Alexander: God, King, Man with Edmund Richardson

Alexander: God, King, Man with Edmund Richardson

He remains one of history's most scrutinised figures, but Alexander the Great's victories were far from inevitable. Recent discoveries are beginning to reshape our understanding of his life and legacy, and the immense personal burden of becoming simultaneously Macedonian king, Egyptian pharaoh, Persian Great King and a living god. With Zeb Baker-Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://aspectsofhistory.com/authors/zeb-baker-smith/], Editor of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aspects of History [https://aspectsofhistory.com/], on the podcast this week is Edmund Richardson [https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/edmund-richardson/], historian and classicist, whose book, ⁠Alexander: God, King, Man⁠ [https://amzn.to/4v1IvAK], re-examines its title character through newly translated sources, groundbreaking archaeology and a wealth of evidence to reveal a conqueror far more uncertain, contradictory and human than legend would suggest. Episode Links Alexander: God, King, Man [https://amzn.to/4v1IvAK] Edmund Richardson Links Edmund ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/edmund-richardson/] Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://aspectsofhistory.com/] AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://x.com/AspectsHistory]⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://substack.com/@zebbakersmith] Zeb Links Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://x.com/aohistoryeditor] Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠ [https://substack.com/@zebbakersmith] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Conquest: A History of Roman Britain with Ferdinand Addis

Roman Britain might appear a staid topic at first glance, one littered with the usual headliners and the iconic events, Julius Caesar's brief expeditions, Claudius' conquest, Boudicca's revolt and Agricola's northern campaigns. But, dig deeper, the narrative is not quite how it seems, especially in light of archaeological discoveries, the continued challenges of interpreting an ancient past, and the shifting ways generations of Britons have come to understand the Roman occupation. This week on the podcast, Zeb Baker-Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://aspectsofhistory.com/authors/zeb-baker-smith/], Editor of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://aspectsofhistory.com/], is joined by historian and author Ferdinand Addis [https://ferdinandaddis.com/#about] to discuss his new book, ⁠Conquest: A History of Roman Britain⁠ [https://amzn.to/4uMUB0B]. The conversation ranges from Iron Age hill forts and ancient DNA to imperial ideology, national identity. He also discusses his approach to writing history, the importance of landscape and place, and why the Roman conquest remains one of the defining encounters in British history. Episode Links Conquest: A History of Roman Britain [https://amzn.to/4uMUB0B] Ferdinand Addis Links Ferdinand ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://ferdinandaddis.com/#about] Ferdinand on ⁠Twitter/X⁠ [https://x.com/ferdieaddis] Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://aspectsofhistory.com/] AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://x.com/AspectsHistory]⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://substack.com/@zebbakersmith] Zeb Links Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://x.com/aohistoryeditor] Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠ [https://substack.com/@zebbakersmith] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Summer Reads 2026

This week, it's a special episode as three of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://aspectsofhistory.com/] gang – Antonia Senior⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/Tonisenior], Richard Foreman⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/RForemanAuthor] and Jane Thynne [https://x.com/janethynne?lang=en] – join Zeb Baker-Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://aspectsofhistory.com/authors/zeb-baker-smith/] in person to talk through their recommendations for your holiday reading list. Plenty of picks, with links below, to accompany you in your hand luggage this summer! Books The August Coup: The Destruction of the Soviet Union and the Making of New Russia, 1985-1991 [https://amzn.to/4aHlxaS], by Robert Service [https://amzn.to/4oFg5uN] Stalin’s Apostles: The Cambridge Five and the Making of the Soviet Empire [https://amzn.to/4fX8G8a], by Antonia Senior [https://amzn.to/4vZBEbY] The Writers' Castle: Reporting History at Nuremberg [https://amzn.to/4oAjUS0], by Uwe Neumahr [https://amzn.to/4uL5jVm] Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches [https://amzn.to/4eExM9n], by Tony Shaw [https://amzn.to/4vliPQx] and Alan McDougall [https://amzn.to/4uLdNfi] White River Crossing [https://amzn.to/3SC1pRg], by Ian McGuire [https://amzn.to/4enB4PC] The Black Death: A Global History [https://amzn.to/4oJJg06], by Thomas Asbridge [https://amzn.to/43LS388] Nonesuch [https://amzn.to/4uNhK34], by Francis Spufford [https://amzn.to/4a9WPQh] Conquest: A History of Roman Britain [https://amzn.to/4abgDmr], by Ferdinand Addis [https://amzn.to/3QVt3Iu] https://amzn.to/4abgDmr Guests ⁠⁠Antonia Senior - Author and Historical Fiction Reviewer for The Times⁠ [https://twitter.com/Tonisenior] ⁠⁠Richard Foreman - Author and Publisher⁠ [https://twitter.com/RForemanAuthor] Jane Thynne - Author [https://x.com/janethynne?lang=en] Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://aspectsofhistory.com/] AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://x.com/AspectsHistory]⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://substack.com/@zebbakersmith] Zeb Links Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://x.com/aohistoryeditor] Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠ [https://substack.com/@zebbakersmith] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Relative Failures with Matthew Sturgis

