The British History Podcast

We answer SO many questions. So… so many questions. The post 500 – 500th Episode AMA Extravaganza first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Much respect to u/AnnieCamOG for coming up with this title. The post Project 1095 first appeared on The British History Podcast.

We did it, it’s the year  1100…which means it’s time for us to take a moment and  place our story in the broader context of global human history.  Now, as always, this won’t be exhaustive… nor ultra detailed. Our only intent is to break the  myopia that’s inherent in any history podcast and give you […] The post 488 – The Year 1100 first appeared on The British History Podcast.

It turns out hustle culture is nothing new.

Everyone in England was angry with Rufus. He was fining, taxing, and now torturing his way through the country. And Rufus was mad at everyone in England. Which was why he was fining, taxing, and torturing his way through the country.

The last two episodes have been focused on how King William Rufus handled the aftermath of the rebellion, and the political moves being made.  But Rufus didn’t exist in a vacuum… and across the Channel, his brothers were also making moves.

Word of Rufus’ army, and the destruction of the rebel forces at Tunbridge, had no doubt reached Pevensey and its commander, Robert of Mortain… and I think it’s highly likely that the messengers also reported that the King’s army had turned north, towards Rochester. Bishop Odo’s stronghold.

There was no getting around it. William had been humiliated. The Duke of Normandy and King of England had spent years mocking his son. He’d even recruited the upper crust of Norman society into using the cruel nickname “short pants” to describe Robert. When his son had rebelled, William doubled down on the disrespect, and started calling him Robin (a diminutive comment that was also a clear reference to both Robert’s size and belly). It was cruel, but also a pretty sick burn.

This is a story of palace intrigue, murder, and atypical alopecia… and it all begins where these things usually do… with a real estate transaction.

Battles don’t appear out of thin air, not even in honor cultures. There’s a reason, a context, that develops long before soldiers or warriors enter a field prepared to do violence. And the Battle of Maldon comes with a lot of context. We left off in 988… and on that year, Archbishop Dunstan, who had […] The post 319 – The Battle of Maldon first appeared on The British History Podcast.