We Go Way Back

Kit is joined by Stephen Bourne, a historian of Black British history, to discuss Dr Harold Moody and his creation of the League of Coloured Peoples. The League was a British civil rights organisation founded in London in 1931. Dr Moody, the League's creator, had arrived in the UK from Jamaica thirty years before to study medicine at King's College London. Dr Moody founded the League to push for racial equality and civil rights in the UK and is, therefore, an integral figure in 20th-century British history.

12 months from the 2022 French presidential election, Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's far-right party the National Rally, is leading the sitting president Emanuel Macron in the polls. Le Pen is an ultra-conservative nationalist who blames almost all of France's problems on globalisation, immigration and Islam. Her party is a hotbed for xenophobic and racist attitudes. But who is this politician? Where did she come from? And, what events helped form these attitudes? To answer these questions, Tom speaks with Professor Cécile Alduy from Stanford University in California. Cécile Alduy is a professor of contemporary French politics, with expertise on the far-right as they relate to the question of French identity. In 2015, Alduy published a book in which she analysed the way Marine Le Pen uses language to broaden her party's support, helping her become the most popular politician in France today.

In an era when the bounds of free speech seem to be a constant topic of debate, We Go Way Back examined an episode from the 1970s that tested the limits of the US Constitution. Kit speaks to Professor Philippa Strum, Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, about the time neo-Nazis tried to hold a demonstration in a small US town of Holocaust survivors - and the liberal free speech advocates who came to the Nazis' defence.

In this episode, We Go Way Back brings to life the amazing story of Cetshwayo KaMpande. To do so, Tom speaks with Dr. T.J. Tallie, an assistant professor of African History at the University of San Diego in California. Cetshwayo became King of the independent African state of Zululand in 1873 and the episode follows his gripping story covering an incredible victory over colonial British forces, painful losses, imprisonment, and a high-profile trip to London in 1882. Ultimately, this is a profile of a man who traversed class dynamics, racial attitudes and gender norms in a time of strict social hierarchies. Dr. Tallie's research is focused on the history of Southern Africa and he is the author of 'Queering Colonial Natal: Indigeneity and the Violence of Belonging in Southern Africa'. He's an expert on this topic, an important voice to listen to, and an incredibly fun interviewee.

In 1959 nine people died in a mysterious mountaineering incident in Soviet Russia that continues to confound and intrigue onlookers. A recent Russian investigation determined that an avalanche probably led to the mountaineers' deaths, but some are still not convinced. Among the doubters is Teodora Hadjiyska, a long standing Dyatlov Pass researcher, whose new book Height 1079 details her theory of the events of February 1959.

As the UK attempts to come to terms with its colonial past, Alex talks with colonial historian Dr Jana Tschurenev about Sati - the ancient Hindu act of female self-sacrifice. The fringe but horrifying practice saw women immolate themselves on their husband's funeral pyre to gain religious merit and social prestige. It was abolished by the British Empire in 1829, and has been used to exemplify native barbarity and justify colonialism. But does this tell the full story?

In the first We Go Way Back of the year, Kit speaks with Dr Matthew Alford about the relationship between the US federal government and the film industry. Hundreds of household favourites such as Transformers and Argo have been directly influenced by US state propaganda. In this episode, Kit's in search of what this means for freedom of thought, US hegemony and the balance of geopolitics. Dr Alford is a lecturer at the University of Bath. His research — based in freedom of information requests — has exposed the deep ties between Washington DC and Hollywood stretching back 80 years. He's just the person to be speaking on this topic and you can find out more about his work at the link below. https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/matthew-alford

In the fifth and final episode before Christmas, Tom speaks with Huw Lemmey and Ben Miller, the hosts of Bad Gays podcast about the resignation of right-wing Hungarian MEP József Szájer. Bad Gays is a podcast about "evil and complicated queers in history." The show has 4 seasons and has covered people such as Benjamin Britten, Gertrude Stein, Morrissey and many, many more. For this episode, the discussion was pegged to the news story of József Szájer — a long-term member of Hungary's far-right ruling Fidesz Party which has passed a series of laws persecuting the freedoms of the LGBTQ community. In December, Szájer's resigned from the party after being caught at a reported gay sex party in Brussels. Tom, Huw and Ben discuss this story and explore some of the other main themes from the Bad Gays podcast.

In episode 4 of this series, Alex speaks with Jake Fiennes, farmer and conservationist, about the post-war intensification of British farming at the expense of wildlife. As the UK and the EU continue to negotiate a post-Brexit trade deal, Alex and Jake focus on the role EU membership played in British farming before analysing the ways in which life outside the EU will be different. Jake Fiennes is the conservation manager at Holkham Estate, an 18th-century country house in Norfolk, England. In his work as an integrated farmer, he strives to marry conservation with agriculture in a mission to prove that they can co-exist.

