1666 and All That
From the Gunpowder Plot to the killing of a king, from Cromwell and the Civil Wars to the Restoration and the Glorious Revolution, the 17th century shaped the world we live in today. Hosts Miranda Malins and Paul Lay combine historical rigour, entertaining storytelling and revealing guest interviews to draw this vibrant period out of the shadows.
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April 24, 2024
Episode 11: The Luck of the Habsburgs
From humble roots in Switzerland and Swabia, the Habsburg dynasty endured for 900 years, its survival due in part to genetic good fortune. As historian Martyn Rady tells Paul and Miranda, the Habsburgs gambled big on marital…
March 27, 2024
Episode 10: Shooting the Century
The 17th century has rarely been as popular with film and TV dramatists as 'sexier' periods such as the Tudors, the Romans and the Second World War. But recently, 17th-century stories and characters have emerged from the sha…
March 6, 2024
Episode 9: Dynastic Change in China
Great storytelling meets historical rigour in the podcast that brings the 17th century vividly to life. China at the start of the 17th century was wealthy, strong and well-governed – the Ming dynasty had been ruling for nea…
Feb. 14, 2024
Episode 8: Painting a Nation
Miranda and Paul are joined by art critic and author Laura Cumming, whose acclaimed book 'Thunderclap: A Memoir of Art and Life and Sudden Death' explores painting in the 17th-century Dutch Republic. It was a true Golden Age…
Jan. 31, 2024
Episode 7: From Hangings to Housework
After a short mid-season break, Paul and Miranda return with a timely exploration of 17th-century diaries. This was the century in which the habit of keeping daily personal reflections became widespread - perhaps because, fo…
Jan. 3, 2024
Episode 6: An Irish Epic
After James II was deposed and replaced by the Protestant William and Mary in 1688, he began a military campaign in Ireland, from where he hoped to launch a bid to regain his crown. But the Jacobite armies were defeated, end…
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