Almost History: The 'What If' Podcast

All About History
  • 4.5 (2)
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Almost History: The 'What If' Podcast from All About History is a speculative history show that explores the possibilities of the past, taking key moments from years gone by and turning them on their heads. Regular readers of All About History magazine will be familiar with our recurring What If feature where we discuss alternate histories with experts. We find a key moment from the past and we chat about how that could have turned out differently. We've been having these conversations with experts for many years and we wanted to bring them to you directly, so you can hear them for yourself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 3d ago

    What if V-2 rockets were launched at Britain in 1942? | Almost History

    In this episode of Almost History, History of War's Louis Hardiman chats with historian, author and broadcaster Guy Walters to discuss how WWII could have been altered if Nazi Germany's V2 rocket programme had been available sooner. Could this space-age weapon system have turned the war or would its cost have bled Germany dry? Guy offers his expertise on these incredible weapons, what their strengths and limitations were, and how having them earlier could have impacted European battlefields. Could Germany have started striking the US? Would earlier V2 strikes have been enough to shock the British into surrender? We dig into the details to find out. Almost History, the 'What If' podcast from All About History is a speculative history show that explores the possibilities of the past, taking key moments from years gone by and turning them on their heads. Regular readers of All About History magazine will be familiar with our recurring What If feature where we discuss alternate histories with experts. We find a key moment from the past and we chat about how that could have turned out differently. We've been having these conversations with experts for many years and we wanted to bring them to you directly, so you can hear them for yourself. To read more from All About History magazine, visit HistoryAnswers.co.uk Music: Midnight Dancers, Brightarm Orchestra Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. Oct 10

    What if Britain had said no to Hitler's Sudetenland demands? | Almost History

    In this episode of Almost History, History of War Staff Writer Louis Hardiman sits down with renowned author, historian and podcaster James Holland. They dissect the Allied policy of Appeasement and, specifically, what would have happened if Britain had challenged Hitler's claim to the Sudetenland. Could standing up to Hitler a little earlier have unbalanced the German Führer? James digs into how the geopolitics of Europe fed into the uncertainty and tentativeness of the policies that ultimately allowed Hitler's power to increase, assesses Chamberlain's response and gives his expert insight into what could have happened differently. James' new book We Have Ways of Making You Talk: New Histories of the Second World War, written with podcast co-host Al Murray, is out now. Almost History, the 'What If' podcast from All About History is a speculative history show that explores the possibilities of the past, taking key moments from years gone by and turning them on their heads. Regular readers of All About History magazine will be familiar with our recurring What If feature where we discuss alternate histories with experts. We find a key moment from the past and we chat about how that could have turned out differently. We've been having these conversations with experts for many years and we wanted to bring them to you directly, so you can hear them for yourself. To read more from All About History magazine, visit HistoryAnswers.co.uk Music: Midnight Dancers, Brightarm Orchestra Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. Oct 2

    What if Elizabeth I had married? | Almost History

    In this episode of Almost History, All About History Editor Jonathan Gordon discusses the suitors and love interests of Elizabeth I with Sophie Shorland, author of All the Queen's Men: The Competition to Marry Elizabeth I. Who were the most likely candidates and what would it have meant for the Virgin Queen to pick a husband? Sophie reveals why Ivan the Terrible thought marrying Elizabeth I was a great idea, how marrying for love could have cost her the throne and why a lesser-appreciated Austrian archduke might have been the one that got away. Almost History, the 'What If' podcast from All About History is a speculative history show that explores the possibilities of the past, taking key moments from years gone by and turning them on their heads. Regular readers of All About History magazine will be familiar with our recurring What If feature where we discuss alternate histories with experts. We find a key moment from the past and we chat about how that could have turned out differently. We've been having these conversations with experts for many years and we wanted to bring them to you directly, so you can hear them for yourself. To read more from All About History magazine, visit HistoryAnswers.co.uk Music: Midnight Dancers, Brightarm Orchestra Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. Sep 25

    What if Tutankhamun's tomb had not been discovered? | Almost History

    In this episode of Almost History, the 'What If' podcast, All About History Staff Writer Emily Staniforth speaks with Christina Riggs, Professor (History of Visual Culture) in the Department of History at Durham University, and author of Treasured: How Tutankhamun Shaped a Century. Prof. Riggs discusses how the discovery of the young pharaoh's tomb in 1922 impacted the field of Egyptology, as well as what it unveiled about the rites and burial practises of Ancient Egypt. She also suggests ways in which our understanding of the period might have been radically different, if Tutankhamun's had not been found. Almost History, the 'What If' podcast from All About History is a speculative history show that explores the possibilities of the past, taking key moments from years gone by and turning them on their heads. Regular readers of All About History magazine will be familiar with our recurring What If feature where we discuss alternate histories with experts. We find a key moment from the past and we chat about how that could have turned out differently. We've been having these conversations with experts for many years and we wanted to bring them to you directly, so you can hear them for yourself. To read more from All About History magazine, visit HistoryAnswers.co.uk Music: Midnight Dancers, Brightarm Orchestra Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. Sep 18

