Four hundred years ago in 1623, the first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays was printed. Known as the First Folio, the book was integral to establishing Shakespeare's posthumous reputation just seven years after his death. In the first of four special episodes of Not Just the Tudors celebrating this anniversary, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor Emma Smith about the story behind Shakespeare’s First Folio, how it collected together and preserved his works as we know them today, and its lasting legacy.  This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg. You can take part in our listener survey here. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do we call the Great Fire of London in 1666 “great”? Was it because of the significant challenge it posed to authorities and residents as they sought to bring it under control? Was it because of the extent of its devastation? Or was it because it occurred during an eventful couple of years where plague and war also threatened lives? In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to historian Rebecca Rideal, author of 1666: Plague, War and Hellfire, whose research has drawn on little known sources to set the Great Fire of London in the broader context of the political, social and economic events of the time.  This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

King Henry VII and his Tudor heirs knew very little about Ireland, over which they ruled in name at least. During the 118 years of Tudor rule, not one of its monarchs ever set foot in the Emerald Isle. Yet the history of the Tudor monarchy cannot fully be told without understanding its relations with Ireland.  In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb discovers more with Professor Christopher McGinn. This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the 16th Century, rude jokes and scatological humour were just as much a feature of life as they are today. Between 1529 and 1539, a Swiss linen trader called Johannes Rütiner included many jokes and humorous anecdotes in his personal notebooks. They offer an amazing insight into both the jokes that were told and the context in which they were passed on.  In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more from Dr. Carla Roth. This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg. **WARNING: This episode contains examples of 16th century humour which some listeners may find offensive or shocking** For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

History has painted Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn in two very different hues: one wife, one mistress; one Spanish, one French; one committed Catholic, one radical reformer. But a new exhibition at Hever Castle examines one curious moment of confluence, right in the midst of the crucial year of 1527. It's a moment that suggests that Katherine and Anne had more in common than we normally imagine. In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb goes to Hever Castle to find out more, with curators Dr. Owen Emmerson and Kate McCaffrey. This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the Second Granada War (1568-70), thousands of Moriscos in Spain were exiled, imprisoned or enslaved. Moriscos were former Muslims who had been compelled to convert to Roman Catholicism. But in 1572, Spanish King Philip II made the enslavement of Morisco children illegal. Yet they were still separated from their parents and put to work in Christian households.  In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb delves into this fascinating episode with Dr. Stephanie Kavanaugh, to find out why the enslavement of children was banned, how the slave owners reacted, and what became of them. This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In March 1582, a number of women from the small Essex village of St Osyth, were hanged for the crime of witchcraft. Several others, including one man, died in prison, in what was a shocking and highly localised witch-hunt.  In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor Marion Gibson, who offers revelatory new insights into the personal histories of those who were denied the chance to speak for themselves. This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louis XIV ruled France for more than 72 years, the longest recorded reign of any monarch of any sovereign country in history. Despite the devotion of his wife Maria Theresa of Spain, Louis took a series of mistresses, a number of them "official", with whom he had numerous illegitimate children. Yet, for the last three decades of his life, after Maria Theresa's death, he settled down more loyally with the Marquise de Maintenon.  In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, first released in June 2021, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more about the powerful and fascinating women behind the throne of the Sun King, with Dr Linda Kiernan Knowles. This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What could be more topical this week than looking back at the coronations of the first two Kings Charles. Charles I’s reign is best remembered for the events of the English Civil War, a conflict over the balance of power between parliament and royal supremacy which resulted in his execution and the establishment of Oliver Cromwell’s short-lived Commonwealth. After the restoration of the monarchy, Charles II was crowned in a momentous celebration, designed to reassure the nation of its stability and security. In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more from Dr Clare Jackson, author of Devil-Land: England Under Siege, 1588-1688. This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a cold February morning in 1554, Lady Jane Grey was beheaded for high treason. Named by King Edward VI as his successor, Queen Jane had reigned for just 13 tumultuous days before being imprisoned in the Tower, condemned and executed. In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, first released in October 2021, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to author and historian Dr. Nicola Tallis who reveals the moving, human story of an intelligent, independent and courageous young woman, forced on to the English throne by the great power players in the Tudor court. This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Thomas Roe arrived in India in 1616 as James I's first ambassador to the Mughal Empire, the English barely had a toehold in the subcontinent. Roe was representing a kingdom that was beset by financial woes and deeply conflicted about its identity. Meanwhile, the court Roe entered was wealthy and cultured, its dominion one of the greatest and richest empires of the world. In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Nandini Das, about Roe's four years in India, a turning point in history, which offers a rich and radical challenge to our understanding of Britain and its early empire. This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the 16th century, “strangers” was the name used in England for people who were born in territories not controlled by the Tudor monarchy. Thinking about Henry VIII’s armed forces, we might not expect to find “strangers” among them - but there were.  