Podcasts by Not What You Thought You Knew
Think you know your history? Think again.
From the stories of the former slave that taught Charles Darwin to the first female playwright who was a spy for the English King... Historian, author and broadcaster Dr Fern Riddell is exploring some little-known characters from history to reveal not just their incredible stories, but also why they're so important for our view of what the past looked like.
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Further podcasts by HISTORY
Podcast on the topic Geschichte
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Inghen Ruaidh, the Birka Grave and Viking warrior women from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Dr Fern Riddell discusses the legend of Inghen Ruaidh with Professor Judith Jesch and the Birka female Viking warrior grave with Professor Rebecca Gowland. We touch on the mythology behind Viking ...
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A Tribute to Olaudah Equiano from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
While Dr Fern Riddell takes a week off before we bring the final two episodes of the series, we have a special teaser for the next episode. The BBC's Calypsonian-in-Residence Alexander D Great reg...
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The First Black British Footballers from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Uncovering the story of our pioneering Black British footballers, finding out what we can learn from their experiences, and their long history in The Beautiful Game. Dr Fern Riddell speaks to The ...
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Dr Fern Riddell returns with a brand new series... from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Hosted by historian, author and broadcaster Dr Fern Riddell, Not What You Thought You Knew explores some unexpected stories of remarkable characters from history revealing why they’re so important ...
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The Sacred Band of Thebes from 2020-11-10T04:00
An army of lovers seems like something from ancient myth but the story of the Sacred Band of Thebes is based on reality. This elite fighting force of the Theban army played a crucial role in end...
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Olaudah Equiano and the British Abolitionist Movement from 2020-11-03T04:00
Olaudah Equiano's autobiography The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano was one of the very first slave narratives that spawned a popular literary genre. However, while...
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Allan Noel Minns the WW1 Officer and Son of Britain's First Black Mayor from 2020-10-20T03:00
Allan Noel Minns, son of Dr Allan Glaisyer Minns, Britain's first Black mayor when elected mayor of Thetford in 1904, served in the British Army as a medical officer during the First World War.<...
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The Ivory Bangle Lady and Roman Britain from 2020-10-13T03:00
What does the archaeological evidence tell us about the Ivory Bangle Lady, a wealthy woman who died in 4th Century York, and what do her grave goods tell us about material culture in the African...
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The First Black British Football Heroes from 2020-10-06T03:00
Uncovering the story of our pioneering Black British footballers, finding out what we can learn from their experiences, and their long history in The Beautiful Game.
Dr Fern Riddell sp...
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The Night Witches and the Fighting Women of the Soviet Union from 2020-09-29T03:00
The Night Witches were the feared, all-female military aviators of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment. Yet the Night Witches weren't the only Soviet women on the front-line during the Second World ...
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The Chevalier d'Éon and Gender Nonconformity from 2020-09-22T03:00
Soldier, diplomat, spy and fencing champion: the Chevalier d'Éon lived an extraordinary life. But on top of that they are also an important figure for the understanding of gender diversity throu...
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Dr Fern Riddell returns with a brand new series sponsored by Ancestry from 2020-09-08T03:00
Hosted by historian, author and broadcaster Dr Fern Riddell, Not What You Thought You Knew explores some unexpected stories of remarkable characters from history revealing why they’re s...
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John Edmonstone the Former Slave who Taught Darwin from 2019-11-27T04:00
John Edmonstone was born into slavery in the former Dutch colony of Demerara in the late 1700s but died a free man in Scotland having taught one of the greatest men in the history of science, Ch...
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Mary Anning the Pioneering Fossil Hunter from 2019-11-20T04:00:06
A well-known celebrity in her day, we have somewhat struggled to appreciate the incredible weight of what Mary Anning's discoveries of ancient marine reptiles meant at the time for a burgeoning ...
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Aphra Behn and Female Espionage from 2019-11-06T04:00
Aphra Behn, one of the first women in England to make her living as a writer, also just so happened to be one of the country's first female spies.
To discover more about the world of f...
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The Mary Rose and the People of Tudor England from 2019-07-19T03:00:10
Earlier this year, analysis on the remains of eight sailors who drowned on the Mary Rose yielded some astonishing results for our perception of the people of Tudor England.
In speaking...
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Dr Fern Riddell's #NotWhatYouThought from 2019-07-10T05:00
Hosted by historian, author and broadcaster Dr Fern Riddell, Not What You Thought You Knew explores some under-celebrated characters from history and reveals not just their incredible s...
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