British History Podcast

In this episode, Amy shares her extensive knowledge of the legendary King Arthur, exploring its origins, evolution, and cultural significance across Britain and Europe. Discover how myths are shaped by history, politics, and storytelling traditions, and learn about the places and characters that bring Arthur's legend to life.

Watch this episode on Youtube - click here

Buy Amy's Brilliant book - click here

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Legend of Arthur
02:04 The Origins of Arthur in Welsh and Breton Sources
04:56 The Evolution of Arthur's Legend in Medieval Texts
09:57 The Role of Manuscripts and Art in Medieval Storytelling
14:56 The Influence of Classical Mythology on Arthurian Legends
20:12 Geographical Places and Legends of Arthur
25:12 The Political and Cultural Context of Arthur's Stories
29:50 The Characters and Lesser-Known Figures in Arthurian Tradition
34:53 Modern Reinterpretations and the Enduring Appeal of Arthur

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Hi! I'm Philippa, welcome to the British History Channel.

Thank you for listening to this episode, I hope you enjoyed it. There are many more here for you to browse through including over 60 fantastic historian interviews with people such as Tracy Borman OBE, Gareth Russell, Helen Carr and many more.

Buy books from these incredible historians, shipped worldwide from Blackwells - click here (This is an affiliate link. I get a commission on books sold via this link but they are at no extra cost to you).

Join my Patreon - click here and enjoy ad-free extended interviews with bonus content, Historical Book Club, early access to content, exclusive blogs, discounts on British History Events and more for all for £5/month.

You can also give me one off support by donating at www.buymeacoffee.com/Philippa

You can support me for free by commenting and rating this episode.

Visit British History Tours for full details of history tours and events.

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About Philippa
Philippa is a Historian and the owner of British History Tours and British History Events.

Receive weekly history news (including links to new historian interviews) from Philippa by subscribing to my Substack
I'd really appreciate your help in making this show the best it can be. I know time is precious but if you do have 10 minutes you can spare to fill out this anonymous listener survey, I'd be really grateful - http://bit.ly/britishhistorypodcast-survey

Philippa founded award-winning Historic Tour Operator British History Tours in 2014. Find out about these luxury, fully-escorted, immersive historical experiences at BritishHistoryTours.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the Gloucester History Festival, Philippa took to the stage with Andrew Ziminski, Master Mason and author of the fabulous book, 'Church Going.'

As someone who has turned her passion for travelling the historical sites of the UK into a business, a job and a hobby all combined I absolutely delight in visiting churches. They come in all shapes and sizes, ages and more often that not provide the most surprising and interesting finds.

I’m fascinated by them because they are such a tangible link to our past; our religious history of course, but also how they were used tells us something about how the community and people that used them.

I was delighted to host my own live podcast event at Gloucester History Festival on 14th September 2026.

Buy Andrew's book at Blackwells for free worldwide shipping.

Thank you for listening to this episode, I hope you enjoyed it. There are many more history videos here for you to watch including over 60 fantastic historian interviews with people such as Tracy Borman OBE, Gareth Russell, Helen Castor, Helen Carr and many more.

Join my Patreon to enjoy ad-free, extended interviews with bonus content, Historical Book Club, early access to content, exclusive blogs, discounts on British History Events and more, all for £5/month (£7.50 from 1st January 2027).

You can also give me one off support by donating at www.buymeacoffee.com/Philippa

You can support me for free by commenting on this episode and giving the podcast a 5* review.

Visit British History Tours for full details of history tours and events.
I'd really appreciate your help in making this show the best it can be. I know time is precious but if you do have 10 minutes you can spare to fill out this anonymous listener survey, I'd be really grateful - http://bit.ly/britishhistorypodcast-survey

Philippa founded award-winning Historic Tour Operator British History Tours in 2014. Find out about these luxury, fully-escorted, immersive historical experiences at BritishHistoryTours.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this interview with Dr Joanne Paul, to celebrate the paperback publication of her book 'Thomas More. A Life and Death in Tudor England', we discussed Thomas More's relationship with Erasmus, More's surprisingly scatological response to Luther, his surprising views on Henry VIII's break with Rome and More's imprisonment and execution.

There is bonus content available for this interview, at Patreon.com/@BritishHistory where you can also get the ad-free video and audio versions of this interview.

