Podcast
Blind History
Hosted by The Real Network · EN
Blind History is a crash course in getting to know history’s greatest men and women - and by great we don’t always mean good.
Hosted by Gareth Cliff and Anthony Mederer, this series will tell you what the history books sometimes leave out - the sordid stories, the less well-known details, some of the stuff they didn’t teach you at school.
Each person will help you put a piece of the puzzle in place, and bring history to life.
19episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Bertha Benz and the Road That Didn’t Exist
Feb 600:23:58Tap to summarizeHistory credits a man with inventing the motorcar. This episode tells the story of the woman who made it work. In 1888, Bertha Benz took an untested invention on the world’s first long-distance drive, inventing brake linings, solving breakdowns with a hat pin, and creating the first fuel stop along the way. Blind History reveals how one quiet rebel forced the future to move.
Transcribe →BLIND HISTORY S8 EP9 | Grace O'Malley: The Pirate Queen Who Refused to Kneel to a Queen
Jan 3000:28:19Tap to summarizeThis episode dives into the extraordinary life of Grace O’Malley, the legendary 16th-century Irish pirate queen who defied every rule of her time. From commanding ships as a teenager and raiding along the Atlantic coast, to ruling castles, outwitting enemies and even negotiating directly with Queen Elizabeth I, Grace lived as a fearless warlord, strategist and mother who never bowed to authority. Blending piracy, politics and personal grit, her story reveals how one unstoppable woman carved out power in a lawless age and became a lasting symbol of resistance and independence.
Transcribe →BLIND HISTORY S8 EP7 | Richard III: Villain by Design?
Jan 2300:39:13Tap to summarizeHe ruled for just two years, but his reputation has lasted five centuries. Richard III is remembered as a villain — but was he a brutal usurper or the victim of Tudor propaganda amplified by William Shakespeare? In this episode of Blind History, we revisit the Wars of the Roses, the mystery of the Princes in the Tower, Bosworth Field, and the shocking discovery of Richard’s remains — uncovering why England’s most accused king is still on trial today.
Transcribe →BLIND HISTORY S8 EP7 | Charles XII of Sweden: The Warrior King Who Never Backed Down
Jan 1600:28:39Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Blind History, Gareth and Anthony dive into the extraordinary life of Charles XII of Sweden — a teenage warrior king who turned an entire empire into a battlefield. From hunting bears as a child to humiliating Peter the Great, sleeping on the ground with his soldiers, and leading charges into blizzards and cannon fire, Charles lived like a man possessed. Fearless, devout, stubborn to a fault, and dead by 37, his story is a brutal masterclass in leadership, hubris, and why history keeps repeating itself.
Transcribe →The Unkillable Soldier: The Insane Life of Adrian Carton de Wiart
Dec 1200:26:41Tap to summarizeA warplane falls from the sky over Libya. A badly injured man crawls from the wreckage, one eye, one hand, and a will made of iron. What follows is the unbelievable true story of Adrian Carton de Wiart, the soldier who refused to die. Shot in the face, stomach, leg, ear… surviving plane crashes, warzones, and even biting off his own fingers — he broke out of POW camps five times and still asked to return to the front lines. Winston Churchill trusted him. Enemies feared him. History almost forgot him.
Transcribe →Pu Yi: The Emperor Who Lost Everything
Dec 500:16:59Tap to summarizeA toddler crowned the “Son of Heaven.” An emperor who never ruled. A puppet of Japan, a prisoner of the Soviets, and finally a humble gardener sweeping leaves in Beijing. In this haunting episode of Blind History, Gareth and Anthony trace the extraordinary rise and devastating fall of Pu Yi — the last emperor of China. From the golden throne of the Forbidden City to communist re-education camps, this is the unbelievable true story of a man born to rule eternity… and forced to live a life of anonymity.
Transcribe →Haile Selassie: The King of Kings Who Lost Everything
Nov 2800:20:38Tap to summarizeIn this gripping Blind History episode, Gareth Cliff and Anthony Mederer unpack the rise and fall of Haile Selassie. The “King of Kings” who became a god to some, a symbol of resistance to others, and a deeply flawed ruler to those closest to his throne. From ancient bloodlines and global coronations to exile, famine, and a secretive death, this is the extraordinary and tragic story behind one of Africa’s most mythologised leaders.
Transcribe →Theodora: Empress, Survivor, Seductress
Nov 2100:35:04Tap to summarizeGareth Cliff and Anthony Mederer uncover the extraordinary rise of Theodora — the seductive stage performer who became one of the most powerful women in Byzantine history. From scandalous beginnings in Constantinople’s seedy theatres to ruling side-by-side with Emperor Justinian, Theodora’s journey is a tale of grit, ambition, and sheer brilliance. Discover how this former “circus act” became an unshakeable empress who faced down riots, shaped an empire, and redefined what power looked like in the ancient world. A love story, a political thriller, and a legend wrapped into one remarkable woman.
Transcribe →Henry VIII: The King Who Lost His Mind (and His Wives)
Nov 1200:22:21Tap to summarizeGareth Cliff and Anthony Mederer dive into the wild, gruesome, and utterly fascinating life of England’s most infamous monarch, Henry VIII. From Renaissance poster boy to paranoid tyrant, Henry’s story is one of brilliance, blood, and betrayal. The man who split from the Church of Rome for love, kept a polar bear as a pet, and had servants wipe his royal behind. This episode unpacks how one king reshaped England forever… and nearly destroyed it in the process.
Transcribe →Nelson Mandela
Dec 6, 202200:27:47Tap to summarizeThe most famous South African, the first democratically elected president of the Rainbow Nation, the anti-apartheid icon, and the man who spent 27 years in prison for his conviction and devotion to the cause. There are many ways to describe Nelson Mandela, but we had to end this season with a big one. Here’s the story of a man most of us wouldn’t even think of as a part of history - mostly because he’s still very much in our present.
Transcribe →