Short History Of...

⁠A Short History of Ancient Rome⁠ - the debut book from the Noiser Network is out now! Discover the epic rise and fall of Rome like never before. Pick up your copy now at your local bookstore or visit ⁠⁠noiser.com/books⁠⁠ to learn more.

Nikola Tesla, the visionary inventor, helped shape the modern world. Hailing from what is now Croatia, he arrived in America with just four cents in his pocket and a head full of inventions. Within a few short years, he revolutionised the burgeoning industry of electricity. As well as induction motors that run our appliances and factories to this day, Telsa also invented robots and remote control, developed foundation technology for radio, and dreamed up plans for cell phones, the Internet, death ray weapons, and electric cars. He was also a charismatic showman who drew crowds but couldn’t bear to touch people. A workaholic who made vast sums and lost them.

        

But what drew this young man from central Europe to physics? What was his path from would-be priest to trailblazing inventor? And as a key figure in the engineering revolution that brought electricity into almost every aspect of modern life, why has he been largely overlooked by history?

This is a Short History Of Nikola Tesla.

A Noiser podcast production. Hosted by John Hopkins. With thanks to Richard Munson, author of Tesla: Inventor of the Modern

Written by Nicola Rayner | Produced by Kate Simants | Production Assistant: Chris McDonald | Exec produced by Katrina Hughes | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design by Oliver Sanders | Assembly edit by Anisha Deva | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cody Reynolds-Shaw | Fact Check: Sean Coleman

Get every episode of Short History Of… a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows across the Noiser podcast network. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed to get started. Or go to noiser.com/subscriptions
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This episode will be available to listen to for free on 12th January, 2026. You can listen to it right away by subscribing to Noiser Plus. Head to www.noiser.com/subscriptions for more information.

⁠A Short History of Ancient Rome⁠ - the debut book from the Noiser Network is out now! Discover the epic rise and fall of Rome like never before. Pick up your copy now at your local bookstore or visit ⁠⁠noiser.com/books⁠⁠ to learn more.

During a career spanning half a century, David Bowie constantly reinvented his image and sound, creating the diverse body of work that made him a titan in the history of modern music. From the androgynous alien energy of Ziggy Stardust to the suave, enigmatic Thin White Duke, Bowie’s artistic restlessness became his trademark. Few artists have shaped popular culture with such imagination and fearlessness.

 

So how did a suburban boy transform himself into a rock superstar? What fuelled his boundless creativity? And how did he change pop music forever?

This is a Short History Of David Bowie.

A Noiser podcast production. Hosted by John Hopkins. With thanks to Chris O'Leary, author of two books on the songs of David Bowie, Rebel Rebel and Ashes to Ashes.

Written by Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow | Produced by Kate Simants | Production Assistant: Chris McDonald | Exec produced by Katrina Hughes | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design by Oliver Sanders | Assembly edit by Anisha Deva | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cody Reynolds-Shaw | Fact Check: Sean Coleman
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Short History of Ancient Rome⁠ - the debut book from the Noiser Network is out now! Discover the epic rise and fall of Rome like never before. Pick up your copy now at your local bookstore or visit ⁠⁠noiser.com/books⁠⁠ to learn more.

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson negotiated the purchase of 820,000 square miles of land from Napoleon, including the modern states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri and Colorado, among many others. At the stroke of a pen, the nation almost doubled in size. But the purchase of Louisiana was only the beginning. Immediately, the American government was forced to reckon with a series of difficult questions – not least about how to incorporate this enormous, multi-ethnic territory into the United States, and what to do about the Indigenous population who had inhabited the Territory for millennia.

 

But why did Napoleon agree to sell Louisiana in the first place? How did this territory, and its inhabitants, become part of the fledgling United States? And what impact did these monumental events have on the course of American history?

This is a Short History Of the Louisiana Purchase.

A Noiser podcast production. Hosted by John Hopkins. With thanks to Peter Kastor, Professor of History at Washington University in St. Louis, and lead researcher on the Creating a Federal Government project, a digital project reconstructing the careers of America's early federal employees.

Written by Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow | Produced by Kate Simants | Production Assistant: Chris McDonald | Exec produced by Katrina Hughes | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design by Oliver Sanders | Assembly edit by Anisha Deva | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cody Reynolds-Shaw | Fact Check: Sean Coleman

Get every episode of Short History Of… a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows across the Noiser podcast network. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed to get started. Or go to noiser.com/subscriptions
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Short History Of... is taking a short break over the Christmas period. New episodes will continue from the 29th of December. Until then, we hope you enjoy this repeat episode! Happy Christmas from the Short History Of... team. 

Standing over 29,000ft above sea level, the peak of Everest is the highest
point on the planet. To the sherpa people of the Himalayas it is sacred,
and to foreign adventurers, it is the holy grail of climbing. But what
did it take to reach the summit? Was it expertise and endurance - or
simply better equipment? What was sacrificed to plant a flag on top of
the world?

This is a Short History Of... the Conquest of Everest.

Written by Jo Furniss. With thanks to Mick Conefrey, documentary maker and author of Everest, 1922.

Get every episode of Short History Of… a week early with Noiser+. You’ll
also get ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows
across the Noiser podcast network. Click the subscription banner at the
top of the feed to get started. Or go to noiser.com/subscriptions
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Short History Of... is taking a short break over the Christmas period. New
episodes will continue from the 5th of January. Until then, we hope you
enjoy this repeat episode! Happy Christmas from the Short History Of...
team. 

The British Crown Jewels is a priceless collection of items gathered over
eight turbulent centuries. Consisting of 100 objects decorated with
23,000 gemstones, it’s held at the Tower of London, protected by guards
and high-tech security. But why did one thief put the crown jewels down
his trousers? Which king managed to lose his own crown? And why is one
diamond so controversial that it is not invited to the coronation of
King Charles III?

This is a Short History Of... The Crown Jewels.

Written by Jo Furniss. With thanks to Anna Keay, author and former curator at the Tower of London.

Get every episode of Short History Of… a week early with Noiser+. You’ll
also get ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows
across the Noiser podcast network. Click the subscription banner at the
top of the feed to get started. Or go to noiser.com/subscriptions
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices