Forbidden History

In part two, we uncover Rasputin’s grip on the Romanovs, the chaos his influence sparked across Russia and the many conspiracies surrounding his death... Cast List: Tony McMahon: Former BBC news producer, author, print journalist and historian  Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part one of this two-part Forbidden History special, we trace Rasputin’s mysterious rise from humble Siberian beginnings to the heart of Russia’s royal court. From his rumoured miracles, to his magnetic hold over the royal family, the Romanovs, we take a look at the origins of a legend that blurred the line between holy man and dark mystic... Cast List: Tony McMahon: Former BBC news producer, author, print journalist and historian  Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once considered the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” the Amber Room was a dazzling golden chamber stolen by the Nazis during World War II and never seen again. In this episode, we examine the history, legends, and many theories behind Russia’s most infamous missing treasure. Cast List: Guy Walters: Author & Historian  Eric Meyers: Narrator  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are the great pyramids monuments of human ingenuity… or encoded messages from the stars? In this episode, we’re joined by Tony McMahon as we explore the cosmic code hidden in ancient   stone. Cast List: Tony McMahon: Former BBC news producer, author, print journalist and historian  Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Illness and disease were an unavoidable part of medieval life. With short life expectancies and deaths often hastened by infection, sickness shaped everyday existence. In this episode, archaeologists reveal how a skeleton uncovered in York, England offers insights into how people coped with disease in the Middle Ages.  Cast List:  Tim Sutherland: Archaeologist, University of York Prof. Charlotte Roberts: Bioarcheologist, University of Durham Prof. Don Brothwell: University of York Dr. Piers D. Mitchell: University of Cambridge  Malin Holst: Osteoarcheologist, University of York Dr. Sarah Fiddyment: Bioarcheologist, University of York Dr. Camilla Speller: Bioarcheologist, University of York Helen Goodchild: Archaeologist, University of York Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Forbidden History podcast we look at how a small stretch of railway changed everything, propelling mankind into the modern world. The Liverpool to Manchester line transformed travel, time itself, and reshaped society. Yet behind the triumph lay plenty of challenges, danger, and even death… Cast List: Claire Barratt: Industrial Heritage Engineer Dr Susan Major: Railway Historian Guy Walters: Author & Historian Tim Dunn: Railway Historian Dominic Selwood: Historian & Journalist Bob Gwynne: Curator, National Railway Museum Paul O’Donnell: Railway Trust, Liverpool to Manchester Anthony Dawson: Railway Historian Nigel Jones: Author & Historian Mark Cozens: Ranger, Risley Moss Dr Michael Bailey: Railway Historian Simon Holroyd: Engineering Manager, National Railway Museum Erin Beester: Researcher, Manchester Science & Industry Museum Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Forbidden History podcast, we unravel the chilling legend of the Mothman. Was this winged creature whose creepy sightings shook Point Pleasant, West Virginia in the 1960s really a harbinger of doom, or simply folklore taking flight? Cast List: Guy Walters: Author & Historian  Eric Meyers: Narrator  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fate of the small Mediterranean island of Malta hung by a thread during World War II. In this episode, we speak with experts as they explore the defences of Malta, the intricate underground tunnel network built by the Maltese people to shelter from the relentless bombing, and the incredible story of the vessel that saved the island from starvation. Cast List: Victoria Taylor: Aviation Historian Katherine Sharp Landdeck: Author and Historian Albert Dimech: Local Guide Guy Walters: Author and Historian Geoffrey Wawro: Military Historian Timmy Gambin: Marine Archaeologist James Corum: Military Historian Robert M. Citino: Senior Historian, The National WWII Museum Matthew Balzan: Principal Curator Fortifications Stephen Prince: Military Historian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Often remembered as symbols of divine judgment, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah remain some of the most haunting stories in the Bible... In this episode of the Forbidden History podcast, we explore their fall, the lessons they left behind, and the enduring question: what really happened? Cast List: Tony McMahon: Former BBC news producer, author, print journalist and historian  Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Forbidden History podcast, we discover how over 100 years ago a remote railroad fought against impossible odds in order to transport the prospectors of the Klondike gold rush. From gangsters and gold miners to Donald Trump's grandfather, this is the story of how a remote railway changed the lives of those who came in search of the American dream. Cast List: Tim Dunn: Railway Historian Karl Gurke: Historian & Archaeologist Fiona Giardino: Parks Canada Ranger Steve Hites: Former Railroad Employee Brittany Masloski: Tour Guide Guy Walters: Author & Historian Dominic Selwood: Historian & Journalist Claire Barratt: Industrial Engineer Jonathan Baldwin: Artistic Director, The Days of ‘98 Carl Mulvihill: Local Historian Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Forbidden History podcast, we follow a team of experts as they investigate the life and death of a medieval woman whose skeleton was found at Tadcaster Castle, North Yorkshire. Could her burial be part of a grave of plague victims? Cast List: Simon Richardson: Metal Detectorist Dr Piers