History Rage

Paul Bavill
  • 4.9 (33)
  • History
  • Updated Weekly

Think history is boring? That’s because you’ve only ever heard the fake version. On History Rage, professional historians come in swinging — smashing the myths, clichés, and half-truths that keep getting recycled in classrooms, documentaries, and TikToks. Vikings with horned helmets? Nope. Britain standing alone in 1940? Wrong. Medieval people never bathed? Rubbish. Why listen? Because the truth is way more exciting. You’ll leave every episode with jaw-dropping stories, killer facts to shut down pub bores, and the smug satisfaction of knowing what really happened. 🎧 Episodes drop every Monday. 📲 Follow now and get the history they don’t teach you — raw, raging, and real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RIVET COUNTER

Listen to all the episodes before anyone else

$2.99/mo or $34.99/yr after trial

  1. 9h ago

    325. Tudors are NOT overdone with Joanne Paul | Gloucester History Festival Special

    Think we’ve exhausted Tudor history? Think again — what are we missing? Are the Tudors really overdone, or are we simply telling the same stories over and over again? Dr Joanne Paul joins Paul Bavill for a counter-rage against the idea that historians should stop studying the Tudors. From the English Reformation and the Break with Rome to poverty, politics, women, immigrants, people of colour and the extraordinary figures operating beyond the royal spotlight, there is far more to sixteenth-century England than Henry VIII, his six wives and Elizabeth I. Joanne explains why modern Tudor history is busy challenging Victorian misconceptions, uncovering overlooked lives and rethinking how power actually worked. Why did the dissolution of the monasteries fundamentally change the experience of poverty? Were Tudor counsellors sometimes more important than the monarch? Were the seeds of the English Civil War already being planted in sixteenth-century ideas about government? There is also plenty of discussion about the English Reformation, Lollardy, Renaissance humanism, Edward VI, the Marian regime, Henry VII, the rise of the “new men” and, inevitably, why Edward Seymour sucks. If you think Tudor history begins and ends with Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, this is your challenge to look again. Dr Joanne Paul is speaking at the Gloucester History Festival, which runs from 12th–20th September. Joanne will be appearing on Friday 18th September at 4pm, discussing the end of Henry VIII's reign. Find festival information and tickets at: https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk Find out more about Dr Joanne Paul and follow her work: Website: https://www.joannepaul.co.uk YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoannePaul Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjoannepaul/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/drjoannepaul Joanne is the author of Thomas More: A Life and Death in Tudor England and The House of Dudley. Buy The House of Dudley and support History Rage through the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781405937191 Recommended episodes: Episode 269: Al Murray argues it’s time to shut up about the Tudors. Episode 266: Dr Joanne Paul rages that it’s not Lady Jane Grey — it’s Queen Jane Dudley. Listen to more episodes and find History Rage here: Website: https://www.historyrage.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyrage Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HistoryRage Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyrage X/Twitter: https://x.com/HistoryRage Want to support the show? Join the Angry Mob on Patreon for £5 per month and get early ad-free episodes, access to the monthly livestream and the coveted History Rage mug: https://www.patreon.com/historyrage If you enjoy History Rage, please follow, subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen — and tell another history lover to climb aboard the rage train. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. 1d ago • Subscribers Only

