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PODCAST

Willy Willy Harry Stee...

Charlie Higson"s History of the Monarchy. In each new weekly episode, Charlie and his friendly experts....(ie REAL historians)...learn all about one of our Kings or Queens and ask searching questions like:Were they any good?What did they actually do?Why did so many die from an exploding stomach?It"s the story of families at war....literally! New episodes every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

history

All Episodes

52:14

Summer Book Club - The Light Ages

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/07/31

As the summer sun beats down......probably.....Charlie Higson brings you another great historical book to get your sunglasses into.The Light Ages by Seb Falk, A Medieval Journey Of Discovery.It's easy to form an impression of how backward and ignorant everybody was in the Middle Ages, BUT in his book, Seb explores the time through the life of an extraordinary monk, John of Westwick and he uncovers an age when people were eager to learn about the workings of the world and indeed of the stars in the

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44:53

Summer Book Club - The Beatles - With a Little Help...

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/07/24

In this episode ofCharlie Higson's Summer Reading History Book Club,we're edging away from the Fourteenth Century and the Wars of The Roses. Well, when I say edging, I mean hurtling, as we reach the 20th, and indeed the 21st Century, to a group of young men whose impact on culture and society, fashion and of course music is pretty hard to overstate.In Stuart Maconie’s new book,With A Little Help from Their Friends: The Beatles Changed the World, but Who Changed Theirs?,Stuart discusses some of the

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41:58

Summer Book Club - Sceptred Isle

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/07/17

How's the summer reading going? Well, today's episode of The Willy Willy Harry Stee Summer Reading History Book Club features a book that will grip you from start to finish, one definitely worth adding to your suitcase.The book is Sceptred Isle and the author chatting to Charlie Higsonis Helen Carr who's been a guest on the show a few times.Helen's big interest is the Middle Ages and her book is A New History of the Fourteenth Century, an extraordinary time with some extraordinary characters right

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53:09

Summer Book Club - The 'Brief History' series

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/07/10

In this episode ofThe Summer History Reading Book Club, Charlie Higsonis talking toTom Phillips, author of a series of very funny books known as the ‘Brief History’ series.These books includeHumans - A Brief History of How We Fucked It All Upwhich was published in 2018. He followed this up withTruth - A Brief History of Total Bullshit,in 2019 – and thenConspiracy - A History of Bullshit Theories and How Not To Fall For Them, published in 2022 and as his most recent book isA Brief History of the End

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37:20

Summer Book Club - The Sun Rising

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/07/03

Yes, Summer is here and for many, that means a break and the chance to dig into a good book.In this special set of episodes, to run through July and August, Charlie Higson delves headfirst into some of the current crop of history books and invites the authors onto the podcast.In 1603 England was on the edge of crisis. Queen Elizabeth I had died, bringing the Tudor line to an end.Enter King James, who reached London after an unprecedented procession from Scotland. James established a new dynasty on

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1:09:50

Gilles de Rais

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/06/26

In this episode, Charlie Higson digs into the dark world of a man sometimes called the first serial killer.Gilles de Rais was accused of, and eventually confessed to some awful, depraved crimes, and this was a man who was a companion in arms of Joan of Arc!At his trial, he was hanged for the murder of 140 children, both young men and women, killed for sexual pleasure and to help him in satanic rituals. So did he do it? There were confessions, many of which you can read even today, full of disturbing

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50:54

Margaret Beaufort

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/06/19

In this episode, Charlie Higson shines a light on the life of Margaret Beaufort, a really extraordinary woman who was a major figure in the Wars Of The Rosesof the late 15th century, and mother ofHenry VII the firstTudor monarch.But she was so much more than that, and became instrumental in orchestrating the rise to power of the Tudor dynasty. To help Charlie tell her incredible story, he welcomes Amy Licence back to the podcast. Amyhas written extensively about this period, including the book

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54:13

Jasper Tudor - The Good Duke

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/06/12

In this brand-new episode of Willy Willy Harry Stee Charlie Higson is looking at Jasper Tudor.Although he's a name that doesn't spring to many people's lips in everyday conversation, he is a fascinating and important character, describing himself as brother and uncle of kings, his nephew being Henry VII, father of the most infamous Tudor of them all, Henry VIII.To help Charlie unwrap Jasper's life and influence, Charlie welcomes Nathan Amin back to the podcast, author of Son of Prophecy, the Rise of

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59:20

George, Drowned in Wine

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/06/05

In this episode, Charlie Higson is heading into the barrel. No, not to scrape the bottom of it, but to talk about George Duke of Clarence. If you know anything about him, the one fact is probably that he was famously drowned on the orders of his own brother in a barrel of Malmsy wine. But why? Well that is the question Charlie is going to be answering in this episode and to help him, he welcomes back Matt Lewis, presenter and writer for the History Hit channel. Matt is fascinated by the medieval

