Short History Of...
NOISER
History is full of the extraordinary.
Each week, we'll transport you back in time to witness history's most incredible moments and remarkable people.
New episodes Mondays, or a week early for Noiser+ subscribers.
With Noiser+ you'll also get ad-free listening and exclusive content on shows across the Noiser podcast network. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed to get started or head to noiser.com/subscriptions
A Short History of Ancient Rome - the debut book from the Noiser Network is out now! Discover the epic rise and fall of Rome like never before. Pick up your copy now at your local bookstore or visit noiser.com/books to learn more.
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No part of this podcast may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems. In accordance with Article 4(3) of the DSM Directive 2019/790, Noiser Ltd expressly reserves this work from the text and data mining exception.
Each week, we'll transport you back in time to witness history's most incredible moments and remarkable people.
New episodes Mondays, or a week early for Noiser+ subscribers.
With Noiser+ you'll also get ad-free listening and exclusive content on shows across the Noiser podcast network. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed to get started or head to noiser.com/subscriptions
A Short History of Ancient Rome - the debut book from the Noiser Network is out now! Discover the epic rise and fall of Rome like never before. Pick up your copy now at your local bookstore or visit noiser.com/books to learn more.
For advertising enquiries, email info@adelicious.fm
No part of this podcast may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems. In accordance with Article 4(3) of the DSM Directive 2019/790, Noiser Ltd expressly reserves this work from the text and data mining exception.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 29, 2026 • 56min
The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Sue Woolmans, royal historian and writer, brings specialist knowledge on Franz Ferdinand and his world. She traces Bosnia's annexation, the rise of militant Serbian nationalism and the Black Hand. Short scenes cover the flawed Sarajevo security, the conspirators' plot and the rapid diplomatic collapse that turned a single assassination into a continental crisis.
13 snips
Mar 23, 2026 • 55min
C.S. Lewis
Dr Michael Ward, Oxford theologian and author of Planet Narnia, guides listeners through C.S. Lewis’s life and imagination. Short scenes explore Lewis’s Belfast childhood, wartime experiences, the Inklings friendship with Tolkien, the birth of Narnia from childhood play and wartime households, and his complex faith and relationships.
Mar 18, 2026 • 54min
Introducing: Real Vikings - Episode 1
A tense murder on an English shingle sparks a journey into Viking raids and maritime power. Experts unpack who the Vikings really were beyond pillagers. Ships, trade networks, and why monasteries were targeted feature prominently. Archaeological finds and shifting tactics trace how coastal hit-and-run raids grew into systematic campaigns.
11 snips
Mar 16, 2026 • 57min
Ernest Hemingway
Paul Hendrickson, author and journalist who has written deeply on Hemingway, gives lively context to the writer's life. They trace wartime wounds, Paris and bullfighting obsessions, the rise of his spare prose, messy marriages and myth-making. The conversation also follows decline, treatments, and the enduring legend of masculinity and modernism.
Mar 9, 2026 • 57min
The European Middle Ages (Part 2 of 2)
A look at how fragmented medieval Europe centralized into stronger states and professional administrations. Towns and guilds revive urban life while scholars translate Aristotle and spark scholastic learning. Trade expands from Venice to the Mongol world, and the Black Death reshapes demography, labor and gender roles. Artistic renewal and wars help forge emerging national identities.
14 snips
Mar 2, 2026 • 58min
The European Middle Ages (Part 1 of 2)
Martyn Whittock, historian and author specializing in the medieval period, guides a lively tour of early medieval Europe. He traces Rome’s collapse, the rise of new kingdoms, and how Christianity and monastic networks reshaped society. Listeners hear about Charlemagne’s revival, Viking threats and England’s response, plus the multicultural flourish of Al-Andalus.
32 snips
Feb 23, 2026 • 58min
The Silk Roads
Peter Frankopan, Oxford global history professor and author of The Silk Roads, offers a brisk tour of Eurasia’s trade networks. He explores caravan logistics, the spread of religions and ideas, the Mongol reordering and maritime shifts that sidelined land routes. He ends with modern echoes like Belt and Road and China-Europe rail links.
57 snips
Feb 16, 2026 • 57min
The Falklands War
Sir Lawrence Freedman, distinguished historian and official Falklands Campaign historian, provides authoritative context. The conversation traces centuries of claims, the 1982 invasion, naval strategy and the Belgrano controversy. It examines political pressures in Britain and Argentina, the intense land and sea battles, and the war’s lasting effects on islanders and national politics.
26 snips
Feb 9, 2026 • 54min
Rwandan Genocide
Allan C. Stam, Professor of public policy and politics, provides expert historical and political context. He traces colonial creation of Hutu–Tutsi divisions, the slide from fluid identities to rigid ethnicity, the lead-up to mass violence, warnings ignored by the world, mechanics of the killings and acts of rescue. He closes by examining postwar justice, rebuilding and the global lessons on intervention.
14 snips
Feb 2, 2026 • 57min
Rasputin
Francis Welch, historian and author of Rasputin: A Short Life, provides expert context on Rasputin’s rise. The conversation traces his Siberian origins, mystical reputation, and shocking court influence. It covers healings, scandal, assassination plotting, and how myth and politics transformed one man into a symbol of imperial decay.
