Half-Arsed History
Riley Knight
Pre-order History's Strangest Deaths and get 17% off: https://www.booktopia.com.au/history-s-strangest-deaths-riley-knight/book/9781761472589.htmlWelcome along to Half-Arsed History! It's a weekly podcast highlighting absurd and entertaining stories from history. Three times a week, it helps host Riley Knight feel as though his useless history degree has some kind of real-world relevance.Get in touch: halfarsedhistory@gmail.comSupport the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/halfarsedhistorySubscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/halfarsedhistoryBuy Half-Arsed History merch: https://halfarsedhistory.theprintbar.comIf you've just discovered the show and aren't sure which of the 350+ episodes to start with, here are some suggestions:Episode 139: The History of the Toilet - https://sptfy.com/PK3J • https://apple.co/3Giftt3Episode 75: The Great Emu War - https://sptfy.com/PK3K • https://apple.co/4jKCvr7Episode 197: The History of Nuclear Weapons - https://sptfy.com/PK3L • https://apple.co/4jygYlcEpisode 233: The 1930 FIFA World Cup - https://sptfy.com/PK3M • https://apple.co/4iltL9PEpisode 106: The First Circumnavigation - https://sptfy.com/PK3N • https://apple.co/4jewsLjHalf-Arsed History acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the unceded Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) Land on which the podcast is written and recorded, and pays respect to First Nations Elders past, present, and emerging. Indigenous sovereignty was never ceded. This continent always was, and always will be, Aboriginal Land. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 1, 2025 • 28min
Inventions Episode 31: The Sewing Machine
The sewing machine is a piece of technology that has had an outsized historical influence - not just on the textile industry, but on society, culture, and history as well.History's Strangest Deaths, the first Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 5th of August across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or A&U:AU/NZ: https://www.booktopia.com.au/history-s-strangest-deaths-riley-knight/book/9781761472589.htmlInternational: https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Riley-Knight-History's-Strangest-Deaths-9781761472589 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 30, 2025 • 25min
QAH Episode 121: A Brief History of the Guillotine
Dive into the dark history of the guillotine, a device infamous for its role in the French Revolution. Discover its origins from earlier execution methods and the misconceptions surrounding its namesake. Explore the moral debates on capital punishment and efforts for reform, alongside the guillotine's evolution into a symbol of equality amid chaos. The chilling concept of lingering consciousness after decapitation adds a haunting twist, leaving listeners to ponder the true implications of this notorious device.
Jul 27, 2025 • 53min
Episode 370: The French Revolution - Part 4: The Terror
In this week's episode, get across the darkest and bloodiest chapter in French revolutionary history: the Reign of Terror, which saw tens of thousands of people killed by political violence.History's Strangest Deaths, the first Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 5th of August across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or A&U:AU/NZ: https://www.booktopia.com.au/history-s-strangest-deaths-riley-knight/book/9781761472589.htmlInternational: https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Riley-Knight-History's-Strangest-Deaths-9781761472589 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 25, 2025 • 22min
Inventions Episode 30: The Friction Match
The friction match and its subsequent developments helped to democratise fire - matches have made it possible for anyone, at any time, to make use of one of humanity's most important tools, fire. History's Strangest Deaths, the first Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 5th of August across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or A&U:AU/NZ: https://www.booktopia.com.au/history-s-strangest-deaths-riley-knight/book/9781761472589.htmlInternational: https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Riley-Knight-History's-Strangest-Deaths-9781761472589 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 23, 2025 • 6min
Tickets for the 2025 Book Tour are now available!
Join me in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Maroochydore as I go through some of the stories from History's Strangest Deaths, and share juicy behind-the-scenes details about how the book was made. Don't delay - these tickets are limited and will likely run out pretty swiftly.Sydney - 6:00pm 7th August at the Chauvel Cinema, tickets $20: https://www.dymocks.com.au/events/details/index/id/NTAyMA~~Melbourne SOLD OUT - 6:00pm 8th August at Readings Emporium: https://www.readings.com.au/events/riley-knight-in-conversationBrisbane SOLD OUT - 6:00pm 14th August at the Brisbane Square Library: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/meet-riley-knight-brisbane-square-library-tickets-1451216099419Maroochydore SOLD OUT - 6:00pm 15th August at Harry Hartog: https://events.humanitix.com/q-and-a-and-signing-with-riley-knightI'll stick around after each show for a Q&A and signings. Looking forward to seeing everyone there! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 23, 2025 • 25min
QAH Episode 120: The Man in the Iron Mask
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Man in the Iron Mask, a mysterious prisoner of the French king Louis XIV, who was imprisoned for 34 years without anyone ever learning his true identity. History's Strangest Deaths, the first Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 5th of August across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or A&U:AU/NZ: https://www.booktopia.com.au/history-s-strangest-deaths-riley-knight/book/9781761472589.htmlInternational: https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Riley-Knight-History's-Strangest-Deaths-9781761472589 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 20, 2025 • 1h 5min
Episode 369: The French Revolution - Part 3: The Constitution
In this week's episode, understand some of the most important legacies of the French Revolution as it worked to establish a constitutional monarchy, before the ultimate abolition of the monarchy and establishment of a republic in 1792.History's Strangest Deaths, the first Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 5th of August across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or A&U:AU/NZ: https://www.booktopia.com.au/history-s-strangest-deaths-riley-knight/book/9781761472589.htmlInternational: https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Riley-Knight-History's-Strangest-Deaths-9781761472589 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 18, 2025 • 23min
Inventions Episode 29: The Camera
The camera is everywhere, today - we carry them around with us in our pockets - but it has a two-hundred year history that has brought us to this point, filled with groundbreaking, revolutionary technological advancements. History's Strangest Deaths, the first Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 5th of August across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or A&U:AU/NZ: https://www.booktopia.com.au/history-s-strangest-deaths-riley-knight/book/9781761472589.htmlInternational: https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Riley-Knight-History's-Strangest-Deaths-9781761472589 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 16, 2025 • 21min
QAH Episode 119: Charles Boycott and the Boycott Affair
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of Charles Boycott, whose immense unpopularity as a landlord let to the term "boycott" being coined. History's Strangest Deaths, the first Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 5th of August across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or A&U:AU/NZ: https://www.booktopia.com.au/history-s-strangest-deaths-riley-knight/book/9781761472589.htmlInternational: https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Riley-Knight-History's-Strangest-Deaths-9781761472589 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 13, 2025 • 55min
Episode 368: The French Revolution - Part 2: The Revolution
In this week's episode, get across the story of the opening days of the French Revolution - the public protests and disorder which culminated in the legendarily famous Storming of the Bastille. History's Strangest Deaths, the first Half-Arsed History book, releases on the 5th of August across the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region. Pre-order your copy from Booktopia or A&U:AU/NZ: https://www.booktopia.com.au/history-s-strangest-deaths-riley-knight/book/9781761472589.htmlInternational: https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Riley-Knight-History's-Strangest-Deaths-9781761472589 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
