Aspects of History interviews historians and authors on the past – from the ancient world right up to the modern day. In each episode, we seek to get to the bottom of a story or scrutinise a figure from history. There are bonus episodes too, from current events to anniversaries.
Site
RSS
Apple
Data updated on 21/10/2026
Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
Discover shows related to Aspects of History, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
The Kop: A Fan’s History of Football’s Most Famous Stand with Brian Reade
Monday, October 19, 2026 • Duration 46:19
The Kop in full swing at Anfield is one of the beautiful game’s most iconic
sights: a sea of flags and scarves, a red wall of song and noise, and a crowd
whose support has become the fulcrum of Liverpool Football Club’s unique
identity. Yet the story behind it goes far beyond football, beginning with a
disastrous British defeat during the Second Boer War and evolving into a
history of working-class culture, collective memory and the unequalled bond between a club and its supporters.
In this episode of the podcast, Brian Reade joins Zeb Baker-Smith, Editor of Aspects of History, to discuss his new book, The Kop: A Fan’s History of Football’s Most Famous Stand. They trace the name back to Spion Kop in South Africa, explore how the terrace became a symbol of Liverpool’s rise under Bill Shankly, and consider the songs, legendary European nights and remarkable atmosphere that have made Anfield famous around the world.
Brian also reflects on the Kop’s role beyond the pitch, from its response to
Hillsborough and the fight for justice to protests against football’s
commercialisation. Drawing on six decades of supporting the country’s most successful club, he explores how the stand has become a repository of shared memories and a tradition passed between generations – and what its future might hold.
Episode Links
The Kop: A Fan’s History of Football’s Most Famous Stand
Brian Reade Links
Brian online
Brian on Twitter/X
Zeb Links
Zeb on Twitter /X
Zeb on Instagram
Zeb on Substack
Aspects of History Links
AoH online
AoH on Twitter /X
AoH on Instagram
AoH on Substack
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Flying Pianos: The Eccentric Birth of British Aviation with Charles Spicer
Friday, October 16, 2026 • Duration 40:27
In the space of a few decades, aviation advanced from fragile aircraft
barely capable of crossing the Channel to the long-range bombers and fighter planes that would shape the Second World War. Behind this transformation were a motley cast of individuals: daring pilots, ambitious engineers, determined politicians and eccentric visionaries who helped turn flight from a dangerous novelty into a decisive military force.
In this episode of the Aspects of History podcast, Charles Spicer joins Phil Craig to discuss Flying Pianos, published by Oneworld Books, his new book on the early history of British aviation. They explore the pioneers who pushed the boundaries of flight before the First World War, that conflict’s impact on military aviation, and the technological developments that led to the Spitfire and the Merlin engine. Along the way, they consider Winston Churchill’s surprisingly hands-on role in the development of the RAF, the achievements of trailblazers such as Harriet Quimby.
Charles also discusses the darker side of air power, from the RAF’s use in
the British Empire to the devastating potential of aerial bombing, while
reflecting on what this era of rapid innovation might teach us today. This is
an episode brimming with ambition, ingenuity and determination – all of which helped shape the age of aviation that followed.
Charles Links
Charles online
Charles on X/Twitter
Charles on Instagram
Phil Links
Phil online
Phil on The Scandal Mongers
Phil on Twitter /X
Phil on Instagram
Aspects of History Links
AoH online
AoH on Twitter /X
AoH on Instagram
AoH on Substack
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Napoleon and his Marshals: Victory, Rivalry, Betrayal with Andrew Roberts
Friday, October 9, 2026 • Duration 42:42
Napoleon’s marshals were among the most formidable soldiers of the
Napoleonic Wars, rising from backgrounds ranging from the working classes to the old aristocracy to become the senior military figures of the French Empire. But behind the battlefield victories lay a complicated world of rivalries, ambition, wealth, infidelity and fierce competition for Napoleon’s favour.
In this episode of the Aspects of History podcast, Andrew Roberts joins Phil Craig to discuss his new book, Napoleon and his Marshals. They explore Napoleon’s relationship with his commanders, his extraordinary micromanagement, the rivalries that increasingly undermined the Grande Armée, and the ways in which his marshals’ ambitions and personal loyalties shaped the course of the wars.
Andrew also considers the marshals’ roles in the collapse of Napoleon’s
empire, from the disasters of Spain and Russia to Waterloo and the Hundred
Days. He also gives his verdict in the ultimate Napoleonic pub quiz –
identifying the bravest, maddest, cleverest, luckiest and least pleasant of
Napoleon’s commanders – and reflects on whether his own view of Napoleon has changed after a lifetime spent studying him.
