Half-Arsed History

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the time Mark Thatcher, the son of a sitting UK prime minister, decided he wanted to be a racecar driver and got stranded in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, get to know Christina of Sweden, the keenly intelligent and fiercely independent queen of Sweden, who is remembered today for her passion of learning and knowledge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Great Mosque of Djenné, found in Mali, which to this day remains the largest mud brick building on the planet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the tale of Legio IX Hispana, also know as the Lost Legion, an ancient Roman military unit that one day just disappeared from recorded history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, discover the story of one of the greatest Roman emperors ever to have lived: Trajan, who brought the empire to its largest territorial extent in 117 CE. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is Himeji Castle, a complex in Japan that is perhaps the finest and most magnificent example of Japanese castle-building. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter Arsed History presents: a brief history of the State of Origin, an very popular rugby league series that sees representatives from Queensland and New South Wales face off every year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, learn all about Oscar Wilde, the famous Anglo-Irish playwright who is still remembered for his dazzling wit, and hear the tragic tale of his downfall due to the harsh social attitudes of the time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Moai, huge monolithic statues carved from volcanic rock and transported all across Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the remote south Pacific Ocean. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Nottingham Cheese Riot of 1766, when the English town of Nottingham was thrown into civil unrest due to... well, as you probably guessed, cheese. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, listen to the tale of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, when actor John Wilkes Booth shot the sitting US president in Ford's Theatre. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Alhambra, a mediaeval hilltop citadel overlooking the Spanish city of Granada, that is one of the finest examples of Islamic architecture in the entire world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: Ten Cent Beer Night, a baseball game at which beer was sold at ten cents a cup, leading to streakers, missiles pelting the players on the field, and eventually a full-blown riot. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, conclude an overview of US history with the last of a four-part series, this week getting across the radical changes that took place in post-war USA, with things like the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, the War on Terror, and more.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Louvre Palace, a building in Paris, France that is today home to what is today the world's most famous art museum, but used to be a royal residence for French kings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Harlem Hellfighters, the nickname given to the US 369th Infantry Regiment, a unit of mostly African-American soldiers sent over to Europe to fight in the First World War. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, get stuck into the third of four episodes covering the history of the United States of America, this time covering the Reconstruction and Progressive Eras, the World Wars, Great Depression, and New Deal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is Notre-Dame de Paris, one of the most famous Gothic-style cathedrals on the face of the planet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of Ea-Nasir, a copper merchant whose reputation as a shonky businessman has lasted almost 3,800 years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, continue an overview of US history, focussing on the first half of the 19th century: foreign policy, westward expansion, slavery, and the American Civil War. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is Angkor Wat, an enormous Buddhist temple complex found in Cambodia that is said to be the largest religious structure in the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the day John Sattler broke his jaw, when during the 1970 NSWRFL grand final, the South Sydney played through the entire match even after having his jaw broken in three places. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, hear the first of a four-part series on the history of the United States of America, including its indigenous peoples, the colonisation process, the American Revolutionary War, and its immediate consequences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is Great Zimbabwe, a mediaeval city in Zimbabwe that generated great wealth and prosperity before ultimately falling into decline and ruin in the 15h century. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: Simpson and his donkey, the tale of the brave Anzac John Simpson who rescued his wounded comrades from the battlefields of Gallipoli with the help of a donkey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, find out about the ill-fated Gallipoli Campaign of the First World War and the role the ANZACs played in it, resulting in the yearly observance of Anzac Day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Tower of London, a castle complex in the UK capital that dates back almost a thousand years - and was a lot more than just a prison. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Rebecca riots, when hordes of Welsh farmers staged violent protests across the country... in drag. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, hear the tale of Owain Glyndŵr, a Welsh nobleman who led a rebellion against the English in the 14th century. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is Chichen Itza, an old Maya city found in today's Mexico that grew to become one of the largest and most powerful cities in Mesoamerica. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the extinction of the thylacine, a carnivorous marsupial that died out in 1936 after decades of being maligned and hunted. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, hear the tragic tale of the dodo, and how it was driven to extinction by humans after we landed on the island of Mauritius. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the entire world, found on the Indonesian island of Java. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the 1932 Kimberley Rescue, when two German aviators got lost in the Australian wilderness before being rescued by indigenous trackers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, discover the historical origins behind five popular sayings: "mad as a hatter", "bite the bullet", "crocodile tears", "I have a bridge to sell you", and "baker's dozen". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Dome of the Rock, the oldest example of Islamic architecture in the world, found atop Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Israel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: Herodotus, the ancient Greek traveller, writer, and orator whose seminal work Histories established history as an academic discipline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, get across a history of history itself, exploring the way we have recorded our own history over the millennia, how our relationship with history has changed, and how it has changed us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the monastery on Skellig Michael, built on a tiny island to the southwest of Ireland, which was famously featured in the most recent Star Wars films. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: Miyamoto Musashi, one of the greatest duellists history has ever seen, with an incredible record of 61 victories - one of them with an oar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, discover the true story of William Adams, the inspiration behind the popular TV show Shogun and his fictional counterpart, John Blackthorne. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Hagia Sophia, a beautiful and iconic building in Istanbul that has served as a Christian church, Islamic mosque, and secular museum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: Project Hajile, where British military engineers attempted to create a rocket-powered landing system for heavy airdrops during the Second World War. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, hear the tale of the Irish noblewoman, rebel, and pirate, Grace O'Malley, known in Irish as Gráinne Ní Mháille. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a church found in Jerusalem that is considered to be the holiest place in the Christian faith, and one that has some very amusing stories attached to it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: Johan de Witt, a Dutch political leader who led the Dutch Republic through the closing years of its golden age, before being killed and eaten by his people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, go on a journey through the history of chess, from its origins as an Indian board game called chaturanga, through its development in Persia and the Middle East, to become the international game it is today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Colosseum, found in the Italian capital of Rome, which played host to bloody spectacles for hundreds of years during the height of the Roman Empire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Fine Cotton Affair, when a horse racing syndicate made a farcical attempt at a "ring-in", involving hair dye, spray paint, and ultimately, multiple jail terms for those involved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, hear the tale of the famous Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, whose mixed historical legacy includes being in command of the first successful sea voyage from Europe to Asia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.