Half-Arsed History

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.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: Project Habakkuk, the time when - in all seriousness - the Allies tried to build a massive aircraft carrier out of ice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, hear the tale of the Battle of the Teutoberg Forest, and understand why it such a monumentally important event in human history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Grand Palace complex, found in the Thai capital of Bangkok, which has been the official residence of the Thai roayl family since the last 18th century. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: John Dee, the royal astronomer at Queen Elizabeth's court, whose longstanding interest in the mystical and the occult resulted in him... honestly, just listen to the episode, you really won't believe what ended up happening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, meet Elizabeth I, one of the most famous and important monarchs in English and British history, whose legacy helped to build modern English culture, language, and politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the British royal family and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the British capital of London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: Emmerich Juettner, a forger who was both completely terrible at forging banknotes, but very good at not getting caught. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, hear the history of the construction of the Panama Canal, which links the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans across Central America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Palace of Versailles, a beautiful palace on the outskirts of Paris that served as the residence for the French royal family across the 18th century. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the origin of the teddy bear, the children's stuffed toy which got its name after a presidential hunting trip in 1902, when Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, continue to get to know Theodore Roosevelt by hearing all about his foreign policy and evaluate his lasting legacy as president of the US. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is Potala Palace, a huge, fortress-like palace complex in the Tibetan city of Lhasa. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Leicester Balloon Riot, an incident that saw tens of thousands of angry people cause a ruckus because they thought a hot air balloon wasn't as big as they were hoping it would be. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, meet Theodore Roosevelt, and hear about his rise to the office of US president as well as his administration's overwhelmingly positive domestic legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Taj Mahal, a huge, opulent mausoleum in the Indian city of Agra, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan I as a resting place for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents:the 1968 Olympic protest salute, when two African-American athletes staged a political protest on a medal podium at the Mexico City Olympics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, conclude the history of the modern Olympic Games, covering their story from the beginning of the post-war period through to the present day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Blue Mosque, found in the Turkish city of Istanbul, one of the most beautiful and magnificent examples of classical Ottoman architecture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: Jim Thorpe, an immensely talented athlete and sportsman who won Olympic gold in mismatched shoes, only to have his medals stripped from him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, discover the first half of the history of the Modern Olympic Games, from its inception as a brainchild of Pierre de Coubertin to the interruptions the Games experienced as a result of the Second World War. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey, an incredible building that stands on a tidal island in a bay in Normandy, France. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: that time when Pepsi came into possession of a giant fleet of Soviet warships, after brokering a deal to sell Pepsi in the USSR. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.