x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

pplpod

pplpod is a podcast about people, places and lots of other stuff. Each episode takes a deep dive into the lives, choices, and legacies of fascinating figures from history, culture, music, and beyond. From icons who shaped entire generations to hidden stories that deserve the spotlight, pplpod brings you closer to the people behind the headlines and the legends.Thoughtful, engaging, and story-driven, pplpod explores what makes these lives extraordinary—and what we can learn from them today.

history music history

All Episodes

31:34

From World Cup Captain to Prisoner No. 804: The Rise...

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

In this episode of pplpod, we dive into the extraordinary and turbulent life of Imran Khan, a man whose journey has taken him from the cricket pitch to the Prime Minister’s office, and ultimately to a high-security prison cell. We explore his early years as an Oxford-educated "playboy" active in London's nightlife and his legendary status as the captain who led Pakistan to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup,,.We trace his transformation into a philanthropist who founded the Shaukat Khanum

en

25:52

King Faisal: The Modernizer Who Weaponized Oil

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

In 1975, the King of Saudi Arabia was assassinated at point-blank range by his own nephew. In this episode of pplpod, we examine the life of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the leader who transformed a desert kingdom into a global economic superpower.We trace Faisal's journey from a teenage diplomat representing his father in London in 1919 to his decades-long service as foreign minister,. We dive into the dramatic royal family power struggle that led Faisal to depose his half-brother, King Saud,

en

33:24

The Desert King: Ibn Saud and the Birth of Saudi Arabia

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

On this episode of pplpod, we explore the dramatic rise of Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud—known to the world as Ibn Saud—the tribal leader who founded the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Join us as we cover:• The Exile’s Return: How Ibn Saud launched his conquest in 1902 by scaling the walls of Riyadh with just 40 men and tilted palm trees to reclaim his family’s ancestral home.• Consolidating Power: The decades-long campaign to unify the Nejd and Hejaz, from defeating the rival Rashidi dynasty

en

28:00

Lawrence of Arabia: The Archaeologist, The Warlord,...

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

This week on pplpod, we explore the enigmatic life of Thomas Edward Lawrence, the Oxford-educated archaeologist who became the legendary "Lawrence of Arabia",. We trace his journey from his early days excavating at Carchemish and mapping the Negev desert to his pivotal role in the Arab Bureau during World War I,,.Discover how Lawrence partnered with Emir Faisal to lead the Arab Revolt, utilizing guerrilla tactics to cripple the Hejaz railway and capture the strategic port of Aqaba,,. We discuss the

en

27:41

Henry Hudson: Mutiny, Ice, and the Search for the...

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

In this episode of pplpod, we chart the course of Henry Hudson, the English navigator whose obsession with finding a shortcut to Asia redrew the maps of North America. From his voyages above the Arctic Circle to his exploration of the river that now bears his name, we examine how Hudson laid the foundation for Dutch colonization in the New York area.Join us as we break down:• The Voyages: How Hudson navigated the Half Moon and the Discovery through ice-choked waters in search of the elusive

en

26:19

James Cook: The Farm Boy Who Mapped the Pacific

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

In this episode of pplpod, we chart the life of James Cook, a man who rose from the son of a Scottish farm labourer to become the Royal Navy’s most famous explorer,. We follow his early days in the coal trade and his pivotal work mapping Newfoundland, where his skills in surveying first captured the Admiralty's attention,.Join us as we break down his three legendary voyages, from the first recorded European encounter with Australia's east coast aboard the Endeavour, to crossing the Antarctic Circle

en

30:45

Ferdinand Magellan: Mutiny, Spices, and the First...

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

In this episode of pplpod, we set sail with Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese explorer who planned the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe. We examine how a rejection by King Manuel I of Portugal led Magellan to switch allegiances and command the "Armada of Molucca" for Spain, searching for a western route to the Spice Islands,.Join us as we navigate the treacherous history of this voyage, including:The Journey into the Unknown: How the fleet survived storms, scurvy, and a violent mutiny

en

27:18

Vasco da Gama: The Ruthless Admiral Who Opened the East

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

In this episode of pplpod, we chart the violent and transformative life of Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese nobleman who discovered the first direct maritime route between Europe and India. We discuss how his initial 1497 voyage around the Cape of Good Hope opened the door to the lucrative spice trade and marked the beginning of global imperialism,.Beyond his navigational feats, we examine the brutal tactics da Gama employed to secure Portuguese dominance, including the notorious incident where he

en

31:38

Marco Polo: The Venetian Merchant in Kublai Khan’s Court

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

In this episode of pplpod, we traverse the Silk Road to explore the life of Marco Polo (c. 1254–1324), the Venetian merchant and explorer whose travels gave Europeans their first comprehensive look at the inner workings of the Far East. We discuss how a teenage Marco joined his father and uncle on an epic 24-year expedition, eventually reaching "Cathay" and the court of the Mongol ruler, Kublai Khan.Tune in to learn how Polo spent 17 years as the Khan's foreign emissary, witnessing marvels

en

28:18

Amerigo Vespucci: The Pickle Dealer Who Named the New...

