Half-Arsed History

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of Australia's first-ever international sporting tour, when in 1868 a group of indigenous Australians travelled all the way to England to play cricket. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, learn about the early origins of cricket, and its development from an informal childrens' game to a major sport played across the world, throughout the British Empire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here is a brief retrospective on the Monuments series, including the reasoning behind the exclusion of some monuments, what went into making the series, and the biggest challenges in putting episodes together. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Sydney Opera House, one of the most famous and instantly-recognisable Australian landmarks, one that has graced the Sydney skyline since 1973. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: a brief history of Santa Claus, and how he has emerged and developed as a central part of modern Christmas celebrations, with a multifaceted origin story that goes back centuries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, get across the history of Christmas, from its emergence as an early Christian festival co-opting existing celebrations, to the massive, worldwide event it is today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Berlin Wall, an enormous, 155 kilometre-long wall that once divided the city of Berlin in two before its eventual fall in 1989. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: Frank Shackleton and his potential connection with the theft of the Irish Crown Jewels - never conclusively proven, but nonetheless involving quite a few controversial and scandalous details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, meet the famed explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, who led the ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition into the Antarctic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, the semi-ruined remains of the only building to survive in the immediate vicinity of the atomic bomb that was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in August 1945. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: a brief history of Pigeon Post, how humans have used homing pigeons to facilitate speedy, long-distance communication for thousands and thousands of years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, meet five famous animals who have all served in the military: Cher Ami the pigeon, Wojtek the bear, Simon the cat, Reckless the pony, and William the goat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is Mount Rushmore, also known as Tȟuŋkášila Šákpe - a mountainside in the US state of South Dakota that features colossal sculptures of four notable US presidents.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the tale of Sir Hubert Wilkins, a photographer, pilot, war hero, explorer, and ornithologist who led a truly remarkable life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We did it - they gave this man a book deal! "History's Strangest Deaths" will be published by Allen & Unwin next year, with more information coming in a few months. Thank you so much to everyone for all the encouragement and support - it is so exciting to think that the first Half-Arsed History book is coming in 2025! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, get to know the US civil rights activise Rosa Parks, who made a stand for justice when she refused to give up her seat on a racially-segregated bus.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Golden Gate Bridge, an (allegedly) orange suspension bridge that spans the entrance to the San Francisco Bay in the US.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the reign of Caracalla and Geta, two murderous brothers who served - very briefly - as co-emperors of the Roman Empire.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, learn all about the history of ancient Roman gladiators: who they were, how they trained and fought, and what happened to them when they won or lost.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Sydney Harbour Bridge, an icon not just of Sydney but of Australia more broadly - as painful as that may be for a Victorian to admit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the 1981 Underarm Bowling Scandal, when the Australian ODI cricket team scored a controversial victory over the Kiwis with the use of a disgracefully unsporting bowling technique.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, meet Sir Donald Bradman, who was undoubtedly the best cricketer in history and might just be the best sportsperson to have lived.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is Christ the Redeemer, a colossal mountaintop statue of Jesus that overlooks the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the first airborne crossing of the English Channel, where two men had to come up with a very inventive and very funny way to drop weight from their balloon.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, get to know four of the worst president in the history of the United States of America: John Tyler, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, and Warren G. Harding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Hollywood sign, an icon of the US city of Los Angeles and a symbol of the mighty US film industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the untimely death of William Henry Harrison, whose 31-day presidency remains the shortest in US history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, learn about three of the most controversial presidential elections in US history and the root cause behind them: the broken Electoral College system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is Chateau Frontenac, a beautiful palace-like building perched on a hill overlooking Quebec City in Canada. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Melbourne Cup, a famous horse race held each year in Melbourne, Victoria, which has generated a few interesting stories across its long history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, get to know Artur Virgilio Alves Reis and hear about the incredible fraud he undertook in 1924, scamming his way into 100 million Portuguese escudos. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's episode is the Eiffel Tower, perhaps the best-known monument on the face of the planet, an iconic part of the French capital, Paris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Dancing Plague of 1518, a bizarre, unexplained phenomenon that saw the citizens of Strasbourg take to the streets and dance unceasingly for weeks on end. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, meet Johann Strauss II, a brilliant composer from the Romantic period, famous for his lively and joyful waltzes.Strauss playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/195Ic94w6sCRNi19f0G1UP?si=54adb35532604621 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Statue of Liberty, an instantly-recognisable symbol of the United States of America that has a thoroughly non-American origin story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: Carlos Kaiser, a conman who managed to build a 13-year career as a star soccer player, without ever actually taking to the pitch and playing a game. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, hear the true story of the Great Escape, when Allied prisoners of war made a daring attempt at a mass breakout from a Nazi prison camp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is Neuschwanstein Castle, a spectacularly beautiful castle perched atop a mountain ridge in the German Alps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the French Revolution, with a dazzling AI-generated script that is astonishingly true to life, utterly indistinguishable from the real thing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, conclude the story of the Crusades, with a collection of ridiculous tales from the five later campaigns waged by Christians seeking to conquer Jerusalem. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Sagrada Familia, a huge and very unusually designed church in Barcelona, Spain - that after 140 years, still hasn't been finished. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Flemish Revolution, usually known by the name the Flemish Peasant Revolt of 1323-1328, which saw angry Flemish villagers take up arms against their hated feudal lord. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, learn about the first three of the crusades undertaken by armed Christian pilgrims, seeking to bring the Holy Land under Christian rule. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Palace of Westminster, the home of the British Parliament, and its famous clock tower, often (incorrectly) referred to as Big Ben. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Six O'Clock Swill, a name given to the backfired attempt that temperance laws made to curb Aussie and Kiwi alcohol consumption. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, get across the history of the Australian city of Melbourne, recorded live at the Alex Theatre in Melbourne itself. Here is a PDF of the slides used during the show: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CAi-OaBkp8SKreGQyBpawg3YyHvgrT-R/view Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Arc de Triomphe, yet another truly iconic Parisian landmark - one that celebrates the revolutionary and Napoleonic periods of French history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Sydney Riot of 1879, when a riot erupted on during a cricket match between England and NSW due a dodgy umpiring decision. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, get across the history of the Australian city of Sydney, recorded live at the Factory Theatre in Sydney itself. Here is a PDF of the slides used during the show: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19mUubwXufZeVjq9Z_uRnqF1kdBUDG3Jj/view Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Brandenburg Gate, one of Germany's most famous national icons and a monument that I have visited I don't know how many hundreds of times when I used to work in Berlin as a tour guide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.