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The History Chap Podcast

Chris Green

260 episodes

Join Chris Green - The History Chap - as he explores the stories behind British history - the great events, the forgotten stories and the downright bizarre!Chris is a historian by training, and has a way of bringing history to life by making it relevant, interesting and entertaining.www.thehistorychap.com

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. 277: Why was Alfred Called "The Great"?

    · 28 min

    Send me a message Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that bring the past to life. Alfred is the only English king to be called "The Great". But how did he earn that accolade? Get my Free weekly…

  2. 276: The Man Who Told Eisenhower to Postpone D-Day

    · 26 min

    Send me a message Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that bring the past to life. The real story behind the film, "Pressure", of Group Captain Stagg and his crucial weather forecasts in June 1944. Get…

  3. 276: British vs The "Mad Mullah", Somaliland 1900-1904

    · 24 min

    Send me a message Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that bring the past to life. The forgotten 20-year colonial war in Africa, that British fought against one of her most tenacious and elusive…

  4. 275: Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians: England's Forgotten Warrior Queen

    · 25 min

    Send me a message Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, Alfred the Great's daughter, who took England's fight to the Vikings. Interested in a course about Anglo-Saxon England? Register your interest by clicking here:…

  5. 274: Washington's Plot To Kidnap Britain's Future King

    · 15 min

    Send me a message Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. The audacious plot to kidnap the future King William IV during the American Revolution. Get my Free weekly newsletter…

  6. 273: Rorke's Drift: The Commander Who Wasn't There

    · 16 min

    Send me a message Rhorke's Drift: The Commander Who Wasn't There Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. The story of Major Henry Spalding, the man who should have been in…

  7. 272: The Death That Made Henry VIII & Changed England Forever

    · 22 min

    Send me a message Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. In this episode we explore how the death of a forgotten heir to the Tudor throne, resulted in Henry VIII becoming king…

  8. 271: Escape From The Mahdi: The Real Four Feathers

    · 18 min

    Send me a message The real historical events that inspired "The Four Feathers" Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. Get my Free weekly newsletter Support My Work - Make A…

  9. 270: The 19-Year-Old Shot by His Own Side: Private Thomas Highgate

    · 18 min

    Send me a message The story of Thomas Highgate, the first of the 346 soldiers executed by the British during the First World War. Get my Free weekly newsletter Support My Work - Make A Donation - Buy Me A Coffee…

  10. 269: The Peasants' Revolt: What Was It Really About?

    · 19 min

    Send me a message On 14th June 1381, a 14-year-old king rode out to face an army of his own people. London was burning, the Tower of London had been stormed, and the Chancellor's head lay on Tower Hill. How had…

  11. 268: Harold's Gamble: How the Battle Of Hastings Was Lost Before It Began

    · 28 min

    Send me a message Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. In the light of all the news about the arrival of the Bayeux Tapestry in London, I want to go behind the headlines of…

  12. 267: The Man Who Saved Rorke's Drift

    · 15 min

    Send me a message Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. The film Zulu made the Battle of Rorke's Drift legendary, but it turned its most important defender into a footnote. In…

  13. 266: Why Did Japan Send Her Navy To Malta In 1917?

    · 14 min

    Send me a message A Strange Memorial in a British military cemetery in Malta, recalls a forgotten story from the First World War. Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. Get my…

  14. 265:The Battle of Quebec 1759: Where James Wolfe Lost His Life But Won An Empire

    · 26 min

    Send me a message Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. Get my Free weekly newsletter Support My Work - Make A Donation - Buy Me A Coffee Support the show

  15. 264: Alfred Before He Was Great

    · 21 min

    Send me a message The story of Alfred before he was great. The Viking invasion of Wessex during the winter of 870/871 - 6 great battles - and the rise of a king who would save England. Chris Green is The History…

  16. 263: What Happened to Lt. Bromhead After Rorke's Drift?

    · 17 min

    Send me a message The 1964 film, "Zulu" saw Michael Caine's debut on the big screen. He played Lt. Gonville Bromhead, one of the 11 men awarded the Victoria Cross at the Battle of Rorke's Drift, fought in the…

  17. 262: The Real Captain Bligh - Villain or Hero?

    · 21 min

    Send me a message William Bligh is remembered as history's most notorious villain — the tyrant of the Bounty, the captain whose cruelty drove his men to mutiny. But the real story is stranger, and far more remarkable,…

  18. 261: Britain, Argentina & The Falklands: 200 Years of Rival Claims

    · 20 min

    Send me a message The 200-Year Old History of The Argentinian - British dispute over ownership of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life.…

  19. 260:Last of The Mohicans: The Massacre Behind The Story

    · 18 min

    Send me a message The real historical events that inspired the story: Last of the Mohicans. Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. Get my Free weekly newsletter Support My…

  20. 259: Zulu's John Chard VC: He Really Did Come To Build A Bridge

    · 17 min

    Send me a message In the 1964 film Zulu, Stanley Baker's Lieutenant Chard delivers one of cinema's most quietly memorable lines: "I came up here to build a bridge." This is the real story of Lieutenant John Rouse…

  21. 258: The General Killed Saving The British Army

    · 25 min

    Send me a message January 1809. A British Army of over 20,000 men is trapped by the French in north west Spain. This is the story of a forgotten Scottish General, Sir John Moore, who successfully evacuated his entire…

  22. 257: When The Russians Fired On British Fishing Boats

    · 19 min

    Send me a message Just after midnight on the 22nd October 1904, Russian warships opened fire on British fishing trawlers in the North Sea. Why? Because, as they sailed towards the Far East during the Russo-Japanese…

  23. 256:Why Is David Livingstone Buried Without His Heart?

    · 19 min

    Send me a message Britain's most famous explorer, David Livingstone, is buried in Westminster Abbey, but why was he buried without his heart? Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to…

  24. 255: Charles Gordon's Forgotten War in China - The Taiping Rebellion.

    · 21 min

    Send me a message Charles "Chinese" Gordon, one of the great Victorian British military heroes, famously killed defending Khartoum against the Mahdi. But, how did he get the nickname "Chinese" Gordon? This is the…

  25. 254: Breaker Morant - War Criminal or Scapegoat?

    · 26 min

    Send me a message The execution of Harry "Breaker" Morant for the shooting of unarmed prisoners during the Anglo Boer War in South Africa (1899-1902) continues to stir emotions and debate. Not just about whether he…

  26. 253: The WW1 White Feathers

    · 22 min

    Send me a message Whilst the films about "The Four Feathers" are ripping yarns from the age of the British Empire, the real life white feathers handed out to supposed cowards in WW1 had a devastating effect. Get my…

  27. 252: What Happened to Private Hitch VC After Rorke's Drift?

    · 14 min

    Send me a message In the classic war film "Zulu", Private Fred Hitch is called a "slovenly soldier". He nevertheless goes on to be awarded the Victoria Cross at the battle of Rorke's Drift. But the story about what…

  28. 251: The Forgotten Scandal Behind Britain's Favourite Poem, "If-"

    · 17 min

    Send me a message The forgotten Victorian scandal behind Britain's favourite poem - Rudyard Kipling's "If-". Get my Free weekly newsletter Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to…

  29. 250: The Man Who Named "The Great Game" & Who Was Executed Playing It.

    · 27 min

    Send me a message In 1842, the man who coined the phrase "The Great Game" was executed whilst playing it in a remote city in central Asia. Get my Free weekly newsletter Chris Green is The History Chap; telling…

  30. 249: Why Kitchener Blocked Winston Churchill's Victoria Cross.

    · 15 min

    Send me a message Get my Free weekly newsletter How Winston Churchill's recommendation for a Victoria Cross, during the Anglo-Boer War, was blocked by Lord Kitchener. Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories…

  31. 248: Before Gallipoli - Forgotten Siege That Defined The ANZAC Spirit.

    · 23 min

    Send me a message August 1900. Five hundred colonial troops. Two thousand Boer fighters. Thirteen days of siege — and a refusal to surrender that changed how the world understood the ANZAC spirit. Chris Green is The…

  32. 247: The Island Where Nelson Lost His Eye.

    · 16 min

    Send me a message In the summer of 1794, Horatio Nelson lost the sight in his right eye on a small Mediterranean island. That island was the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte. And for two years — it was British. This…

  33. 245: The Army That Vanished: The Retreat From Kabul 1842

    · 26 min

    Send me a message In January 1842, a British-led force marched out of Kabul and into one of the most devastating episodes in British military history. Make A Donation - Buy Me A Coffee or Support the show

  34. 244: Britain's 38 Minute War

    · 17 min

    Send me a message Lasting just 38 minutes, the Anglo-Zanzibar War in 1896, is regarded as the shortest war in history. Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. Ways You Can…

  35. 243: Why Britain Still Owns The Chagos Islands

    · 14 min

    Send me a message The Chagos Islands and Diego Garcia are at the centre of one of the most controversial territorial disputes involving Britain, Mauritius, and the United States. In this podcast episode, The History…

  36. 242: Only Man Awarded Both Victoria Cross & Olympic Gold

    · 18 min

    Send me a message Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. The story of Philip Neame, the only man to be awarded both the Victoria Cross and an Olympic gold medal. Ways You Can…

  37. 241: Flogging in the British Army: When Did It End?

    · 19 min

    Send me a message Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. Flogging was the principle punishment in the British Army for nearly 200 years. Even the Duke of Wellington was a…

  38. 240: "Only Fools & Horses": What Was Uncle Albert's REAL Wartime Story?

    · 18 min

    Send me a message Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. Did you know that the actor behind the much loved comedy character, Uncle Albert ("Only Fools and Horses") actually did…

  39. 239: The Royal Navy's Field Gun Competition: What Inspired It?

    · 17 min

    Send me a message Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. What was the inspiration behind the Royal Navy's legendary field gun competition? Ways You Can Support My Channel:…

  40. 238: Marlborough, The British, & The Bloodiest Battle in 18th Century Europe

    · 23 min

    Send me a message Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. The Bloodies European Battle in the 18th Century - Malplaquet 1709. The Duke of Marlborough's fourth victory over the…

  41. 237: Marlborough's Forgotten Victory? Oudenarde 1708

    · 26 min

    Send me a message Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. The Battle of Oudenarde 1708, Marlborough's Forgotten Battle. The book I mentioned, and used as part of my research:…

  42. 236: "Get Off My Bloody Ship!" The Defiant British Last Stand, Shanghai 1941

    · 25 min

    Send me a message HMS Peterel: The Royal Navy's Defiant Last Stand at Shanghai, 1941 Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. Ways You Can Support My Channel: Become A Patron…

  43. 235: Blackadder at the Battle of Blenheim

    · 14 min

    Send me a message The real Blackadder who fought at the Battle of Blenheim, 1704. Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. Ways You Can Support My Channel: Become A Patron…

  44. 234: The Battle of Ramillies 1706 - Greater Than Blenheim?

    · 26 min

    Send me a message Fought in 1706, the Battle of Ramillies is arguably the Duke of Marlborough's greatest victory. Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. Ways You Can Support…

  45. 233: The Battle of Blenheim 1704

    · 30 min

    Send me a message The Battle of Blenheim 1704: Marlborough's first of four great victories over the French. Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. Ways You Can Support My…

  46. 222: Florence Nightingale: Legend and Reality

    · 52 min

    Send me a message Florence Nightingale, the "Lady with the lamp" is one of the most famous British women in history. But, what did she really achieve? Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the…

  47. 221: The Battle of Hong Kong 1941 (Part 2)

    · 32 min

    Send me a message This is Part 2 of my story about the battle (and fall) of Hong Kong in December 1941. Listen to Part 1 Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. Ways You Can…

  48. 220: The Battle of Hong Kong 1941 (Part 1)

    · 28 min

    Send me a message The battle for Hong Kong fought between the 8th and 25th December 1941, is overshadowed by the British defeat at Singapore and thus is often a forgotten chapter in World War 2. And yet, the British,…

  49. 219: Marlborough: The General Who Never Lost A Battle

    · 35 min

    Send me a message John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough: The General Who Never Lost A Battle. Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. Ways You Can Support My Channel:…

  50. 218: Lawrence of Arabia - The Truth Behind The Legend

    · 31 min

    Send me a message Lawrence of Arabia: The Truth Behind The Legend Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life. Ways You Can Support My Channel: Become A Patron Make A Donation…

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