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Episode 13: Crowning Glories

1666 and All That

Release Date: 05/02/2023

Episode 15: A Golden Age of Espionage show art Episode 15: A Golden Age of Espionage

1666 and All That

Plots and conspiracies abounded in the the late 16th and early-mid 17th centuries. And with them came the evolution of a newly-professionalised culture of subterfuge and spying. Paul and Miranda explore the murky world of early modern espionage with historians Nadine Akkerman and Pete Langman, authors of an intriguing new study of the spying tricks and techniques that developed rapidly at the time. We learn about the role of ciphers, micrographia and invisible ink, the creation of new state security networks, and the often overlooked role of women in transmitting forbidden messages, notably...

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Episode 14: The Man Who Inspired 'Shōgun' show art Episode 14: The Man Who Inspired 'Shōgun'

1666 and All That

Historian Giles Milton joins Miranda and Paul to talk about the life and times of William Adams, an English navigator who was part of a Dutch expedition to the Spice Islands. Adrift in the Pacific, they ran aground in Japan, then a closed and secretive land in the grip of brutal civil war. Unusually for a European, Adams integrated into Japanese society and developed a strong working relationship with the all-powerful shōgun. Giles told Adams' story in his book 'Samurai William'. Also inspired by the real tale was James Clavell, whose 1975 novel 'Shōgun' was recently adapted as a major drama...

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Episode 13: The Enigmatic Monarch show art Episode 13: The Enigmatic Monarch

1666 and All That

Who was King Charles II? As a controversial new drama-doc portrays him as a brutal avenger of his father's killers, Paul and Miranda go in search of the real Charles. With guest historians Linda Porter and Charlotte White as expert witnesses, we revisit Charles's childhood, his tumultuous experience of Civil War upheavals and years in exile, and his surprisingly conciliatory return to take the throne.  Charles II is a larger-than-life figure renowned for his loose living and numerous mistresses. But he was also a champion of the sciences and patron of the arts. Perhaps more than anything...

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Episode 12: What Did the Stuarts Do For Us? show art Episode 12: What Did the Stuarts Do For Us?

1666 and All That

For better or for worse, the Stuart dynasty dominated the 17th-century English political landscape - with inevitable consequences for Scotland, Ireland and wider parts of a nascent empire. History's verdict on the Stuart monarchs is uncertain. Their absolutist inclinations led to Civil War, yet under Stuart leadership the century's turmoils resolved themselves in a way that left Britain stable and well-placed to grow in the following decades. In this episode Paul and Miranda reassess the Stuart monarchs' respective achievements, reflect on their legacy, and ask the key question - did positive...

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Episode 11: The Luck of the Habsburgs show art Episode 11: The Luck of the Habsburgs

1666 and All That

From humble roots in Switzerland and Swabia, the Habsburg dynasty endured for 900 years, its survival due in part to genetic good fortune. As historian Martyn Rady tells Paul and Miranda, the Habsburgs gambled big on marital matches that would expand and consolidate their power across Europe - and more often than not, they hit the jackpot. Their territories came to include colonies in Africa, the Americas and Asia, further reinforcing their wealth and status. But in the 17th century, even this most adept of dynasties failed to control the forces that unleashed brutal war in central...

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Episode 10: Shooting the Century show art Episode 10: Shooting the Century

1666 and All That

The 17th century has rarely been as popular with film and TV dramatists as 'sexier' periods such as the Tudors, the Romans and the Second World War. But recently, 17th-century stories and characters have emerged from the shadows. Dramas such as Mary & George and Shogun - and the docudrama series Royal Kill List -  have attracted large audiences and plenty of media coverage, good and bad. Miranda and Paul use this 17th-century moment to take an irreverent trawl through past screen attempts to capture the period. Highs have included the movies Cromwell (1970) and Witchfinder General...

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Episode 9: Dynastic Change in China show art Episode 9: Dynastic Change in China

1666 and All That

Great storytelling meets historical rigour in the podcast that brings the 17th century vividly to life.  China at the start of the 17th century was wealthy, strong and well-governed – the Ming dynasty had been ruling for nearly 250 years and is generally thought of as one of the high points of Chinese civilisation. But within a few decades it suffered a cataclysmic collapse that some estimate cost the lives of 25 million people. Paul and Miranda's guest in this episode is historian Timothy Brook, who believes that the Ming collapse was due not to administrative and political failure, as...

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Episode 8: Painting a Nation show art Episode 8: Painting a Nation

1666 and All That

Miranda and Paul are joined by art critic and author Laura Cumming, whose acclaimed book 'Thunderclap: A Memoir of Art and Life and Sudden Death' explores painting in the 17th-century Dutch Republic. It was a true Golden Age, an era of great artists whose prodigious output of paintings is unrivalled anywhere in European history.  Laura's book focuses on the work of Carel Fabritius, whose extraordinary career was cut short when he died in the Delft Thunderclap, a huge explosion of stored gunpowder that devastated the small Dutch town. But her book is also a meditation on artists'...

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Episode 7: From Hangings to Housework show art Episode 7: From Hangings to Housework

1666 and All That

After a short mid-season break, Paul and Miranda return with a timely exploration of 17th-century diaries. This was the century in which the habit of keeping daily personal reflections became widespread - perhaps because, for some devout Protestants, diaries replaced the confessional as a medium in which to confide their innermost thoughts. Greater literacy also contributed to the diary boom.  Miranda and Paul revisit the wonderfully revealing diaries of genre superstars Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn, whose entries often juxtaposed the dramatic with the mundane. They also explore some...

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Episode 6: An Irish Epic show art Episode 6: An Irish Epic

1666 and All That

After James II was deposed and replaced by the Protestant William and Mary in 1688, he began a military campaign in Ireland, from where he hoped to launch a bid to regain his crown. But the Jacobite armies were defeated, ending James's hopes and starting a period of Protestant domination in Ireland.  Historian Pádraig Lenihan of the University of Galway has uncovered a fascinating account of the Williamite Wars in Ireland - the Poema de Hibernia, an epic poem written in Latin by an anonymous Jacobite who was imprisoned after the defeat. Pádraig joins Paul and Miranda to discuss...

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More Episodes

In the week that sees a new King Charles crowned in London, Miranda and Paul unearth vivid coronation stories from 17th-century England - including details of the ceremonies for the two previous bearers of that regnal name.

As well as examples of spectacular pageantry - and sometimes excess - they find moments of lasting historical significance. And among the various Stuart monarchs' big days out, they revisit the two investitures of Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector, the second of which adhered surprisingly closely to royal tradition. 

Finally, Paul and Miranda give their 17th-century coronation awards in a variety of categories, from best music to most drunken banquet.

'1666 and All That' is presented by Miranda Malins and Paul Lay. The producer is Hugh Costello. Original music by George Taylor. The episode is mixed by Alfie Thompson.

You can visit our website at www.podpage.com/1666-and-all-that/