Vera Gedroits was the daughter of a Lithuanian prince and a German-Russian mum. So begins the tale of one of our more extraordinary Great Lives - doctor, author, physician to the imperial court and the first female military surgeon in Russia. Born in 1870, Vera studied in St Pete ...Show more
Lea Ypi on Kant
Kant was born in 18th century Prussia. He showed great intellectual promise as a child, but didn't make a name for himself until his late forties, when he published his lengthy tome on the scope of Metaphysics, called The Critique of Pure Reason, which unleashed what he himself r ...Show more
Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe is one of the most widely published books in history. This story of a man stranded alone on an island is said to be second only to the Bible in its number of translations. But who was Defoe’s inspiration for creating one of the best-known ...Show more
Introducing: Short History Of… The Real Robinson Crusoe
This is a taster episode from our sister show, Short History Of… which is also hosted by John Hopkins. Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe is one of the most widely published books in history. This story of a man stranded alone on an island is said to be second only to the ...Show more