History Half-Hour with Ryan & Jamie: Recent Episodes
Ryan May-Miller
Join Jamie and Ryan as they discuss topics throughout the history of the world, and sometimes Mars. If you learn something, that's great, If you don't...well...we tried.
In this hour-long Series Three Finale, Ryan and Jamie look into a battle that shaped English history, the Battle of Hastings in 1066. They discuss William of Normandy, the Bayeux Tapestry and reminisce about the last sixty episodes in the final History Half-Hour with Ryan & Jamie.
This week, Ryan and Jamie discover the history of infamous pirate Blackbeard. They discuss Queen Anne, The Royal Navy and 'Jaws'.
This week, Ryan and Jamie examine the 1911 theft of Leonardo Da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa'. They discuss Vincenzo Peruggia, Napoleon and spanners.
This week, Ryan and Jamie discuss the major political scandal that caused Nixon to resign in 1974, Watergate. They look into The Washington Post, The FBI and Forrest Gump.
This week, Ryan and Jamie look into the British Punk Revolution and the rise of the band the Sex Pistols. They discuss 'God Save The Queen', Vivienne Westwood and hiccups.
This week, Ryan teaches Jamie about the complex making of the 1985 iconic film 'Back To The Future'. They discuss Michael J. Fox, Ronald Reagan and Spacemen from Pluto.
This week, Ryan and Jamie look into the Malayan Emergency that began in 1948. They discuss the Chinese Civil War, The Malayan Union and Chile.
This week, Ryan and Jamie continue their discussions on Detente by talking about the second round of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks. They discuss Gerald Ford, Vladivostok and peanut farming.
This week, Ryan and Jamie look into the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks in May of 1972. They discuss Nixon, Multiple Independently-targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs) and Pet Rocks.
Jamie and Ryan look into the history of socks in this week's episode. They discuss Latin, Fort Payne and Rowan Atkinson.
Molly Montague joins Ryan as guest host this week to talk about the women's suffrage movement in Britain. They discuss Emmeline Pankhurst, Emily Davison and Mini Golf.
This week, Ryan and Jamie look into the life of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester. They discuss Elizabeth I, Kenilworth Castle and Meal-deal pasta pots.
Ryan and Jamie perform another look into the history of certain everyday things, this time it's the podcast. On this podcast history history-podcast, they discuss iPod, Radio and Doritos.
This week, Molly and Lizzy discuss tales from Ancient Greece, and sometimes Rome. They converse over Lysistrata, Mount Olympus and 'Cloud Cuckoo Land'.
Jamie and Ryan look into the history of the Kennedy Family and the tragic prevalence of premature deaths amongst its members. They discuss JFK, the Cold War and intense chair sounds.
This week, Ryan and Jamie look into the life and work of Indian Nationalist leader, Gandhi. They discuss the Amritsar Massacre, Lord Mountbatton and Baristas.
Ryan and Jamie are once again joined by Charlie to teach the about the First Crusade. They discuss The Byzantine Empire, Peter the Hermit and They Might Be Giants.
This episode, Ryan and Jamie recount the tale of legendary Scottish cannibal and clan leader, Sawney Bean. They look into caves, King James and Gareth from accounting.
This week, Jamie and Ryan take a look at some of the most peculiar attempts made on the life of Cuban leader Fidel Castro. They discuss the CIA, Cigars and eating shoes.
Ryan and Jamie return for a third series, leaping out of the gate with the life and work of one of the first feminists: Mary Wollstonecraft. They consider equality, voting rights and a holiday on the moon.
The finale for Series Two brings a look into the crimes of the most notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper. Ryan and Jamie orchestrate this hour-long special with discussions about Victorian London, the Victims and how Jimmy should not be listening. This episode contains material that may not be suitable for some listeners including descriptions of murders and crime scenes.
Lizzy Riley returns as the final guest of series two, but the first guest of 2022, to continue her coverage of how the English language developed throughout the early modern period. They discuss accents, invasion and cheesecake.
We want to wish you a very happy New Year with this small episode on New Years Day 2022, with a few New Year's facts to get you through.
In this Christmas Special, Jamie and Ryan discover the history of the holiday. They look into Ancient Rome, St Nicholas and Cheese.
Ryan and Jamie examine the reasons behind decolonisation of the British Empire in Asia after the Second World War. They talk about Aung San, Singapore and a communist granny.
This time Jamie and Ryan stay up to talk about the history of sleep, and investigate the question 'why do we sleep?'. They look into segmented sleep, Roger Ekirch and Wizards.
This time Jamie and Ryan dive into the turbulent life and career of Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. They discuss Post-Impressionism, German Expressionism and Doctor Who.
It's Jamie's Birthday, and this time the boys discuss the Marshall Plan during the Cold War. They cover George Marshall, Poland and Jamie hiding in a bin.
In this episode, Ryan and Jamie examine the professional pasts of some of History's most evil people, with some surprising results. They cover Stalin, Cambodia and doughnuts.
This time Jamie and Ryan look into the life and work of American Civil Rights activist Bayard Rustin. They ponder the March on Washington, Gandhi and ketchup.
This time Ryan and Jamie look into the life and death of Macedonian King Alexander III, better known as Alexander the Great. They discuss Aristotle, Babylon and Tesco.
Ryan teaches Jamie about the historical context behind Mary Shelley's iconic 1818 novel 'Frankenstein'. They discuss Lord Byron, Galvanism and 'WrestleMania'.
Lizzy Riley returns to the podcast to teach Ryan and Jamie about how the English Language developed from 450AD. They learn about Vikings, Geoffrey Chaucer and the Farming Mafia.
