Best Thomas S Edwards Ii Podcasts (2024)

1
Henry II & Thomas Becket: A Doomed Friendship 45:51

1d ago45:51

45:51

It's 1163; Thomas Becket has cast off the shackles of his working class roots to become King Henry II's right-hand man. He is appointed to the highest position in the land next to the Crown; Archbishop of Canterbury. But Church and state are at loggerheads, with Henry and Thomas at the centre of the storm. Across four special episodes, Gone Medieva…

1
Pope vs. Emperor: An 11th Century Crisis 37:13

5d ago37:13

37:13

When you think of drama in the medieval period the appointment of bishops would not naturally come to mind. But the Investiture Controversy is one of those political storms that eventually embroiled almost all of Europe's leaders. Bishops were a big deal, carrying as much political heft as religious, so ceding ground on who picked them was as dange…

1
How Parliament Came to Westminster 30:38

9d ago30:38

30:38

Parliament is perhaps the single most significant institution in the United Kingdom. Like anything worthwhile, it's a medieval creation. But why did these meetings become settled in Westminster, where Parliament now has its home? Matt Lewis is joined by Dr. Hannes Kleineke from the History of Parliament Project to answer these questions. We also le…

1
The Rise of Thomas Becket 45:48

12d ago45:48

45:48

"Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?!" These words supposedly uttered by a King over 800 years ago set in motion a chain of gruesome events, and sparked cult-like devotion across the world. This month Gone Medieval marks the 850th anniversary of King Henry II’s penance for the murder of Thomas Becket by recounting the events leading up to a…

1
1217: The year that forged England 51:21

16d ago51:21

51:21

Two years after King John had agreed to the terms of Magna Carta, he reneged on his word, plunging England into war. The rebellious barons offered the throne to the French prince Louis and set off the chain of events that almost changed the course of English history. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis meets Catherine Hanley, author of 121…

1
Magna Carta in America 28:27

19d ago28:27

28:27

What does a document written in 1215 in England have to do with the United States? Surprisingly a lot actually! The Magna Carta is thought to have influenced foundational documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. But where did this inspiration come from? And why were America's founding fathers so influenced by a charter t…

1
London's Oldest Parish Church: Great St. Barts 27:55

23d ago27:55

27:55

Once connected to a busy and thriving hospital, Great St Bart's Church in Smithfield is not only a survivor of the Great Fire of London, but also has a fascinating foundation story. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis goes to get a closer look at London’s oldest surviving parish church with Father Marcus Walker. Gone Medieval is presented …

1
Pope Joan: Sacred Scandal 34:09

26d ago34:09

34:09

Out of the shadowy world of the medieval church, an extraordinary legend emerged of a woman who disguised herself as a man and remarkably, rose to become Pope. It's a story of secret identities, illicit affairs and a Church shaken by the unthinkable - a female pope giving birth in the midst of a sacred procession. In this episode of Gone Medieval, …

1
Rise of the Crusader States 38:51

30d ago38:51

38:51

The Crusader states in the Near East were created after the First Crusade in order to keep hold of the territorial gains made by those known in the region as the Franks - essentially Christians from Western Europe. What can the military activities of the many different factions in the region tell us about how and why those states rose and then fell…

1
Edward the Confessor 46:02

1M ago46:02

46:02

One of the last kings of Anglo-Saxon England, Edward the Confessor regained the throne for the House of Wessex and is the only English monarch to become a Saint. But Edward the Confessor has also been blamed for causing the invasion of 1066―the last successful conquest of England by a foreign power. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Jan…

1
The Anarchy: Disruptive Women 38:18

1M ago38:18

38:18

The Anarchy is an intriguing and often forgotten period of history. There are fascinating characters and moments of deep political importance to England's development as a state. The involvement of women in the Anarchy is vital to understanding how it played out over almost two decades. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Sharon B…

1
Fantastic Beasts of the Middle Ages 37:15

1M ago37:15

37:15

In the Middle Ages, animals were often the means for survival and the source of great wealth. No wonder then that in the medieval imagination, animals are not just animals. Animals were thought to have traits and characteristics that meant that they could be sorted into moral categories - good and bad, righteous and evil - that dominate the Christi…

1
Travel Guide to the Middle Ages 37:00

1M ago37:00

37:00

If you are planning - or dreaming of - your next holiday, have you stopped to wonder whether our medieval counterparts did exactly the same thing? Why did people travel in the Middle Ages, and what was the experience like for them? Were there any similarities with travelling today? In this edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Anthony Bale.…