    What if Spartacus defeated Rome? | Almost History

    In this episode of Almost History, kicking off Season 2 of the 'What If' podcast, All About History Features Editor Callum McKelvie speaks with Dr Emma Southon, author of Servus: How Slavery Made the Roman Empire. She's an ancient Roman history expert with several books on life both at the top and bottom of Roman society. Dr Southon offers her expertise in unpicking the Spartacus revolt, why Roman society was so threatened by his rebellion and where it might have succeeded. Could his band of gladiator-trained fighters have really overcome the might of the empire? Almost History, the 'What If' podcast from All About History is a speculative history show that explores the possibilities of the past, taking key moments from years gone by and turning them on their heads. Regular readers of All About History magazine will be familiar with our recurring What If feature where we discuss alternate histories with experts. We find a key moment from the past and we chat about how that could have turned out differently. We've been having these conversations with experts for many years and we wanted to bring them to you directly, so you can hear them for yourself. To read more from All About History magazine, visit HistoryAnswers.co.uk Music: Midnight Dancers, Brightarm Orchestra Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  6. Sep 4

    Bonus episode: The Odyssey | Almost History

    In this special bonus episode of Almost History, All About History team members Jonathan Gordon, Emily Staniforth and Callum McKelvie critique the historical accuracy of The Odyssey (2026), directed by Christopher Nolan. In a change to the usual format of the show, the Almost History panel analyse this adaptation of Homer's epic poem, what the film gets wrong, what it gets right and its historically interesting additions. Drawing on expert insight from recent All About History contributors, the team offers an objective analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of this new epic action movie. Almost History, the 'What If' podcast from All About History is a speculative history show that explores the possibilities of the past, taking key moments from years gone by and turning them on their heads. Regular readers of All About History magazine will be familiar with our recurring What If feature where we discuss alternate histories with experts. We find a key moment from the past and we chat about how that could have turned out differently. We've been having these conversations with experts for many years and we wanted to bring them to you directly, so you can hear them for yourself. To read more from All About History magazine, visit HistoryAnswers.co.uk Music: Midnight Dancers, Brightarm Orchestra Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  7. Jun 11

    What if the Bolshevik Revolution failed? | Almost History

    In this episode of Almost History, All About History Editor Jon Gordon spoke with Professor Jonathan Daly of University of Illinois, Chicago. He specialises in Russian, European, and world history, and is the author of several books including Seven Myths of the Russian Revolution (Hackett Publishing Company, 2023) which he co-authored with his former Ph.D. student, Leonid Trofimov. Prof. Daly discusses how the Bolshevik party rose to power, the challenges Vladimir Lenin and his comrades faced, and the critical turning points that could have resulted in a much altered timeline. Almost History, the 'What If' podcast from All About History is a speculative history show that explores the possibilities of the past, taking key moments from years gone by and turning them on their heads. Regular readers of All About History magazine will be familiar with our recurring What If feature where we discuss alternate histories with experts. We find a key moment from the past and we chat about how that could have turned out differently. We've been having these conversations with experts for many years and we wanted to bring them to you directly, so you can hear them for yourself. To read more from All About History magazine, visit HistoryAnswers.co.uk Music: Midnight Dancers, Brightarm Orchestra Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  8. May 28

    What if the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb in Korea? | Almost History

    In this episode of Almost History, History of War Staff Writer Louis Hardiman spoke with Alex Wellerstein, professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, and visiting researcher at the Nuclear Knowledges program at the Center for International Studies at Sciences Po in Paris, France. They discuss the potentially catastrophic fallout if the U.S. military had decided to use an atomic bomb during the Korean War (1950-53). Professor Wellerstein details how such an attack might have impacted the battlefield tactically in the short term, but how it might have changed the nature of warfare forever. Almost History, the 'What If' podcast from All About History is a speculative history show that explores the possibilities of the past, taking key moments from years gone by and turning them on their heads. Regular readers of All About History magazine will be familiar with our recurring What If feature where we discuss alternate histories with experts. We find a key moment from the past and we chat about how that could have turned out differently. We've been having these conversations with experts for many years and we wanted to bring them to you directly, so you can hear them for yourself. To read more from History of War magazine, follow on Apple News+, or pick up the magazine in all good stores. Music: Midnight Dancers, Brightarm Orchestra Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Almost History: The 'What If' Podcast from All About History is a speculative history show that explores the possibilities of the past, taking key moments from years gone by and turning them on their heads. Regular readers of All About History magazine will be familiar with our recurring What If feature where we discuss alternate histories with experts. We find a key moment from the past and we chat about how that could have turned out differently. We've been having these conversations with experts for many years and we wanted to bring them to you directly, so you can hear them for yourself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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