Pieces of History

Joining me this week is David Winner. David is author of Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic genius of Dutch football – a seminal football book on the history of the Netherlands from the birth of Total Football in the sixties, Johan Cruyff and Ajax to the Dutch National team and the culture that spawned them. 

Joining me this week is Professor James Olson. Professor Olson served for over thirty years in the Directorate of Operations of the Central Intelligence Agency, mostly overseas in clandestine operations. He was very kind to discuss his entry into the organisation, the current threats that the United States face, his love of the Russian language, what it takes to become a spy, and the relationship between the CIA, the FBI and the NSA. 

Alex joins me again to conclude the Story of 1066. In this episode, we look at the reign of Edward the Confessor, Harold Godwinson, William the Conqueror's preparations to invade England, and finally the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Alex joins me again to continue the Story of 1066. In this episode we look at The Kingdom of Wessex and King Alfred; Alex explains who The Witan are; The Danegeld; Æthelred and the Kingdom of England as well as the early years of Edward the Confessors reign.

Joining me this week to discuss the Story of 1066 is Alex Dymond. Alex specialises in England and France from the 9th to the 12th centuries and is currently completing a doctoral thesis on the estates of the dukes of Normandy and the kings of England, 911 - 1135 at Corpus Christi College, Oxford.

Join me as I continue the story of the Gang of Nivelles. This episode picks up in September 1983 and follows the gang to their final act in November 1985. I also look at the possible motives of the group, who they might have been and the conspiracy theories that swirl around the three men.

Welcome to the first episode of the second season of Pieces of History! This week, I will be looking at the Gang of Nivelles, a group of three men who terrorised Belgium from 1982 – 1985 in what became the country’s most notorious unsolved crime spree.

I am joined for this bonus episode by Madeline McCully. Madeline is an award-winning oral historian and storyteller and creator of derryghosts.com.

Joining me this week is Katharine Fellows. Katharine is currently a DPhil candidate in History at St Peter’s College, Oxford; she will be discussing the House of Borgia, with particular reference to Rodrigo Borgia who later became Pope Alexander VI. 

This week I am joined by David Alvarez to discuss the foundation of the Swiss Guard in the 16th century, the state of the Papacy during this time and their journey from being an operational military unit to the ceremonial guard that we see today.