    Tudors are NOT overdone with Joanne Paul | Gloucester History Festival Special

    Think we’ve exhausted Tudor history? Think again — what are we missing? Are the Tudors really overdone, or are we simply telling the same stories over and over again? Dr Joanne Paul joins Paul Bavill for a counter-rage against the idea that historians should stop studying the Tudors. From the English Reformation and the Break with Rome to poverty, politics, women, immigrants, people of colour and the extraordinary figures operating beyond the royal spotlight, there is far more to sixteenth-century England than Henry VIII, his six wives and Elizabeth I. Joanne explains why modern Tudor history is busy challenging Victorian misconceptions, uncovering overlooked lives and rethinking how power actually worked. Why did the dissolution of the monasteries fundamentally change the experience of poverty? Were Tudor counsellors sometimes more important than the monarch? Were the seeds of the English Civil War already being planted in sixteenth-century ideas about government? There is also plenty of discussion about the English Reformation, Lollardy, Renaissance humanism, Edward VI, the Marian regime, Henry VII, the rise of the “new men” and, inevitably, why Edward Seymour sucks. If you think Tudor history begins and ends with Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, this is your challenge to look again. Dr Joanne Paul is speaking at the Gloucester History Festival, which runs from 12th–20th September. Joanne will be appearing on Friday 18th September at 4pm, discussing the end of Henry VIII's reign. Find festival information and tickets at: https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk Find out more about Dr Joanne Paul and follow her work: Website: https://www.joannepaul.co.uk YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoannePaul Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjoannepaul/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/drjoannepaul Joanne is the author of Thomas More: A Life and Death in Tudor England and The House of Dudley. Buy The House of Dudley and support History Rage through the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781405937191 Recommended episodes: Episode 269: Al Murray argues it’s time to shut up about the Tudors. Episode 266: Dr Joanne Paul rages that it’s not Lady Jane Grey — it’s Queen Jane Dudley. Listen to more episodes and find History Rage here: Website: https://www.historyrage.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyrage Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HistoryRage Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyrage X/Twitter: https://x.com/HistoryRage Want to support the show? Join the Angry Mob on Patreon for £5 per month and get early ad-free episodes, access to the monthly livestream and the coveted History Rage mug: https://www.patreon.com/historyrage If you enjoy History Rage, please follow, subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen — and tell another history lover to climb aboard the rage train.

  3. 3d ago

    324. The British were NOT "too slow" liberating Caen with Ben Mayne

    Why Caen’s ‘slow’ liberation actually won the Battle of Normandy. Historian and battlefield guide Ben Mayne joins https://historyrage.com to dismantle one of the most persistent myths of the Second World War: that the British and Canadians were “too slow” to break out from Caen after D-Day. Drawing on years of battlefield research, veterans’ testimonies and deep study of Operation Charnwood, Ben argues that the fighting around Caen unfolded exactly as Bernard Montgomery intended. Rather than a failed advance, Caen became the crucial “anvil” that trapped and destroyed the bulk of Germany’s Panzer divisions while the Americans prepared their breakout across Normandy. We explore why the city proved so difficult to capture, the role of the Hillman bunker complex, the impact of Operation Fortitude, and how attritional warfare shaped the wider Normandy campaign. Ben also explains why the RAF bombing raids before Charnwood were never intended to flatten Caen — and how post-war narratives unfairly painted British and Canadian troops as passive or ineffective. This episode dives into: Why Caen mattered so much to Allied strategy after D-Day The real purpose of Montgomery’s Normandy campaign plan How German SS Panzer divisions concentrated around Caen The brutal fighting faced by British and Canadian infantry Why Operation Charnwood deserves far greater recognition The truth behind the “drinking tea while waiting” myth How logistics, manpower and attrition shaped the liberation of Normandy If you enjoy military history, Normandy battlefield analysis, D-Day history, or debates around Montgomery’s leadership, this episode is essential listening. Follow Ben Mayne: X/Twitter: https://x.com/BattlefieldBen Liberation Route Europe UK: https://www.liberationroute.com/uk Liberation Route Europe App: https://www.liberationroute.com/app Related listening: James Holland on the Italian Campaign and the “D-Day Dodgers” Jack Bowsher on why the Burma Campaign was far more than infantry warfare Support History Rage: Website: https://historyrage.com Substack: https://historyrage.substack.com Patreon: https://patreon.com/historyrage Follow History Rage on social media and subscribe for more military history podcasts, historical myth-busting, and expert interviews every week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. 3d ago • Subscribers Only

    Bigger Armies, Better Weapons, Great Generals… So Why Do They Lose? with Iain MacGregor

