Pax Britannica: A History of the British Empire
Samuel Hume
Pax Britannica is a narrative history podcast covering the empire upon which the sun never set. Shortlisted for the 2023 Independent Podcast Awards, Pax Britannica follows the events which created an empire that dominated the globe. Hosted by Dr Samuel Hume, a historian of British Imperial history, Pax Britannica aims to explain the rise and eventual fall of the largest empire in history. After all, how peaceful was the 'British Peace'?
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 23, 2026 • 36min
04.14 - All's Fair in Love and Law
Rhode Island gets a Royal Charter, and the rest of New England is ordered to play nicely with the Indians. Philip becomes Sachem, and Weetamoo turns the English love of lawsuits against them.
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Mar 16, 2026 • 33min
04.13 - From Death and Darkness
How the Puritans converted the Indians, the origins of Harvard University Press, and the first bible in an American language.
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Feb 23, 2026 • 35min
4-12 - Love Thy Neighbour
We get to grips with the history of King Philip's War, and set the stage for the conflict to come.
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Buy a ticket to Intelligent Speech 2026 and use the code PAX for 10% off.
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Feb 16, 2026 • 56min
Bonus - The Company in India with Professor Philip Stern
Philip J. Stern, Professor of History at Duke
Empire, Incorporated
The Company-State: Corporate Sovereignty and the Early Modern Foundations of the British Empire in India Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 9, 2026 • 24min
04.11 - New Starts in New England
New England faces smallpox, failed harvests, and religious dissenters.
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Join the Patreon House of Lords for ad-free episodes!
Buy a ticket to Intelligent Speech 2026 and use the code PAX for 10% off.
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Jan 26, 2026 • 33min
04.10 - The Cabal
With the downfall of Clarendon, the CABAL takes centre stage in Restoration politics. But it's never so simple...
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Join the Patreon House of Lords for ad-free episodes!
Buy a ticket to Intelligent Speech 2026 and use the code PAX for 10% off.
Go to AirwaveMedia.com to find other great history shows.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 19, 2026 • 35min
04.09 - The Raid on the Medway
Bankruptcy forces the Royal Navy into port. I'm sure it'll be safe.
Nicholas Rodgers, The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, Volume 2, 1649–1815
Anna Keay, The Restless Republic, 2022.
Rebecca Rideal, 1666: Plague, War, and Hellfire, 2016.
Frank Fox, The Four Days' Battle: The Greatest Sea Fight of the Age of Sail, 2009.
David Onnekink & Gijs Rommelse, The Dutch in the Early Modern World.
Steve Murdoch, The terror of the Seas: Scottish Maritime Warfare, 1513-1713, 2010.
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Jan 12, 2026 • 44min
04.08 - The Four Days' Battle
The Royal Navy and the Dutch fleet square off. Michiel de Ruyter needs to clear the way for the merchant fleet to get home, or else the Dutch economy might collapse. George Monck, Duke of Albemarle, is outnumbered and outgunned, and Prince Rupert races to join him.
Nicholas Rodgers, The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, Volume 2, 1649–1815
Anna Keay, The Restless Republic, 2022.
Rebecca Rideal, 1666: Plague, War, and Hellfire, 2016.
Frank Fox, The Four Days' Battle: The Greatest Sea Fight of the Age of Sail, 2009.
David Onnekink & Gijs Rommelse, The Dutch in the Early Modern World.
Steve Murdoch, The terror of the Seas: Scottish Maritime Warfare, 1513-1713, 2010.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 5, 2026 • 35min
04.07 - A City of Ash
After the Great Fire of London, the city needed to be rebuilt.
Rebecca Rideal, 1666: Plague, War, and Hellfire
Jacob Field, London, Londoners and the Great Fire of 1666: Disaster and Recover.
Clare Jackson, Charles II: The Star King
For other great shows on the Airwave network, go to AirwaveMedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 22, 2025 • 53min
Slavery throughout History with Patrick Wyman
Today I speak with Dr Patrick Wyman, host of The Fall of Rome, Tides of History, and his new show Past Lives. He's also published The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World, and has a forthcoming book, Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World.
We talk about public history, slavery, and the podcast industry! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
