Oliver Cromwell’s Head

Oliver Cromwell’s Head

Author: Simone Whitlow September 7, 2022 Duration: 16:11
Note: As per last episode - A few weeks back I had a script half done for an episode on Smedley Butler and the Wall Street Putsch. It looked set to run well in excess of my usual 25 minutes. The following episode will likely be a similar length. I set those scripts aside as I had just started a new role at my day job, and was worried homework for the new job might throw everything into disarray. We’ll pick up on those regular episodes in two weeks’ time. Trigger Warning: This one gets a little gory.  This week’s tale starts in a pub in London, England, circa 1818. A cadre of upper middle-class professionals meet to discuss the day’s topics of interest. Among them, a ‘man in a box’ who a century and a half ago outlawed such frivolity. This is the tale of that man, Oliver - and how got here.     Sources this week - I’ll fill this in, and backfill several previous episodes this week (I promise).  The episode grew out of a blog post on History in Numbers  a friend sent me, which veered off into several news articles, an old high school history book and an episode of Parcast Network’s Gone. The blog post of the episode is here. Support the show on Patreon for just $2 US a month and get access to exclusive content. I’m currently revamping, and will be dropping re-recorded bonus content weekly for the next two months. This week we’ll discuss the mystery of Otzi the Iceman.     Please leave a like and review wherever you listen. The best way you can help support the show is to share an episode with a friend - Creative works grow best by word of mouth. I post episodes fortnightly, Wednesdays. Tales of History and Imagination is on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. The show has a YouTube Channel, largely for Audiogram advertisements.  Music, writing, narration, mixing all yours truly. For more information on Simone click here.   

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
Pledge Week: A Nude Horse… [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:12
Hi everyone, this week we’re doing things a bit different. I’ll be back from my mid year break with new episodes in two weeks’ time. In the meantime we’re running a pledge week for the Patreon channel. Tuesday through Fr…
Pledge Week: Does Anyone Live Beyond You? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:39
Hi everyone, this week we’re doing things a bit different. I’ll be back from my mid year break with new episodes in two weeks’ time. In the meantime we’re running a pledge week for the Patreon channel. Monday through Thu…
Pledge Week: Captain Johnson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:37
Hi everyone, this week we’re doing things a bit different. I’ll be back from my mid year break with new episodes in two weeks’ time. In the meantime we’re running a pledge week for the Patreon channel. Tuesday through Fr…
Pledge Week: The Devil Comes to Milan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:45
Hi everyone, this week we’re doing things a bit different. I’ll be back from my mid year break with new episodes in two weeks’ time. In the meantime we’re running a pledge week for the Patreon channel. Tuesday through Fr…
Re-Upload: The Max Headroom Incident [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:28
Hey all I’m on holiday, though I’ve got a few things programmed to drop while I’m away… including this; a re-upload of this episode from October 2021. “On 9:14 pm, 22nd November 1987, Chicago’s WGN TV was ‘zipped’ by a m…
Tycho Brahe’s Universe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:06
Hey all I’m on holiday, though I’ve got a few things programmed to drop while I’m away… including this, my short ode to the astronomer Tycho Brahe. Sources include: Apologies all, this is from an old blog post where, now…
The American Mafia - Three: The Castellammare War… [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:02
This week we conclude our mob Tale. With the bosses banged up, the Morello family must do their best to navigate a rapidly changing world - and several vicious wars. How will they deal with upstarts, Kings, The Camorra,…
The American Mafia - Two: The Ballad of Antonio Comito [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:49
This week, (sorry all, please bear with me- day job’s running me a little ragged, but I should be on track again in August) we’re returning to our mobsters - Giuseppe ‘The Clutch Hand’ Morello and the 107th Street Gang.…
The American Mafia - One: The Clutch Hand [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:05
This week, (apologies for the delay all, I’ve been an absolute wreck the last couple of weeks) we’re returning to Little Italy; the year 1903. In part one of this two parter we discuss the early life of America’s first C…
Temujin (an Origin Story) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:51
This week, we take a magic carpet ride into the wilds of the Central Asian Steppe - timeframe? the mid 12th Century. Today we’re taking a (rather hagiographic) look at the early life of a young man named Temujin… Sources…