1
Whisky: The Medieval Elixir 37:24

2M ago37:24

37:24

Did you know we have our medieval ancestors to thank for whisky? It wasn’t exactly a medieval invention but the process of making distilled alcohol and the idea that it might be fun to drink was. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega finds out more from whisky journalist Matt Chambers about how we got from desalinating seawater in th…

1
Echoes of History: Civil War in Feudal Japan 35:44

2M ago35:44

35:44

Dating from 1467-1603, the Sengoku or ‘Warring States’ period is known as the bloodiest in Japan’s history; an era of continuous social upheaval and civil war which transformed the country. Shogun-led authority was shattered and 150 years of murder and betrayal followed as fearsome warlords ruled local territories with unflinching ruthlessness. In …

1
Richard the Lionheart 39:04

2M ago39:04

39:04

King Richard I of England - Richard the Lionheart - is one of those historical figures whose reputation stands out so much that the legends cover up the myriad of complex details that we have about their lives. After all, you don't get a name like Lionheart without a serious amount of artful effort, both on the battlefield and in the halls of power…

1
Medieval Monsters, Ghosts & Werewolves 40:41

2M ago40:41

40:41

The supernatural in the Medieval world was always close at hand. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis pays a visit to the only two residents still at History Hit Towers at the witching hour - After Dark’s presenters Dr. Anthony Delaney and Dr. Maddy Pelling - to regale them with some Medieval stories of the mythological and paranormal. Enjo…

1
A Guide to Medieval Churches 45:20

2M ago45:20

45:20

Do you know the difference between a church and a chapel? A bishop and an archbishop? An abbey and an abbess? In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by co-host Matt Lewis to chat all things churches. They will demystify church hierarchy, walk you through the basics of architecture, and answer questions you sent in about all…

1
The Viking Age: What Discoveries Reveal 32:21

2M ago32:21

32:21

The Vikings continue to fascinate us because their compelling stories connect with universal human desires for exploration and adventure. But recent advances in excavation and archaeological science, coupled with a re-evaluation of oral traditions and written sources, are furthering our understanding of the Viking Age. In this episode of Gone Medie…

1
Women Crusaders 35:20

2M ago35:20

35:20

The image we usually associate with a Crusader - of a dashing nobleman on a mighty steed heading out for Holy War - often obscures all of the other medieval people who went to the Holy Land, especially the countless women. In this edition of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega talks to Dr. Natasha Hodgson - author of Women, Crusading and the Holy Lan…

1
Genghis Khan to Tamerlane: Mongol Empire Reborn 28:25

2M ago28:25

28:25

The Mongol Empire that rose in the early 13th century was fractured and in crisis by the mid-14th. But then a new warlord arose who sought to rebuild what had once been the most powerful empire in the world. Operating in Genghis Khan’s shadow, Tamerlane deliberately drew parallels between himself and his great precursor. And as a Muslim, Tamerlane …

1
Origins of the Normans 43:42

2M ago43:42

43:42

Because of William the Conqueror’s victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the Normans have remained a familiar and important name in British history. But who were they? And how did they come to change culture across the European continent? In this explainer episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega tells the fascinating story of the rise of …

1
The Witan: England's First Parliament? 41:26

3M ago41:26

41:26

Athelstan, grandson of Alfred the Great, was a great king who united what was once a collection of petty Anglo-Saxon kingdoms into one vast English domains. Having brought together rival polities with a history of fractious relations into a unified whole, Athelstan needed to centralise government if he was going to keep the crown on his head and ho…

1
Medieval Italy 40:24

3M ago40:24

40:24

The huge peninsula of what we today call Italy saw waves of invasions and sweeping changes over the course of the Medieval period, with huge differences between, say, Milan in the north stretching to Sicily in the south. They spoke different languages, had different rulers, and were settled by very different groups of people. In this episode of Gon…

1
How the Plantagenets Built England 46:34

3M ago46:34

46:34

Six Plantagenet kings ruled between 1199 and 1399 - two centuries that witnessed civil war, deposition, the murder of kings and the ruthless execution of rebel lords. There was also international warfare, a devastating national pandemic, economic crisis and the first major peasant uprising in our history. Yet those two centuries and six kings were …

