This is History: History’s Greatest Fails
Sony Music Entertainment
History’s Greatest Fails is a miniseries from Dan Jones and Elizabeth Day that aims to answer the simple, but complex, question: Why do losers make history?
From Richard III, to Vincent Van Gough, to the purposefully forgotten female Pharaoh Hatshepsut, this series is going to help you better understand how the idea of failure changes over time, and what lessons failure has for all of us.
Dan and Elizabeth are old friends, fellow history graduates, and fellow authors and podcasters.
Dan Jones is host of This Is History — A Dynasty to Die For, a narrative podcast that charts the bloody and complex drama of England’s Plantagenet dynasty, now up to its 10th season.
Elizabeth is host of How To Fail, a podcast that has brought together hundreds of luminaries and thinkers including Kate Winslet, Yuval Noah Hariri, and Malala Yousafzai, to reflect on failure in the present.
Over six episodes, History’s Greatest Fails will dissect failure of all kinds, from troubled historical rulers, to the failures of remembrance, to the failures that have created the happy accidents that last for generations.
As always, Dan’s royal favourites can chime in anytime on the royal court on Patreon at patreon.com/thisishistory. And for the bonus episodes of this miniseries, Dan and Producer Al are hearing from the favourites directly via voice notes! Following along as they discuss the failures the royal favourites’ have deemed historic!
A Sony Music Entertainment production.
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com
From Richard III, to Vincent Van Gough, to the purposefully forgotten female Pharaoh Hatshepsut, this series is going to help you better understand how the idea of failure changes over time, and what lessons failure has for all of us.
Dan and Elizabeth are old friends, fellow history graduates, and fellow authors and podcasters.
Dan Jones is host of This Is History — A Dynasty to Die For, a narrative podcast that charts the bloody and complex drama of England’s Plantagenet dynasty, now up to its 10th season.
Elizabeth is host of How To Fail, a podcast that has brought together hundreds of luminaries and thinkers including Kate Winslet, Yuval Noah Hariri, and Malala Yousafzai, to reflect on failure in the present.
Over six episodes, History’s Greatest Fails will dissect failure of all kinds, from troubled historical rulers, to the failures of remembrance, to the failures that have created the happy accidents that last for generations.
As always, Dan’s royal favourites can chime in anytime on the royal court on Patreon at patreon.com/thisishistory. And for the bonus episodes of this miniseries, Dan and Producer Al are hearing from the favourites directly via voice notes! Following along as they discuss the failures the royal favourites’ have deemed historic!
A Sony Music Entertainment production.
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 5, 2024 • 28min
Season 4 | 3. The In-Laws
Henry III’s mild and agreeable nature attracts all sorts of ambitious hangers-on and manipulators into the royal court. The most dangerous of these is a pious nobleman called Simon de Montfort. Simon easily charms the King, worming his way right into both Henry’s inner-circle and even his family.
A Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com
Learn more about your ad choices.
Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Written and presented by Dan Jones
Producer and Story Editor - Georgia Mills
Executive Producer - Louisa Field
Production Manager - Jen Mistri
Composer - Matt Acheson
Sound Design and Mixing - Chris O'Shaughnessy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 27, 2024 • 32min
Season 4 | 2. Brothers in Arms
Henry III’s younger brother Richard returns from victory abroad and is rewarded with a wealthy area of English land. There’s just one problem: Henry has already granted key pieces of that land to someone else. This insult sends a furious Richard down the well-trodden path to family rebellion and civil war, while Henry desperately tries to stop things from spiralling out of control.
A Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com
Learn more about your ad choices.
Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Written and presented by Dan Jones
Producer and Story Editor - Georgia Mills
Executive Producer - Louisa Field
Production Manager - Jen Mistri
Composer - Matt Acheson
Sound Design and Mixing - Chris O'Shaughnessy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 20, 2024 • 30min
Season 4 | 1. A Simple Man
What happens when you make a nine-year-old boy king of England? It turns out, it’s a recipe for unscrupulous advisers and a king unlike any the nation has ever known.
Henry III is the opposite of his cruel father: he is compassionate and pious, but he’s also indecisive and easily manipulated. When trouble brews in Plantagenet lands in France, Henry’s brother, the wily and calculating Richard, is sent to assert the Plantagenet authority. It’s a decision that Henry and his advisors will come to sorely regret. .
A Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com
Learn more about your ad choices.
Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Written and presented by Dan Jones
Producer and Story Editor - Georgia Mills
Executive Producer - Louisa Field
Production Manager - Jen Mistri
Composer - Matt Acheson
Sound Design and Mixing - Chris O'Shaughnessy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 13, 2024 • 2min
Introducing… Season 4 of a Dynasty to Die For
Power, greed, religion and sex: historian Dan Jones brings the drama of mediaeval history alive through compelling stories, larger-than-life characters and vivid scenes.
Season 4 tells the story of two kings, Henry and Edward, who are desperately trying to save their dynasty. Their conflicting personalities will be put to the ultimate test as an old friend, Simon de Montfort, and his growing powerbase threaten to destroy the Plantagenets for good.
A Somethin’ Else & Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com
Learn more about your ad choices.
Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 16, 2024 • 25min
Season 3 | Bonus: How to live like a monk - with Danièle Cybulskie
The new season of This is History will be landing on your feeds on February 20th. In the meantime, you can listen to hours of bonus content over on This is History Plus, where Dan has been interviewing the great and good of history about all things Plantagenet. In this free taster episode, Dan has a conversation with Mediaevalist Danièle Cybulskie about personal lessons we can take from the monks of the Middle Ages.
To get access to part two, and much more, go to Apple Podcasts and click ‘try free’, or visit thisishistorypod.com.
This is History is a Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com
Written and presented by Dan Jones
Producer - Georgia Mills
Executive Producer - Louisa Field
Production Manager - Jen Mistri
Engineer - Matias Torres Sole
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 21, 2023 • 28min
Season 3 | 12. Salvation
John desperately clings on to power while Louis the Lion declares himself king in London. Meanwhile, the rebels close in. This could be the end for John, and the House of Plantagenet. But standing in the way of ruin, there’s still one loyal knight left who’s ready to ride into battle and defend the dynasty one final time.
This is History is a Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com
Written and presented by Dan Jones
Producer and Story Editor - Georgia Mills
Executive Producer - Louisa Field
Sound Design and Mixing - Chris O'Shaughnessy
Production Manager - Poppy Thompson
Composer - Matt Acheson
Engineer - Matias Torres Sole
Marketing Manager - Emily Webb Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 14, 2023 • 20min
Season 3 | 11. Into the Fire
Magna Carta has failed and the country is plunged into war. John devises a cruel plan that involves taunting his starving enemies with the delicious smell of bacon. Meanwhile, Louis the Lion, the son of the French King, prepares to invade England, while the Pope’s representative race to beat him there. John is running out of time, but he’s not going down without a fight.
This is History is a Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com
Written and presented by Dan Jones
Producer and Story Editor - Georgia Mills
Executive Producer - Louisa Field
Sound Design and Mixing - Chris O'Shaughnessy
Production Manager - Poppy Thompson
Composer - Matt Acheson
Engineer - Matias Torres Sole
Marketing Manager - Emily Webb Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 7, 2023 • 30min
Season 3 | 10. Magna Carta
The rebel barons seize control of London without bloodshed. The origins and misconceptions surrounding Magna Carta are explored. The negotiations at Runny Mead discuss political issues. King Philip Augustus of France invades England, potentially changing the monarchy.
Oct 31, 2023 • 23min
Season 3 | 9. The Army of God
King John faces opposition from his barons who demand change or war. He refuses and focuses on fortifying his castles, while gaining support from Pope Innocent. Barons meet with rebels and present John with a draft charter. Conflict ensues, leading to the creation of Magna Carta.
Oct 24, 2023 • 26min
Season 3 | 8. The Battle of Bouvines
John assembles a mighty Plantagenet alliance to return to France and reclaim what Philip Augustus stole from him. After a decade of preparations, the fate of his dynasty rests on the outcome of one bloody battle.
This is History is a Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com
Written and presented by Dan Jones
Producer and Story Editor - Georgia Mills
Executive Producer - Louisa Field and Dave Anderson
Sound Design and Mixing - Chris O'Shaughnessy
Production Manager - Poppy Thompson
Composer - Matt Acheson
Engineer - Matias Torres Sole
Marketing Manager - Emily Webb
Additional Production by Julia Doyle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
