Unknown History with Giles Milton-logo

Unknown History with Giles Milton

Macmillan Podcasts

Unknown History provides you with surprising, quirky, and remarkable tales from the past, so you can pretend you paid attention in history class. Hosted by renowned author Giles Milton.

Location:

United States

Description:

Unknown History provides you with surprising, quirky, and remarkable tales from the past, so you can pretend you paid attention in history class. Hosted by renowned author Giles Milton.

Language:

English


Episodes
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An Excerpt From You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live

8/21/2023
Purchase You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live at Amazon, Audible, Bookshop.org, or your favorite bookstore. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/ https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/quickdirtytips https://twitter.com/quickdirtytips

Duration:00:13:56

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An Excerpt from The Women of Rothschild

10/25/2022
In The Women of Rothschild, Natalie Livingstone reveals the role of women in shaping the legacy of the famous Rothschild dynasty, synonymous with wealth and power. Purchase The Women of Rothschild at Amazon, Audible, Bookshop.org, or your favorite bookstore. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/ https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/quickdirtytips https://twitter.com/quickdirtytips

Duration:00:14:06

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A Conversation On Queer History: Rasheed Newson, Jack Lowery, and Bill Goldstein on Act Up!, AIDS Activism, and 80s NYC.

10/18/2022
Hear Rasheed Newson, Jack Lowery and Bill Goldstein discuss Rasheed's new book My Government Means to Kill Me. They discuss the inspiration for the novel, activism, and the political and social reckoning of a young, black, gay man in 1980s New York City. Purchase My Government Means To Kill Me at Amazon, Audible, Bookshop.org, or your favorite bookstore. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/ https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/quickdirtytips https://twitter.com/quickdirtytips This episode was recorded at P&T Knitwear

Duration:01:06:11

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An Excerpt from American Demon

9/6/2022
On September 5th, 1934, a young beachcomber made a gruesome discovery on the shores of Cleveland’s Lake Erie: the lower half of a female torso, neatly severed at the waist. The victim, dubbed “The Lady of the Lake,” was only the first of a butcher’s dozen. Over the next four years, twelve more bodies would be scattered across the city. The bodies were dismembered with surgical precision and drained of blood. Some were beheaded while still alive. Terror gripped the city. Amid the growing uproar, Cleveland’s besieged mayor turned to his newly-appointed director of public safety: Eliot Ness. Ness had come to Cleveland fresh from his headline-grabbing exploits in Chicago, where he and his band of “Untouchables” led the frontline assault on Al Capone’s bootlegging empire. Now he would confront a case that would redefine his storied career. Award-winning author Daniel Stashower shines a fresh light on one of the most notorious puzzles in the annals of crime, and uncovers the gripping story of Ness’s hunt for a sadistic killer who was as brilliant as he was cool and composed, a mastermind who was able to hide in plain sight. American Demon reconstructs this ultimate battle of wits between a hero and a madman. Purchase American Demon at Amazon, Audible, Bookshop.org, or your favorite bookstore. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/ https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/quickdirtytips https://twitter.com/quickdirtytips

Duration:00:10:06

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How has Britain become butler to the world?

6/23/2022
The Suez Crisis of 1956 was the nadir of Britain's twentieth century, the moment when the once-superpower was bullied into retreat. "Great Britain has lost an empire and not yet found a role," said Dean Acherson, a former US secretary of state. Acheson's line has entered into the canon of great quotations: but it was wrong. Britain had already found a role. The leaders of the world just hadn't noticed it yet. Butler to the World reveals how Britain came to assume its role as the center of the offshore economy. Written polemically, but studded with witty references to the butlers of popular fiction, it demonstrates how so many elements of modern Britain have been put at the service of the world's oligarchs. The Biden administration is putting corruption at the heart of its foreign policy, and that means it needs to confront Britain's role as the foremost enabler of financial crime and ill behavior. This audiobook lays bare how London has deliberately undercut U.S. regulations for decades, and calls into question the extent to which Britain can be considered a reliable ally. Purchase Butler To The World at Amazon, Audible, Bookshop.org, or your favorite bookstore. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/ https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/quickdirtytips https://twitter.com/quickdirtytips

Duration:00:12:13

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The untold story of Nixon and CIA Director Richard Helms

6/16/2022
Scorpions' Dance by intelligence expert and investigative journalist Jefferson Morley reveals the Watergate scandal in a completely new light: as the culmination of a concealed, deadly power struggle between President Richard Nixon and CIA Director Richard Helms. Enjoy this excerpt from the audiobook. Purchase Scorpions' Dance at Amazon, Audible, Bookshop.org, or your favorite bookstore. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/ https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/quickdirtytips https://twitter.com/quickdirtytips

Duration:00:11:54

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The Iconic Speeches We Never Heard

6/9/2022
For almost every delivered speech, there exists an undelivered opposite. These "second speeches" provide alternative histories of what could have been if not for schedule changes, changes of heart, or momentous turns of events. In Undelivered, political speechwriter Jeff Nussbaum presents the most notable speeches the public never heard, from Dwight Eisenhower’s apology for a D-Day failure to Richard Nixon’s refusal to resign the presidency, and even Hillary Clinton’s acceptance for a 2016 victory—the latter never seen until now. Enjoy an excerpt from the audiobook. Purchase Undelivered at Amazon, Audible, Bookshop.org, or your favorite bookstore. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/ https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/quickdirtytips https://twitter.com/quickdirtytips

Duration:00:13:23

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Is the mafia really that violent?

