Podcast
Half-Arsed History
Hosted by Riley Knight · EN
Half-Arsed History's second book, The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, is now available for pre-order: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/bkq2G9
Welcome along to Half-Arsed History! It's a weekly podcast highlighting absurd and entertaining stories from history. Twice a week, it helps host Riley Knight feel as though his useless history degree has some kind of real-world relevance.
Get in touch: halfarsedhistory@gmail.com
Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/halfarsedhistory
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/halfarsedhistory
Buy Half-Arsed History merch: https://halfarsedhistory.theprintbar.com
If you've just discovered the show and aren't sure which of the 350+ episodes to start with, here are some suggestions:
Episode 139: The History of the Toilet - https://sptfy.com/PK3J • https://apple.co/3Giftt3
Episode 75: The Great Emu War - https://sptfy.com/PK3K • https://apple.co/4jKCvr7
Episode 197: The History of Nuclear Weapons - https://sptfy.com/PK3L • https://apple.co/4jygYlc
Episode 233: The 1930 FIFA World Cup - https://sptfy.com/PK3M • https://apple.co/4iltL9P
Episode 106: The First Circumnavigation - https://sptfy.com/PK3N • https://apple.co/4jewsLj
Half-Arsed History acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the unceded Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) Land on which the podcast is written and recorded, and pays respect to First Nations Elders past, present, and emerging. Indigenous sovereignty was never ceded. This continent always was, and always will be, Aboriginal Land.
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66episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 423: The Plague of Athens
5d ago00:52:16Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, hear all about the deadly horrors of the Plague of Athens, and tackle the question - what was the plague itself, in the first place?The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings:AU/NZ (affiliate link): https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/bkq2G9International: https://www.readings.com.au/product/9781761472596/the-most-interesting-people-youve-never-heard-of--riley-knight--2026--9781761472596 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Week 31: The Hammer and Feather on the Moon
2w ago00:24:05Tap to summarizeThis week in history we’ve got ancient Romans slaughtered by the thousand, we’ve got champagne not getting invented, we’ve got the disaster that was the first transatlantic telegraph cable, and we’ve got a famous physics demonstration held on the Moon.The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings:AU/NZ (affiliate link): https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/bkq2G9International: https://www.readings.com.au/product/9781761472596/the-most-interesting-people-youve-never-heard-of--riley-knight--2026--9781761472596 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episode 422: Athens vs. Sparta - the Peloponnesian War
3w ago00:57:15Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, learn all about one of the most important and iconic conflicts from the history of Ancient Greece: the Peloponnesian War, when the rivalry between Athens and Sparta was settled once and for all. The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings:AU/NZ (affiliate link): https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/bkq2G9International: https://www.readings.com.au/product/9781761472596/the-most-interesting-people-youve-never-heard-of--riley-knight--2026--9781761472596 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Apologies to Apple Podcasts Subscribers
3w ago00:02:38Tap to summarizeI can't log into my Apple Podcasts account - the 2FA code thing isn't working while I'm overseas (despite me setting it up with my overseas number before I left), so ads might be playing on what should be ad-free episodes for Apple Podcasts subscribers. I'm really, really sorry; I'm still trying to fix it, worst case scenario is I'll (hopefully) be able to back in Australia. In the meantime, please accept my very sincere apologies. The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings:AU/NZ (affiliate link): https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/bkq2G9International: https://www.readings.com.au/product/9781761472596/the-most-interesting-people-youve-never-heard-of--riley-knight--2026--9781761472596 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Week 30: Tobacco Comes to England
3w ago00:27:45Tap to summarizeThis week in history we’ve got skulls being made into drinkware, we’ve got German nobles drowning in sewage, we’ve got the death of the last Sapa Inca, and we’ve got the official introduction of tobacco to England, thanks to the efforts of the famous Sir Walter Raleigh.The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings:AU/NZ (affiliate link): https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/bkq2G9International: https://www.readings.com.au/product/9781761472596/the-most-interesting-people-youve-never-heard-of--riley-knight--2026--9781761472596 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episode 421: The Successful Failure of Apollo 13
3w ago00:53:29Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, learn all about the disasters that beset the Apollo 13 mission to the Moon, and how the astronauts aboard and the ground team on Earth worked tirelessly to stave off a terrible catastrophe. The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings:AU/NZ (affiliate link): https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/bkq2G9International: https://www.readings.com.au/product/9781761472596/the-most-interesting-people-youve-never-heard-of--riley-knight--2026--9781761472596 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Week 29: The Football War
Jul 1500:23:10Tap to summarizeThis week in history we’ve got the birth of a famous conqueror, we’ve got the dawn of the atomic age, we’ve got a giant leap for mankind - and we’ve got the story of a brief but bloody war sparked by a series of soccer matches in Central America.The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings:AU/NZ (affiliate link): https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/bkq2G9International: https://www.readings.com.au/product/9781761472596/the-most-interesting-people-youve-never-heard-of--riley-knight--2026--9781761472596 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episode 420: The History of Cannabis
Jul 1201:00:35Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, explore the history of the cannabis plant, including its role in historical and modern textile industries, as well as its medicinal, religious, and recreational uses. The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings:AU/NZ (affiliate link): https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/bkq2G9International: https://www.readings.com.au/product/9781761472596/the-most-interesting-people-youve-never-heard-of--riley-knight--2026--9781761472596 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Week 28: The First Ascent of the Matterhorn
Jul 800:24:17Tap to summarizeThis week in history we’ve got an iconic moment from the French revolution, we’ve got a famous historical duel, we’ve got someone trying to get to the North Pole in a balloon - and we’ve got the tale of the first expedition to summit the Matterhorn, and the tragedy that struck afterwards.The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings:AU/NZ (affiliate link): https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/bkq2G9International: https://www.readings.com.au/product/9781761472596/the-most-interesting-people-youve-never-heard-of--riley-knight--2026--9781761472596 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episode 419: Mata Hari, the Seductress-Turned-Spy
Jul 501:02:35Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, meet Mata Hari, the internationally-renowned exotic dancer who became a spy for... someone... during the First World War. The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of, the second Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 29th of September across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or Readings:AU/NZ (affiliate link): https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/bkq2G9International: https://www.readings.com.au/product/9781761472596/the-most-interesting-people-youve-never-heard-of--riley-knight--2026--9781761472596 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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