Aspects of History

Zeb Baker-Smith
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Books
  • Updated Weekly

Aspects of History interviews historians and authors on the past – from the ancient world right up to the modern day. In each episode, we seek to get to the bottom of a story or scrutinise a figure from history. There are bonus episodes too, from current events to anniversaries.

  1. 4d ago

    Stealing Hitler's Rocket with Guy Walters

    This week’s helping of the podcast recounts the terror of the world’s first ballistic missile and the heroic efforts of the Polish resistance, all contained in this tale of innovation and daring that reads like a wartime thriller – except it’s true… Pairing up with ⁠Phil Craig for this episode of the Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast, author and historian, Guy Walters gives a blow-by-blow account of the remarkable true story of the race to uncover the secrets of Nazi Germany’s V-2 missile programme. His book, Stealing Hitler's Rocket, poses the question of whether said rocket could have changed the course of the war, observes at close quarters the intelligence battle to understand Hitler’s fatal technology, and why this little-known operation deserves a place among the greatest secret missions of the conflict. Episode Links Stealing Hitler's Rocket Guy Walters Links Guy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guy on Instagram Guy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠ Phil Links Phil on ⁠⁠⁠The Scandal Mongers⁠ Phil on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠ Phil on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    33 min

  2. Jun 5

    Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches with Tony Shaw and Alan McDougall

    In just a few days time, the 2026 Fifa World Cup will begin, a vast 48-team affair across North America, the geopolitical backdrop to the tournament as fractious as it has ever been in recent times. It goes without saying, however, that ideology, propaganda and diplomacy have always been at the forefront of the beautiful game throughout the tournament’s history. Joining Zeb Baker-Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Editor of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, for this week’s episode are Tony Shaw and Alan McDougall, their collaborative efforts in Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches making for a fascinating dive into the sport on both sides of the Iron Curtain and beyond. From Dynamo Moscow’s infamous 1945 clash with Arsenal to the revolutionary style of Hungary’s Magical Magyars, North Korea’s bond with Middlesbrough in 1966, and the charged meeting of East and West Germany in 1974, our conversation reveals how the game both reflected and transcended global tensions, breaking and building connections on either side of the Cold War’s cultural divide. Episode Links Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches Tony Shaw Links Tony ⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠ Alan McDougall Links Alan ⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠ Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Zeb Links Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    37 min

  3. May 29

    SAS Great Escapes 5 with Damien Lewis

    From a legendary escape across the North African desert to a daring mission to rescue prisoners from concentration camps in Fascist Italy, this week offers breathless tales of endurance, ingenuity, and courage against the odds. Bestselling historian, writer and war journalist, Damien Lewis joins ⁠⁠Phil Craig⁠ on the ⁠Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast to chat his latest book, ⁠SAS Great Escapes 5⁠⁠. Drawing on newly uncovered family archives and surprising firsthand accounts, Damien and Phil reflect on how these stories are pieced together, the legacy of special forces operations in the Second World War, and the leadership of figures like Blair Paddy Mayne. It’s a gripping conversation about history, memory, and the stories of brotherhood and daring that continue to shape our understanding of war. Episode Links SAS Great Escapes 5 Damien Lewis Links Damien online Damien on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Damien on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook Phil Links Phil on ⁠⁠The Scandal Mongers Phil on ⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠ Phil on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠ Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    35 min

  4. May 22

    The World's Reformation: How Protestantism Became a Global Religion with Alec Ryrie

    That word mission might make you think of Robert De Niro or Jeremy Irons in Jesuit robes clambering up the Iguazu Falls in deepest South America, but, lagging as they might have been and forgotten as their efforts may be, there was a Protestant expansion too, a clear will to propagate the Gospel to the world, that challenges those preconceptions.  This week on the podcast, Professor Alec Ryrie joins ⁠Zeb Baker-Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠, Editor of ⁠⁠⁠⁠Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠⁠, to discuss his new book, The World’s Reformation: How Protestantism Became a Global Religion, published by Yale University Press. From Lapland to the Caribbean and across Asia and Africa, we discuss how a now global religion attempted to convert the nations, sometimes falteringly, some successfully, and examine the motivations, approaches and instances where religion, colonialism and empire become intertwined. Episode Links The World’s Reformation: How Protestantism Became a Global Religion⁠ Alec Ryrie Links Alec ⁠⁠online⁠⁠ Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Zeb Links Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠ Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    51 min

