Welcome along to Half-Arsed History! It's a weekly podcast highlighting absurd and entertaining stories from history. For around half an hour a week, it also makes your host Riley Knight feel as though his useless history degree has some kind of real-world relevance.
The Half-Arsed History podcast, hosted by Riley Knight, is a refreshing and entertaining take on historical storytelling. With a mix of solid research, compact storytelling, and a delightful sense of humor, Riley brings history to life in a way that is both educational and highly enjoyable. For those who find Dan Carlin's podcasts too long-winded or hardcore, Riley Knight strikes the perfect balance.
One of the best aspects of The Half-Arsed History podcast is Riley's ability to deliver captivating stories while injecting humor into his narration. He has a wonderful sense of timing and comedic delivery that keeps listeners engaged and entertained throughout each episode. Moreover, his impeccable mastery of the French language adds an extra layer of authenticity to his discussions of French history.
Another positive aspect of this podcast is its commitment to concise storytelling. While some history podcasts can be overwhelming with excessive details and lengthy episodes, The Half-Arsed History podcast offers compact episodes that are perfect for listening during commutes or short drives. This makes it easy to fit learning something new into your daily routine without feeling overwhelmed.
However, one downside of this podcast is the loud music bracketing each episode. While the music may add an exciting element to the show, it can be distracting for some listeners. It also makes it difficult to listen to the podcast before bedtime as it may disrupt sleep. This issue could potentially lead to some individuals listening to this podcast less frequently than they would like.
In conclusion, The Half-Arsed History podcast is a fantastic addition to any history lover's playlist. With its engaging storytelling style, humorous delivery, and well-researched content, Riley Knight creates a podcast that stands out from others in the genre. While there may be minor drawbacks such as the loud music used in each episode, overall this podcast provides an enjoyable learning experience that will leave you eagerly waiting for each new episode.
In this week's episode, get to know Xerxes I of the Achaemenid Empire, and think about why his historical legacy is perceived in the way that it is today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Glass, technically, may be a naturally-occuring material, but the way that humans have learn to create, shape, and change it over the millennia has had a strong influence on the way we live our lives - an influence that we take for granted. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Soap has been used by humans for thousands and thousands of years to keep our things clean, and for hundreds and hundreds of years to keep our bodies clean. By most people, anyway. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode, meet Harriet Tubman, the US activist and abolitionist who aided countless enslaved people in securing their freedom before she went on to take part in the American Civil War. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Writing is a transformative invention, enabling human development and advancement by offering language persistence and durability, creating a collective memory for humankind and transmitting meaning across time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The plough is a humble and ancient invention that revolutionised agriculture around the world, helping to generate food surpluses that in turn enabled human development and technological advancement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode, become familiar with 4,500 years of Greenlandic history, from the settlement of pre-Inuit, Norse, and Inuit peoples, through to the current importance it has in global affairs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The wheel was and still is a revolutionary invention, transforming transportation, agriculture, and industry, while laying a technological foundation for countless other immensely significant innovations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The launch of the new Inventions series hasn't gone to plan - here is an explanation of how the series will be reset and (hopefully) get off to a fresh start. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Quarter-Arsed History presents: a brief account of how a relatively minor colonial spat between Britain and Spain became known by one of the silliest names in history - the War of Jenkins' Ear. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode, hear the tale of the mutiny on the Wager, when a group of sailors stranded off the South American coast rose up against their stubborn captain, leaving him for dead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week's invention is seafaring, a cornerstone of humanity's history as we have explored the world, chased down the horizon, and - very importantly - moved things from one place to another. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the biggest cop-out episode in this podcast's entire history, one that involves Riley just reading out a week of entries from Samuel Pepys' diary. More like Eighth-Arsed History tbh Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week's invention is fire, which is... well, not really an invention, strictly speaking, but all the same laid the foundation for more or less the rest of humanity's technological development. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week's invention is stone tools, something it feels a bit odd to consider an invention, but nonetheless something that represents one of the most important and foundational pieces of technology humans have ever used. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode, learn all about the Great Fire of London, which ripped through the city in 1666, turning it into a smoking ruin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the supposed tale behind the creation of the poem Kubla Khan, one of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's most famous works. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode, meet Marco Polo, the famous Italian explorer, and learn all about his travels to the Far East. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
