Our Fake History
A podcast about myths we think are history and history that might be hidden in myths! Awesome stories that really (maybe) happened!
Episode #212 - Was "The Man Called Intrepid" a Fraud?
In 1976 the bestselling biography A Man Called Intrepid made the Canadian spy Sir. William Stephenson something close to a household name. The book claimed that the previously obscure Stephenson had secretly been the head of one of WWII's most important espionage agencies. Some even gave him credit for inspiring Ian Fleming's beloved fictional spy, James Bond. But, despite it's success, the book soon met with a wave of criticism from historians. The most vocal critics decried Stephenson as an "intrepid fraud" who "fooled the world into believing he was a master spy.” Was Stephenson truly an important part of British Intelligence, or was he just a Winnipeg con-man who duped his gullible biographers. Tune-in and find out how secret Canadian commando camps, stolen can openers, and the Butcher of Prague all play a role in the story.
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Podcast Episodes
Episode #252 - Were the Knights of the Air a Myth? (Part I)
At the outbreak of First World War airplanes were still a novelty on the battlefield. Originally planes were used for reconnaissance and the pilots were usually unarmed. This quickly changed and soon airplanes were being…
Bonus Episode - Roman Bondage, Voodoo Macbeth, and Bunga Bunga
In this bonus episode Sebastian takes questions about episode 249, 250, and 251. First, he does his best to grapple with how morality should factor into history education. Then a listener provides an epic email about Ors…
Episode #251 - What Was the Dreadnought Hoax?
When the HMS Dreadnought was launched in 1906 it completely revolutionized naval warfare. It made all previous ships obsolete and helped spur an arms race between Britain and Germany. For many the Dreadnought was symbol…
Episode #250 - Is Macbeth Cursed?
Every theatre kid can tell you that Shakespeare's Tragedy of Macbeth is a cursed play. Some believe that even saying the name of the play in a theatre where it is not being performed can jinx a production. Stories of mis…
Episode #249 - Who Built Rome? (ft. Dr. Emma Southon)
The Roman Empire is often remembered for it's grand works of architecture and formidable military. However, for most of its history Rome's economy was underpinned by the labour of millions of individuals who had been for…
Bonus Episode - Minor Miners, Activist Entertainers, and Spanish Painters
In this bonus episode Sebastian takes question from the listeners about the recent episodes on Henry Box Brown and Snow White. First, we hear some comments from a listener in Iceland who wanted to weigh in on the North A…
Episode #248 - Was There a Real Snow White?
The Brothers Grimm once write that "Snow White" was Germany's best known folktale. When the beloved fairytale served as the inspiration for the famous 1937 Disney film the story reached new levels of international recogn…
Episode #247 - Was Box Brown Magically Emancipated?
One of the most celebrated stories from the Underground Railroad is that of Henry Box Brown, the man who mailed himself to freedom. In 1849 Henry Brown successfully had himself shipped out of slavery in a packing crate f…
Bonus Episode - Disappearing Doppelgängers, Viking Thralls, and the Comedy of the Sagas
In this bonus episode Sebastian takes questions about the recent series on the Viking voyages to North America. In it he reckons with the history of slavery in the Norse world, guesses at why the southern Vinland of sett…
Episode #246 - How Far Did the Vikings Voyage? (Part III)
For centuries the western Norse colony of Vinland was known only to scholars of the Icelandic Sagas. But in the 19th century the work of a few Scandinavian historians helped revive interest in these previously obscure ta…
