442. Lord Byron: Dangerous Liaisons (Part 3)

Why was London such a cauldron of sexual scandal and political tumult in the 18th century? What licentious escapades did the infamous Scottish nobleman, James Boswell, get up to there? And, how did his legendary first meeting with the renowned wit Samuel Johnson, unfold? Join Tom ...  Show more

Who was Samuel Johnson, the dominant literary celebrity of 18th century London and the man who wrote the Dictionary? Why did his friendship with James Boswell, a sex and celebrity obsessed, but very talented writer, flourish? And, how does this titanic friendship open a window on ...  Show more

How debaucherous do you have to be to be remembered as the original bad boy? How mad, bad and dangerous to know was Lord Byron? And how much of it did he get from his family?

For this episode, Kate is joined by Emily Brand, the author of ‘The Fall of the Hou ...

Harlot, feminist, witch, backstabber, icon, powerplayer, victim – in the centuries since her execution, Anne Boleyn has been branded all of these. But what do we know about the real Anne and her story? In episode two of our new series on the dramatic marital history of England’s ...  Show more

Byron’s early poems – his so-called ’dark tales’ – have been dismissed by critics as the tawdry, slapdash products of an uninteresting mind, and readers ever since have found it difficult not to see them in light of the poet’s dramatic and public later life. In a recent piece for ...  Show more

Lord Byron has become synonymous with the romantic, creative hero. But it may have been Lady Caroline Lamb, his most famous lover, who truly embodied the spirit of the age. Their romance led to blood, tears, fire, and pubic hair. Poets, am I right?