Absolute History – the home of fun, shocking and curious tales from throughout history.
From Absolute History. Why did the Scottish kings live in Edinburgh, and why don’t we have Scottish kings anymore? Why was Edinburgh Castle built high upon Castle Rock? What’s the connection between Edinburgh and Harry Potter? And where are the real-life inspirations for Harry Potter locations? What is so royal about Edinburgh’s Royal Mile? Who…
From Absolute History. Carlton is known as the headquarters for generations of crime bosses. But it was also the epicenter of a creative outpouring in the 1960s and 70s that lead to the emergence of a uniquely Australian film and theatre culture. This inner-city gem has always been a suburb of incredible diversity. It’s also…
From Absolute History. This episode explores the extraordinary lengths people will go to in search of freedom, as Tony meets some of history’s greatest escape artists. In 1800s Australia, destiny hinges on the flip of a coin as an influential pioneer risks his life in a duel. Next Tony reveals the bizarre disguise a convict…
From Absolute History. The Habsburgs were the hereditary rulers of the Holy Roman Empire. Their kingdom was the largest realm in Renaissance Europe. How did they shape Europe? Where did Mozart perform as a 6-year-old prodigy? When and why did Austria shrink to a tenth of its size? 📺 It’s like Netflix for history… Sign…
From Absolute History. Taking its name from the English coastal mining town, Australia’s Newcastle also has a reputation for toughness and heavy toil that began when the convicts were first dropped there to collect coal from the beaches. But it’s also a town with a unique identity, a rich maritime history, and more than its…
From Absolute History. In 1941, sleepy tropical Brisbane found itself the nerve center for the Pacific War effort, playing host to 100,000 US military personnel. The former convict colony found itself changing quickly, and the pace of progress has barely slowed since then. Yet politically Queensland is the most conservative state in Australia, even playing…
From Absolute History. How did Dublin get its name? And what do Vikings have to do with it? Who was Maewyn Succat, and why is he celebrated with green beer? How did the harp become a symbol of Ireland? What is the curious history of the Book of Kells? 📺 It’s like Netflix for history……
From Absolute History. Tucked around a corner from the iconic sights of Sydney is a forgotten pocket-handkerchief-sized suburb that contains hidden history from every era since settlement. From the Razor gangs of the 1930s to the Heritage Battles of the 1960s, Woolloomooloo has seen it all. 📺 It’s like Netflix for history… Sign up to…
From Absolute History. Catastrophes capture both the tragedy of life and the strength of the human spirit. In this episode Tony examines the series of events that lead to disasters and the legacies it leaves behind. From a daredevil acrobat risking his life in 19th century Sydney, to the ill-fated Burke and Wills cross-continental expedition.…
From Absolute History. In this episode, we explore the curious world of Royal Warrants, a special designation given only to the best shops and services, literally fit for a king or queen. We also visit the atelier of one of Princess Diana’s gown designers. From the royal dressmakers to tiara makers to the royal cheesemonger…
From Absolute History. Bendigo is literally built on rivers of gold. But there is more to be discovered than the history of the Victorian gold rush and Tony Robinson is out to dig it up. 📺 It’s like Netflix for history… Sign up to History Hit, the world’s best history documentary service and get 50%…
From Absolute History. The never-ending quest to satisfy humankind’s senses has led to some magnificent culinary creations. But it’s also caused great conflict – from the toppling of leaders to the creation of empires. In this episode, Tony embarks on a gastronomic journey from the origins of the famous Pavlova dessert, to the discovery of…
From Absolute History. Queen Victoria named Glasgow the second city of the empire. What made this city so important to the industrial revolution? Who is buried under Glasgow Cathedral and why? Who is Saint Mungo, and why is he so big? Why does Glasgow City Chambers look like a palace? How did this seaport town…
From Absolute History. Tony Robinson brings his inquisitive storytelling approach to Australia’s diverse suburbs and towns. His mission is to uncover the hidden history that lies behind, below, and above the places, we walk every day. In each episode, we find a different postcode laden with stories. They’re all established walks that tourists and locals…
From Absolute History. From calculating killers to merciless victors, in this episode, Tony seeks to answer why some people will stop at nothing to get what they desire. He travels to 1950s New Zealand to uncover what triggered the killing of an innocent victim by a young couple and why the disturbing case captured headlines…
From Absolute History. What European Christmas Markets have to do with the Holy Roman Empire; why are Christmas Markets mostly in German-speaking countries; history of the Advent wreath, Silent Night and the character named Krampus. 📺 It’s like Netflix for history… Sign up to History Hit, the world’s best history documentary service and get 50%…
From Absolute History. The real story of Melbourne isn’t found in the grand tree-lined boulevards or boomtown architecture. It’s hidden down the lanes and alleyways. Utopian idealists, internationally celebrated art, class-war dressed up as teen-rebellion, you’ll find it all in the center of the city. 📺 It’s like Netflix for history… Sign up to History…
