Half-Arsed History

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.

This week's monument is the Western Wall, which in the Jewish faith is one of the holiest places in the world, but was originally built as a retaining wall for the expansion of the Second Temple on Temple Mount. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the White Ship Disaster, a shipwreck that saw the heir to the English throne die, directly leading to the outbreak of a prolonged civil war known as the Anarchy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, learn all about the Anarchy, a devastating civil war that took place in 12th-century England in the wake of a succession crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Pantheon, found in the Italian capital city of Rome - an ancient Roman temple built almost a thousand years ago, the exquisitely-decorated Pantheon is still in use today as a Catholic church. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: Edward Louis Curdes, an American flying ace from the Second World War, who not only deliberately shot down an American plane, but was awarded a medal for it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, uncover the mystery of a forgotten technology, an incendiary weapon that burnt even after being doused with water: Greek Fire.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is Mahabodhi Temple, an ancient and exquisite place of worship found in northeast India, said to be where the Buddhist faith was founded. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: Michael Howe, a fearsomely cruel bushranger who terrorised the people of Van Diemen's Land - colonial Tasmania - in the early 19th century. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, hear all about the Treaty of Waitangi - how and why it was written, translated, and signed, as well as the many important consequences it had for Aotearoa New Zealand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is Petra, an ancient city built thousands of years ago in what is today Jordan, with many of its most famous buildings exquisitely carved out of rock faces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: Hongi Hika, a Māori chieftain and warleader who played a huge part in the history of Aotearoa New Zealand in the early 19th century. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, learn about the original inhabitants of Aotearoa New Zealand, the Māori, and how their way of lives changed and developed as they settled their homeland before encountering visitors from across the seas.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Acropolis of Athens, a hilltop citadel dating back almost two and a half thousand years that features some of the most incredible examples of ancient Greek architectural and cultural output. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the 1914 Newfoundland Sealing Disaster, a tragic tale of death on the ice as completely avoidable communication issues saw two ship captains believe a lost crew was aboard the other's vessel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, hear the incredible tale of Florence Nightingale, the founder of the modern profession of nursing.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Nazca Lines, a remarkable and mysterious series of enormous shapes and patterns "drawn" into the Peru's Nazca Desert, that can only be seen properly from high in the air. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: Yoshie Shiratori, a bloke who escaped four different times in four different ways from four different prisons - and then went back to prison of his own accord. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More change is coming to Half-Arsed History: as the show has experienced unprecedented growth over the last twelve months, I want to talk about the big plans I have for the future, how I'm working to make them a reality, and what is supporting these plans - namely, for the first time, host-read ads. I'm posting this update to be as transparent as possible, and to seek your understanding by explaining how I see the incoming changes as being a net positive. As ever, I appreciate any and all feedback - head over to halfarsedhistory.net and use the contact form to get in touch. 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 tennis, one of the modern world's most popular professional sports and one that dates back almost a thousand years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is the Great Wall of China, a series of defensive fortifications that has helped to secure the northern borders of various Chinese realms for over two and a half thousand years, with its most famous and iconic sections being built from the 14th century onwards. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: HMS Diamond Rock, an island that the British Royal Navy once commissioned as a ship, leading to a tradition of creating "stone frigates" - areas of land that were, as far as the Royal Navy was concerned, actual ships. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, learn about the history of an international relations theory known as the Democratic Peace Theory, which argues that democracies never go to war with one another.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's monument is Stonehenge, a prehistoric stone circle found in the United Kingdom that dates back to around 2500 BCE. While we don't know for certain why Stonehenge was built, the way it was built is truly remarkable, and millennia later it remains a place of great cultural significance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: Jenny Diver, a notorious and infamous pickpocket who terrorised London's wealthy classes in the early 18th century with all sorts of very inventive schemes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, learn about the emperor Charlemagne, who had a foundational influence on the creation and development of modern Europe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Bombing of the Rainbow Warrior, an act of state terrorism carried out by France against a Greenpeace ship in a Kiwi harbour in 1985. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, discover the tale of one of the most important scientific figures in human history: Charles Darwin, and his revolutionary theory on evolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Christmas Truce, an unofficial and unauthorised ceasefire between soldiers fighting the First World War over Christmas in 1914. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, hear the life story of one of the greatest monarchs ever to have lived: Brazil's Pedro II the Magnanimous.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: Alfred Nobel, a man who may have attempted to cover up his legacy as the inventor of dynamite by instituting the world-famous Nobel Prizes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, uncover the story behind one a longstanding diplomatic stoush between Greece and Britain, and the items that caused it: the Elgin Marbles.NOTE: Sincere apologies for my frustratingly incorrect pronunciation of "Elgin". I should have looked it up before I started recording, oops! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of the Principality of Hutt River, an unrecognised micronation whose chief exports were wheat, shonky passports, and tax evasion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, get across a condensed history of one of the richest and most powerful empires of the early modern period: the Mughal Empire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: a brief history of powdered wigs, from why and how they emerged as an essential fashion accessory for western men in the 18th century to their eventual decline and downfall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Half-Arsed History, hear the life story of the the celebrated French seer Nostradamus, and examine some of his more famous prophecies in more detail. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.