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Explaining History

by Nick Shepley

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Latest episodes

The unmaking of the British working class

October 21, 2026 · 49 min

In this episode of The Explaining History Podcast, historian Ewan Gibbs joins us again to talk about his new book An Injury to All: The Unmaking of the British Working Class. We discuss the nature of class identity and allegiance in the…
Stateless Nations – Wales, Catalonia, and the Mezzogiorno

October 14, 2026 · 25 min

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by Sam Parry of Cardiff Metropolitan University to discuss the concept of stateless nations – nations that have not achieved nation-state status for complex historical…
Gentlemen Amateurs – Staffing the Secret Service in the First World War

October 7, 2026 · 29 min

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we return to Keith Jeffery's official history of MI6 to examine a question that gets to the heart of how the secret state was built: who became a spy, and why? When the First World War…
Japanese War Crimes in China 1937-45

October 6, 2026 · 28 min

China’s war against Japan was one of the largest, bloodiest and most consequential theatres of the Second World War — yet it is still too often treated as peripheral to the wider conflict. In this episode of the Explaining History podcast…
America's withdrawal from Iraq

October 1, 2026 · 30 min

In this solo episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we examine the American withdrawal from Iraq – the product of Trump's war with Iran, and a strategic defeat of historic proportions. Iraq has been enormously important to the United…

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A Way of Love – Gay Life in Post-War Britain with Peter Parker

September 30, 2026 · 38 min

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by historian Peter Parker to discuss the remarkable rediscovery of James Courage's A Way of Love – widely regarded as the first gay novel by a New Zealander – and what it…
Bombing Damascus – France, the Mandate System, and the Atrocities of 1925

September 29, 2026 · 27 min

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we return to Susan Pedersen's *The Guardians* – the definitive history of the mandate system – to examine one of its darkest chapters: the French bombing of Damascus in October 1925. The…
India, America and Nehru 1940-41

September 22, 2026 · 26 min

**In this solo episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we explore Srinath Raghavan's brilliant *India's War: The Making of Modern South Asia, 1939–1945* – a book that places India at the centre of the Second World War, rather than at…
Stalin's Statues – Monuments, Memory, and the Theme Parking of History

September 17, 2026 · 31 min

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we explore Keith Lowe's *Prisoners of History* and the contested world of memorialisation – focusing on one of the strangest and most controversial memorial sites in Europe. Monuments…
Macmillan's Britain – Suez, Decline, and the Winds of Change 1957-60

September 16, 2026 · 34 min

In this solo episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we explore the Macmillan years – that remarkable, contradictory period of post-war British history when the country was forced to confront its diminished place in the world, even as…
MI6 in 1914

September 11, 2026 · 27 min

MI6 and the First World War – The Birth of the Secret State In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we explore the origins of MI6 – the Secret Intelligence Service – during the First World War, drawing on Keith Jeffery's…
The AFD's advances– Neoliberalism, the Extreme Centre, and the Rise of the Far Right

September 9, 2026 · 28 min

In this solo episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we examine the recent electoral victory of the Alternative for Germany (AFD) in the state of Saxony-Anhalt – and what it tells us about the global resurgence of the far right. The…

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About the show

How do we make sense of the modern world? We find the answers in the history of the 20th Century. For over a decade, The Explaining History Podcast has been the guide for curious minds. Host Nick Shepley and expert guests break down the world wars, the Cold War, and the rise and fall of ideologies into concise, 25-minute episodes. This isn't a dry lecture. It's a critical, narrative-driven conversation that connects the past to your present. Perfect for students, history buffs, and anyone who wants to understand how we got here. Hit subscribe and start exploring. Join us at Explaining History for daily modern history articles and news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.