Half-Arsed History
Riley Knight
Half-Arsed History's first book, History's Strangest Deaths, is now available: 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
Oct 8, 2025 • 23min
QAH Episode 131: Australia's Silliest Laws - Part 2
Quarter-Arsed History presents: more of the silliest laws still in effect in Tasmania, Western Australia, and South Australia including posing an an architect, challenging someone to a duel, and getting stuck in a fridge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 5, 2025 • 53min
Episode 380: History’s Biggest Misconceptions - Part 3
In this week's episode, uncover the truth behind five more historical misconceptions: what Roman vomitoriums were used for, mediaeval life expectancies, Dom Perignon inventing champagne, Mussolini making the trains run on time, and chloroform knocking you out instantly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 3, 2025 • 23min
Inventions Episode 40: Aspirin
Aspirin was one of the very first mass-produced pharmaceuticals, and its invention and development has a very interesting backstory filled with disagreement and uncertainty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 1, 2025 • 21min
QAH Episode 130: Australia's Silliest Laws - Part 1
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the silliest laws still on the books in Victoria, NSW, and Queensland - including prohibitions against corresponding with pirates, riding bikes backwards, and keeping rabbits as pets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 28, 2025 • 1h 8min
Episode 379: Matilda of Tuscany, the Great Countess
In this week's episode, meet Matilda of Tuscany, also known as the "Great Countess", a woman who played a very important role in the politics of the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire at the outset of the Investiture Controversy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 26, 2025 • 23min
Inventions Episode 39: The X-Ray Machine
The X-ray machine changed medicine forever, enabling an easy and (eventually) safe way to see inside the human body non-invasively for diagnosis and treatment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 24, 2025 • 25min
QAH Episode 129: Britain's Silliest Laws
Quarter-Arsed History presents: a brief summary of some of the most absurd laws that are, technically speaking, still in force across the UK - including suspiciously handling a fish, carrying a ladder down the street, and including getting drunk in a pub. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 21, 2025 • 60min
Episode 378: Dick Turpin, the Infamous Highwayman
In this week's episode, meet Dick Turpin, an 18th-century highwayman who passed into English folklore for his daring predations as a violent criminal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 19, 2025 • 40min
Inventions Episode 38: The Automobile
The automobile is one of the most transformative inventions in human history, completely changing the way transportation, society, culture, business, industry, and so much more work within modern human civilisation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 17, 2025 • 20min
QAH Episode 128: The Death of Allan Pinkerton
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of the death of Allan Pinkerton, a story that is completely and totally distinct from the one cut from History's Strangest Deaths for legal reasons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