1
Rise of Wessex 42:49

3M ago42:49

42:49

In Gone Medieval’s special series exploring some of Anglo-Saxon Britain’s most influential kingdoms, we reach Wessex - the last kingdom left to stand against the Great Heathen Army. Under the command of Alfred the Great, Wessex achieved what no other kingdom could before it: victory against the Vikings. In this episode, Eleanor Janega is joined by …

1
Rise of Mercia 41:56

3M ago41:56

41:56

In Gone Medieval’s special series examining some of Anglo-Saxon Britain’s most significant kingdoms, we arrive at the kingdom of Mercia, which once enjoyed supremacy over not only Wessex but all of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. At its peak, Mercia controlled what is now Birmingham and London, but it ceased to be a kingdom when Alfred the Great came to …

1
Life on Crusade 45:57

3M ago45:57

45:57

Accounts of the Crusades were usually commissioned by wealthy and influential people about themselves, to make their piety and righteousness known to others. But what about the less glamorous people who went on Crusades? And what was life like when they did so? In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega finds out about ordinary crusaders …

1
The Dynasty that Made Medieval France 36:16

3M ago36:16

36:16

From Hugh Capet to Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Capetian dynasty considered itself divinely chosen to fulfil a great destiny. From an insecure foothold around Paris, the Capetians built a nation that stretched from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and from the Rhône to the Pyrenees, founding practices and institutions that endured until the French Re…

1
Rise of Northumbria 40:53

3M ago40:53

40:53

In a time of in-fighting and tribal warfare, what did it take to form the politically dominant, culturally rich and geographically vast kingdoms that led to the creation of England? This month, over four episodes of Gone Medieval, we explore the rise and fall of the key kingdoms of the Heptarchy: Northumbria, Mercia, and Wessex, and the formation o…

1
What is a Pilgrimage? 36:20

4M ago36:20

36:20

In medieval times, Britain was criss-crossed by pilgrim routes, that took in such world-famous sites as Canterbury and Lindisfarne as well as out-of-the-way locations along paths not so widely travelled. But why did people undergo pilgrimage? What were its benefits? And why did some send people in their honour? In this episode of Gone Medieval, fir…

1
Medieval Sex Work 39:45

4M ago39:45

39:45

Prostitutes were everywhere in the streets and neighbourhoods of medieval cities. In one and the same building, there might be a school upstairs, while downstairs prostitutes plied their nefarious trade. But how did such a situation come to pass? And how could such a world exist within the theoretical holy confines of medieval Christendom? In this …

1
King Henry II 49:29

4M ago49:29

49:29

One of the pivotal figures in Medieval history, King Henry II centralised royal power, instituted legal reforms and established common law. His marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine expanded his influence, as he became the ruler of a far-reaching European empire. But his demise was just as dramatic as his ascendancy. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Ma…

1
The Power of Medieval Icons 42:36

4M ago42:36

42:36

In the Middle Ages, how did art - particularly Christian icons - serve to connect humanity with heavenly realms? How did such images spread from the Eastern Roman Empire to the rest of Europe? What did they represent and how could they sometimes be misused to justify war and imperialism? In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega explores…

1
Peasants' Revolt 36:04

4M ago36:04

36:04

The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 was a public rebellion that sent revolutionary ripples across the entire medieval world. In a new video series for History Hit, Matt Lewis has been looking beyond the ancient propaganda to reveal the previously unknown stories of the ordinary folk of the Peasants’ Revolt. Matt has been working closely with investigative…

1
Real Medieval Women with Philippa Gregory 39:47

4M ago39:47

39:47

When we think about women in the Middle Ages, we know about Eleanor of Aquitaine or Hildegard of Bingen, but we are a lot less likely to think about the alewives plying their trade in cities, or the noble ladies quietly running their estates, or even the nuns falling in love with each other and praising God. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. El…

1
Medieval Origins of Italian Food 36:21

4M ago36:21

36:21

For a thousand years, Italy’s cities have been magnets for everything that makes for great eating: ingredients, talent, money and power. Italian food is city food, and telling its story means telling the story of the Italians as a people of city dwellers. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis meets John Dickie, author of Delizia! The Epic Hi…

1
St. Thurstan: York's Rebel Archbishop 41:39

4M ago41:39

41:39

One of Medieval England’s most influential figures, Thurstan was the Archbishop of York from 1114 to 1140 who fought attempts by the Archbishop of Canterbury to assert his primacy over York. Eventually, Thurstan was consecrated by the Pope instead. Now English Heritage has discovered evidence in a 15th century manuscript that Thurstan was considere…