    Do large armies always win? Discover how strategy repeatedly triumphs over numbers. In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by author and head of non-fiction at Head of Zeus, Iain MacGregor. Diving into his book, Battle: The Moments That Transformed Warfare from Ancient Greece to Ukraine, Iain shatters the persistent myth that numerical superiority guarantees victory on the battlefield. Across 3,000 years of military history, the sheer size of an army is rarely the deciding factor. From Hannibal’s masterclass in terrain and leadership at Lake Trasimene to Robert the Bruce’s tactical discipline at Bannockburn, small, disciplined forces have consistently overturned massive odds. Exploring key elements like morale, leadership, innovation, subterfuge, timing, and logistics, Iain exposes the flaws of "great man history" and explains how factors like the Soviet Union's sheer endurance at Stalingrad and the Viet Minh’s extraordinary logistical feats at Dien Bien Phu truly reshaped warfare. Featured Book • Battle: The Moments That Transformed Warfare from Ancient Greece to Ukraine by Iain MacGregor. Buy your copy directly from the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781526685117 Guest Details • Iain MacGregor (Author & Fellow of the Royal Historical Society) • Twitter/X: @IainMacGregor1 Recommended Episodes • Episode 228: Dave Musgrove rages that there’s more to the Bayeux Tapestry than the Battle of Hastings. • Episode 282: Zack White rages that Trafalgar isn't that important. Follow & Support History Rage • Website: https://www.historyrage.com • Twitter/X: @HistoryRage • Instagram: @HistoryRage • Patreon: Support the podcast for £5/month to get ad-free early releases, live stream access, and an official History Rage mug at https://www.patreon.com/historyrage

  5. Aug 18 • Subscribers Only

    The Italians Were Not Cowards with Karen Farrington

    Were Italian soldiers really cowards in World War Two? Think again! In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by author, former journalist, and WWII enthusiast Karen Farrington to challenge the widespread myth of "Italian cowardice" during the Second World War. Together, they dive deep into the overlooked history of Italian soldiers, the harsh realities of the Allied prisoner-of-war camps in Italy, and the incredible, highly dangerous escape network that saved thousands of Allied troops following the September 1943 armistice. Key Takeaways & Historical Myths Debunked • The Myth of "Italian Cowardice": Karen dismantles the long-standing stereotype that Italian forces simply ran away or lacked courage. She highlights the severe logistical handicaps, poor leadership, obsolete equipment, and disease that crippled Italian troops in North Africa. • Bravery on the Eastern Front: Over 200,000 Italians were sent to Stalingrad, fighting in brutal conditions alongside German forces, often receiving recognition for their courage despite inadequate equipment like faulty red devil grenades. • The Scale of the Italian POW Network: Italy held roughly 80,000 Allied prisoners of war from across the British Empire. The Italian-run camps were remarkably secure, with almost no successful escapes prior to the 1943 armistice. • The "Stay Put" Order & The 1943 Armistice: Following Mussolini's fall, Allied High Command ("Whitehall") issued controversial orders for POWs to stay inside the camps. Despite this, around 50,000 men escaped, with roughly 10,000 staying on the run for extended periods. • Italian Civilian Selflessness: Thousands of ordinary, impoverished Italian civilians risked (and lost) their lives, homes, and freedom to feed and shelter Allied escapers from German occupiers. • The Role of the Church & Vatican: Figures like Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty organized complex escape lines in Rome, hiding fugitives with support from both local clergy and wealthy citizens. • A-Force & Bold Escape Operations: Special Allied units like "A-Force" operated behind enemy lines—sometimes marching down occupied roads in full British battle dress—to recover POWs via beach extractions like Operation Darlington 2. Guest Information & Featured Book • Guest: Karen Farrington (Writer, journalist, and WWII author) • Book: The Great Italian Breakout • Support the Podcast: Please use the link in these show notes to buy the book via the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781837733736! Ordering through this link helps support the show with a small commission and supports independent bookshops. • Social Links: o Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karen.farrington.9237 o BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/karenfarrington.bsky.social Related Episodes & Further Reading • History Rage Ep. 169: James Holland on why Italy was not a soft target. • History Rage Ep. 211: Keith Lowe on the liberation of Naples. • Organization Highlight: The Monte San Martino Trust (representing the history of escaped POWs in Italy). Support History Rage • Join the Patreon: Support the podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historyrage for £3/month to gain access to live streams, early release ad-free episodes, and more! • Apple Podcasts Subscription: Prefer listening on Apple? You can listen completely ad-free for just £3 per month via your Apple Podcasts app. • Spread the Word: Enjoyed the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and tell a friend to hop aboard the rage train!

