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Half-Arsed History

Riley Knight

Half-Arsed History's second book, The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, is out now! Buy your copy: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/bkq2G9


Welcome along to Half-Arsed History! It's a weekly podcast highlighting absurd and entertaining stories from history. Twice a week, it helps host Riley Knight feel as though his useless history degree has some kind of real-world relevance.


Get in touch: halfarsedhistory@gmail.com

Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/halfarsedhistory

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/halfarsedhistory

Buy Half-Arsed History merch: https://halfarsedhistory.theprintbar.com


If you've just discovered the show and aren't sure which of the 400+ episodes to start with, here are some suggestions:

Episode 139: The History of the Toilet - https://sptfy.com/PK3J • https://apple.co/3Giftt3

Episode 75: The Great Emu War - https://sptfy.com/PK3K • https://apple.co/4jKCvr7

Episode 197: The History of Nuclear Weapons - https://sptfy.com/PK3L • https://apple.co/4jygYlc

Episode 233: The 1930 FIFA World Cup - https://sptfy.com/PK3M • https://apple.co/4iltL9P

Episode 106: The First Circumnavigation - https://sptfy.com/PK3N • https://apple.co/4jewsLj


No AI is knowingly used in the creation of this podcast.


Half-Arsed History acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the unceded Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) Land on which the podcast is written and recorded, and pays respect to First Nations Elders past, present, and emerging. Indigenous sovereignty was never ceded. This continent always was, and always will be, Aboriginal Land.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  • 35 episodes
  • Avg 37 min
  • English

Episodes 35

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  • #10429
    Today · 1 hr 5 min

    Episode 429: The Viking Age - Part 4: Society

    In this week's episode, explore the everyday lives of the Vikings, learning about how their society was organised, what they wore, what they ate, what they did for fun, and how their religion changed over time.

  • #50037
    September 27 · 25 min

    Week 37: The Execution of “Martin Guerre”

    This week in history we’ve got a a turning point in an ancient war, we’ve got a turning point in evolutionary biology, we’ve got a turning point in very stupid decision-making - and we’ve got an intriguing tale of fraud and deception, with a man executed

  • #10428
    September 25 · 51 min

    Episode 428: The Viking Age - Part 3: Expansion

    In this week's episode, learn all about the far-reaching regions to which the Vikings expanded, including Ireland, Iceland, Central and Eastern Europe, and beyond.

  • #50036
    September 23 · 24 min

    Week 36: The End of the Western Roman Empire

    This week in history we’ve got a battle that defined the history of ancient Rome, we’ve got a famous abolitionist breaking his chains, we’ve got the extinction of an Australian marsupial - and we’ve got the event that marked the downfall of the Western Ro

  • #10427
    September 22 · 1 hr 1 min

    Episode 427: The Viking Age - Part 2: Conquest

    In this week's episode, continue discovering the story of the Viking Age, including learning why Vikings transitioned from raiding to conquest and settlement, and the consequent establishment of the Danelaw and Normandy.

  • #50035
    September 18 · 28 min

    Week 35: The Origin of Stockholm Syndrome

    This week in history we’ve got London destroyed by a fire, we’ve got the shortest war in history, we’ve got an Olympic marathon won by a bloke in a car - and we’ve got the interesting but somewhat dubious psychological origin of the term Stockholm Syndrom

  • #10426
    September 17 · 56 min

    Episode 426: The Viking Age - Part 1: Raids

    In this week's episode, begin an exploration of the Viking Age, beginning with its origins by getting into how and why Norse raiders spread across the seas from Scandinavia, looting and pillaging as they went.

  • #50034
    September 4 · 23 min

    Week 34: Edmond Halley Observes His Comet

    This week in history we’ve got an ancient volcanic eruption, we’ve got a prime minister being devoured, we’ve got a mysterious gas cloud killing thousands - and we’ve got Edmond Halley discovering something important about the famous comet that still bear

  • #50033
    August 26 · 26 min

    Week 33: The Bermuda Gunpowder Heist

    This week in history we’ve got the birth of a great friend of the show, we’ve got a marvel of modern engineering, we’ve got armies mobilising to cut down a tree - and we’ve got an audacious heist of gunpowder which was instrumental to the American Revolut

  • #50032
    August 19 · 27 min

    Week 32: Lt. General Patton Slaps a Soldier... Again

    This week in history we’ve got the defeat of a great Spanish fleet, we’ve got the construction of a famous but slightly wobbly Italian landmark, we’ve got the infamous end of a US presidency - and we’ve got the time a US general slapped one of his soldier

  • #10423
    August 9 · 52 min

    Episode 423: The Plague of Athens

    In this week's episode, hear all about the deadly horrors of the Plague of Athens, and tackle the question - what was the plague itself, in the first place?

  • #50031
    July 29 · 24 min

    Week 31: The Hammer and Feather on the Moon

    This week in history we’ve got ancient Romans slaughtered by the thousand, we’ve got champagne not getting invented, we’ve got the disaster that was the first transatlantic telegraph cable, and we’ve got a famous physics demonstration held on the Moon.

  • #10422
    July 26 · 57 min

    Episode 422: Athens vs. Sparta - the Peloponnesian War

    In this week's episode, learn all about one of the most important and iconic conflicts from the history of Ancient Greece: the Peloponnesian War, when the rivalry between Athens and Sparta was settled once and for all.

  • July 26 · 2 min

    Apologies to Apple Podcasts Subscribers

    I can't log into my Apple Podcasts account - the 2FA code thing isn't working while I'm overseas (despite me setting it up with my overseas number before I left), so ads might be playing on what should be ad-free episodes for Apple Podcasts subscribers. I'm really, really sorry; I'm still trying to fix it, worst case scenario is I'll (hopefully) be able to back in Australia. In the meantime, please accept my very sincere apologies. The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings: AU/NZ (affiliate link): https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/bkq2G9 International: https://www.readings.com.au/product/9781761472596/the-most-interesting-people-youve-never-heard-of--riley-knight--2026--9781761472596 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • #50030
    July 25 · 27 min

    Week 30: Tobacco Comes to England

    This week in history we’ve got skulls being made into drinkware, we’ve got German nobles drowning in sewage, we’ve got the death of the last Sapa Inca, and we’ve got the official introduction of tobacco to England, thanks to the efforts of the famous Sir

Showing 1–20 of 35 episodes