Aspects of History
Zeb Baker-Smith
0
Aspects of History features interviews with historians and authors covering topics from the ancient world to modern times. Each episode delves into a specific story or historical figure, with bonus episodes on current events and anniversaries.
Episodes
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Ball of the Century with Brendan Cooper 14.08.2026 41mOne unforgettable delivery, a genius athlete and a defining figure for many - but still the most teasing historical question remains... can single moments and instances shape eras? This week on the podcast, Zeb Baker-Smith, Editor of Aspects of History, is joined by author Brendan Cooper to discuss his new book, Ball of the Century, a remarkable exploration of Shane Warne's iconic first Ashes delivery at Old Trafford on 4th June 1993. He traces the story of the Australian leg spinner's rise, the psychological hold he exerted over English cricket, and the wider cultural landscape of Britain and the Ashes during the 1990s. We discuss how sporting mythology, memory and the enduring power of Ashes folklore combined to transcend the boundaries of sport and transform Warne into a cultural icon. Episode Links Ball of the Century Brendan Cooper Links Brendan online Brendan on Twitter/X Aspects of History Links AoH online AoH on Twitter /X AoH on Substack Zeb Links Zeb on Twitter /X Zeb on Instagram Zeb on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
The Aspects of History Film Club: The Odyssey Effect with Erica Stevenson (aka MoAn Inc.) and Henry Thackray 31.07.2026 42mThere’s nothing like a summer blockbuster to get cinema back to the top of the agenda. One of the main talking points of the year so far, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has split opinion but no doubt it’s achieved conversation. In this episode, the first of the newly-rebooted Film Club, Zeb Baker-Smith, Editor of Aspects of History, is joined first by classicist and YouTuber Erica Stevenson (aka MoAn Inc.) to discuss her new book, The Odyssey Effect, and explore the extraordinary afterlife of Homer’s poem, from the epic tradition’s oral beginnings to this year’s long-awaited adaptation, before welcoming film editor Henry Thackray for an in-depth chat about the film itself. Together, the guests examine why Homer's epic continues to inspire successive generations, debate Nolan's interpretation of the character of Odysseus, the challenge of translating the poem to the screen, the director's commitment to practical effects and spectacle, and whether the film succeeds both as a blockbuster and as adaptation of one of history and literature’s greatest stories. Episode Links The Odyssey Effect: How Homer's Epic Poem Shaped the World Erica Stevenson Links Erica online Erica on Instagram Erica on YouTube Erica on Facebook Erica on X/Twitter Henry Thackray Links Henry online Henry on Instagram Aspects of History Links AoH online AoH on Twitter /X AoH on Substack Zeb Links Zeb on Twitter /X Zeb on Instagram Zeb on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
The Path of Light: Walking to Auschwitz with Anthony Seldon 24.07.2026 47mThe power of pilgrimage, the enduring legacy of war, and the significance and delicate nature of truth, memory and reconciliation in an age of renewed global instability – each of these proved to be the inescapable findings of a 1,300km journey on foot across the landscapes of Central Europe, so scarred by conflict over the centuries. In this episode of the podcast, author and historian Anthony Seldon joins Zeb Baker-Smith, Editor of Aspects of History, to discuss The Path of Light, the remarkable account of his journey from Kilometre Zero on the Swiss border to Auschwitz. Following the success of The Path of Peace, he set out across Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland in search of the men and women, figures of light who stood against tyranny and genocide during the Second World War, uncovering stories of courage, conscience and humanity and explaining why this search remains as relevant today as ever. Episode Links The Path of Light: Walking to Auschwitz Anthony Seldon Links Anthony online Anthony on Twitter/X Aspects of History Links AoH online AoH on Twitter /X AoH on Substack Zeb Links Zeb on Twitter /X Zeb on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Alexander: God, King, Man with Edmund Richardson 17.07.2026 39mHe remains one of history's most scrutinised figures, but Alexander the Great's victories were far from inevitable. Recent discoveries are beginning to reshape our understanding of his life and legacy, and the immense personal burden of becoming simultaneously Macedonian king, Egyptian pharaoh, Persian Great King and a living god. With Zeb Baker-Smith, Editor of Aspects of History, on the podcast this week is Edmund Richardson, historian and classicist, whose book, Alexander: God, King, Man, re-examines its title character through newly translated sources, groundbreaking archaeology and a wealth of evidence to reveal a conqueror far more uncertain, contradictory and human than legend would suggest. Episode Links Alexander: God, King, Man Edmund Richardson Links Edmund online Aspects of History Links AoH online AoH on Twitter /X AoH on Substack Zeb Links Zeb on Twitter /X Zeb on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Conquest: A History of Roman Britain with Ferdinand Addis 10.07.2026 44mRoman Britain might appear a staid topic at first glance, one littered with the usual headliners and the iconic events, Julius Caesar's brief expeditions, Claudius' conquest, Boudicca's revolt and Agricola's northern campaigns. But, dig deeper, the narrative is not quite how it seems, especially in light of archaeological discoveries, the continued challenges of interpreting an ancient past, and the shifting ways generations of Britons have come to understand the Roman occupation. This week on the podcast, Zeb Baker-Smith, Editor of Aspects of History, is joined by historian and author Ferdinand Addis to discuss his new book, Conquest: A History of Roman Britain. The conversation ranges from Iron Age hill forts and ancient DNA to imperial ideology, national identity. He also discusses his approach to writing history, the importance of landscape and place, and why the Roman conquest remains one of the defining encounters in British history. Episode Links Conquest: A History of Roman Britain Ferdinand Addis Links Ferdinand online Ferdinand on Twitter/X Aspects of History Links AoH online AoH on Twitter /X AoH on Substack Zeb Links Zeb on Twitter /X Zeb on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Summer Reads 2026 03.07.2026 1h 8mThis week, it's a special episode as three of the Aspects of History gang – Antonia Senior, Richard Foreman and Jane Thynne – join Zeb Baker-Smith in person to talk through their recommendations for your holiday reading list. Plenty of picks, with links below, to accompany you in your hand luggage this summer! Books The August Coup: The Destruction of the Soviet Union and the Making of New Russia, 1985-1991, by Robert Service Stalin’s Apostles: The Cambridge Five and the Making of the Soviet Empire, by Antonia Senior The Writers' Castle: Reporting History at Nuremberg, by Uwe Neumahr Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches, by Tony Shaw and Alan McDougall White River Crossing, by Ian McGuire The Black Death: A Global History, by Thomas Asbridge Nonesuch, by Francis Spufford Conquest: A History of Roman Britain, by Ferdinand Addis Guests Antonia Senior - Author and Historical Fiction Reviewer for The Times Richard Foreman - Author and Publisher Jane Thynne - Author Aspects of History Links AoH online AoH on Twitter /X AoH on Substack Zeb Links Zeb on Twitter /X Zeb on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Relative Failures with Matthew Sturgis 26.06.2026 36mWhat if you had a sibling as brilliant as Oscar Wilde…? This week’s episode offers a vivid window through which to view the artistic, literary and theatrical world of late Victorian London, a period of remarkable creativity, dramatic falls and cultural change. But, instead of viewing this fin de siècle moment through the brightest lights, why should we not focus on the forgotten characters? Joining Zeb Baker-Smith, Editor of Aspects of History, on the podcast is acclaimed biographer Matthew Sturgis to discuss Relative Failures, his exploration of three overlooked figures who lived in the shadow of their more famous siblings: Willie Wilde, brother of Oscar Wilde; Mabel Beardsley, sister of Aubrey Beardsley; and Howard Sturgis, younger brother of the novelist Julian Sturgis. Episode Links Relative Failures: The Lives of Willie Wilde, Mabel Beardsley and Howard Sturgis Matthew Sturgis Links Matthew online Matthew on Instagram Aspects of History Links AoH online AoH on Twitter /X AoH on Substack Zeb Links Zeb on Twitter /X Zeb on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe with Katja Hoyer 19.06.2026 48mThe Weimar Republic, synonymous with German culture, idealism, and artistic brilliance, has become a common trope in the 21st century, as everyday politics becomes more polarised across Europe. Is Germany’s journey from fragile optimism to fascist collapse a warning we ought to be heeding today? Joining Phil Craig on the Aspects of History podcast is historian Katja Hoyer, whose latest title, Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe, offers