Thank you for listening to this episode, I hope you enjoyed it. There are many more historian interviews here for you to watch including over 60 fantastic historian interviews with eminent historians such as Tracy Borman OBE, Gareth Russell, Helen Castor, Helen Carr and many more.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Thomas More and his significance
03:01 Joanne Paul’s background and research journey
05:10 More's relationship with Erasmus and their intellectual bond
08:00 More's initial response to Luther and the Reformation
12:06 The scathing and scatological debate with Luther
15:01 Henry VIII's defense of the sacraments and Luther's critique
17:07 Henry VIII's break with Rome and More’s opposition
21:05 More's resignation as Lord Chancellor and his legal objections
23:54 The progression towards More’s arrest and trial
26:56 More's imprisonment, conditions, and final days
35:58 The trial, execution, and legacy of Thomas More
45:00 Joanne Paul’s research surprises and new discoveries

Join my Patreon to enjoy ad-free, extended interviews with bonus content, Historical Book Club, early access to content, exclusive blogs, discounts on British History Events and more, all for £5/month.
I'd really appreciate your help in making this show the best it can be. I know time is precious but if you do have 10 minutes you can spare to fill out this anonymous listener survey, I'd be really grateful - http://bit.ly/britishhistorypodcast-survey

Philippa founded award-winning Historic Tour Operator British History Tours in 2014. Find out about these luxury, fully-escorted, immersive historical experiences at BritishHistoryTours.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Step beyond the myth and into the murky reality of one of Britain’s most infamous figures. In this episode, Philippa is joined by Mat Braddy and Darren Rapier, co-writers of a gripping new audio production, Turpin, which re-examines the life of the legendary highwayman Dick Turpin.

Far from the romanticised rider of folklore, Turpin’s true story is darker, more complex, and rooted in the harsh realities of 18th-century England. Together, they discuss the research behind the production, the challenges of separating fact from fiction, and how audio storytelling can bring historical figures vividly—and authentically—to life.

If you think you know Dick Turpin, think again.

You can also watch this episode on Youtube - click here for youtube.com/BritishHistory

The production can be found on BigFinish.com now, and will be available on Audible and Spotify from Autumn 2026.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Dick Turpin and the episode's focus
22:49 The legend of Dick Turpin and its origins
24:53 The role of pubs and secret networks in crime
29:58 The myth-making and romanticization of Turpin
35:04 Turpin's final years and death
39:53 Legacy and how myths are constructed

Thank you for watching this episode, I hope you enjoyed it. There are many more history videos here for you to watch including over 60 fantastic historian interviews with people such as Tracy Borman OBE, Gareth Russell, Helen Castor, Helen Carr and many more.

Join my Patreon to enjoy ad-free, extended interviews with bonus content, Historical Book Club, early access to content, exclusive blogs, discounts on British History Events and more, all for £5/month.
I'd really appreciate your help in making this show the best it can be. I know time is precious but if you do have 10 minutes you can spare to fill out this anonymous listener survey, I'd be really grateful - http://bit.ly/britishhistorypodcast-survey

Philippa founded award-winning Historic Tour Operator British History Tours in 2014. Find out about these luxury, fully-escorted, immersive historical experiences at BritishHistoryTours.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 1381 Peasant's Revolt has gone down in history as the first popular uprising in England, a violent reaction to a new tax, but that is no where near the full story.
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Historian, author and presenter Matt Lewis (History Hit, the Gone Medieval podcast) joined me at Warwick Words history Festival ahead of his talk about this pivotal moment in history.
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The website Matt mentioned is https://www.1381.online
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Hi! I'm Philippa, welcome to the British History Channel.

Thank you for listening to this episode, I hope you enjoyed it. There are many more here for you to browse through including over 60 fantastic historian interviews with people such as Tracy Borman OBE, Gareth Russell, Helen Carr and many more.

Buy books from these incredible historians, shipped worldwide from Blackwells - click here (This is an affiliate link. I get a commission on books sold via this link but they are at no extra cost to you).

Join my Patreon - click here and enjoy ad-free extended interviews with bonus content, Historical Book Club, early access to content, exclusive blogs, discounts on British History Events and more for all for £5/month.

You can also give me one off support by donating at www.buymeacoffee.com/Philippa

You can support me for free by commenting and rating this episode.

Visit British History Tours for full details of history tours and events.

⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️
About Philippa
Philippa is a Historian and the owner of British History Tours and British History Events.

Receive weekly history news (including links to new historian interviews) from Philippa by subscribing to my Substack
I'd really appreciate your help in making this show the best it can be. I know time is precious but if you do have 10 minutes you can spare to fill out this anonymous listener survey, I'd be really grateful - http://bit.ly/britishhistorypodcast-survey

Philippa founded award-winning Historic Tour Operator British History Tours in 2014. Find out about these luxury, fully-escorted, immersive historical experiences at BritishHistoryTours.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.