Ryan and Jamie delve into the legal document that is more than eight centuries old, the Magna Carta. They discuss King John, taxes and apple crumble.
On this week's episode, Ryan and Jamie look into the history of clothes irons. They deliberate over Henry W. Seeley, Ancient Chinese technology and Tudor ruffs.
This time, Ryan teaches Jamie about some historical contexts that inspired William Shakespeare's final play, 'The Tempest'. Jamie learns about King James I, The Gunpowder Plot and the Bard's ghost.
Ryan and Jamie dive into the Manchurian Crisis of 1931 to 1933, in which Japan invaded a Chinese province. They look into the League of Nations, Woodrow Wilson and 'Shaun of the Dead'.
Molly Montague Joins the boys as the first guest of series two to talk about the historic sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. They cover White Star Line, Violet Jessop and a century-old locked cupboard.
This time, Ryan and Jamie look into the French campaign in Egypt led by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1798 and the grand sea battle that took place. They converse over Nelson, the port of Alexandria and fighting robot Pyramids .
The boys are back with a brand new series. Ryan and Jamie discuss the exceptional work done at Bletchley Park during the Second World War by the likes of Alan Turning and Joan Clarke in breaking the German Enigma machine. They talk about the invention of computers, MI6 and Boffins.
This is the original pilot episode of History Half-Hour with Ryan & Jamie, back when it was under the working title: 'Student History'. This recording from March 2021 is bonus material from series one of the podcast and features many of the elements of what the show would become. In this 20 minute pilot, Ryan and Jamie discuss the Cold War. We hope you enjoy this bonus material.
In this Series One Finale, Ryan and Jamie operate the grandest History Half-Hour yet with an hour-long special on the Vietnam War, particularly the beginning of the conflict to the end of the Johnson Administration in 1968. They look into Guerrilla Warfare, Operation Popeye and 'The Terminator'.
Ryan and Jamie are joined by Solomon Harrison to describe the historical farce that was the 1797 battle of Fishguard in Wales between British and invading French forces. They converse over Colonel William Tate, Napoleon Bonaparte and Shipwrecked Portuguese Wine.
Ryan and Jamie delve into the history of famed magician and escape artist Harry Houdini and his exploits in exposing Physics and Spiritualists who claimed to speak to the dead. They explore Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Mina Crandon and 'Ghostbusters'.
Jamie and Ryan explore the bizarre three hundred year story of British Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell's severed head. They look into The English Civil war, King Charles II and a terrified Santa Claus.
This time, Ryan and Jamie take a light hearted approach to the podcast and ponder the history of the beloved children's toy the yo-yo. They reference ancient Greece, a 1965 trademark case and vending machines.
This week, Ryan and Jamie discuss Operation Mincemeat, a successful British deception operation carried out in 1943 during the Second World War. They consider HMS Seraph, The Allied invasion of Sicily and a Mexican Spy Crab.
For the next half-hour, Ryan and Jamie try to solve the mysteries surrounding English King Richard III who reigned from 1483 to 1485. They investigate Edward IV, the Tower of London and Jet skis.
Ryan and Jamie are joined by Brooke Carter who teaches those two about the Fascist Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, Caudillo of Spain from 1939 until 1975. They talk about the Spanish Civil War, women's suffrage and a Fascist check-book.
Ryan and Jamie continue their coverage of the course of the Cold War Korean conflict from 1950 to 1953. They ponder General Douglas MacArthur, Rollback and Skittles.
This week, Ryan and Jamie take on the first Cold War conflict: The Korean War from June 1950 to July 1953. The pair tackle the United Nations, Kim Il Sung and the Six Million Dollar Man.
Ryan and Jamie continue their discussion about 'What Is History' (1961) by E. H. Carr. They wrap up thoughts on whether history is a science, the Theory of Evolution and giant tortoises.
This time, Ryan and Jamie deliberate over historian E.H. Carr's book 'What is History?' (1961). They consider the usefulness of facts, the advantages of bias and a possible future of androids.
Ryan and Jamie take a trip back to the Tudors to learn about King Henry VIII's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. Joined by special guest Charlie Bowden, the trio discuss Thomas Cromwell, the Holy Roman Empire and Nice biscuits.
Ryan and Jamie delve into a conflict in 1932 Western Australia, pitting the Australian military against Emus. They ponder the Great Depression, national birds and fences.
Ryan and Jamie spend half an hour discussing the Indian Mutiny against British rule that began on 10th May 1857. They cover the East India Company, the Mughal Empire and goats.
For the first time in history, Ryan and Jamie are joined by a guest. Their friend Lizzy Riley teaches the hosts about the development of sign language in Nicaragua during the 1980s. They learn about Dr Judy Shepard-Kegl, Manualism and sandwiches.
Ryan and Jamie take a trip to Antartica, describing the expeditions of Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott, who both set sail in 1910 with the goal of being the first to reach the South Pole. They deliberate over Scott's 'Discovery' expedition of 1901, Norwegian professional skiers and red pandas.
On this podcast, Ryan & Jamie address the subject of race through the activist Malcolm X. They ponder civil rights, Muhammad Ali and the pop group Steps.
This time, Ryan and Jamie go through the build up and result of the Jameson Raid in South Africa that lasted from 29th December 1895 to 2nd January 1896. They converse over the Second Boer War, Neville Chamberlain's father and a very violent pantomime.
Ryan and Jamie discuss the events and consequences of the Yalta Conference in February 1945. They cover topics such as Poland, the United Nations and Columbo.