he Victorian Web
recommends the following podcasts:
HISTORY This Week (The History Channel)
Dory Agazarian, History Editor: Probably my favorite history podcast. The episodes are tight, and the storytelling is great. It keeps me entertained and stays with me afterwards. Recommended episodes:
- Fire in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory
- Mary Shelley Brings Frankenstein to Life
- Dividing the Desert (Suez Canal)
In Our Time: Culture (BBC)
DA: A podcast of many episodes, most with an emphasis on intellectual history. I always learn something, and it keeps me hooked in with multiple top-notch guests and an engaging format. The host asks questions and bounces between guests, which keeps the show moving. Recommended episodes:
Killing Victoria (BBC)
DA: This one comes highly recommended from several Victorian Web editors. A fun and well-done podcast, perfect if you're looking for a bit more storytelling than scholarship.
A biweekly podcast produced by our friends at the The Pre-Raphaelite Society.
- Life on Ice: Sir Ernest Shackleton and the Blue Plaque Polar Explorers
- A Literary Legacy: At Home with Charlies Dickens
- How the Victorians Invented the Great British Beach Holiday — discussion
Throughline (NPR)
DA: This history podcast is thought-provoking while telling a great story. Each episode starts with something in the present and looks for the story of how we got here. I love the concept of working backwards. Recommended episodes:
Stuff You Missed in History Class
DA: I listen to this on and off. Interesting topics and I like the way they put together the stories they tell. Recommended episodes:
- The Rebecca Riots, on protests against road tolls in Wales in the 1830s-40s
DA: Presented by a single narrator, these episodes are generally good historical storytelling. I like them as “light history listening.” Recommended episodes:
- The Royal Suffragette, on Sophia Duleep Singh, the granddaughter or Ranjit Singh, the "Lion of Punjab," goddaughter of Queen Victoria, and a fighter for women's right to vote.
DA: This is a different model: Each season is focused on a different revolution and the story is told over the course of episodes. A single narrator gives the chronological blow-by-blow done without interviews and sound effects. It conveys complex things in remarkably digestible explanations. To start:
DA: Lots of episodes; Snow interviews experts. Start here:
DA: Another popular history podcast. Start here:
- Victorian Britain's Maddest Mystery, on the Tichborne scandal, featuring an interview with Zadie Smith, author of The Fraud (2023), a novel inspired by the scandal
- General Gordon, The Ultimate Victorian Hero
Created 9 February 2024
Last modified 25 March 2024