Jackson Part 1: The Rise of America's Most Violent President 01.07.2026 1h 6m

  This week, James (@historysdevils) is joined by Edd Mair (@eplmair) for a double episode on the life of Andrew Jackson, examining how the seventh president of the United States rose from a frontier orphan to become a war hero, slaveholder, populist political figure, and one of the most influential and controversial presidents in American history. In this first part of Andrew Jackson's story, we trace his journey from the backcountry of the Carolinas during the American Revolution to his emer...
• William Joyce Part 2: The Making of "Lord Haw Haw", Hitler's Voice in Britain 24.06.2026 55m

  In part two of this double episode on William Joyce, James Crossland and Jayne Friend explain how he became Lord Haw Haw, the infamous Nazi broadcaster who transmitted propaganda from Germany to Britain during the Second World War. James and Jayne follow Joyce's journey from fleeing Britain in 1939 to becoming the most recognizable English-language voice of Nazi propaganda. The episode examines how Joyce built his Lord Haw Haw persona, the role of Nazi radio broadcasts during the war, and why...
• William Joyce Part 1: How a British Patriot Became a Nazi Traitor 24.06.2026 52m

  This double episode explores the life of William Joyce, better known as Lord Haw-Haw, the infamous Nazi propagandist who went from self-described British patriot to one of the most notorious collaborators of the Third Reich during World War II. In this first part of the story, James - with the help of Jayne Friend - examines William Joyce's early life, political radicalization, and rise within Britain's fascist movement. From his upbringing in Ireland during the Irish War of Independence to h...
• Kim Philby: Britain's Most Dangerous Spy Was Also A Terrible Human Being 17.06.2026 1h 11m

  In this episode, James is joined by Antonia Senior (author of Stalin’s Apostles: The Cambridge Five and the Making of the Soviet Empire) to discuss Kim Philby, the most notorious member of the Cambridge Five spy ring, and explain how a Cambridge-educated British intelligence officer became one of the Soviet Union's most damaging Cold War agents. From his privileged upbringing and communist radicalization to his recruitment by Soviet intelligence and rise inside MI6, the conversation challenge...
• Allan Pinkerton: Spy, Detective, Strike-Breaking Conspiracy Theorist 10.06.2026 1h 4m

  In this episode of History’s Devils, James is joined by Lewis Sage-Passant (How To Get on A Watchlist) to explore the rise of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency and the violent contradictions at the heart of its founder, Allan Pinkerton. Once a Chartist radical, Pinkerton reinvented himself in America as a celebrated detective and Union intelligence agent during the American Civil War. After the war, his story took a darker turn as he became increasingly consumed by conspiracy thinking, ...
• The Gentleman Pirate with the Mid-Life Crisis: Stede Bonnet and the Golden Age of Piracy 03.06.2026 59m

  This week, James sets sail with Jamie Goodall (author of The Pirates of Chesapeake Bay and Pirates and Privateers) into one of the strangest true stories of the Golden Age of Piracy – the rise and fall of the so-called “Gentleman Pirate”, Stede Bonnet who abandoned wealth, status, and family for a life of crime at sea. Often described as a pirate driven by a midlife crisis, Bonnet’s journey from plantation owner in Barbados to notorious outlaw of the high seas is as chaotic as it is fascinati...
• The Truth About Satanism: Anton LaVey, the Church of Satan & America’s Moral Panic 27.05.2026 1h

  This week, James welcomes Mikki Brock (@historymikki) back onto the show to dive deep into the controversial world of Satanism and the cultural impact of the Church of Satan’s founder, Anton LaVey. This episode explores the origins of LaVey’s church and how his philosophy challenged traditional religion, focusing on libertarian personal freedom and the rejection of societal norms. This episode also examines the wave of fear known as the Satanic Panic, which fuelled widespread misinforma...
• The First War on Terror? Irish Dynamiters and the Bombing of Victorian Britain 20.05.2026 1h 4m

  Long before The Troubles, 7/7 and other modern terrorism, Britain faced a wave of bombings that shocked the Victorian world. Step into one of the most overlooked chapters of British history in this gripping episode on the "Dynamite War" of the 1880s - often described as the first “war on terror.” Joined by Gillian O'Brien (author of The Darkness Echoing: Ireland's Places of Famine, Death and Rebellion), James explains how Irish republican groups like the Clan Na Gael and Irish Republica...
• The Legend of Billy The Kid: Murder, Myth and Reality in the Old West 13.05.2026 1h 6m

  In this episode, James is joined by Jem Duducu (author of The History of the Western Movie) to tell the story of a teenage gunslinger who became a legendary figure wrapped in folklore, media exaggeration, and historical debate – Billy the Kid. Tracing the story of Billy’s criminal career and involvement in the Lincoln County War, we discuss how Hollywood films and pop culture transformed a young outlaw into a Wild West icon, generating the myth that he somehow survived his deadly encounter wi...
• The Carny & The Showman: How Donald Trump and Vince McMahon Conquered America, Pt.2 06.05.2026 51m

