History in Podcasts: England, Normans, and Civil War

As you may have noticed, history is a current interest of mine.

I’ve delved into history a number of times in the past (as far back as School C, even), but right now it’s English history.  To be specific, the Norman invasion and the English civil war.  Why?  I’m not entirely sure, but I found some answers to that in a couple of podcast series, both of which give some insight into the evolution of English politics, social structure and law.

Tony Cox’s Binge Thinking History looks at the origins of English and American political systems, and in the process goes into some detail on the civil war.  Captivating, although he has a propensity to veer off into British naval history.

David Crowther, in historyofengland.typepad.com, goes into even more detail, but starts with the Anglo Saxon invasions, and is only up to the high middle ages, despite a roaring pace over the past year.

And for the Normans in particular, Lars Brownworth’s normancenturies.com is an enlightening listen.

The beauty about these podcasts is that they’re easy to absorb while travelling/commuting, and they’re all presented in styles that are both engaging and insightful.  Crowther’s in particular is entertaining, yet comprehensive and always accompanied by his own perspective, variously thought-provoking or funny, often both at once.




I don’t think you can go past those three.  Still, I'm always eager for more, so any suggestions gratefully received.