This week, Kit speaks with Dr René Najera about the history of vaccination. The difference between vaccination and inoculation; Edward Jenner's eureka moment; the rise of anti-vax - all are explored in this timely discussion. René Najera is a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) at Johns Hopkins University and editor of the History of Vaccines site. He is also helping to prepare the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in his local area.

In this episode, Tom speaks with Jörn Leonhard, a professor in modern European history at the University of Freiburg about Germany's complicated relationship with its war memory. Focused around Volkstrauertag, a Sunday in November dedicated to remembering soldiers killed in war and other victims of various tragedies, Tom and Professor Leonhard see how Germans confront their history of war and try to draw comparisons to Britain. Professor Leonhard has written extensively on Germany's war history and particularly on the First World War. His book 'Pandora's Box: A History of the First World War Kindle Edition' is a highly acclaimed account of a war that continues to impact German society today. It can be bought here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07BT7V7GR/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

In episode 1 of this new series, Kit speaks with Douglas Watt, historian and author of 'The Price of Scotland: Darien, Union and the Wealth of Nations'. The Darien Scheme was a gamble, a long journey from the western coast of Scotland to the central American peninsula in the search of great riches. Its failure arguably led to Scotland forming a union with England under the monarchy and the beginnings of the UK we see today. However, as Scottish independence becomes an ever more likely reality, its time we examine this failed colonial project and see how it relates to events between England and Scotland in 2020.

25% of UK pubs have closed since 2001. However, you wouldn't have noticed this by the enthusiasm people had for their re-opening in July 2020. If we love them so much, why have they been on the decline in Britain? In this episode, Kit interviews a London pub owner, a pub Historian and the Chief Executive of the Campaign for Real Ale, an independent voluntary consumer organisation which seeks to protect traditional British pubs. In an interesting episode that explores the reasons why the pub has struggled in recent years, Kit speaks with Paul Graham, pub owner London. Dr. Patrick Chaplain, a historian of pubs and the Chairman of the pub history society. Lastly, the episode concludes with a conversation with Tom Steyner, the Chief Executive of the Campaign for Real Ale.

In a three-way interview, Tom speaks with Liberian journalist Alpha Daffae Senkpeni and global health researcher Katherina Thomas about the most recent global health scare - the Ebola epidemic in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia between 2013 & 2016. As Europe and North America tries to recover from its staggering COVID-19 death toll, this conversation investigates the way West African healthcare developed in the aftermath of the Ebola crisis and explores why high-income countries did not learn from this epidemic. Alpha has been reporting on the ground from Monrovia, Liberia's capital city since the Ebola outbreak began in 2013. He now reports for Liberian news organisation, 'Local Voices Liberia'. Katherina was a freelance journalist in Liberia during the Ebola outbreak and has since returned to cover the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She is a visiting researcher at MIT and Harvard University where she explores the intersection of global health and narratives.

This week, Alex and Chris Rojek talk about the culture of celebrities, where they came from and what this pandemic is doing to them. From Marcus Rashford scoring political goals in Westminster to celebrities singing John Lennon at us from their Hollywood homes, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought these people into our lives in peculiar ways. Chris Rojek is a Professor of Sociology at City, University of London. He has written extensively on celebrities and authored 14 solo books. He regards himself to be a General Sociologist, but his particular expertise is in the Study of Celebrity.

Football's back! In the week that follows the return of the Premier League and Championship in English football, Kit interviews football writer and journalist, John Nicholson, to discuss the history of these leagues and how the game must learn to change. John is an outspoken critic of the modern game, and is the author of "Can We Have Our Football Back? - How the Premier League is ruining football and what we can do about it..." Link - https://www.johnnicholsonwriter.co.uk/products/can-we-have-our-football-back?variant=30317386530883

In the context of the Black Lives Matter protests, Tom interviews American Historian and expert on the 1918 Spanish Flu, Kennth C. Davis, to see how the last pandemic impacted women's suffrage - the biggest social movement at that time. Since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota on the 25th May the world has watched a global anti-racist protest develop under the name of #BlackLivesMatter. In this episode, Kenneth and Tom explore whether it is the isolated context and economic consequences of our current pandemic that encouraged a reaction. Using 1918 as a starting point, what can we say about pandemics and their ability to encourage social change. Kenneth C Davis is best known for his book 'Don't Know Much About History', which spent 35 consecutive weeks on The New York Times bestseller list and sold nearly 1.5 million copies. In 2018 he wrote, 'More Deadly Than War: The Hidden History of the Spanish Flu and the First World War'. He is a great person to speak with on this topic.