Episode Links
Napoleon and his Marshals: Victory, Rivalry, Betrayal
Andrew Links
Andrew online
Andrew on Twitter/X
Andrew on Facebook
Phil Links
Phil online
Phil on The Scandal Mongers
Phil on Twitter /X
Phil on Instagram
Aspects of History Links
AoH online
AoH on Twitter /X
AoH on Instagram
AoH on Substack
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Plunder: The Last of the War in Europe, 1945 with Max Hastings
Friday, October 2, 2026 • Duration 39:42
As the Second World War in Europe entered its final weeks, the outcome was no longer in doubt – but the fighting continued with extraordinary intensity. From the Allied crossing of the Rhine and the German defence of their homeland to the liberation of Belsen and the final bombing raids, the last days of the war were marked by courage, confusion, brutality and tragedy.
In this episode of the Aspects of History podcast, Max Hastings joins Phil Craig to discuss his new book, Plunder. They explore why so many German soldiers continued to fight when defeat was inevitable, the persistence of the Nazi killing machine, the liberation of Belsen, and the difficult encounters between Allied troops and those emerging from the camps and prisoner-of-war system.
Max also discusses the extraordinary individual stories he uncovered while researching the final weeks of the war and the importance of bearing witness – and why, even after a lifetime of writing about the Second World War, there are still stories that deserve to be better known.
Episode Links
Plunder: The Last of the War in Europe, 1945
Max Links
Max online
Phil Links
Phil online
Phil on The Scandal Mongers
Phil on Twitter /X
Phil on Instagram
Aspects of History Links
AoH online
AoH on Twitter /X
AoH on Instagram
AoH on Substack
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The House of Cromwell with Miranda Malins
Monday, September 28, 2026 • Duration 01:01:19
Thomas Cromwell and Oliver Cromwell are among the most recognisable figures of Tudor and Stuart history – but few people realise that they were related. Separated by a century, their lives were shaped by remarkably similar rises from relative obscurity to the centre of English political life.
In this episode of the Aspects of History podcast, historian
Miranda Malins joins Mark Turnbull to discuss her new book, The House of Cromwell. Together they explore the Cromwell family’s origins, its two
branches, the wealth and estates inherited from Thomas Cromwell, and how
fortunes were made and lost across the Tudor and Stuart periods.
Miranda also explores the striking parallels between Thomas and Oliver, from their early obscurity and religious convictions to their relationships with Parliament and the Reformation. The conversation also considers how both men’s reputations have changed over the centuries – and how their family continued to navigate the political and religious upheavals of the 16th and 17th centuries.
Episode Links
The House of Cromwell: Power, Family and the Making of Modern Britain
Miranda Malins Links
Miranda online
Miranda on Twitter/X
Miranda on Instagram
Miranda on Facebook
Mark Turnbull Links
Mark online
Mark on Twitter/X
Mark on Instagram
Mark on Facebook
Aspects of History Links
AoH online
AoH on Twitter /X
AoH on Instagram
AoH on Substack
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Aspects of History Film Club: Pressure with Giles Milton and Henry Thackray
Friday, September 25, 2026 • Duration 44:23
What happens when one of the most pivotal decisions of the Second World War rests on something as unpredictable as the weather? The new feature film, Pressure, takes us behind the D-Day invasion, where meteorologists and Allied command must decide whether conditions are right for the Normandy landings.
In this special Aspects of History Film Club episode, bestselling historian Giles Milton joins Zeb Baker-Smith again, this time to discuss the historical reality behind the film – from the competing teams of British and American meteorologists to James Stagg’s role in presenting their forecasts to Eisenhower. They discuss what the film gets right and wrong, including its portrayals of Eisenhower and Montgomery, and the figures it leaves out.
Zeb is then joined by film editor Henry Thackray to discuss Pressure
as cinema: Andrew Scott and Brendan Fraser’s performances, its chamber-piece structure, use of maps and weather charts, and its attempt to create suspense when the audience already knows the outcome. They also ask whether its intimate approach offers a refreshing alternative to the familiar D-Day blockbuster.
Episode Links
D-Day: The Soldiers' Story
Giles Milton Links
Giles online
Giles on Twitter/X
Giles on Instagram
Giles on Facebook
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
Deep into the Sixties: Britain 1965–66 with David Kynaston
Monday, September 21, 2026 • Duration 41:22
The Sixties are often remembered as a decade of sweeping social and cultural change. But how much really changed for ordinary people? From deindustrialisation and urban redevelopment to immigration, race relations and the shifting attitudes of a younger generation, Britain in the mid-1960s was a far more complicated place than the familiar images of the Beatles and a swinging London suggest.
In this episode of the podcast, David Kynaston joins Zeb Baker-Smith, Editor of Aspects of History, to discuss Deep into the Sixties: Britain 1965–66, the latest volume in his Tales of a New Jerusalem chronicle of post-war Britain. They dissect the realities behind the decade's reputation for modernisation and liberalisation, and how contemporary diaries, newspapers and personal accounts demonstrate the gap between political and cultural change and everyday life.
