The Shortest History of Britain

Mark L. Watson

Are you always in a muddle when it comes to history? What date was such-a-thing or which King did what? Us too. So join writer Mark L. Watson as we go on a whistle-stop tour of the history of Britain. Twelve episodes which break down all the key points, and deliver it in a fast and fun little package that should help you get a better grasp on the history of our great nation.

Episodes

  1. 08/20/2021

    12 - 1900s

    Welcome to The Shortest History of Britain! In this podcast we’re going to cover a few thousand years of this fabulous nation, from the very beginnings of life here, all the way through to the modern day. We’ll have to skim the surface a little to get through it all, but we'll whirlwind through the years to give you an idea of the main events that shaped our great nation. Each short episode will feature a period of time, as we climb from the ancient times to the more recent. In episode twelve we finally reach the end of our whistlestop tour of the history of Great Britain. It’s a century that we are all most familiar with, and most of us will have indeed lived through some of it, or have parents and grandparents who may have lived through most of it. As the timeline of history progresses, the speed at which advances are made increases. Where in the 1100s or the 1200s there may have not been many great changes to the landscape of the country besides political ones, the cultural and technological advances made over the 1900s set it apart. As many of you will surely be able to testify, the Britain of your youth couldn’t be more different from the Britain of today, and the catalyst and accelerant of that speediest of growth comes from the Britain of the 1900s. But it wasn’t an easy place to get to. Episodes: 1 - Pre-Roman 2- Roman -> Norman Invasion 3 - 1000s 4 - 1100s 5 - 1200s 6 - 1300s 7 - 1400s 8 - 1500s 9 - 1600s 10 - 1700s 11 - 1800s 12 - 1900 -> 2000

    34 min

  2. 08/08/2021

    11 - 1800s

    Welcome to The Shortest History of Britain! In this podcast we’re going to cover a few thousand years of this fabulous nation, from the very beginnings of life here, all the way through to the modern day. We’ll have to skim the surface a little to get through it all, but we'll whirlwind through the years to give you an idea of the main events that shaped our great nation. Each short episode will feature a period of time, as we climb from the ancient times to the more recent. In episode eleven we take a walk through the 1800s. Britain is becoming the global hegemonic power, policing the powers of the world. A time of extravagance arrives with the new king George VI, the beginning of the Regency era. On the back of the advances made by the Industrial Revolution, we begin to see some of the most landmark discoveries and inventions of any time, great steps forward from the pre-industrial era to this wonderful age of technology which we live in today where you can download fantastic podcasts like this one. The ‘Sailor King’ finally pushed through the abolition of slavery, and we enter the times of the great Queen Victoria, with cultural and scientific advances which make it Great Britain's true Golden Era.  Episodes: 1 - Pre-Roman 2- Roman -> Norman Invasion 3 - 1000s 4 - 1100s 5 - 1200s 6 - 1300s 7 - 1400s 8 - 1500s 9 - 1600s 10 - 1700s 11 - 1800s 12 - 1900 -> 2000

    25 min

  3. 08/01/2021

    10 - 1700s

    Welcome to The Shortest History of Britain! In this podcast we’re going to cover a few thousand years of this fabulous nation, from the very beginnings of life here, all the way through to the modern day. We’ll have to skim the surface a little to get through it all, but we'll whirlwind through the years to give you an idea of the main events that shaped our great nation. Each short episode will feature a period of time, as we climb from the ancient times to the more recent. In episode ten we explore the 1700s. As we enter into what we know as the Georgian era of British history, with a long line of Georges on the throne, we see a period of incredible social change, reform and revolution. We see the Industrial and Agricultural revolutions, seismic changes in every part of daily life, with the introduction of game-changing inventions and developments. Elsewhere the colonies of America were first fought for and won, then fought for again and lost in the American War of Independence, and the seeds for the French Revolution started a bloodbath which crossed the channel with Napoleon to the shores of Britain. Episodes: 1 - Pre-Roman 2- Roman -> Norman Invasion 3 - 1000s 4 - 1100s 5 - 1200s 6 - 1300s 7 - 1400s 8 - 1500s 9 - 1600s 10 - 1700s 11 - 1800s 12 - 1900 -> 2000

