Admin: A Slight Change of Plans…

Admin: A Slight Change of Plans…

Author: Simone Whitlow November 8, 2024 Duration: 1:43
Hi there all, just dropping a quick note, before I return to the writing desk… USA I’m aghast… and worried, and saddened by recent turns of events. And tonight I just wanted to send you all my love (well, obviously not all of you… some of you voted for a fascist) and just explain why I’m pulling an upcoming episode… hit play, spoken me explains it all better… No ‘Sources Include’ tonight - unless you’re in fight back mode - in which case no specific recommendation, but I’ll be looking round for a good book on the French Popular Front movement who formed in 1936, and destroyed the ascendant French fascist party, the Croix De Feu. Paul Mason’s How to Stop Fascism is as good a place to start as any… Hang in there USA… 

Simone Whitlow hosts Tales of History and Imagination, a podcast dedicated to unearthing those peculiar, overlooked stories that conventional history books often skip. Each episode feels like a conversation about a fascinating secret, whether it's delving into the life of an obscure figure who tried to alter our very concept of time or examining the panic caused by a legendary beast in eighteenth-century France. You'll encounter the clever pranksters and the enigmatic side characters-the individuals who played brief but unforgettable cameo roles on the world's stage. Rather than re-treading well-worn narratives, this show seeks out perspectives rarely considered, finding the extraordinary within the ordinary march of events. Listening to this podcast is an exercise in curiosity, where major historical moments are often reframed through a surprising, human lens. It’s for anyone who suspects the past is far weirder and more wonderful than they were taught, blending rigorous research with a storyteller's sense of wonder. The result is a consistently engaging mix that sits at the crossroads of history, culture, and sheer human imagination.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Tales of History and Imagination
Podcast Episodes
The Sin-Eater, Wizard of Mauritius & Mr Good Day - Three Work Tales [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:28
Note: I had a different subject in mind for this week’s Tale, and was around 3,000 words into what was shaping up to be a longer than average script - when things came up at my day job. Those things are great things - bu…
The Many Deaths of Glenn Miller [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:27
Glenn Miller was a trombonist, composer, superstar bandleader, and a war hero. On 15th December he hitched a ride on a plane across the English Channel - and was never seen again. This week we discuss some of the many, a…
The Ghost & The Darkness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:25
This week we’re in Tsavo, Kenya, 1898. John Henry Patterson has recently arrived in the region, to oversee the construction of a railway line through the country. Much could be said of him, but we’re far more interested…
The Infernal Machine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:16
Trigger Warning: The following episode discusses a mass shooting. I’ve left all the foley sounds out and do my best to treat the subject matter with reverence - but if in doubt it’s fine to miss this one - I’ll be back i…
Minisode: Spencer Percival [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:55
Trigger Warning: The following episode discusses political assassination. Also a quick note: this wasn’t the episode I had in mind for the second of my ‘From the Vaults’ episodes this break. I recorded both Carrington Ev…
Minisode: The Carrington Event [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:03
Strange, magical things were afoot in Boston, Massachusetts on September 2nd 1859, as telegraph machines took on a life of their own. That night the skies the world over put on a magnificent light show on e reporter desc…
The Old Man of The Mountain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:50
In Part Three of our Assassins series we discuss the Syrian Assassins, Crusaders, Saladin, yet more assassinations and Baybars the Mamluk as we continue in our examination of the Ismaili. The blog post of the episode is…
The Mongols are Coming! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:17
In Part Two of our Assassins series we discuss Mongols, Kwarazmians, Heretics, more assassinations and those camels as we continue in our examination of the Ismaili. The blog post of the episode is here. Support the show…
The Cult of Hassan-i Sabbah [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:27
Admin Note: The following is part one of three part Tale. I’ll be releasing these fortnightly. There’s a tale from the Medieval Near East that persists in the modern day - some of the details are somewhat accurate - some…
The Bottle Conjuror [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:50
Quick admin note: I was planning on dropping a couple of 10 minute episodes in May, giving me a little time to plan out the next run. A couple of day to day things (I’m feeling it prudent I update my CV, and begin lookin…