  In Part Two of this two-part History's Devils episode, James and Jayne finish the story of Donald Trump and Vince McMahon by explaining how the psychology of professional wrestling shaped Trump's two presidencies, and altered the way in which American politics operates. Along the way, they discuss the similarities between alternative facts and Kayfabe (wrestling speak for "keeping it fake") and the connections between WWE and the MAGA movement, whilst pondering what a Vince McMahon pres...
• The Carny & The Showman: How Donald Trump and Vince McMahon Conquered America, Pt.1 29.04.2026 1h 3m

  Summary Dive into one of the strangest and most revealing alliances in modern history as History’s Devils unpacks the decades-long relationship between Donald Trump and Vince McMahon. In Part One of this two-part series, James and Jayne trace a 40-year connection between the future U.S. president and the controversial boss of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). From glitzy spectacle to behind-the-scenes scandal, they explore how ambition, media manipulation, and controversy fuelled both men’...
• She Poisoned Everyone? The Story of Mary Ann Cotton, Serial Killer 22.04.2026 1h 5m

  This week, James is taking a backseat and letting Paul Bavill (History Rage Podcast) dive into one of the most chilling true crime stories in British history – the poisonous rampage of Mary Ann Cotton. Widely believed to be Britain’s first female serial killer, Cotton was a seemingly ordinary Victorian who woman became known as the infamous “Black Widow,” accused of poisoning those closest to her for financial gain. Set against the grim backdrop of Victorian England, this episode examines the...
• The Queen's "Magician": Angels, Demons and the Occult World of John Dee 15.04.2026 58m

  In this episode of HISTORY’S DEVILS, host James Crossland is joined by historian, author and scholar of Satan, Mikki Brock to explore the extraordinary life of John Dee, the famed court magician of Elizabeth I. From occult practices and alchemy to conversations with angels - and possibly demons - this episode dives into Dee’s myth-making, confidence tricks, and his role in the intrigues of Queen Elizabeth's court. Discover how Dee’s influence extended from mystical experiments to shaping the ...
• The Devil from the Galaxy Far, Far Away: How Darth Vader Became Cinema’s Greatest Villain 08.04.2026 1h 3m

  In this episode of HISTORY’S DEVILS, host James Crossland is joined by historian and author Chris Kempshall to explore the rise, fall, and legacy of Darth Vader—one of the greatest villains in cinematic history. From his origins as Anakin Skywalker to his transformation into a Sith Lord, this episode dives deep into Vader’s character development across the Star Wars saga. What drove his fall the dark sides? And how does his story reflect real-world history, politics, and ideology? Drawing on ...
• The First Terrorist? Felice Orsini - The Man Who Tried to Kill Emperor Napoleon III 01.04.2026 55m

  In this episode of HISTORY’S DEVILS, host James Crossland is joined by Lisa Traynor (Royal Armouries) to uncover the story of Felice Orsini—the little-known figure behind the first modern terrorist attack. A radical Italian nationalist, Orsini changed undertandings of political violence with his 1858 assassination attempt on Napoleon III in Paris. Using a unique improvised explosive device known as the Orsini Bomb, his actions inspired a generationa of radicals and pioneered the tactic of ter...
• Was He Jack The Ripper? The Scandalous Life of Francis Tumblety, Pt.2 25.03.2026 42m

  In this HISTORY’S DEVILS two-parter, James Crossland is joined by Jayne Friend to explore the shocking true story of Francis Tumblety - one of the most disturbing conmen of the 19th century. A self-proclaimed doctor, master grifter, and notorious charlatan, Tumblety’s dark life intersects with some of history’s most infamous crimes, including the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the terror of the 1888 Jack the Ripper murders. From bizarre medical scams and criminal activity to violent ass...
• Quack, Conspirator, Assassin? The Scandalous Life of Francis Tumblety, Pt.1 17.03.2026 55m

  In this HISTORY’S DEVILS two-parter, James Crossland is joined by Jayne Friend to explore the shocking true story of Francis Tumblety - one of the most disturbing conmen of the 19th century. A self-proclaimed doctor, master grifter, and notorious charlatan, Tumblety’s dark life intersects with some of history’s most infamous crimes, including the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the terror of the 1888 Jack the Ripper murders. From bizarre medical scams and criminal activity to violent ass...
• Hitler's Best Friend? How Rudolf Hess became a Human Conspiracy Theory 10.03.2026 1h 14m

  In this episode of HISTORY’S DEVILS, host James Crossland is joined by Paul Woodadge (WW2TV) to examine the strange and controversial life of Rudolf Hess, one of the most enigmatic figures of World War II. As Deputy Führer to Adolf Hitler, Hess played a key role in the rise of Nazi Party. But in 1941, he shocked the world with his solo flight to Scotland - an extraordinary and desperate attempt to negotiate peace between Britain and Nazi Germany. This episode explores Hess’s early life, his f...
• The Cosplay Diplomat Who Made Friends With Nazis: James Lonsdale-Bryans and the British “Peace Party” 03.03.2026 51m

  In this episode of HISTORY’S DEVILS, James Crossland and Phil Craig, author of 1945: The Reckoning: War, Empire and the Struggle for a New World, delve into the complex web of the British Peace Party and its connections to Nazi sympathizers during the late 1930s and early 1940s. They explore the origins of this group, the appeal of fascism in Britain, and the key figures involved in the mission to seek an accord with Hitler, including Lord Halifax, Lord Brockett and the shifty cosplay diploma...