    21 min

  4. 07/24/2021

    9 - 1600s

    Welcome to The Shortest History of Britain! In this podcast we’re going to cover a few thousand years of this fabulous nation, from the very beginnings of life here, all the way through to the modern day. We’ll have to skim the surface a little to get through it all, but we'll whirlwind through the years to give you an idea of the main events that shaped our great nation. Each short episode will feature a period of time, as we climb from the ancient times to the more recent. In episode nine we travel through the 1600s. As the Elizabethan era draws to a close, the countries of Britain are drawn together under single ruler and a single Parliament. But when conflicts arise, the Parliament is dissolved entirely and the King goes it alone. We see the formation of some of the foundations of British politics, here and overseas, and such landmark events  as the Gunpowder Plot, the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London.  Episodes: 1 - Pre-Roman 2- Roman -> Norman Invasion 3 - 1000s 4 - 1100s 5 - 1200s 6 - 1300s 7 - 1400s 8 - 1500s 9 - 1600s 10 - 1700s 11 - 1800s 12 - 1900 -> 2000

    23 min

  5. 07/17/2021

    8 - 1500s

    Welcome to The Shortest History of Britain! In this podcast we’re going to cover a few thousand years of this fabulous nation, from the very beginnings of life here, all the way through to the modern day. We’ll have to skim the surface a little to get through it all, but we'll whirlwind through the years to give you an idea of the main events that shaped our great nation. Each short episode will feature a period of time, as we climb from the ancient times to the more recent. In episode 8 we explore the fascinating 1500s. Easily one of the most interesting and studied of all the centuries of British history, we meet some of the more famous names in English monarchic lore, learn how it's possible to have six wives and a 54 inch waist, how to get the nickname 'Bloody' Mary, and the fate of a girl given the crown of Scotland at just 6 days old, and finishing the century in a golden age of English Renaissance.   Episodes: 1 - Pre-Roman 2- Roman -> Norman Invasion 3 - 1000s 4 - 1100s 5 - 1200s 6 - 1300s 7 - 1400s 8 - 1500s 9 - 1600s 10 - 1700s 11 - 1800s 12 - 1900 -> 2000

    24 min

  6. 07/11/2021

    7 - 1400s

    Welcome to The Shortest History of Britain! In this podcast we’re going to cover a few thousand years of this fabulous nation, from the very beginnings of life here, all the way through to the modern day. We’ll have to skim the surface a little to get through it all, but we'll whirlwind through the years to give you an idea of the main events that shaped our great nation. Each short episode will feature a period of time, as we climb from the ancient times to the more recent. In episode seven we take a closer look at the 1400s. We wars moves forward with the Battle of Agincourt, the War of the Roses and the Battle of Bosworth Field. Yet me made administrative advances too, the beginning of some of the nation's great colleges and big commercial and economic gains for the nation.  Episodes: 1 - Pre-Roman 2- Roman -> Norman Invasion 3 - 1000s 4 - 1100s 5 - 1200s 6 - 1300s 7 - 1400s 8 - 1500s 9 - 1600s 10 - 1700s 11 - 1800s 12 - 1900 -> 2000

    28 min

  7. 07/01/2021

    6 - 1300s

    Welcome to The Shortest History of Britain! In this podcast we’re going to cover a few thousand years of this fabulous nation, from the very beginnings of life here, all the way through to the modern day. We’ll have to skim the surface a little to get through it all, but we'll whirlwind through the years to give you an idea of the main events that shaped our great nation. Each short episode will feature a period of time, as we climb from the ancient times to the more recent. In episode 6 we delve into the 1300s. We explore the Hundred Years War, the Peasant's Revolt, national famine and the Black Death.  Episodes: 1 - Pre-Roman 2- Roman -> Norman Invasion 3 - 1000s 4 - 1100s 5 - 1200s 6 - 1300s 7 - 1400s 8 - 1500s 9 - 1600s 10 - 1700s 11 - 1800s 12 - 1900 -> 2000

    25 min

  8. 06/27/2021

    5 - 1200s

    Welcome to The Shortest History of Britain! In this podcast we’re going to cover a few thousand years of this fabulous nation, from the very beginnings of life here, all the way through to the modern day. We’ll have to skim the surface a little to get through it all, but we'll whirlwind through the years to give you an idea of the main events that shaped our great nation. Each short episode will feature a period of time, as we climb from the ancient times to the more recent. In episode 5 we look at the 1200s, the rise of King John and the Magna Carta, the arrival of Edward I and the wars to conquer Wales and Scotland for the kingdom of Britain.  Episodes: 1 - Pre-Roman 2- Roman -> Norman Invasion 3 - 1000s 4 - 1100s 5 - 1200s 6 - 1300s 7 - 1400s 8 - 1500s 9 - 1600s 10 - 1700s 11 - 1800s 12 - 1900 -> 2000