an astute depiction of that period between 1919 and 1939 through the perspective of the small town and its residents. She explains the optimism of post-war democracy and the trajectory to economic despair, political radicalisation, and life lived in the shadow of Buchenwald concentration camp, all the while keeping an eye on the uncomfortable moral ambiguities that would come to shape daily life under Nazism. Episode Links Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe Katja Hoyer Links Katja online Katja on Twitter /X Katja on Substack Phil Links Phil on The Scandal Mongers Phil on Twitter /X Phil on Instagram Aspects of History Links AoH online AoH on Twitter /X AoH on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Stealing Hitler's Rocket with Guy Walters 12.06.2026 33mThis week’s helping of the podcast recounts the terror of the world’s first ballistic missile and the heroic efforts of the Polish resistance, all contained in this tale of innovation and daring that reads like a wartime thriller – except it’s true… Pairing up with Phil Craig for this episode of the Aspects of History podcast, author and historian, Guy Walters gives a blow-by-blow account of the remarkable true story of the race to uncover the secrets of Nazi Germany’s V-2 missile programme. His book, Stealing Hitler's Rocket, poses the question of whether said rocket could have changed the course of the war, observes at close quarters the intelligence battle to understand Hitler’s fatal technology, and why this little-known operation deserves a place among the greatest secret missions of the conflict. Episode Links Stealing Hitler's Rocket Guy Walters Links Guy on Twitter /X Guy on Instagram Guy on Substack Phil Links Phil on The Scandal Mongers Phil on Twitter /X Phil on Instagram Aspects of History Links AoH online AoH on Twitter /X AoH on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches with Tony Shaw and Alan McDougall 05.06.2026 36mIn just a few days time, the 2026 Fifa World Cup will begin, a vast 48-team affair across North America, the geopolitical backdrop to the tournament as fractious as it has ever been in recent times. It goes without saying, however, that ideology, propaganda and diplomacy have always been at the forefront of the beautiful game throughout the tournament’s history. Joining Zeb Baker-Smith, Editor of Aspects of History, for this week’s episode are Tony Shaw and Alan McDougall, their collaborative efforts in Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches making for a fascinating dive into the sport on both sides of the Iron Curtain and beyond. From Dynamo Moscow’s infamous 1945 clash with Arsenal to the revolutionary style of Hungary’s Magical Magyars, North Korea’s bond with Middlesbrough in 1966, and the charged meeting of East and West Germany in 1974, our conversation reveals how the game both reflected and transcended global tensions, breaking and building connections on either side of the Cold War’s cultural divide. Episode Links Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches Tony Shaw Links Tony online Alan McDougall Links Alan online Aspects of History Links AoH online AoH on Twitter /X AoH on Substack Zeb Links Zeb on Twitter /X Zeb on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
SAS Great Escapes 5 with Damien Lewis 29.05.2026 35mFrom a legendary escape across the North African desert to a daring mission to rescue prisoners from concentration camps in Fascist Italy, this week offers breathless tales of endurance, ingenuity, and courage against the odds. Bestselling historian, writer and war journalist, Damien Lewis joins Phil Craig on the Aspects of History podcast to chat his latest book, SAS Great Escapes 5. Drawing on newly uncovered family archives and surprising firsthand accounts, Damien and Phil reflect on how these stories are pieced together, the legacy of special forces operations in the Second World War, and the leadership of figures like Blair Paddy Mayne. It’s a gripping conversation about history, memory, and the stories of brotherhood and daring that continue to shape our understanding of war. Episode Links SAS Great Escapes 5 Damien Lewis Links Damien online Damien on Twitter /X Damien on Facebook Phil Links Phil on The Scandal Mongers Phil on Twitter /X Phil on Instagram Aspects of History Links AoH online AoH on Twitter /X AoH on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
The World's Reformation: How Protestantism Became a Global Religion with Alec Ryrie 22.05.2026 50mThat word mission might make you think of Robert De Niro or Jeremy Irons in Jesuit robes clambering up the Iguazu Falls in deepest South America, but, lagging as they might have been and forgotten as their efforts may be, there was a Protestant expansion too, a clear will to propagate the Gospel to the world, that challenges those preconceptions. This week on the podcast, Professor Alec Ryrie joins Zeb Baker-Smith, Editor of Aspects of History, to discuss his new book, The World’s Reformation: How Protestantism Became a Global Religion, published by Yale University Press. From Lapland to the Caribbean and across Asia and Africa, we discuss how a now global religion attempted to convert the nations, sometimes falteringly, some successfully, and examine the motivations, approaches and instances where religion, colonialism and empire become intertwined. Episode Links The World’s Reformation: How Protestantism Became a Global Religion Alec Ryrie Links Alec online Aspects of History Links AoH online AoH on Twitter /X AoH on Substack Zeb Links Zeb on Twitter /X Zeb on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Archbishop, Chancellor, Kingmaker with Dr Chris Given-Wilson 15.05.2026 44mThe medieval period is rife with kingmakers, but what about the dynasty-maker who also served as head of the church? In his excellent new study of Thomas Arundel, the master of medieval studies, Dr Chris Given-Wilson, Emeritus Professor at St Andrews, tells Nathen Amin all about the remarkable figure who served as Chancellor and Archbishop before helping change the path of English politics forever. Episode Links Chris Given-Wilson Links: University of St Andrews Profile at https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/history/people/cjg2/ Nathen Amin Links: Website: www.nathenamin.com Substack: https://nathenamin.substack.com/ Aspects of History Links: Website: www.aspectsofhistory.com Email: history@aspectsofhistory.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
The Visionaries: The Making of the Post World War II Order in the West with James Holland 08.05.2026 40mEconomic turmoil of the 1930s and the need to create a new post-war fiscal order after 1945 were the challenges faced by Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Their vision, and the policies by which they enacted it, underpinned recovery, global cooperation, and long-term stability. Joining Phil Craig for this episode of the Aspects of History podcast, historian and Chalke History Festival supremo, James Holland offers his thoughts on those leaders of the free world who contributed so much to both Europe and North America in the 21st century. His latest book, The Visionaries: The Making of the Post World War II Order in the West examines international responsibility, and the enduring impact of political leadership, considering the stark contrast between past and present economic strategy. Episode Links The Visionaries: The Making of the Post World War II Order in the West James Holland Links James on We Have Ways James online James on Twitter /X James on Substack Chalke History Festival Links Full line-up and tickets online Phil Links Phil on The Scandal Mongers Phil on Twitter /X Phil on Instagram Aspects of History Links AoH online AoH on Twitter /X AoH on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Behind Caesar's Back: Rumor, Gossip, and the Making of the Roman Emperors with Caillan Davenport 01.05.2026 1h 5mRumours whispered in the forum, graffiti scrawled on walls, and scandalous tales passed between senator and citizen - the Roman emperor was as much a manifestation of gossip as of power. But how far can we trust these tales, and what do they reveal about the imperial system itself? Joining Zeb Baker-Smith, Editor of Aspects of History, on the podcast today is Caillan Davenport, professor and historian, whose study, Behind Caesar’s Back, offers a bold, fresh approach to imperial Rome. Moving beyond traditional biographies, his sweeping study reconstructs the “oral world” of the Roman Empire, sharing insight into political talk, public opinion and the delicate relationship between ruler and ruled. Episode Links Behind Caesar's Back: Rumor, Gossip, and the Making of the Roman Emperors Caillan Davenport Links Caillan online Aspects of History Links AoH online AoH on Twitter /X AoH on Substack Zeb Links Zeb on Twitter /X Zeb on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry That Shaped Ancient Greece with Adrian Goldsworthy 24.04.2026 49mIn a warring world of thousands of city-states, where honour, prestige, and survival were constantly at stake, two names would rise above the rest – Athens and Sparta. Though once allied together against the Persians, the powers would end up locked in a rivalry, the Peloponnesian War. In this episode of the podcast, Adrian Goldsworthy joins Zeb Baker-Smith, Editor of Aspects of