1
Medieval Ireland: Death & Politics 26:48

4M ago26:48

26:48

Court records of naked, murderous monks, tavern brawls, robberies gone wrong, tragic accidents and criminal gangs reveal how the English in medieval Ireland governed and politicised death. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis meets Dr. Joanna MacGugan, whose research focuses on how the English legal system in Ireland relied on collective me…

1
The Real Braveheart 33:17

5M ago33:17

33:17

This episode contains strong language, graphic scenes of torture and sexual content The chances are, when we think of William Wallace, we think of Mel Gibson in Braveheart, charging down a hill in a kilt with his face painted blue. Maybe we're fascinated in Wallace’s trial and grisly death and its influence on our understanding of war crimes? But…

1
How to Cook Like a Medieval Chef 32:02

5M ago32:02

32:02

Preparing, serving and sharing food has always played a critical role in human history. But what did people in the Middle Ages like to eat and what did their food say about their social status? What was the haute cuisine of medieval Bagdad or Moorish Spain? Victoria Flexner and Jay Reifel have recreated classic dishes for their book, A History of t…

1
Sweyn Forkbeard: First Viking King of England 39:01

5M ago39:01

39:01

Sweyn Forkbeard was the first Viking King of England, however you'd be forgiven for potentially forgetting who he was given he was only King for five short weeks, being declared King on Christmas Day 1013, and ruling till his death on 3rd February 1014. Part of a distinguished line of Viking rulers, he was the son of Harald Bluetooth, King of Denma…

1
Medieval Mass Murdering Monk: Malmesbury Abbey 27:11

5M ago27:11

27:11

Malmesbury Abbey in Wiltshire was an institution of national significance from the late seventh century until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539. It was home to eminent writers and had strong royal connections. It housed the tomb of Æthelstan, first king of all England, and Queen Matilda, wife of Henry I, took a close interest in its affair…

1
Medieval Apocalypse 29:15

5M ago29:15

29:15

In the early 12th century, when England was suffering wave after wave of Viking invasions, many wondered how God could allow their kingdom to be ravaged by pagans? The Archbishop of York Wulfstan had an answer: the apocalypse was coming. What did that mean to people in the Middle Ages? In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega talks to P…

1
Justinian: Greatest Byzantine Emperor? 40:04

5M ago40:04

40:04

The Eastern Roman Emperor from 527 to 565, Justinian was a ruler who infused even the most mundane tasks with spiritual and religious significance. The challenges he faced - climate change, battles over culture and identity, the first recorded global pandemic - and many of the solutions he found to address them still resonate with us today. His leg…

1
How Everyday People Built Medieval Japan 41:16

5M ago41:16

41:16

When it comes to Japan in the Middle Ages, we think mostly of stories of the Shogun, samurai and ninjas. But for a society dominated by the court and military elite, much was dependent on the labour of skilled people. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega talks to Dr. Paula Curtis, to find out more particularly about Japan’s metal ca…

1
Geoffrey Chaucer: Father of English Literature 37:33

5M ago37:33

37:33

Geoffrey Chaucer is perhaps medieval England’s most famous writer and poet. Now a new exhibition at the Bodleian Library in Oxford is setting out to give him greater breadth and depth than just The Canterbury Tales. To talk more about the ‘Father of English Literature’ with Matt Lewis is its curator Professor Marion Turner. This episode was produce…

1
The Black Death 31:57

6M ago31:57

31:57

By the time the Black Death subsided, between 75 and 200 million people in Afro-Eurasia were dead, entire towns and cities had collapsed, and the earth’s temperature cooled. In today’s episode of Gone Medieval, guardDr Eleanor Janega speaks to Professor Philip Slavin who has used cutting-edge techniques to consider exactly where and how the worst p…

1
Battle of Hastings 25:47

6M ago25:47

25:47

Over the previous three episodes in our special series, Gone Medieval has taken a close look at the three main contenders for the throne of England in 1066. From Harold Godwinson who sat on it, to Harold Hardrada who might have seemed the most likely to win it, and William the Conqueror, the hardened Duke of Normandy. In this episode, Matt Lewis ex…

1
William the Conqueror 42:08

6M ago42:08

42:08

When his cousin King Edward the Confessor died childless, Duke William of Normandy saw the throne of England as his birthright. But one man stood in his way, Harold Godwinson, whom Edward had named as king on his deathbed. In the third episode of our special series examining the build-up to the Battle of Hastings, Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Pr…

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