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: History’s Greatest Fails
Podcast Episodes
S9 E6 | The Ambush [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:12
Royal favourites, we want your voice notes in our new miniseries on historical failures. Look out for Producer Al’s callout post on patreon.com/thisishistory Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester — Henry V’s last surviving brothe…
S9 E5 | Enter the She Wolf [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:54
Royal favourites, we want your voice notes in our new miniseries on historical failures. Look out for Producer Al’s callout post on patreon.com/thisishistory England’s grip on France is collapsing. After more than a cent…
S9 E4 | Tainted Love [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:47
Owen Tudor is running out of time. With Queen Mother Catherine de Valois dead, their once‑secret marriage — and the Tudor bloodline it produced — is suddenly exposed. The English court is alarmed, the line of royal succe…
S9 E3 | Hot Stuff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:37
The royal court isn’t exactly celebrating after the death of Joan of Arc. A dangerous liaison erupts between the widowed Queen of England, Catherine de Valois, and a Welsh suitor called Owen Tudor. 1430s England is not a…
S9 E2 | Joan of Arc [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:10
You can now WATCH this episode over on YouTube at youtube.com/@thisishistorypod Henry VI now rules England… as a kid. As the adults take charge around him, the English war effort in France has been held together increasi…
S9 E1 | Problem Child [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:10
With Henry V gone, we kick off this new season with a baby on the throne and all the resulting complications that come with this complex scenario. Power is tussled over between the king’s uncles, as a new cast of figures…
S9 E0 | Introducing… Season Nine of a Dynasty to Die For [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:06
England’s greatest warrior-king is gone and on the throne… a baby. In season 9 of This Is History: A Dynasty to Die For, acclaimed historian Dan Jones charts the turbulent story of Henry VI, an infant monarch whose reign…
3. A Nativity to Die For — Gold, Frankincense... and Murder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:11
In the final episode of Dan’s three-part retelling of the Nativity we enter the gospel of Matthew, as we explore the story according to him. Matthew is all about Jesus’s royal line so expect kings, royalty and great gift…
2. A Nativity to Die For — Away in a manger [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:39
The story continues as the holy family make their way to Bethlehem for a Roman census. Along the way they meet classic characters from the Nativity including an inn keeper and some shepherds who, while watching their flo…
1. A Nativity to Die For — Surprise! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:52
Dan kicks off a new three part series with a retelling of the biblical tale of Mary, Joseph and the whole Gospel-featuring Nativity crew, asking questions about why they say what they say - why sometimes they agree, and…