Forbidden History

In 1307, the once-mighty Knights Templar were accused of heresy and dismantled by the French crown. Legend says their last Grand Master uttered a chilling curse as he faced the flames - a curse that would echo through the fall of kings and kingdoms. Was it coincidence, or the lingering shadow of the Templars’ wrath? Go to ⁠⁠⁠nakedwines.co.uk/forbidden⁠⁠⁠ to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines for just £39.99, with delivery included. Check out our other stories mentioned in this episode below: Freemasons: The Original Secret Society - listen here Oak Island: Beneath the Curse - listen here 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

Born in the shadows of the Crusades, the Knights Templar began as humble protectors of pilgrims but soon rose to unimaginable power. Who was this mysterious group? And how did they rise from guardians to legendary figures shrouded in mystery? Go to ⁠⁠nakedwines.co.uk/forbidden⁠⁠ to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines for just £39.99, with delivery included. 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, archaeologist Tim Sutherland leads the search for King Richard III’s long-lost chapel at Towton, North Yorkshire. Through the study of skeletons, with traces of vanished architecture, he uncovers clues that may reveal the hidden story of this medieval sanctuary. Go to ⁠nakedwines.co.uk/forbidden⁠ to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines for just £39.99, with delivery included. Cast List: Tim Sutherland: Archaeologist, University of York Simon Richardson: Metal Detectorist Malin Holst: Osteoarcheologist, University of York Anthony Massington: Buildings Archaeologist Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we dive into the fascinating history of the Harz Railway in Germany. A story that holds tales of witches, top-secret Nazi weapons programmes and political Cold War spies. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://surfshark.com/forbiddenhistory⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or use code FORBIDDENHISTORY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Go to ⁠nakedwines.co.uk/forbidden⁠ to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines for just £39.99, with delivery included. Cast List:  Dominic Selwood: Historian & Journalist Tim Dunn: Railway Historian Guy Walters: Author & Historian Dirk Bahnsen: Communications Manager, HSB  Claire Barratt: Industrial Engineer  Sabine Houben: Local Guide  Dr Friedhart Knolle: Harz National Park Authority  Dr Regine Heubaun: Mittelbau-Dora Concentration Camp Memorial Nigel Jones: Author & Historian  Stefan Hordler: Director, Mittelbau-Dora Concentration Camp Memorial  Horst Dittman: Former Driver  Jurgen Steimecke: Former Driver  Christoph Lampert: Director, Brockenhaus Museum  Dietmar Schultke: Former GDR Border Guard Eric Meyers: Narrator  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Forbidden History podcast, we’re joined by Tony McMahon to discuss the enigma that is Stonehenge. Who built this 5000 year old monument and how? We cover the various theories and mysteries that have surrounded this remarkable site over the years.  Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://surfshark.com/forbiddenhistory⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or use code FORBIDDENHISTORY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Go to ⁠nakedwines.co.uk/forbidden⁠ to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines for just £39.99, with delivery included. 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

This week we’re revisiting an earlier episode of Forbidden History that you may have missed. In this episode, we examine the life of Prince George, Duke of Kent and delve into the conspiracies surrounding his untimely death. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://surfshark.com/forbiddenhistory⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or use code FORBIDDENHISTORY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Go to ⁠nakedwines.co.uk/forbidden⁠ to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines for just £39.99, with delivery included. Cast List: Lynn Picknett: Author & Historian  Guy Walters: Author & Historian James Sherwood: Writer & Royal Correspondent  Dr Caroline Porter: Historian  Christopher Warwick: Royal Biographer & Historian  George Bethune: Caithness Local  John Harris: Author  Eric Meyers: Narrator  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we join experts as they take a look at the fascinating story behind one of Australia’s historic railway lines. Everyday, tourists take the picturesque journey among ancient trees, towering mountains and majestic waterfalls before reaching the tableland above. But this railway line has a hidden story that links deadly animals, mysterious holes in the ground and WWII’s Pacific War…   Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://surfshark.com/forbiddenhistory⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or use code FORBIDDENHISTORY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Go to ⁠nakedwines.co.uk/forbidden⁠ to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines for just £39.99, with delivery included. Cast List:   Guy Walters: Author & Historian Claire Barratt : Industrial Engineer Tim Daniel: Reserve Army Major Duncan Ray: Adventurer Dr Dominic Selwood: Historian and Author Jo Barnes: Atherton Rotary Directory Mary Searston: Local Historian Ivan Searston: Historian Dr. Timothy Bottoms: Journalist & Historian Nigel Jones: Author & Historian Lottie Hastie: Local Resident Dr George Skeene: Local Historian Daphne Miller: Local Resident Desley Mosquito: Local Resident Wil Kemp: Savannahlander Driver Bob Slater: President, Athrail Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we dive into the brutal Battle of Monte Cassino, the crucial fight for Italy that tested the Allies’ determination against tough German defences. We discuss the causes that led to the breach of an important agreement, and to one of the most controversial bombings of the war. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://surfshark.com/forbiddenhistory⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or use code FORBIDDENHISTORY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Go to ⁠nakedwines.co.uk/forbidden⁠ to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines for just £39.99, with delivery included. Cast List: Rob Deere: Military Historian Adele Garzarella: Geologist Stephen Prince: Military Historian Maurizio Zambardi: Author and Historian Peter Caddick-Adams: Author and Historian Geoffrey Wawro: Military Historian Don Luigi Di Bussolo: Secretary to the Abbot, Abbey of Montecassino Katherine Sharp Landedeck: Author and Historian Robert M. Citino: Senior Historian, The National WW2 Museum James Corum: Military Historian Enrico Canini: Historian Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Remembrance Day episode, we join Sir Tony Robinson to uncover the first day of the Battle of the Somme, from the perspective of five men from the Sheffield ‘Pals’ Battalion. Known in history to be one of the largest and bloodiest battles of World War 1, we recount its first 24 hours by tracing the Pals’ real story, visiting key sites and the families of those affected. -- Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://surfshark.com/forbiddenhistory⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or use code FORBIDDENHISTORY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Go to ⁠nakedwines.co.uk/forbidden⁠ to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines for just £39.99, with delivery included. -- Cast List: Sir Tony Robinson: Author, Actor & Broadcaster  Helen Ullathorne: Archaeologist  Penny Meakin: Author, The Meakin Diaries  Paul Oldfield: Author & Battlefield Tour Guide  Nick Meakin: Grandson of Frank Meakin Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re revisiting an earlier episode of Forbidden History that you may have missed. The Devil’s Bible is a centuries old medieval Bible manuscript, famous for its haunting picture of the Devil drawn within. We follow its journey across Europe and discuss the cursed legend that follows it… Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://surfshark.com/forbiddenhistory⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or use code FORBIDDENHISTORY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Go to ⁠nakedwines.co.uk/forbidden⁠ to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines for just £39.99, with delivery included. Cast List: Dominic Selwood: A historian, barrister, bestselling author, novelist and frequent contributor to national newspapers including The Independent, The Spectator and The Daily Telegraph Janina Ramirez: A cultural historian, broadcaster and author based at the University of Oxford Tony McMahon: A former BBC news producer, author, print journalist and historian Elin Andersson: A specialist in ancient manuscripts and an expert on the Devil’s Bible, based at the National Library of Sweden Scott Sophos: Prague-based historian and teacher Dr Andrew Boakye: Lecturer in Religions & Theology at the University of Manchester  Peter Stanford: Writer, editor, journalist and presenter, known for his biographies and writings on religion and ethics Tori Burton: Historian  Dr. Karen Bellinger: Archeologist  Lynn Picknett: Author & Historian  Eric Meyers: Narrator  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we delve into the mysterious story of the ‘Wow!’ signal. In 1977, a strong narrowband radio signal cut through cosmic noise at Ohio State University’s Big Ear Radio Observatory, causing the astronomer who discovered it to circle the data on the print out and scribble a single word, “Wow!” - could this communication have come from somewhere otherworldly?  Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://surfshark.com/forbiddenhistory⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or use code FORBIDDENHISTORY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Go to ⁠nakedwines.co.uk/forbidden⁠ to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines for just £39.99, with delivery included. Cast List: Guy Walters: Author & Historian  Eric Meyers: Narrator  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Halloween special of the Forbidden History podcast we delve into the history of the mysterious werewolf. From Europe's 17th century "werewolf trials" to modern day silver-screen shapeshifters, we trace how the myth of this mystifying creature has evolved throughout centuries of fear and folklore... Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://surfshark.com/forbiddenhistory⁠⁠⁠⁠ or use code FORBIDDENHISTORY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Go to ⁠nakedwines.co.uk/forbidden⁠ to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines for just £39.99, with delivery included. 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 hear the remarkable story of one of the northernmost railway lines on earth - high in the northern reaches of Scandinavia, this line links the coast of the Norwegian Sea with the rich resources of inland Sweden. But its secret story remains hidden at the bottom of a nearby fjord where the wrecks of Nazi destroyers and Allied ships lay testament to the crucial role it played in WWII… Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://surfshark.com/forbiddenhistory⁠⁠⁠⁠ or use code FORBIDDENHISTORY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Cast List: Tim Dunn: Railway Historian Guy Walters: Author & Historian Claire Barratt: Industrial Engineer Frank Bang: Underwater Photographer Steingrim Sneve: Local Guide Nigel Jones: Author & Historian Eystein Markusson: Narvik Battle Expert Dominic Selwood: Historian & Journalist Stig Olav Johansen: Local Historian Prof. Steinar Aas: WWII Historian Rasmus Norling: Kiruna New Town Curator Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we pull back the curtain on Area 51 - the secretive military base in Nevada, long rumoured to hide UFOs, alien technology, and government cover-ups… Join historian and author Guy Walters as we explore the mysterious stories behind one of the world’s most famous conspiracy zones. Go to ⁠⁠⁠https://surfshark.com/forbiddenhistory⁠⁠⁠ or use code FORBIDDENHISTORY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Cast List: Guy Walters: Author & Historian  Eric Meyers: Narrator  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

World War Two. For the first time in history, the battlefield has shifted mainly to the skies. Control of airspace now determines victory below, sparking a fierce race to outsmart the enemy. From the invention of radar to Hitler’s so-called “Wonder Weapons,” every innovation becomes a weapon in the struggle to bring the enemy down. Go to ⁠⁠https://surfshark.com/forbiddenhistory⁠⁠ or use code FORBIDDENHISTORY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Cast List: Guy Walters: Author and Historian Nigel Jones: Author and Historian Katherine Sharp Landdeck: Author and Historian Chris Kolonko: Archaeologist  Ben Bishop: LIDAR Operator Victoria Taylor: Aviation Historian Geoffrey Wawro: Military Historian James Corum: Military Historian Robert M. Citino: Senior Historian, The National WWII Museum Stephen Fisher: Historian Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final instalment of our three-part Vikings special, discoveries and forensic evidence collide to rewrite the Vikings’ story, revealing their everyday lives, vast networks and the surprising legacy they left across Europe. Go to ⁠https://surfshark.com/forbiddenhistory⁠ or use code FORBIDDENHISTORY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Cast List: Cat Jarman: Archaeologist & Author, River Kings  Ragnar Orten Lie: Archaeologist, Kulturarv Vestfold & Telemark Fylkeskommune  Petra Schneidhofer: Kulturarv, Vestfold & Telemark Fylkeskommune Sverre Naesheim: Metal Detectorist Terje Gansum: Archaeologist, Seksjonsleder, Kulturary Vestfold & Telemark Fylkeskommune Clare Downham: Professor of Medieval History, Institute of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool  Ole Harald Flaten: Oseburg Heritage Foundation Nils Olav Gjone: Nedre Lagen Elvelag Tor Oydvin: Oseburg Heritage Foundation Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part two of our three-part special, the investigation deepens as our team follows the trail of newly uncovered Viking artefacts, revealing surprising connections and challenging what we thought we knew about this infamous historical era. Go to ⁠https://surfshark.com/forbiddenhistory⁠ or use code FORBIDDENHISTORY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Cast List: Cat Jarman: Archaeologist & Author, River Kings  Ragnar Orten Lie: Archaeologist, Kulturarv Vestfold & Telemark Fylkeskommune  Terje Gansum: Archaeologist, Seksjonsleder, Kulturary Vestfold & Telemark Fylkeskommune Steinar Mandt: Vest-Telemark Museum Eidsborg  Sverre Naesheim: Metal Detectorist Dag Rorgemoen: Director, Vest-Telemark Museum Eidsborg Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part one of this three part special, we begin our journey into the world of the Vikings, uncovering groundbreaking discoveries that challenge long-held myths about the so-called Nordic “warrior race.” With exclusive access to a team of Norwegian experts, we explore how cutting-edge research is rewriting Viking history. Go to https://surfshark.com/forbiddenhistory or use code FORBIDDENHISTORY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Cast List: Cat Jarman: Archaeologist & Author, River Kings  Ragnar Orten Lie: Archaeologist, Kulturarv Vestfold & Telemark Fylkeskommune  Terje Gansum: Archaeologist, Seksjonsleder, Kulturary Vestfold & Telemark Fylkeskommune Christer Tonning: Archaeologist, Kulturarv Vestfold & Telemark Fylkeskommune  Eric Meyers: Narrator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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