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

Why do we live in the "Americas" rather than the "Columbias"? In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life of Amerigo Vespucci (1454–1512), the enigmatic Florentine explorer who recognized what Christopher Columbus did not: that the lands across the Atlantic were a distinct "New World" and not Asia,.We trace Vespucci’s journey from a well-connected business agent for the Medici family in Renaissance Florence to a merchant in Seville, where he managed the provisioning of ships for the West Indies,

en

25:38

The Mystery of John Cabot: England’s Italian Explorer

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

In this episode of pplpod, we chart the course of John Cabot (born Giovanni Caboto), the Italian navigator who—under the flag of King Henry VII—conducted the earliest known European exploration of coastal North America since the Norse. We discuss Cabot’s origins as a Venetian citizen and merchant who, after fleeing debts in Venice and attempting engineering projects in Spain, eventually secured royal letters patent in England to find a northern passage to Asia,,.Join us as we examine the famous 1497

en

29:02

Sacagawea: The Teenager Who Saved the Expedition

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

She is one of the most famous women in American history, yet everything from the spelling of her name to the date of her death remains a mystery. On this episode of pplpod, we retrace the steps of Sacagawea, the Shoshone teenager who walked thousands of miles with the Lewis and Clark Expedition with her infant son strapped to her back.Join us as we separate the Hollywood myths from the gritty reality of the Corps of Discovery. We explore how Sacagawea was not just a guide, but a diplomat whose

en

25:57

Kit Carson: The Myth, The Mountain Man, and The Long...

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

In this episode of pplpod, we traverse the complicated life of Christopher "Kit" Carson, a man who rose from an illiterate runaway apprentice to become the defining symbol of the American frontier,. We discuss his early years trapping beaver in the Rockies and how his role as a guide for John C. Frémont’s expeditions accidentally catapulted him to national fame,. You’ll hear how Carson became the unwilling hero of exaggerated dime novels, which transformed a quiet, stoop-shouldered man into a

en

28:14

Annie Oakley: The Sharpshooter Who Conquered the Wild...

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

In this episode of pplpod, we take aim at the life of Phoebe Ann Mosey, better known to history as the legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley. From her humble beginnings in an Ohio log cabin to performing for royalty as the star of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, we explore how a 5-foot-tall woman became an international icon and America's first female superstar.Tune in as we discuss:• Surviving "The Wolves": How Annie used her hunting skills to support her impoverished family and escaped an abusive foster

en

27:02

Wyatt Earp: From Peoria Pimp to Hollywood Consultant

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

Most know Wyatt Earp as the fearless lawman of the O.K. Corral, but the reality of his life was far more complex. In this episode of pplpod, we explore the 80-year saga of a man who was not only a marshal but also a horse thief, a saloon owner, and a brothel keeper,.Join us as we track Earp’s journey from his early arrests for pimping in Peoria, Illinois, to the boomtowns of Wichita and Dodge City,,. We break down the legendary 30-second gunfight in Tombstone that defined his reputation, the murder

en

27:20

Orson Welles: The Boy Wonder, The Ultimate Auteur,...

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

In this episode of pplpod, we explore the titanic life of George Orson Welles, a man voted the greatest film director ever by the British Film Institute. We trace his journey from a child prodigy in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to the "Boy Wonder" of New York theatre and radio, where his 1938 broadcast of The War of the Worlds famously panicked listeners who believed a Martian invasion was real,,.We delve into his arrival in Hollywood, where he secured an unprecedented contract with RKO that granted him

en

36:17

The Wizard of Woz: Pranks, Plane Crashes, and the...

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

In this episode of pplpod, we dive into the life of Stephen "Woz" Wozniak, the engineering genius and prankster who co-founded Apple Computer. We explore his early partnership with Steve Jobs, which began with building "blue boxes" for free long-distance calls, and how his technical innovations led to the creation of the Apple I and the mass-market success of the Apple II,.Beyond the circuit boards, we discuss Wozniak’s playful side—including the time he fooled Jobs with a brochure for a fake

en

34:18

Dennis Ritchie: The Quiet Architect of the Digital World

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

In this episode of pplpod, we profile Dennis Ritchie, the pioneering computer scientist whose passing in October 2011 was largely overshadowed by the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. We explore Ritchie's career at Bell Labs, where he created the C programming language and co-developed the Unix operating system alongside his long-time colleague, Ken Thompson,. Listen in to learn how Ritchie’s "under the radar" work provided the "DNA" for effectively every modern software product, including the

en

34:39

Frances Allen: The Math Teacher Who Became the First...

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

In this episode of pplpod, we explore the groundbreaking life of Frances "Fran" Allen, an American computer scientist who revolutionized the way software speaks to hardware. Join us as we trace her journey from growing up on a farm in Peru, New York, to becoming a titan of the tech industry.We discuss how a high school math teacher joined IBM in 1957 merely to pay off student loans, only to stay for a 45-year career that defined modern computing. Discover how Allen taught herself the brand-new

en

25:10

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto: The "People’s Leader," The...

pplpod ·

2026/02/02

In this episode of pplpod, we examine the turbulent life and legacy of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the charismatic founder of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) who served as both the fourth president and ninth prime minister of Pakistan. We trace his rise to power following the tragic 1971 civil war and the separation of East Pakistan, where he became the country’s first civilian Chief Martial Law Administrator.We explore Bhutto's major political contributions, including his role as the architect of the

en

7,536 results

Similar Podcasts

The History on Film Podcast

Ross Lennon

Today In History with The Retrospectors

The Retrospectors

The Old Front Line

Paul Reed

pplpod

pplpod

Based on a True Story

Dan LeFebvre