Histories of the Unexpected

Sam Willis & James Daybell

Histories of the Unexpected explores the past in ways that you never dreamt possible. Surely there’s nothing unexpected about the past? About History? Aha, well Histories of the Unexpected adopts a new approach to exploring our past. Gone is the traditional linear plotting of battles, monarchs and political movements. Histories of the Unexpected argues that everything has a history, even the most unexpected of subjects. Like SLIME. Or COURAGE. or APPLAUSE.... Presented by Dr Sam Willis and Professor James Daybell.

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Top 10 Histories of the Unexpected Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Histories of the Unexpected episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Histories of the Unexpected for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Histories of the Unexpected episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Gin!

Histories of the Unexpected

09/27/21 • 36 min

In this latest episode, the Unexpected duo, Professor James Daybell and Dr Sam Willis uncover the unexpected history of GIN! Which is all about dutch courage, crime in the eighteenth century, addictive architecture, liquid poison, female drinkers and of course William Hogarth! Who knew!

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2 Listeners

Dolls!

Histories of the Unexpected

10/08/21 • 34 min

In this latest episode, the Unexpected duo, Professor James Daybell and Dr Sam Willis uncover the unexpected history of DOLLS! Which is all about seventeenth- and eighteenth-century fashions, the history of Barbie, twentieth-century consumerism and patriarchy, Lord and Lady Clapham and the Victoria and Albert Museum and Victorian Automatons! Who knew!

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1 Listener

Countdown to Christmas 2023: 13: WINGS PART 2

Histories of the Unexpected

12/13/23 • 31 min

In the countdown to Christmas 2023, the Unexpected Christmas elves have been busy preparing a special podcast advent calendar for your delectation, based on their Histories of the Unexpected favourite past episodes. And behind door 13: the Unexpected History of Christmas is all about.....WINGS PART 2!

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1 Listener

Countdown to Christmas 2023: 16: REINDEER Part 2!

Histories of the Unexpected

12/16/23 • 41 min

In the countdown to Christmas 2023, the Unexpected Christmas elves have been busy preparing a special podcast advent calendar for your delectation, based on their Histories of the Unexpected favourite past episodes. And behind door 16: the Unexpected History of Christmas is all about.....REINDEER PART 2!

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1 Listener

Meetings!

Histories of the Unexpected

02/05/21 • 39 min

In this latest episode, the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, wade their way through the paperwork and bureaucracy of the past to action the unexpected history of MEETINGS! Which is all about campus novels of the twentieth century, state sponsored sabotage by the CIA's precursor, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the history of secret meetings and the Ku Klux Klan, Nelson and naval warfare and the court of Elizabeth I. Who knew!

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1 Listener

Cousins!

Histories of the Unexpected

10/05/21 • 46 min

In this latest episode, the Unexpected duo, Professor James Daybell and Dr Sam Willis uncover the unexpected history of COUSINS! Which is all about Samuel Pepys, money-lending and pomposity, prohibited marriages, Lydia and Samuel DuGard and seventeenth-century love! Who knew!

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1 Listener

Boredom

Histories of the Unexpected

04/08/20 • 38 min

In this episode of Histories of the Unexpected, James and Sam explore the unexpected history of BOREDOM, which is all about British imperialism, travel, the armed forces, governors, sea voyages, Elizabethan gentlewomen, controlling the working classes in post WWII Canada!

Boredom is the root of all evil – the despairing refusal to be oneself. – Soren Kierkegaard

Unless a man has been taught what to do with success after getting it, the achievement of it must inevitably leave him a prey to boredom. – Bertrand Russell

The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity. – Ellen Parr

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1 Listener

1 Comment

Cheese!

Histories of the Unexpected

02/03/21 • 35 min

In this episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, stir the whey of history as they unwrap the unexpected history of CHEESE! Which is all about Samuel Pepys and the Great Fire of London of 1666, witches and magic (via fortune telling, love potions and malevolent acts with cheese!), Homer's Odyssey and a cheese-making cyclops, the Flemings, ethnic cleansing in the Middle Ages, the Peasants' Revolt in 1381 and lost knowledge! Who knew!

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1 Listener

Countdown to Christmas 2023: 19: WISE MEN!

Histories of the Unexpected

12/19/23 • 39 min

In the countdown to Christmas 2023, the Unexpected Christmas elves have been busy preparing a special podcast advent calendar for your delectation, based on their Histories of the Unexpected favourite past episodes. And behind door 19: the Unexpected History of Christmas is all about.....WISE MEN!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 Listener

Countdown to Christmas 2023: 14: ELVES!

Histories of the Unexpected

12/14/23 • 38 min

In the countdown to Christmas 2023, the Unexpected Christmas elves have been busy preparing a special podcast advent calendar for your delectation, based on their Histories of the Unexpected favourite past episodes. And behind door 14: the Unexpected History of Christmas is all about.....ELVES!

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FAQ

How many episodes does Histories of the Unexpected have?

Histories of the Unexpected currently has 385 episodes available.

What topics does Histories of the Unexpected cover?

The podcast is about Society & Culture, History and Podcasts.

What is the most popular episode on Histories of the Unexpected?

The episode title 'Gin!' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Histories of the Unexpected?

The average episode length on Histories of the Unexpected is 34 minutes.

How often are episodes of Histories of the Unexpected released?

Episodes of Histories of the Unexpected are typically released every 4 days, 1 hour.

When was the first episode of Histories of the Unexpected?

The first episode of Histories of the Unexpected was released on Sep 22, 2016.

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Histories of the Unexpected

Sam Willis & James Daybell

Top 10 Histories of the Unexpected Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does Histories of the Unexpected have?

What topics does Histories of the Unexpected cover?

What is the most popular episode on Histories of the Unexpected?

What is the average episode length on Histories of the Unexpected?

How often are episodes of Histories of the Unexpected released?

When was the first episode of Histories of the Unexpected?

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