History, to discuss his latest book, Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry that Shaped Ancient Greece. His stimulating account runs from its mythic origins to the Peloponnesian War, exploring their contrasting identities and ideologies – militaristic Sparta as a conquering elite and democratic Athens as an autochthonous society – and quite how these shaped their politics and ambitions. Our conversation also considers the challenges of sources like Herodotus and Thucydides, the fragile alliances of the Persian Wars, and what descent into this enduring conflict reveals about power, warfare, and strategy. Episode Links Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry that Shaped Ancient Greece Adrian Goldsworthy Links Adrian online Adrian on Twitter/X Adrian on YouTube Aspects of History Links AoH online AoH on Twitter /X AoH on Substack Zeb Links Zeb on Twitter /X Zeb on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Henry VII: Treason and Trust with Dr Sean Cunningham 17.04.2026 56mHenry VII was the king the brought the Plantagenets tumbling down and replaced them with the Tudor Dynasty. But his reign was anything but peaceful. Join Nathen Amin to tell us all about the first Tudor monarch's tense, turbulent and uncomfortable reign is Dr Sean Cunningham, author of 'Henry VII: Treason and Trust' and Head of Medieval Records at the National Archives Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Stalin's Apostles: The Cambridge Five and the Making of the Soviet Empire with Antonia Senior 10.04.2026 56mFew scandals have captured the imagination quite like the Cambridge Five - recruited in the 1930s, these infamous names would each penetrate the deepest recesses of the British intelligence system while secretly working for the Soviet Union. Their actions compromised operations, reshaped the nation’s security services and left a legacy that continues to echo in today’s world. Joining Phil Craig on the Aspects of History podcast is historian, writer and journalist Antonia Senior, whose latest book, Stalin's Apostles: The Cambridge Five and the Making of the Soviet Empire, reexamines the lives and careers of some of the most intriguing figures in 20th century espionage. She sets forth the state of the world that produced these men, how they were recruited, and just how damaging their betrayal of information was. Episode Links Stalin's Apostles: The Cambridge Five and the Making of the Soviet Empire Antonia Senior Links Antonia on The History Book Buffs Antonia on Twitter /X Phil Links Phil on Twitter /X Phil on Instagram Aspects of History Links AoH online AoH on Twitter /X AoH on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
The Nazi and the Psychiatrist with Jack El-Hai 03.04.2026 30mThis week’s episode of the Aspects of History podcast sees historian Phil Craig joined by author Jack El-Hai to explore the disturbing psychological drama behind the Nuremberg Trials. After last year’s adaptation starring Rami Malek and Russell Crowe, the journalist discusses his book, The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, the uncanny relationship between US Army physician Douglas Kelley and the war criminal Hermann Göring, and what it reveals to us eighty years later about the nature of evil. Drawing on personal archival material, what follows is a gripping conversation about power, personality, and the disconcerting idea that the 20th century’s worst crimes might be rooted in ordinary human behaviour. Episode Links The Nazi and the Psychiatrist: Hermann Goring, Dr. Douglas M. Kelley, and a Fatal Meeting of Minds at the End of WWII by Jack El-Hai Jack Links Jack on Twitter/X Jack on LinkedIn Jack on Bluesky Jack online Phil Links Phil on Twitter /X Phil on Instagram Aspects of History Links AoH online AoH on Twitter /X AoH on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Sceptred Isle with Helen Carr 28.03.2026 47mThis week on the podcast, best-selling historian Helen Carr passionately explores the fourteenth century, subject of her vividly-told and immersive new book Sceptred Isle including insightful discussion of John of Gaunt, Katherine Swynford, exploring the voices of women of the past, and writing on the themes of loss and grief. Nathen Amin Links: Website: www.nathenamin.com Substack: https://nathenamin.substack.com/ Helen Carr Links: Website: https://www.helenhcarr.com/ Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sceptred-Isle-history-fourteenth-century/dp/1529151651 Aspects of History Links: Website: www.aspectsofhistory.com Email: History@aspectsofhistory.com Aspects of History on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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