What if you had a sibling as brilliant as Oscar Wilde…?  This week’s episode offers a vivid window through which to view the artistic, literary and theatrical world of late Victorian London, a period of remarkable creativity, dramatic falls and cultural change. But, instead of viewing this fin de siècle moment through the brightest lights, why should we not focus on the forgotten characters? Joining ⁠Zeb Baker-Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://aspectsofhistory.com/authors/zeb-baker-smith/], Editor of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://aspectsofhistory.com/], on the podcast is acclaimed biographer Matthew Sturgis [https://georginacapel.com/authors/matthew-sturgis] to discuss Relative Failures [https://amzn.to/4ulAmXP], his exploration of three overlooked figures who lived in the shadow of their more famous siblings: Willie Wilde, brother of Oscar Wilde; Mabel Beardsley, sister of Aubrey Beardsley; and Howard Sturgis, younger brother of the novelist Julian Sturgis. Episode Links Relative Failures: The Lives of Willie Wilde, Mabel Beardsley and Howard Sturgis [https://amzn.to/4ulAmXP] Matthew Sturgis Links Matthew ⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://georginacapel.com/authors/matthew-sturgis] Matthew on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/oscarwildelife/] Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://aspectsofhistory.com/] AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://x.com/AspectsHistory]⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://substack.com/@zebbakersmith] Zeb Links Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://x.com/aohistoryeditor] Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠ [https://substack.com/@zebbakersmith] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe with Katja Hoyer

The Weimar Republic, synonymous with German culture, idealism, and artistic brilliance, has become a common trope in the 21st century, as everyday politics becomes more polarised across Europe. Is Germany’s journey from fragile optimism to fascist collapse a warning we ought to be heeding today? Joining Phil Craig [https://aspectsofhistory.com/authors/phil-craig/] on the ⁠⁠Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://aspectsofhistory.com/] podcast is historian Katja Hoyer [https://www.katjahoyer.online/], whose latest title, Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe [https://amzn.to/4nBCeJW], offers an astute depiction of that period between 1919 and 1939 through the perspective of the small town and its residents. She explains the optimism of post-war democracy and the trajectory to economic despair, political radicalisation, and life lived in the shadow of Buchenwald concentration camp, all the while keeping an eye on the uncomfortable moral ambiguities that would come to shape daily life under Nazism. Episode Links Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe [https://amzn.to/4nBCeJW] Katja Hoyer Links Katja online [https://www.katjahoyer.online/] Katja on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://x.com/hoyer_kat] Katja on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack [https://www.katjahoyer.uk/] Phil Links Phil on ⁠⁠The Scandal Mongers [https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-scandal-mongers-podcast/id1653614176] Phil on ⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠ [https://x.com/philmcraig] Phil on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/craig_phil] Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://aspectsofhistory.com/] AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://x.com/AspectsHistory]⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://substack.com/@zebbakersmith] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]