  6. Aug 18 • Subscribers Only

    Europe Was Never Just a Judeo-Christian Entity! with Tharik Hussain

    Is Europe strictly a Judeo-Christian entity, or have we forgotten 1400 years of Islamic history? In this explosive episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill sits down with author, journalist, and historian Tharik Hussain to smash the persistent myth that Europe’s cultural identity is solely Judeo-Christian. Tharik exposes how Islamic heritage is woven directly into the fabric of European identity, tracing back to the earliest days of Islam. Key Insights & Episode Highlights • The First Muslim European Navy: Discover how Caliph Uthman and Muawiyah ibn Abu Sufyan launched Islam’s first organized naval presence in Cyprus around the 640s AD, placing early companions of Prophet Muhammad on European soil within the first generation of the faith. • The Myth of Conquest vs Liberation: Revisit the 711 AD Muslim arrival in the Iberian Peninsula and how local Jewish communities viewed it as a liberation from severe Visigothic persecution, sparking the Jewish Golden Age. • Golden Age Innovations: Learn about Abbas ibn Firnas—the 9th-century polymath who achieved human flight 600 years before Leonardo da Vinci—and Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi (Albukasis), the father of modern surgery whose tools mirror modern medical instruments today. • Weaponized Mythologies: Deconstruct nation-building legends like Santiago Matamoros ("Moor Slayer") and the fictional Tribute of 100 Virgins, created to fuel anti-Muslim rhetoric during the Reconquista and Crusades. • Living Indigenous History: Recognize indigenous European Muslims across Bosnia, Albania, and Kosovo, proving that Islam never left the continent. Guest Information & Book Links • Guest: Tharik Hussain • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tharik_hussein • Buy the Book: Support independent bookshops and the podcast by purchasing Muslim Europe: A Journey in Search of the 1400 Years of History at the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780241742822 Recommended Episodes Keep the historical rage going with these referenced episodes from the archive: • Episode 304: Tom Asbridge on why the Black Death was actually a global problem • Episode 237: Steve Tibble on dismantling the glamorization of the Assassins Follow & Support History Rage • Website: https://www.historyrage.com • Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/historyrage • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyrage • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/historyrage • Patreon: Join the Angry Mob for early ad-free episodes, monthly live streams, and the official History Rage mug at https://www.patreon.com/historyrage If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

  7. Aug 16

    323. Jane Austen was NOT a genteel saintly woman with Izzy Meakin

    Jane Austen wasn’t polite—she was sharp, savage, and brilliantly misunderstood For generations, Jane Austen has been portrayed as a quiet, genteel figure—an almost saintly observer of polite Regency society. But what if that image is completely wrong? In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by Austen expert and What The Austen podcast host Izzy Meakin to dismantle one of literary history’s most persistent myths. Drawing on Austen’s surviving letters, family history, and the subtext of her novels, Izzy reveals a writer who was anything but passive—sharp-tongued, ironic, politically aware, and often brutally funny. From scathing remarks about neighbours and family to her barely concealed disdain for the Prince Regent, Austen’s private voice tells a very different story. With only around 160 letters surviving—and many deliberately destroyed by her sister Cassandra—the version of Austen we’ve inherited is incomplete at best, curated at worst. Izzy explores how Austen’s family helped shape her legacy after her death, particularly through her brother Henry’s glowing (and arguably over-sanitised) biography and even her gravestone inscription—both of which emphasised her sweetness and morality while ignoring her literary achievements. But the real Austen lives in the nuance: A writer who channelled personal frustrations into Sense and SensibilityA keen observer of social hypocrisy and gender constraintsA creator of complex, flawed, and deeply human female characters This episode dives into how Austen’s lived experiences—from financial insecurity to complicated family dynamics—fed directly into her fiction, and why her work continues to reward readers who look beyond the surface. If you think Austen is all romance and manners, this conversation will change your perspective entirely. About the Guest Izzy Meakin is the host of the What The Austen podcast, where she explores the life, works, and cultural legacy of Jane Austen with fresh insight and humour. Instagram: @whattheaustenPodcast: Available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and all major platformsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whattheausten Listen & Follow History Rage Website: https://historyrage.comSubscribe on your favourite podcast appJoin the mailing list via SubstackFollow for updates and episode releases Support the Podcast If you enjoyed this episode: Follow and subscribe on your podcast platformLeave a rating or review on Apple PodcastsShare the episode with fellow history loversJoin the mailing list for exclusive updates at www.historyrage.com or https://historyrage.substack.com/ Step beyond the myth and rediscover Jane Austen as she really was: complicated, contradictory, and endlessly fascinating. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  8. Aug 12