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56:32

Cecily Neville

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/05/29

In this episode, Charlie Higson delves into the life of a fascinating woman, Cecily Neville, daughter of Ralph Neville, wife of Richard, Duke Of York.As a Neville, she was a member of one of the most powerful families in the Kingdom and she had an extraordinary life. The youngest of her father's 22 children, she went on to have 12 children of her own, two of whom became King of England.Helping us understand Cecily's place in The Wars Of The Roses, Charlie welcomes back Lacey Bonar Hull. Doctor of

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54:16

Margaret Of Anjou

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/05/22

As Charlie Higson continues his canter through history, he lands on Margaret Of Anjou, the powerful French woman who fought so hard for her husband, Henry VI when his rule was challenged in the Wars of the roses, and was called by Shakespeare "The She Wolf of France",in Henry VI part III. As ever though, historical research tells a different story of a woman who was a better leader than many of her male contemporaries, as explained in this episode by Amy Licence, author of Henry VI and Margaret of

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54:28

William Caxton

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/05/15

Whan that aprill with his shoures sooteThe droghte of march hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veyne in swich licourOf which vertu engendred is the flour;These lines, although difficult to understand, are from a key work in English literature. They have endured today, in part, thanks to a man called William Caxton, who chose a book called 'The Canterbury Tales' as the first book to be printed in England. In this episode,Charlie Higsonlooks at the life and work of William Caxton - the founder

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46:31

Mayflower Monarchists

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/05/08

In this brand new episode of Willy Willy Harry Stee, Charlie Higson takes in the historical view from across the pond. What do Americans think of English history and how much do they know about it?Are they really obsessed with the Royal Family? And Henry VIII? is the UK's thirst for history echoed over the Atlantic?To help Charlie get some insight into the American historical mindset, he's joined by Lacey Bonar Hull, Doctor of Medieval & Tudor History, based in Ohio but educating people right

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50:03

John of Lancaster

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/05/01

Henry V wasn't on the throne that long, BUT his big military gains in the Hundred Years War against France helped England position itself as one of the strongest military powers in Europe.So why would we be interested in his little brother, John?Well, quite simply, Henry V couldn't have achieved all he did without him! Supremely loyal, a great administrator and soldier, Henry relied heavily on his bro, John of Lancaster, Duke Of Bedford.To help Charlie Higson understand more about this man of many

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33:04

Saint Scholastica’s Day Riots

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/04/24

When you think of Oxford University, what springs to mind. A serious yet peaceful seat of learning, full of people in robes with nothing more on their minds than the study of Latin or Theology.Certainly not a place of murder, of people being thrown into wells or drowned in privies!??!?Well, that’s just what Charlie Higson thought of it too, until that is, he studied the life of John Wycliffe in a previous episode, because that’s when he discovered the Saint Scholastica’s Day Riots.On the 10th

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16:35

The Shameless Plug!

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/04/17

Happy Easter!Right, that's enough of that, it's time to think about Christmas. It's a tricky time of year, knowing what to buy for friends and family. BUT, Good News, Charlie Higson has solved all your problems by writing Willy Willy Harry Stee - An Epically Short History Of Our Kings & QueensYes, it's the book of the podcast and even better, you can pre-order your copy by clicking the link below!In this special Easter episode, Charlie explains how a lockdown brain exercise became a hit podcast

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1:01:05

The Legacy Of Edward III

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/04/10

We're still in the 14th century and in this episode, Charlie Higson is looking at the confusion that ensued after Edward III basically had too many sons. His success in the bedroom created a tangled web of family intrigue, thwarted ambition and bitter rivalry that led to Richard II's cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, kicking him off the throne and taking over.Assisting Charlie through this quagmire of power and revenge is Helen Castor, author of The Eagle & The Hart : The Tragedy Of Richard II and

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1:02:01

John Wycliffe

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/04/03

As Charlie Higson guides us through some of the fascinating folk who litter English history, he lands upon John Wycliffe, an academic, a philosopher, a priest, a preacher and a religious reformer who lived during the reigns of Edward III and Richard II.A passionate reformer, he was behind the first translation of the bible to into English – creating the so called Wycliffe bible - one that didn't require a knowledge of Latin to read and understand. In fact, you could even argue that Wycliffe’s ideas

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1:16:55

Geoffrey Chaucer

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/03/28

As he continues his romp through English history, in this episode Charlie Higson looks at the life and work of Geoffrey Chaucer.A key figure in English social history and the history of English writing, Chaucer's greatest work is The Canterbury Tales, considered to be one of the pillars of English literature.Charlie and his guest help us understand.......in some cases literally....Chaucer's work and life, and that guest is Marion Turner - J.R.R. Tolkien Professor of English Literature and Language

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1:08:49

Early English Music

Willy Willy Harry Stee... ·

2025/03/21

In this episode, Charlie Higson looks at the development of English music - what we know about its early history and the way the sound and styles developed from the kind of monastic chanting in unison you get in Monty Python through the introduction of polyphony and harmony, to the wonders of Thomas Tallis, the first great English composerAssisting Charlie on his musical odyssey is Robert Hollingworth, conductor, composer, broadcaster and leader of musical group I Fagiolini who uses music to

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181 results

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