Mitchell: Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge Dr Michelle Mundee: Bioarcheologist, University of York Tim Sutherland: Archaeologist, University of York Malin Holst: Osteoarcheologist, University of York Eric Meyers: Narrator  Episode originally produced in 2013 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the height of WW1, a ship once nicknamed ‘The Dutch Titanic’ became embroiled in a 24-hour long battle with a pack of German U-Boats. In this episode, we follow a group of underwater explorers as they discover a new wreck in the North Atlantic that could shed a whole new light on the events that took place that fateful day. Cast List: Guy Walters: Author & Historian  Michael Barnette: Marine Biologist & Underwater Explorer Dr. Tamas Balogh: Maritime Historian Michael McVeigh: Dive Boat Skipper James Sherwood: Author & Broadcaster Tom McCluskie: Archive Manager at Harland & Wolff Shipping Company Axel Niestle: WW2 Historian Jean Kelly: Daughter of Clifford Young  Barry McGill: Diver Gareth O’Neill: Diver Eric Meyers: Narrator  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Battle of the Bulge, or ‘Hitler’s last gamble’ was described by Winston Churchill as “the greatest American battle of the war”. Nearly 20,000 US soldiers were killed in the battle, some of whom were all too often forgotten African American front-line troops. In this episode of the Forbidden History podcast, we follow a team of conflict archaeologists as they retrace their paths, uncovering the overlooked stories of those who defied racism on two fronts: facing both the deadly advance of Nazi forces and the injustice of serving in a segregated army. Cast List: Dr. Birger Stichelbaut: Conflict Archaeologist Edwin Popken: Military Historian Robert Hudson Jr.: Son of 333rd Field Artillery Battalion Soldier Dr. Peter Caddick-Adams: Author and Historian Dr. Robert M. Citino: Senior Historian, The National WWII Museum Dr. Peter Schrijvers: Military Historian Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For centuries, Oak Island has held its secrets tightly, in the form of hidden chambers, mysterious symbols, and a trail of clues that lead to more questions than answers. In this episode of the Forbidden History podcast, we dig into the conspiracy theories surrounding the island’s most elusive legends… just who is keeping the treasured secret? Cast List: Guy Walters: Author & Historian  Eric Meyers: Narrator  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we follow experts as they investigate the mass graves of those who died at the battle of Visby in 1361, revealing the bravery of the Gutes in their defence against the Danish king's army. Cast List: Tim Sutherland: Archaeologist, University of York Helen Goodchild: Archaeologist, University of York Sofia Hoas: Gotlands Museum, Visby Thomas Neijman: National Historical Museum, Stockholm Malin Holst: Osteoarcheologist, University of York Petter Akeson: Osteoarcheologist, National Historical Museum, Stockholm The Happiness Experiment: Start your journey to a happier, healthier you today – visit ⁠⁠this link⁠⁠ ⁠to begin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Forbidden History podcast we follow a team of expert divers on their search to identify a mysterious shipwreck off the coast of Florida. Did this ship sink as the result of a WW2 targeted attack or is something more mysterious to blame, like the Bermuda Triangle? Cast List: Chuck Meide: Maritime Archaeologist Michael Barnette: Marine Biologist and Underwater Explorer Brendan Burke: Maritime Archaeologist Joe Citelli: Diver Axel Niestle: WW2 Historian Robert Tyler Eric Meyers: Narrator The Happiness Experiment: Start your journey to a happier, healthier you today – visit ⁠this link⁠ ⁠to begin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perched high above the Peak District moorlands, Carl Wark is a mysterious ancient hillfort that has puzzled archaeologists and historians for centuries. In this episode of the Forbidden History podcast, we explore its possible origins and why this mysterious outcrop continues to captivate the imagination... Cast List: Tim Sutherland: Archaeologist, University of York Prof. Andrew Reynolds: Institute of Archaeology, London Bill Bevan: Archaeologist & Author Zac Nellist: Archaeological Records Officer, South Yorkshire Archaeology Service Paul Oldfield: Author & Battlefield Guide Mick Savage: Author, ‘Carl Wark; Peak District Fortress or Folly?’ Eric Meyers: Narrator The Happiness Experiment: Start your journey to a happier, healthier you today – visit ⁠this link⁠ to begin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A mysterious shipwreck at the bottom of Lake Erie could be the oldest wreck in America's most notorious ship graveyard. In this episode, we follow experts as they investigate new leads in this 200-year-old cold case. Cast List: Tom Kowalczk: Underwater Explorer David Van Zandt: Underwater Explorer Carrie Sowden: Marine Archaeologist Brent Gardner: Lake Erie Diver Eric Meyers: Narrator The Happiness Experiment: Start your journey to a happier, healthier you today – visit this link to begin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we're joined by Tony McMahon to delve into the mystery and grandeur of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. It's one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, but its existence remains a subject of fierce debate... Cast List: Tony McMahon: Former BBC news producer, author, print journalist and historian  Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we take a closer look at the Battle of Agincourt through the eyes of archaeologists. While the battle is often remembered through legend and literature, the evidence beneath the soil reveals what really happened in 1415. Cast List: Tim Sutherland: Archaeologist, University of York Prof. Anne Curry: University of Southampton Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices