The Phantom Airships

The Phantom Airships

Author: Simone Whitlow February 24, 2022 Duration: 20:39
From November 1896 through 1897, the skies over America - if Tales are to be believed - were full of magnificent flying machines. Some possibly from another planet, most were believed by the populace to be the work of pioneering geniuses - such as a mysterious 47 year old dentist from California.  What was really behind this spate of sightings?   The blog post of the episode is here.  Support the show on Patreon for just $2 a month and get access to exclusive content.       Please leave us a like and review. 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. We’re on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. 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
The Island [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:44
First discovered on New Year’s Day 1739, and situated 1,600 Kilometres from the nearest trade route, Bouvet Island is the most remote island on Earth. Uninhabitable, windswept and dangerous - it has, all the same, accrue…
The Dog Days’ King [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:42
Jorgen Jorgensen, born in Copenhagen, Denmark to a watchmaker, lived the kind of life most seen in picaresque novels like Voltaire’s Candide or Thackeray’s Barry Lyndon - but another way to sum him up would be he lived t…
The Frost Fair [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:15
Happy Holidays all! This week we travel back to the Thames river, scene of The Revenge of the Tallysticks, to discuss the Great Frost Fair of 1683-4. Tales of History and Imagination will be back with some new episodes o…
Madame Fiocca - Part Two [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:16
In Madame Fiocca part two we discuss Nancy Wake’s return to France, and time with the Maquis - bands of French resistance agents camping out in the forests. This is part Two of a Two Part series. Part One is HERE. Blog r…
Madame Fiocca - Part One [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:49
Nancy Wake was known by many names. The Nazis called her the White Mouse, a resourceful agent of the resistance, who evaded their clutches. Britain’s Special Operations Executive called her Hélène. She was a key member o…
A Few Short Tales on Trans Awareness Week 2022 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:19
This week’s Tale is, moving forwards, an annual topic I’d like to return to each November - as I do spooky things on Halloween and Christmassy things around Christmas. The week this script was written (13-19 November) wa…
The Revenge of The Tally Sticks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:40
Warning: The following is a long, shaggy dog tale about money, Anglo-Saxon England, things manufactured and things callously discarded. Mostly it’s about Tally Sticks, willow trees and revenge. It’s not me taking a new d…
Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:35
On Sunday April 18th 1943 four boys head off on a boys-own adventure into Hagley Woods. A day of poaching birds eggs soon turned macabre, however - with the discovery of a skull in an elm tree. In this Halloween Tale we…
The Wall Street Coup Part Two [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:22
This week’s tale is part two of a two parter. Part one can be found here Smedley Butler was, in his own time, the most decorated soldier in American History. A participant in 120 battles and armed conflicts spanning elev…
The Wall Street Coup, Part One [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:55
This week’s tale is part one of a two parter. Part Two can be found Here. Smedley Butler was, in his own time, the most decorated soldier in American History. A participant in 120 battles and armed conflicts spanning ele…