    322. There is no real version of a Greek Myth with Emily Hauser | Gloucester History Festival Special

    Are you sure there is a single, "real" version of Achilles, Helen, or the Odyssey? In this episode, classicist and author Emily Hauser (creator of Mythica) joins Paul Bavill to dismantle one of the biggest misconceptions in classical literature: the search for a single, definitive "truth" behind ancient myth. From Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey to modern cinematic interpretations, myth was never meant to be a static rulebook. It is a living, flexible oral tradition shaped by who is telling the story, why they are telling it, and which voices—especially those of women—are written into or out of the narrative. Together, Emily and Paul explore how figures like Penelope, Cassandra, Helen, Briseis, and Andromache offer richer, more complex insights into the ancient world than any rigid timeline ever could. They unpack the ancient concept of Xenia (guest-friendship), the tragedy of divine curses, and why asking "why was this myth told this way?" is far more powerful than chasing a "canon" that never existed. Key Takeaways & Discussion Highlights The Myth of the "Correct" Myth: Why searching for the "real" Achilles or Helen misses the core purpose of fluid, evolving oral storytelling.The Silencing of Women: How Telemachus’s rebuke of Penelope in Book 1 of the Odyssey marks one of the earliest Western literary examples of silencing female speech—and how female writers resist it.The Real Meaning of Xenia: Why host-guest relationships act as the social glue of ancient Greece, and how both the suitors and Odysseus himself violate these sacred rules.Agency and Curses: The tragic dimensions of Cassandra’s truth-telling curse, Helen’s balance of agency and divine intervention, and how Briseis evolved from Homer to Shakespeare. Featured Guest: Dr. Emily Hauser Dr. Emily Hauser is a classicist, academic, and author of Mythica: A New History of Homer's World Through the Women Written Out of It. Book: Buy Emily's book Mythica at the official History Rage Bookshop:https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781804992791 Gloucester History Festival: Emily is speaking live at the festival on Thursday, 17th September at 6:00 PM. The Gloucester History Festival runs from 12th – 20th September. Get your tickets here:https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk Related History Rage Episodes Continue exploring Ancient Greece, historical myths, and classical voices with these recommended episodes: Episode 257: Natalie Haynes rages that Greek myth is a lot less male-centric than we think.Episode 305: Adrian Goldsworthy rages that Ancient Greece is not all poets and philosophers. Follow, Contact & Support History Rage Follow & Contact: Website: https://www.historyrage.comX / Twitter: https://x.com/HistoryRageInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyrage Support the Podcast: Enjoying the rage? Help keep the thunderbolts raining down by becoming a History Rager! For £5 per month, Patreon supporters receive ad-free episodes, early access, exclusive monthly live streams, and the official History Rage mug. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyrage Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

See All (426)

Trailers

4.9
out of 5
33 Ratings

About

Think history is boring? That’s because you’ve only ever heard the fake version. On History Rage, professional historians come in swinging — smashing the myths, clichés, and half-truths that keep getting recycled in classrooms, documentaries, and TikToks. Vikings with horned helmets? Nope. Britain standing alone in 1940? Wrong. Medieval people never bathed? Rubbish. Why listen? Because the truth is way more exciting. You’ll leave every episode with jaw-dropping stories, killer facts to shut down pub bores, and the smug satisfaction of knowing what really happened. 🎧 Episodes drop every Monday. 📲 Follow now and get the history they don’t teach you — raw, raging, and real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Paul Bavill
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    426
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2022-2025 Paul Bavill
  • Show Website
    History Rage
  • Provider
    PAUL BAVILL

You Might Also Like