
How do we make sense of the modern world? We find the answers in the history of the 20th Century.
For over a decade, The Explaining History Podcast has been the guide for curious minds. Host Nick Shepley and expert guests break down the world wars, the Cold War, and the rise and fall of ideologies into concise, 25-minute episodes.
This isn't a dry lecture. It's a critical, narrative-driven convers... more
| Publishes | Daily | Episodes | 861 | Founded | 13 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | EducationHistoryCourses | |||

Episode Summary:
In this episode of Explaining History, Nick delves into the harrowing yet complex world of child labour during the British Industrial Revolution. Moving beyond the Dickensian caricatures of helpless victims, we explore Emma Griffin'... more
In 1840, a monk disappeared in Damascus, and the ancient, deadly accusation of "blood libel" was levelled against the city's Jewish community. This event, known as the Damascus Affair, became a pivotal moment in 19th-century Jewish history, sending s... more
In this episode of Explaining History, Nick analyzes the newly published 2025 US National Security Strategy, a document that could be considered a foundational text for the global far-right.
We explore how this strategy, with its language of "civili... more
Episode Summary:
In the second part of our exploration into the Stalin-Tito split, Nick delves into the dramatic climax of 1948: the expulsion of Yugoslavia from the Cominform.
Stalin famously boasted, "I will shake my little finger, and there will... more
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Covers a very wide range of modern history in an engaging way.
Horrible sound quality, background noise, can't even hear what he says sometimes because words are missing. Shame, such an important topic.
Sound quality is terrible. Extremely soft followed by very loud adds
A couple were good but many are terrible in presentation. Not everyone can did a podcast and this proves it despite my really wanting to like the content.
This podcast has been a real joy for me to tune into, more in depth looks at critical places and times in history than I can find anywhere else. Presentation might be aided by reducing that little scrolling noise. There must be some way to record the episodes without that small tone in the bg.
Besides that it is FANTASTIC. Love the focus, perspective, and especially how it can serve to illuminate modern events with a historical context.
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #125 | |
Apple Podcasts | #230 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
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Focused on the critical moments and movements that have shaped the modern world, this podcast explores the 20th century through a narrative-driven conversation that connects historical events to contemporary issues. The episodes cover significant topics, such as the world wars, Cold War dynamics, the evolution of ideologies, and pivotal historical figures, all presented in a concise format. Featuring expert guests and engaging dialogues, it aims to make history accessible and engaging to a wide audience, including history enthusiasts and students alike who seek to understand the relevance of historical context in today's society.
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Explaining History. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Explaining History and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
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These podcasts share a similar audience with Explaining History:
1. History Extra podcast
2. History of the Second World War
3. The WW2 Podcast
4. Cold War Conversations Podcast
5. Dan Snow's History Hit
Explaining History launched 13 years ago and published 861 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on Explaining History include:
1. Paul Vallely
2. Sean Scullion
3. Anne Weber
4. Mark Beatty
5. Dr. Victoria Bateman
6. Joanna Lillis
7. Professor Angie Hobbs
8. Stewart Home
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.