I've had some unfortunately-timed setbacks with recent episodes which means the next episode won't come out until next Wednesday. I'm very sorry about this, I know regularity and consistency is very important to many listeners, and I wish things were different. There's a full explanation in this little update episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the tale of Ubre Blanca, a cow that rose to become a national icon in Cuba, a favourite of the Cuban leader at the time, Fidel Castro. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode, continue to learn the history of cricket, from its rise as an international sporting competition across the late 19th century to the popular, professional sport it is today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of Australia's first-ever international sporting tour, when in 1868 a group of indigenous Australians travelled all the way to England to play cricket. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode, learn about the early origins of cricket, and its development from an informal childrens' game to a major sport played across the world, throughout the British Empire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Here is a brief retrospective on the Monuments series, including the reasoning behind the exclusion of some monuments, what went into making the series, and the biggest challenges in putting episodes together. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week's monument is the Sydney Opera House, one of the most famous and instantly-recognisable Australian landmarks, one that has graced the Sydney skyline since 1973. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Quarter-Arsed History presents: a brief history of Santa Claus, and how he has emerged and developed as a central part of modern Christmas celebrations, with a multifaceted origin story that goes back centuries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode, get across the history of Christmas, from its emergence as an early Christian festival co-opting existing celebrations, to the massive, worldwide event it is today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week's monument is the Berlin Wall, an enormous, 155 kilometre-long wall that once divided the city of Berlin in two before its eventual fall in 1989. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Quarter-Arsed History presents: Frank Shackleton and his potential connection with the theft of the Irish Crown Jewels - never conclusively proven, but nonetheless involving quite a few controversial and scandalous details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode, meet the famed explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, who led the ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition into the Antarctic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week's monument is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, the semi-ruined remains of the only building to survive in the immediate vicinity of the atomic bomb that was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in August 1945. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Quarter-Arsed History presents: a brief history of Pigeon Post, how humans have used homing pigeons to facilitate speedy, long-distance communication for thousands and thousands of years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode, meet five famous animals who have all served in the military: Cher Ami the pigeon, Wojtek the bear, Simon the cat, Reckless the pony, and William the goat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week's monument is Mount Rushmore, also known as Tȟuŋkášila Šákpe - a mountainside in the US state of South Dakota that features colossal sculptures of four notable US presidents.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the tale of Sir Hubert Wilkins, a photographer, pilot, war hero, explorer, and ornithologist who led a truly remarkable life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We did it - they gave this man a book deal! "History's Strangest Deaths" will be published by Allen & Unwin next year, with more information coming in a few months. Thank you so much to everyone for all the encouragement and support - it is so exciting to think that the first Half-Arsed History book is coming in 2025! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode, get to know the US civil rights activise Rosa Parks, who made a stand for justice when she refused to give up her seat on a racially-segregated bus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week's monument is the Golden Gate Bridge, an (allegedly) orange suspension bridge that spans the entrance to the San Francisco Bay in the US. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the reign of Caracalla and Geta, two murderous brothers who served - very briefly - as co-emperors of the Roman Empire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode, learn all about the history of ancient Roman gladiators: who they were, how they trained and fought, and what happened to them when they won or lost. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week's monument is the Sydney Harbour Bridge, an icon not just of Sydney but of Australia more broadly - as painful as that may be for a Victorian to admit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the 1981 Underarm Bowling Scandal, when the Australian ODI cricket team scored a controversial victory over the Kiwis with the use of a disgracefully unsporting bowling technique. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode, meet Sir Donald Bradman, who was undoubtedly the best cricketer in history and might just be the best sportsperson to have lived. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week's monument is Christ the Redeemer, a colossal mountaintop statue of Jesus that overlooks the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the first airborne crossing of the English Channel, where two men had to come up with a very inventive and very funny way to drop weight from their balloon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode, get to know four of the worst president in the history of the United States of America: John Tyler, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, and Warren G. Harding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week's monument is the Hollywood sign, an icon of the US city of Los Angeles and a symbol of the mighty US film industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the untimely death of William Henry Harrison, whose 31-day presidency remains the shortest in US history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode, learn about three of the most controversial presidential elections in US history and the root cause behind them: the broken Electoral College system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week's monument is Chateau Frontenac, a beautiful palace-like building perched on a hill overlooking Quebec City in Canada. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Melbourne Cup, a famous horse race held each year in Melbourne, Victoria, which has generated a few interesting stories across its long history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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