From Poland with Love

In 1847, James Young Simpson successfully used chloroform for the first time to help in childbirth. But the anesthetic was still controversial and dangerous, which made it all the more risky when Simpson was faced with a royal patient: Queen Victoria. Support Noble Blood:—ORDER ' ...  Show more

James Young Simpson, as a young surgeon, was distraught at the seemingly inescapable pain and fear that patients were suffering. He decided to try to find a better solution. Support Noble Blood:—ORDER 'THE ARCANE ARTS'— Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon— Order Dana ...  Show more

From Hitler’s love of young adult fiction to Saddam Hussein's shameful romance novels, this podcast sheds new, weird light on history's monsters. 

In the latest in our series charting the contested reputations of key historical figures, Joyce Tyldesley and Catharine Edwards discuss the life and cultural afterlife of Egyptian queen Cleopatra – from her association with feminine beauty to the focus on her romantic relationshi ...  Show more

Have you watched Hulu's series, The Great, and wondered what parts were true? Here is a revisit to part one of our coverage of the very true life of Catherine the Great, a German princess who became the Empress of Russia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho ...  Show more

Toto Koopman was remarkable; she was a high society socialite who risked her life wining and dining with Italian blackshirts in order to gather information for the Dutch intelligence service in WWII. When she refused to work as a spy for the Italians, she was thrown in a deten ...