David also discusses his approach to social history, the value of diaries in capturing the ‘big’ and ‘small’ moments of ordinary lives, and the economic pressures facing Harold Wilson's Labour government. The conversation concludes with England's 1966 World Cup victory, and what that day reveals about Britain and its changing mood.
Episode Links
Deep into the Sixties: Britain 1965–66
David Kynaston Links
David online
Aspects of History Links
AoH online
AoH on Twitter /X
AoH on Instagram
AoH on Substack
Zeb Links
Zeb online
Zeb on Twitter /X
Zeb on Instagram
Zeb on Substack
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Empire at the Edge of the World with Giles Milton
Friday, September 18, 2026 • Duration 42:51
In the early 20th century, the Arctic remained one of the last great unexplored regions of the world. When the celebrity explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson sets out to chart its unknown territory, the expedition’s flagship, the Karluk, becomes trapped in the ice, leaving its crew, scientists and Indigenous members facing an extraordinary struggle for survival.
In this week's episode of the podcast, bestselling historian Giles Milton joins Zeb Baker-Smith, Editor of Aspects of History, to discuss his new book, Empire at the Edge of the World, including the Karluk disaster, Captain Robert Bartlett’s remarkable journey to raise the alarm, and the ill-fated attempt to establish a colony on Wrangel Island. They explore the realities of Arctic exploration, from temperatures of minus 50 degrees to starvation, contaminated food and the treacherous sea ice.
Giles also discusses Ada Blackjack, the Indigenous seamstress who found herself stranded on Wrangel Island, and the diaries and accounts that reveal what happened there. From Stefansson’s vision of the Arctic as the future of the world to his eventual fall from celebrity to disgrace, the conversation also considers Wrangel Island’s continuing geopolitical importance a century later.
Episode Links
Empire at the Edge of the World: Endurance and Madness in the High Arctic
Giles Milton Links
Giles online
Giles on Twitter/X
Giles on Instagram
Giles on Facebook
Aspects of History Links
AoH online
AoH on Twitter /X
AoH on Instagram
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 Model Patient with Lucy Ashe
Monday, September 14, 2026 • Duration 44:48
In 1963, former model Evelyn Westbrook is secretly beginning psychotherapy to understand a recurring nightmare. But as her relationship with Dr Daley develops, her search for answers becomes increasingly unsettling.
In this episode of the Aspects of History podcast, author Lucy Ashe joins Ella Beales to discuss The Model Patient, her psychological suspense novel inspired by her own experience of therapy. Together they examine the complex relationship between patient and therapist in the novel, and the narrative's blurred boundary between care and control.
Lucy also discusses her character's struggle for autonomy, shifting expectations of women in the 1960s, the role of art in expressing hidden emotions and poses the question of what happens when we trust someone else to help us understand ourselves.
Episode Links
The Model Patient
Lucy Ashe Links
Lucy online
Lucy on Twitter/X
Lucy on Instagram
Lucy on Tiktok
Ella Links
Ella online
Ella on Instagram
Aspects of History Links
AoH online
AoH on Twitter /X
AoH on Instagram
AoH on Substack
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War's Most Extraordinary Spy with Ben Macintyre
Friday, September 11, 2026 • Duration 35:34
In the early 80s, at the height of the Cold War, a senior KGB officer in revolutionary Iran offered to spy for Britain. His motivation was deeply personal: desperate to save his marriage, Vladimir Kuzichkin believed the West possessed medicines that could cure his erectile dysfunction. What followed was an extraordinary intelligence operation involving MI6, the KGB, the Iranian Communist Party and a Soviet plot that could have transformed the balance of the Cold War.
In this episode of the Aspects of History podcast, bestselling author Ben Macintyre joins Phil Craig to discuss Redwood, his story of Kuzichkin and the young MI6 officer, Ian McCredie, who ran him as a source in one of the most dangerous environments imaginable. Kuzichkin possessed detailed intelligence about a planned Soviet-backed communist coup in
Iran, including the networks, personnel and weapons involved. Ben outlines how MI6 handled this highly sensitive intelligence, why it was initially withheld from the Americans, and the extraordinary operation to get Kuzichkin out of Iran.
The conversation also considers the consequences of the decision to share
Kuzichkin's intelligence with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and, alongside the geopolitics, brings to life the remarkable human stories at the heart of the operation, from Kuzichkin's new life in Britain to the moral ambiguities faced by those involved.
Episode Links
Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War's Most Extraordinary Spy
Ben Links
Ben online
Ben on Twitter /X
Ben on Facebook
Phil Links
Phil online
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
