Get in loser, we’re making history

Get in loser, we’re making history

Author: Sony Music Entertainment March 31, 2026 Duration: 4:06
We’re often taught that history’s written by the winners. But we’d like to argue that, in fact, it’s the losers who end up making history.  In this brand new miniseries from Dan Jones and Elizabeth Day, History’s Greatest Fails aims to answer the simple, but complex, question: Why do losers make history?  From Richard III, to Vincent Van Gough, to the purposefully forgotten female Pharaoh Hatshepsut, this series is going to help you better understand how the idea of failure changes over time, and what lessons failure has for all of us.   Dan and Elizabeth are old friends, fellow history graduates, and fellow authors and podcasters.  Dan Jones is host of This Is History — A Dynasty to Die For, a narrative podcast that charts the bloody and complex drama of England’s Plantagenet dynasty, now up to its 10th season.  Elizabeth is host of How To Fail, a podcast that has brought together hundreds of luminaries and thinkers including Kate Winslet, Yuval Noah Hariri, and Malala Yousafzai, to reflect on failure in the present.  Over six episodes, History’s Greatest Fails will dissect failure of all kinds, from troubled historical rulers, to the failures of remembrance, to the failures that have created the happy accidents that last for generations. As always, Dan’s royal favourites can chime in anytime on the royal court on Patreon at patreon.com/thisishistory. And for the bonus episodes of this miniseries, Dan and Producer Al are hearing from the favourites directly — join us as they discuss the royal favourites’ special fail mentions.  So, join us for the debut episode of History’s Greatest Fails, premiering on Tuesday April 7.  –– A Sony Music Entertainment production.  Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts  To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com  Learn more about your ad choices.  Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices  – Presented by Dan Jones and Elizabeth Day   Producer - Alan Weedon  Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman Executive Producer - Simon Poole  Executive Producer - Dan Jones Executive Producer for Daylight Productions - Elizabeth Day   Production Manager - Jen Mistri  Production coordinator - Eric Ryan  Head of content - Chris Skinner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is History: A Dynasty to Die For picks up the story after the death of Henry V, leaving England with an infant king, Henry VI. Historian Dan Jones guides listeners through the tumultuous reign that follows, a period defined by fragile regencies and escalating noble rivalries. This podcast delves into the power vacuums and personal dramas that set the stage for decades of conflict. The narrative explores how scandal, accusations of witchcraft, and the looming specter of madness intertwined with the brutal political machinations of the era. As factions vie for control both domestically and in England's French territories, the series charts the descent into the dynastic carnage known as the Wars of the Roses. Each episode builds a vivid picture of a kingdom teetering on the brink, where the crown itself becomes a lethal prize. The storytelling in this podcast focuses on the human ambitions and failures behind the historical events, offering a detailed and compelling audio experience. Listeners will hear a deep analysis of the key figures and turning points that shaped this pivotal century, moving beyond simple dates and battles to understand the motivations and consequences that defined a nation's destiny.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

THIS IS HISTORY — A DYNASTY TO DIE FOR
Podcast Episodes
S10 E2 | Rise of the Woodvilles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:52
Edward IV marries in secret, then springs the news like a trap. England’s new Queen, Elizabeth Woodville, arrives with two sons, a Lancastrian past, and a family ready to take their chance. When the newly-married couple…
S10 E1 | A New Hope [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:13
A 13-year-old girl labours in a sealed chamber at Pembroke Castle as the plague circles them. Miraculously, Margaret Beaufort survives. Her son does, too. His name is Henry Tudor. This birth doesn’t register in the minds…
You may also like: Hidden History with Dr Harini Bhat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:51
Hello from Dan! Don’t fret. There’s nothing happening to This Is History! I thought I’d give you a little treat ahead of Season 11 of A Dynasty to Die For. The excellent Dr Harini Bhat has kindly given you a special prev…
Introducing… Season Ten of a Dynasty to Die For [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:14
Three brothers. One crown. And no ounce of loyalty between them. In the final Plantagenet season of A Dynasty to Die For, Dan Jones traces the spectacular implosion of a dynasty that defined medieval England. You will me…
War — History’s Ultimate Failure [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:17
Elizabeth Day grew up in Belfast and would as a child walk past the most bombed hotel in Europe. Dan Jones recalls a Croatian widow whose husband went out for bread and never returned. In this final episode of History’s…
Ear Today, Gone Tomorrow: Van Gogh’s Guide to Artistic Failure [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:23
If you’re an artist, when would you like recognition to strike? Do you want it to be in your lifetime, only to be forgotten decades after your death? Or do you want to remain undiscovered, with your story potentially ech…
Why isn’t Leonardo Da Vinci remembered as an engineer? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:18
If you judge him by his own elaborate metrics, Leonardo da Vinci was a failure. Long before the Mona Lisa became shorthand for genius, Leonardo imagined himself as something else entirely: a military engineer, a designer…
How, exactly, does a woman ‘slip’ out of history? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:16
What would you do if your life was omitted, reduced to an overlooked footnote, or filed away as an anomaly? In this episode, Dan and Elizabeth turn a lens on the practice of history itself, interrogating the choices and…
Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn are the Ross and Rachel of history [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:28
To love is to risk heartbreak. And while for some, breakups result in renewal, maybe some therapy (or a few months’ spent wallowing), for the historical figures of this episode… a relationship’s end has broken many more…
Was Richard III a Failure? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:58
He died at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. And we haven’t been able to stop talking about him since. Yes, it’s time to consider the story of England’s last Plantagenet king, Richard III — a centuries-old tangle involving…