In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor Catherine Fletcher and Samantha Nelson. Their research into the crew of the Mary Rose - the Tudor warship that sank in the Solent on 19 July 1545 - has revealed some fascinating insights into the origins of the men who served on board. This episode was edited by Stuart Beckwith and produced by Rob Weinberg. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hardwick Hall is a triumph of Elizabethan architecture. Built in the late sixteenth century, its halls, corridors and staircases embody the magnificence of the Renaissance period in England. But they also tell the story of the remarkable woman who built it in a patriarchal age - the four-times-married Bess of Hardwick, England’s wealthiest woman after Queen Elizabeth I. In this episode of Not Just The Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb takes us on a tour of Hardwick Hall. Roaming its tapestry-lined oak corridors, she recounts it’s rich history, uncovers a connection with Mary, Queen of Scots and seeks to rehabilitate Bess’s rapacious reputation. This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Donne was a scholar of law, a sea adventurer, an MP, a priest, the Dean of St Paul's Cathedral - and perhaps the greatest love poet in the history of the English language. He converted from Catholicism to Protestantism, was jailed for marrying a high-born girl without her father's consent, struggled to feed a family of ten children and was often ill and in pain.  In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb meets Katherine Rundell, author of the acclaimed book Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne, which won the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2022. Together they explore the life and work of a man who, despite a life of extreme challenges, expressed in his verse electric joy and love. This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Sir Walter Raleigh set out to South America to find the legendary city of El Dorado, he paved the way for a series of adventurers who would struggle against the harsh reality of South America’s wild jungles. Six decades later, when a group of English gentlemen expelled from England chose to establish a new colony in what is now Suriname, they named the settlement in honour of its founder Sir Francis Willoughby. In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to author Matthew Parker. His book Willoughbyland: England’s Lost Colony tells the story of how this one-time paradise became a place of terror and cruelty, of sugar and slavery.  This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Catherine Howard was Queen Consort - and fifth wife - to Henry VIII for just 16 months before he had her executed for treason for committing adultery. Since Victorian times, historians have labelled her as lewd and promiscuous, but there was an altogether more complex young woman behind the rumours. In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, first released in July 2021, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Gareth Russell, author of Young and Damned and Fair, a riveting account of Catherine's tragic marriage to an unstable King, and the tragedy of her life in a dangerous hothouse where the odds were stacked against her.  This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you get when you bring together five top historians to debate Mary, Queen of Scots on film? History with the gloves off - our second special episode of Not Just the Tudors Lates! This time, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb takes as her starting point the tragic life of the Scottish Queen and her relationship with her rival and cousin Queen Elizabeth I. Suzannah is joined once again by Dr Joanne Paul, Jessie Childs, Alex von Tunzelmann and Professor Sarah Churchwell to compare the various film versions of Mary’s story, where they have got it right - and often wildly wrong. This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg. Listen to the first Not Just the Tudors Lates about Elizabeth I on Screen, here. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the early 17th century, an aged veteran of Spain's wars against the Ottoman Empire published a book. It was the story of a poor nobleman who deludes himself that he is a knight errant and sets off on hilarious adventures. Don Quixote went on to sell more copies than any other book beside the Bible, making its author Cervantes the single most-read author in human history.  In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to William Egginton, author of The Man Who Invented Fiction: How Cervantes ushered in the Modern World. Together they explore Cervantes's life and the world he lived in, how his influences converged in his work, and how Don Quixote radically changed the nature of literature and created a new way of viewing the world.  This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In one week in London in September, 1665, no fewer than 47 different causes of death were reported, including consumption, fever, dropsy, being frightened, grief, worms, vomiting, and plague. We know this because of a record called a Bill of Mortality, a broad sheet that was printed to list the number of burials in and around the city of London by district and the causes of those deaths. In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor Vanessa Harding about Bills of Mortality and what they can tell us about life and death in early modern London. The subject of this podcast was suggested by listener Keith Denny. If you have an idea for an episode, please email notjustthetudors@historyhit.com or via Twitter @NotJustTudors. This episode was edited by Anisha Deva and produced by Rob Weinberg. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During a time of increasing religious and political conflict, Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s paintings portrayed work and pleasure, rituals and festivals of peasant life, and biblical scenes - all in startling detail. Inspired by humanist principles, Bruegel’s art questioned how well we know ourselves, often representing our ignorance and insignificance, the futility of ambition and the absurdity of pride. In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor Elizabeth Honig, author of Pieter Bruegel and the Idea of Human Nature, to explore further how Bruegel’s art and ideas enable people to ponder what it means to be human.  This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. For more Not Just The Tudors content, subscribe to our Tudor Tuesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.