This week, Alex interviews Dr. Sverker Sörlin, a Swedish historian and academic, about Sweden's decision to avoid a lockdown and their alarmingly high death rate. Compared to its Scandinavian neighbours that have imposed lockdowns and seen far lower rates, Sweden is an outlier. Recently, the country's celebrity scientific advisor Anders Tegnell has said the decision to only ban gatherings of over 50 may have been a mistake. In this episode, Alex wants to know what it is about Sweden that made them do it differently. Dr.Sverker is an academic of "Idé och lärdomshistoria", translated from Swedish as History of Science and Ideas. He frequently appears in Swedish media and is an extremely knowledgable interviewee to talk about Sweden's coronavirus policy.

Kit speaks with Andrew Seaton about the roots of the British National Health Service in a bid to explain our relationship with it today. Andrew is a historian of Modern Britain and Europe and is currently writing a Ph.D. at NYU on the NHS. Claps for carers. Rainbow signs in windows. #SaveOurNHS. These are today's symbols that mark Britain's very deep and complicated relationship with its health service. Employing over 1.5 million people, the NHS is the world's 5th largest employer. Its importance to British identity is paramount and there has been no better time to discuss its origins.

In this episode, Tom talks with writer and founder of the Grief Network, Rachel Wilson. The episode explores how grieving has changed over time in Britain and the way the next generation of digitally savvy and emotionally literate people wish to grieve. The day after Rachel turned 26 her mother died. When she looked for a network of people her age who she could communicate with she found nothing. So what did she do? She created a community by and for bereaved young people and called it the Grief Network. We really recommend you follow it - https://www.instagram.com/griefnetwork/

This week Alex interviews Dr. Charlie Hall, Lecturer in Modern European History at the University of Kent to see how true our memory of the Blitz really is and compare its relevance to our isolated lives today. Dr. Charlie Hall teaches classes at Kent University on modern British history and his research includes specific topics on Britain during the Second World War. He is just the person to speak to about the Blitz and its value to British life today.

Kit Heren chats with the author Susan Campbell Bartoletti about the fascinating and heartbreaking story of Mary Mallon, also known as Typhoid Mary. Alive between 1869 and 1938, Mary Mallon, was an asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever and it is believed she may have infected as many as 50 people with the disease, three of whom died. Her story of accusation, isolation and forced quarantine is as equally harrowing as it is entertaining. It has total relevance to today, not least because of the lack of civil liberties afforded to those during a pandemic. Susan Campbell Bartoletti is an American author who has written a book about the story of Typhoid Mary, titled, 'Terrible Typhoid Mary'.

Tom Gordon-Martin interviews Dr. Dave Brydan, a history lecturer at King's College London, to help clear up where the W.H.O. came from, why it has guided our response to COVID-19 and whether it deserves the criticism it has received. Dr. Brydan is a historian of modern international relations. His research has focused on the history of international health cooperation in the twentieth century, particularly in modern Europe.

Alex Jones speaks with Dr. Owen Miller, a lecturer in Korean Studies at SOAS, London, to find out why South Korea has dealt with the coronavirus so much better than states in the West. As of 26th April 2020, the virus has killed 242 people in South Korea (population 51m) and 20,319 in the UK (population 66m). Does the country's history breed a culture of civic engagement? Do South Koreans accept technological surveillance better than citizens in the West? Or, were they just better prepared? Dr. Miller has lived in South Korea, where he studied Korean language at Yonsei University. His current research interests include: - the social and economic history of 19th and 20th century Korea. - Korean nationalist and Marxist historiographies - the economic history of North Korea - state formation in Northeast Asia.

Kit Heren interviews social historian John Boughton to discuss Britain's long relationship with housing and explore whether a link exists between Thatcher's popular Right To Buy policy of 1980 and the crisis of unpaid rents under lockdown today. John Boughton is a historian who in his book, Municipal Dreams, traced Britain's problematic history with social housing. With over 1 million people on the waiting list for social housing and plenty more not able to pay rents in lockdown, John is the best person to speak to about housing issues in Britain today.

Tom Gordon-Martin interviews Lord Chris Smith about creativity, isolation and what we can do to protect the Arts today. Lord Smith has supported and shaped the arts in this country throughout his career. In this episode, he touches on the solitude of poets like Wordsworth, his time in the Government in the 90s and finally, his work as the Chairman of the Art Fund. What does Art teach us about isolation and what can we do to protect it?

Alex Jones speaks with historian Catherine Arnold to see what we can take from the last global pandemic, the Spanish Flu in 1918. Catherine is an expert on this topic. In 2018, she published 'Pandemic 1918: The Story of the Deadliest Influenza in History' and in the same year she featured in the BBC's fantastic documentary, "The Flu That Killed 50 Million". It's well worth a watch, we were warned: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0blmn5l

Kit Heren interviews black plague expert Emeritus Professor Tom James as we try to apply history's lessons to the current crisis.