The Tiger Tamer who went to sea, from HistoryExtra, is the story of one remarkable Victorian man who lived the life of a dozen men.

His adventures as a global seafarer and as a circus clown, showman and yes, tiger tamer would be fascinating enough. However, he was also a celebrated athlete, and Britain’s original long-distance wheelbarrow pedestrian. He pushed a wheelbarrow from Lands End to John O’Groats in 1879 but sadly missed the great wheelbarrow craze of 1887 because he was sailing the high seas.

In this six-part series, David Musgrove reveals the untold story of this Victorian influencer, Bob Carlisle, and chats to a range of experts to find out what his life tells us about broader themes in 19th and early 20th century history – we cover the rise of mass media, the Temperance movement, enterainment and celebrity culture, the changing face of global trade and technology, the Edwardian healthy living movement, and yes, the noble sport of wheelbarrow-pushing.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.

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