    27 min

  9. 06/22/2021

    4 - 1100s

    Welcome to The Shortest History of Britain! In this podcast we’re going to cover a few thousand years of this fabulous nation, from the very beginnings of life here, all the way through to the modern day. We’ll have to skim the surface a little to get through it all, but we'll whirlwind through the years to give you an idea of the main events that shaped our great nation. Each short episode will feature a period of time, as we climb from the ancient times to the more recent. In episode 4 we will be covering the incredible 12th Century, the end of Norman rule, the rise of the Plantagenet kings, the King's Crusade and Richard the Lionheart.  Episodes: 1 - Pre-Roman 2 - Roman -> Norman Invasion 3 - 1000s 4 - 1100s 5 - 1200s 6 - 1300s 7 - 1400s 8 - 1500s 9 - 1600s 10 - 1700s 11 - 1800s 12 - 1900 -> 2000

    19 min

  10. 06/22/2021

    3 - 1000s

    Welcome to The Shortest History of Britain! In this podcast we’re going to cover a few thousand years of this fabulous nation, from the very beginnings of life here, all the way through to the modern day. We’ll have to skim the surface a little to get through it all, but we'll whirlwind through the years to give you an idea of the main events that shaped our great nation. Each short episode will feature a period of time, as we climb from the ancient times to the more recent. In episode three we look at the eleventh century, the 1000's. The Danish rule came to an end with the Norman Invasion in 1066, bringing the great William the Conqueror to the throne, a man responsible for some of the biggest changes our nation had ever seen, and constructing some of the greatest castles to have ever been built here, many of which survive to this day. Episodes: 1 - Pre-Roman 2- Roman -> Norman Invasion 3 - 1000s 4 - 1100s 5 - 1200s 6 - 1300s 7 - 1400s 8 - 1500s 9 - 1600s 10 - 1700s 11 - 1800s 12 - 1900 -> 2000

    21 min

  11. 06/07/2021

    2 - Roman -> Norman

    Welcome to The Shortest History of Britain! In this podcast we’re going to cover a few thousand years of this fabulous nation, from the very beginnings of life here, all the way through to the modern day. We’ll have to skim the surface a little to get through it all, but we'll whirlwind through the years to give you an idea of the main events that shaped our great nation. Each short episode will feature a period of time, as we climb from the ancient times to the more recent. In episode 2, we'll be exploring Roman Britain, how our Celtic culture and society was changed, and then following the people through the invasions of the Saxons, the Vikings and up to the Norman conquest in 1066. Episodes: 1 - Pre-Roman 2- Roman -> Norman Invasion 3 - 1000s 4 - 1100s 5 - 1200s 6 - 1300s 7 - 1400s 8 - 1500s 9 - 1600s 10 - 1700s 11 - 1800s 12 - 1900 -> 2000

    33 min

  12. 06/07/2021

    1 - Pre-Roman

    Welcome to The Shortest History of Britain! In this podcast we’re going to cover a few thousand years of this fabulous nation, from the very beginnings of life here, all the way through to the modern day. We’ll have to skim the surface a little to get through it all, but we'll whirlwind through the years to give you an idea of the main events that shaped our great nation. Each short episode will feature a period of time, as we climb from the ancient times to the more recent. In episode 1, we'll be covering the ancient history of Britain, from the Ice Age, through to the Roman invasions, to set the scene for how our country came about, how it was formed, and all about the early people who lived here. Episodes: 1 - Pre-Roman 2- Roman -> Norman Invasion 3 - 1000s 4 - 1100s 5 - 1200s 6 - 1300s 7 - 1400s 8 - 1500s 9 - 1600s 10 - 1700s 11 - 1800s 12 - 1900 -> 2000

    24 min
  • 12 Episodes

About

Are you always in a muddle when it comes to history? What date was such-a-thing or which King did what? Us too. So join writer Mark L. Watson as we go on a whistle-stop tour of the history of Britain. Twelve episodes which break down all the key points, and deliver it in a fast and fun little package that should help you get a better grasp on the history of our great nation.

Information