111 episodes

The less-than-serious history podcast with stand up comedian Angela Barnes (The News Quiz, Mock The Week and Live at The Apollo) and writer John O'Farrell (An Utterly Impartial History of Britain, Things Can Only Get Better, Spitting Image). In each podcast our two history nerds discuss, explain and laugh at interesting and quirky episodes from the olden days, such as East German Nudism, Spy Pigeons or Vlad the Impaler. Angela and John’s in-depth knowledge of world history has been described as ‘laughable’ - and now they read the history books so that you don't have to. The We Are History podcast - not as world-changing as the Black Death, but slightly funnier.

We Are History Angela Barnes and John O'Farrell

    • History
    • 4.9 • 55 Ratings

The less-than-serious history podcast with stand up comedian Angela Barnes (The News Quiz, Mock The Week and Live at The Apollo) and writer John O'Farrell (An Utterly Impartial History of Britain, Things Can Only Get Better, Spitting Image). In each podcast our two history nerds discuss, explain and laugh at interesting and quirky episodes from the olden days, such as East German Nudism, Spy Pigeons or Vlad the Impaler. Angela and John’s in-depth knowledge of world history has been described as ‘laughable’ - and now they read the history books so that you don't have to. The We Are History podcast - not as world-changing as the Black Death, but slightly funnier.

    The Glorious Revolution of 1688

    The Glorious Revolution of 1688

    John O’Farrell and Angela Barnes return for a new season of We Are History! In this first episode they explore how the British had a very polite revolution without anyone getting hurt, and then pretended they’d actually wanted to be invaded by a big foreign army.
    Support We Are History on Patreon and get exclusive benefits including bonus episodes, mugs and more! https://patreon.com/WeAreHistory
    Reading List:
    Happy and Glorious: The Revolution of 1688 - Michael Wilson
    We Are History is written and presented by Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell. Audio production by Simon Williams and artwork by James Parrett. Lead Producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. We Are History is a Podmasters Production.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 34 min
    International Women’s Day

    International Women’s Day

    Just in time for International Women’s Day on March 8, we dig into the surprising history of this worldwide celebration of patriarchy-pummeling. Angela Barnes and feminism “expert” John O’Farrell trace IWD’s roots from its beginnings in Communist countries in the early 20th century via a brazen American attempt to cover up its origins… and never once says “yeah, but when is it International Men’s Day?”  
    Support We Are History on Patreon and get exclusive benefits including bonus episodes, mugs and more! https://patreon.com/WeAreHistory
    We Are History is written and presented by Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell. Production by Simon Williams. Artwork by James Parrett. Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. We Are History is a Podmasters Production.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 39 min
    The Story of Live Aid

    The Story of Live Aid

    How one scruffy Irish popstar saw a terrible famine being reported on his television and decided to do a bit more than just send a cheque to Oxfam. (John spent so long researching this podcast on Live Aid that he thought he might as well do a West End Musical about it at the same time). 
    Reading List:
    The Eighties, One Day, One Decade by Dylan Jones; 
    Is That It by Bob Geldof
    Buy books through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund We Are History by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.
    Support We Are History on Patreon and get exclusive benefits including bonus episodes, mugs and more! https://patreon.com/WeAreHistory
    We Are History is written and presented by Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell. Production by Simon Williams. Artwork by James Parrett. Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. We Are History is a Podmasters Production
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 44 min
    The French Revolution

    The French Revolution

    In 18th Century France the Ancien Regime comes up against the Enlightenment and Age of Reason and, spoiler alert, it doesn’t end well for the monarchy. In this episode that serves as a sort of French revolution for dummies we look at what happened, from the storming of the Bastille on, well, Bastille Day to the rise of Napoleon
    Reading List:
    Vive La Revolution: A Stand-up History of the French Revolution by Mark Steel
    Buy books through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund We Are History by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.
    Support We Are History on Patreon and get exclusive benefits including bonus episodes, mugs and more! https://patreon.com/WeAreHistory
    We Are History is written and presented by Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell. Production by Simon Williams. Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. We Are History is a Podmasters Production
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 1 hr 2 min
    The Grand Tour

    The Grand Tour

    Centuries ahead of those “Brits Abroad” tabloid headlines that make us hang our heads in shame, the British were still managing to cause chaos on the continent. The Grand Tour was a chance for upper class boys to kick up their heels and party across Europe under the auspices of an educational expedition, before getting married off and settling down in a massive country pile. A sort of Georgian Gap Year. We look at where they went, what they got up to and what they brought back with them in an age before antibiotics.
    Support We Are History on Patreon and get exclusive benefits including bonus episodes, mugs and more!
    Reading List: The British Abroad: The Grand Tour in the Eighteenth Century by Jeremy Black
    Buy books through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund We Are History by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.
    We Are History is written and presented by Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell. Production by Simon Williams. Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. We Are History is a Podmasters Production
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 48 min
    The History of April Fool’s Day

    The History of April Fool’s Day

    This week Angela tricks John into learning about the history of April Fool’s Day. Where did it originate? Why do we do practical jokes on people we are supposed to love? Fom the Swiss spaghetti harvest to the Black Cliffs of Dover, we look at some of the best April Fool’s Day pranks across the centuries. And this episode is brought to you in smellovision, so don’t forget to scratch your screen to get the accompanying aromas. Gotcha! 
    Reading List:
    Practically Joking by Moira Marsh
    https://hoaxes.org/af_database 
    Support We Are History on Patreon and get exclusive benefits including bonus episodes, mugs and more!
    We Are History is written and presented by Angela Barnes and John O’Farrell. Production by Simon Williams. Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. We Are History is a Podmasters Production
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 1 hr

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
55 Ratings

55 Ratings

hectorvonbird ,

Love this

Great podcast….. just interesting stuff

BriShow ,

I have not listen to this podcast but I’m giving it five stars anyway!

I found this podcast cause I heard Angela Barns perform live/pre-recorded on a different podcast which title has the F word in it, so it shall remain nameless. Also probably not cool to name drop another podcast while leaving a review for this podcast so again, you folks will have to use your imagination. She was excellent on it so I decided to subscribe to this one. That’s it!

Jason2081 ,

A great listen

Entertaining, informative, and funny!

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