Half-Arsed History
Welcome 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.
Latest episodes
Apr 20, 2025 • 1h 20min
Episode 356: A Guide to Australian Elections
In this week's episode, learn all about Australian elections - how they originated, how they've changed, how they work today, and how their results lead to parliamentary governments being formed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 18, 2025 • 26min
Inventions Episode 16: The Compass
The compass has been used as a navigational tool for a thousand years, guiding ships and aeroplanes around the world - but for a thousand years before that, it served a different (and slightly less useful) role. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 16, 2025 • 19min
QAH Episode 106: Jeanne de Clisson, Lioness of Brittany - Remastered
Quarter-Arsed History present: the tale of the 14th-century noblewoman Jeanne de Clisson, who, after the execution of her husband at the hands of the French king, turned to a life of piracy and terrorised French shipping in the English Channel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 13, 2025 • 1h 7min
Episode 355: The Jacobite Risings and the Battle of Culloden
In this week's episode, get stuck into another tragic chapter in Scottish history with the stories of the Jacobite Risings and the famous Battle of Culloden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 11, 2025 • 25min
Inventions Episode 15: Gunpowder
Gunpowder revolutionised human warfare, ushering in a new chapter in the history of our species as we left behind swords and shields to fire guns and cannons instead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 9, 2025 • 26min
QAH Episode 105: The Assassination of Franz Ferdinand - Remastered
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the tale of the event that triggered the First World War - the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, complete with all the ludicrous misadventure that came with it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 6, 2025 • 1h 9min
Episode 354: The Buried Treasure of William Kidd
In this week's episode, meet Captain William Kidd, the only pirate in history known to have actually buried treasure - something that gave rise to one of the most common and popular pirate-themed tropes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 4, 2025 • 22min
Inventions Episode 14: The Toothbrush
The toothbrush is yet another simple but very important invention that has been a part of everyday life for people for over a thousand years, helping in keeping our choppers clean and in good health. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 2, 2025 • 18min
QAH Episode 104: The War of the Oaken Bucket - Remastered
Quarter-Arsed History presents: another telling of the War of the Oaken Bucket, one of the shortest episode topics ever covered by this tinpot history podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 30, 2025 • 1h 2min
Episode 353: The Historic Origins of Popular Sayings - Part 3, Nautical Edition
In this week's episode, learn the origins of five sayings that all have a nautical origin: logbook, not enough room to swing a cat, grog, three sheets to the wind, and average. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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