4/12/2022
This week on Unknown History, we're introducing Curious State, a brand new podcast from Quick and Dirty Tips. Could we have domesticated a T-Rex? Is the mafia really that violent? Haven't all the possible songs been written by now? Unexpected gems of knowledge are hidden all around us. Let’s dig them up, one offbeat question at a time. A few curiosities you’ll discover in this episode: Subscribe to Curious State on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you're listening to Unknown History.

Duration:00:14:52

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Bonus: The Cold War Superagent and the Ruthless Head of the CIA

12/16/2021
Unknown History is on hiatus between seasons, but in the meantime, we hope you enjoy this special excerpt from Agent Sniper: The Cold War Superagent and the Ruthless Head of the CIA by Tim Tate, brought to us by our colleagues at Macmillan Audio. You can get your copy of Agent Sniper from Amazon, Audible, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, or wherever books or audiobooks are sold.

Duration:00:17:01

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The Broken Constitution: Lincoln's Transformation

11/4/2021
Lincoln's choices and evolution didn't just transform the meaning of the Civil War—they transformed the Consitution itself. This is the third and final installment of The Broken Constitution mini-series. Read the companion article on Quick and Dirty Tips. Follow Unknown History wherever you listen to podcasts. For more from Noah, follow Deep Background from Pushkin Industries. Purchase The Broken Constitution. Find Noah on Twitter.

Duration:00:39:58

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The Broken Constitution: Lincoln's Choice

10/27/2021
Lincoln faced an unprecedented crisis that remains unique in American history. Were the choices he made vindicated by history? Read the companion article on Quick and Dirty Tips. Follow Unknown History wherever you listen to podcasts. For more from Noah, follow Deep Background from Pushkin Industries. Pre-order The Broken Constitution. Find Noah on Twitter.

Duration:00:35:15

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The Broken Constitution: The American Compromise

10/20/2021
The original United States Constitution was a compromise between slaveholders and non-slaveholders. It made key compromises to protect a union between the Northern and Southern states and protected the slave trade in U.S. law. Read the transcript. Follow Unknown History wherever you listen to podcasts. For more from Noah, follow Deep Background from Pushkin Industries. Pre-order The Broken Constitution. Find Noah on Twitter.

Duration:00:27:48

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Coming Soon: The Broken Constitution

10/14/2021
Coming soon on the Unknown History podcast: the story of Abraham Lincoln's work reshaping the United States Constitution.

Duration:00:00:40

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The Dramatic Conclusion of the Berlin Blockade

10/6/2021
After 323 days of the Berlin Blockade, a weather system nearly brought the city to its knees. However, the strength of the Germans, tenacity of the Americans (and a little bit of luck), resulted in victory.

Duration:00:08:25

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To Save a City

9/29/2021
The Berlin Airlift of 1948 saved the city from starvation...but just barely. Unknown History delves into the astonishing ingenuity of American military alongside the hard work of German citizens that kept the city from collapse. Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the Unknown History podcast. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/ https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/quickdirtytips https://twitter.com/quickdirtytips

Duration:00:07:58

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Launching the Airlift

9/22/2021
The Berlin Airlift saved the city from starvation during the Russian blockade of 1948. But supplying over two million people for over a year via airplane was a Herculean feat that almost didn't happen. Unknown History delves deeper into the American solution. Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the Unknown History podcast. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/ https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/quickdirtytips https://twitter.com/quickdirtytips

Duration:00:08:47

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The Siege: Could the Berlin Airlift Save Berlin?

9/15/2021
When the Soviets cut off all supply routes to western Berlin in 1948, they didn't anticipate the ingenuity and tactical planning skills of Army Brigadier General Frank Howley. Could the Berlin Airlift really keep the entire city alive during the siege? Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the Unknown History podcast. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/ https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/quickdirtytips https://twitter.com/quickdirtytips

Duration:00:09:54

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The Strangling of Berlin

9/8/2021
The Soviets' siege of Berlin did not begin with a bang, but rather a series of smaller infractions, starting with stopping trains to check passengers' papers to cutting off routes for trucks that delivered milk. Giles Milton dives into another moment of Unknown History. Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the Unknown History podcast. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/ https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/quickdirtytips https://twitter.com/quickdirtytips

Duration:00:07:29

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A Battle of Wits in Post-War Berlin

9/1/2021
Western allies in post-war Berlin had never encountered the likes of General Alexander Kotikov, a staunch communist with a velvet touch. Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the Unknown History podcast. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/ https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/quickdirtytips https://twitter.com/quickdirtytips

Duration:00:11:34

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A Battle of Wits in Post-War Berlin

9/1/2021
Western allies in post-war Berlin had never encountered the likes of General Alexander Kotikov, a staunch communist with a velvet touch. Read the transcript. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the Unknown History podcast. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Links: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/ https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/quickdirtytips https://twitter.com/quickdirtytips

Duration:00:11:34