  5. May 15

    Archbishop, Chancellor, Kingmaker with Dr Chris Given-Wilson

    The medieval period is rife with kingmakers, but what about the dynasty-maker who also served as head of the church? In his excellent new study of Thomas Arundel, the master of medieval studies, Dr Chris Given-Wilson, Emeritus Professor at St Andrews, tells Nathen Amin all about the remarkable figure who served as Chancellor and Archbishop before helping change the path of English politics forever. Episode Links Chris Given-Wilson Links: University of St Andrews Profile at https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/history/people/cjg2/⁠ Nathen Amin Links: Website: www.nathenamin.com Substack: https://nathenamin.substack.com/ Aspects of History Links: Website: www.aspectsofhistory.com Email: history@aspectsofhistory.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    44 min

  6. May 8

    The Visionaries: The Making of the Post World War II Order in the West with James Holland

    Economic turmoil of the 1930s and the need to create a new post-war fiscal order after 1945 were the challenges faced by Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Their vision, and the policies by which they enacted it, underpinned recovery, global cooperation, and long-term stability.   Joining  ⁠Phil Craig for this episode of the Aspects of History⁠ podcast, historian and Chalke History Festival supremo, James Holland offers his thoughts on those leaders of the free world who contributed so much to both Europe and North America in the 21st century. His latest book, The Visionaries: The Making of the Post World War II Order in the West⁠ examines international responsibility, and the enduring impact of political leadership, considering the stark contrast between past and present economic strategy. Episode Links The Visionaries: The Making of the Post World War II Order in the West James Holland Links James on ⁠⁠⁠⁠We Have Ways James ⁠online⁠ James on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ James on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack Chalke History Festival Links Full line-up and tickets online Phil Links Phil on ⁠⁠⁠The Scandal Mongers⁠ Phil on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠ Phil on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    40 min

  7. May 1

    Behind Caesar's Back: Rumor, Gossip, and the Making of the Roman Emperors with Caillan Davenport

    Rumours whispered in the forum, graffiti scrawled on walls, and scandalous tales passed between senator and citizen - the Roman emperor was as much a manifestation of gossip as of power. But how far can we trust these tales, and what do they reveal about the imperial system itself? Joining Zeb Baker-Smith⁠⁠⁠, Editor of ⁠⁠⁠Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠, on the podcast today is Caillan Davenport, professor and historian, whose study, Behind Caesar’s Back, offers a bold, fresh approach to imperial Rome. Moving beyond traditional biographies, his sweeping study reconstructs the “oral world” of the Roman Empire, sharing insight into political talk, public opinion and the delicate relationship between ruler and ruled. Episode Links Behind Caesar's Back: Rumor, Gossip, and the Making of the Roman Emperors Caillan Davenport Links Caillan ⁠online⁠ Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Zeb Links Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠ Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 5m

  8. Apr 24

    Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry That Shaped Ancient Greece with Adrian Goldsworthy

    In a warring world of thousands of city-states, where honour, prestige, and survival were constantly at stake, two names would rise above the rest – Athens and Sparta. Though once allied together against the Persians, the powers would end up locked in a rivalry, the Peloponnesian War. In this episode of the podcast, Adrian Goldsworthy joins ⁠Zeb Baker-Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠, Editor of ⁠⁠⁠⁠Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠⁠, to discuss his latest book, ⁠Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry that Shaped Ancient Greece⁠. His stimulating account runs from its mythic origins to the Peloponnesian War, exploring their contrasting identities and ideologies – militaristic Sparta as a conquering elite and democratic Athens as an autochthonous society – and quite how these shaped their politics and ambitions. Our conversation also considers the challenges of sources like Herodotus and Thucydides, the fragile alliances of the Persian Wars, and what descent into this enduring conflict reveals about power, warfare, and strategy. Episode Links Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry that Shaped Ancient Greece Adrian Goldsworthy Links Adrian ⁠⁠online⁠⁠ Adrian on Twitter/X Adrian on YouTube Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Zeb Links Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠ Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    49 min
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5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Aspects of History interviews historians and authors on the past – from the ancient world right up to the modern day. In each episode, we seek to get to the bottom of a story or scrutinise a figure from history. There are bonus episodes too, from current events to anniversaries.

Information

  • Creator
    Zeb Baker-Smith
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    339
  • Copyright
    © Aspects of History
  • Show Website
    Aspects of History

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