Imaginary Worlds: Music of a Forbidden Planet
In the 1950s, the avant-garde music scene in New York and the movie studios of Los Angeles might have seemed like opposite ends of a cultural spectrum. But they came…
History Extra podcast: Breaking news! How stories spread in early modern Europe
If you lived in 16th-century London, would you have any idea what was happening in Paris, Venice or Frankfurt? Well, yes, according to Joad Raymond Wren – and that news…
History Extra podcast: The dark side of Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys is well-known for his brilliantly evocative diary, which gives an unsurpassed insight into daily life in Restoration London. However, it turns out Pepys also had a sinister side.…
99% Invisible: The Power Broker #13: Drop Dead City
Like a shadow epilogue to The Power Broker, this story plunges into the chaos of 1970s New York where debt, unions, and one brutal headline nearly broke the city.
Noble Blood: Sentencing His Son to Death
When Peter the Great's son and heir was on trial for treason, the emperor instructed the jury to treat him as they would any other man. If he were to…
Our Opinions Are Correct: Three Ways of Looking at Bruce Lee (with Jeff Chang)
Bruce Lee changed American pop culture forever, and his incredible legacy is more relevant than ever. But how did he go from child actor in Hong Kong to one of…
History Extra podcast: Art Deco: everything you wanted to know
In the interwar period, a movement emerged that brought together architecture, fashion, and even typography that echoed the hopes, anxieties and ambitions of the early 20th century. Charting the rise…
Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society Who Was The Naughtiest Pope In History?
In this episode, Kate is joined by Catherine Fletcher to meet one of the Vatican's randiest residents - Pope Alexander VI. From saucy parties to the scandals of the Borgia…
Imaginary Worlds The Battle to Make Star Wars
Movies that change cinema often come from outsiders – whether it’s Orson Welles making Citizen Kane or George Lucas making Star Wars a.k.a. Episode IV: A New Hope. The excellent…
Atlas Obscura Exploring Edinburgh’s Deserted Tidal Island
Since his childhood, Nick Dawson has been fascinated by Cramond Island, a deserted tidal island off the coast of Edinburgh, Scotland, which became for him a symbol of mystery and…