From Absolute History. In this episode, Tony discovers the inspirations, setbacks, and ingenuity that lead to astonishing feats of invention. To discover how powered flight first began Tony joins a group of enthusiasts in country Victoria, attempting to get a replica plane off the ground. In 1890s Western Australia Tony meets a humble engineer, whose…
From Absolute History. Uncanny coincidences are scattered throughout history, leading to the downfall of empires and the good fortune of everyday citizens. In this episode, Tony uncovers how a deadly medieval plague was able to infiltrate a thriving Australian town in the 1900s. He ponders the destiny of a group of World War II soldiers…
From Absolute History. Tony Robinson brings his inquisitive storytelling approach to Australia’s diverse suburbs and towns. His mission is to uncover the hidden history that lies behind, below, and above the places, we walk every day. In each episode, we find a different postcode laden with stories. They’re all established walks that tourists and locals…
From Absolute History. Sam looks at urban crime, fraud, and corruption in the 18th century, uncovering a fascinating rogues gallery of charmers, fraudsters, and villains. Charmers like the thief and serial escapee Jack Sheppard, so notorious that almost a quarter of a million people turned up to witness his hanging. Almost as controversial in her…
From Absolute History. This is the remarkable human history of eight beautiful Islands found off the coast of California. Known as the Galapagos of North America, the Channel Islands can be seen from the mainland, yet few people know their rich and important history. These are the stories of the first European settlements to arrive…
From Absolute History. Dr. Suzannah Lipscomb reveals the hidden killers that lurk in every room across the ages. From the Tudor to the Post War era, we discover the lethal inventions and the ‘safe’ domestic home life of households from the past. 📺 It’s like Netflix for history… Sign up to History Hit, the world’s…
From Absolute History. History is full of rule-breakers and rabble-rousers who stand up against injustice. In this episode, Tony embarks upon a journey to find out just what it takes to make a difference. Time-traveling to the first century A.D. in Britain, Tony tells how a Celtic Queen fought back Roman invaders. He visits 19th…
From Absolute History. This is the remarkable human history of eight beautiful Islands found off the coast of California. Known as the Galapagos of North America, the Channel Islands can be seen from the mainland, yet few people know their rich and important history. We will learn of the First People to make the Channel…
From Absolute History. Sam takes to the high seas in search of the swashbuckling pirates of the golden age of piracy during the early 18th century. Following in the wake of the infamous Captain Kidd, Blackbeard, Calico Jack, and others, Sam charts the devastating impact these pirates had during an era of colonial expansion and…
From Absolute History. Secrets damage governments and change the destiny of empires. In this episode Tony reveals the extraordinary measures powerful people take, to deceive the public and cover up the truth. Tony exposes the untold story of a wartime mutiny in Queensland, deemed so dangerous an American president suppressed it for 70 years. He…
From Absolute History. In July of 1920, all eyes were on the Tennessee capital as Anti and Pro-suffragists each fought for their vision of a socially evolving the United States. One more state was needed to ratify the proposed amendment, and that duty rested solely on the shoulders of Tennessee. It passed by one swing…
From Absolute History. Sam begins with the arrival of a new breed of gentleman criminal out of the ashes of the English Civil War – the highwayman. Including the notorious James Hind who became the mold for the character of Robin Hood. Heavily romanticized in literature, these glamorous gangsters became a social menace on the…
From Absolute History. Stephen Fry takes a look at the story of Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the world’s first printing press in the 15th century. Beginning with religious works and textbooks, soon presses were churning out all manner of texts from Reformation pamphlets to romantic novels. The number of books greatly increased, their cost diminished…
From Absolute History. Bra design has reflected the evolution of femininity since Victorian whale-boned corsets. Lingerie and female sexuality on screen evolved alongside one another in Hollywood. This definitive film reveals a fascinating insight into the multi-billion dollar business of bras, past, present & future. 📺 It’s like Netflix for history… Sign up to History…
From Absolute History. Fusing biography, art, and the history of fashion, Amber Butchart explores the lives of historical figures through the clothes they wore. She looks at Dido Belle, the 18th-century daughter of an enslaved West Indian woman brought up at Kenwood House in London. 📺 It’s like Netflix for history… Sign up to History…
From Absolute History. At 95, Queen Elizabeth II represents the glory of an age gone by. At 27, the striking young monarch seemed to be ushering in a new Elizabethan era that she vowed would last a lifetime. But, the following 6 decades have been filled with pomp, pageantry, melodrama, and tragedy. The much-loved Queen…
From Absolute History. In 1459, a book was written that contained images so bizarre that even 500 years later their meaning is still shrouded in mystery. It depicts improbable medieval siege engines and machines of war. Figures an extraordinary apparatus and blood-thirsty jewels. Why was this manuscript written, and who could have unlocked its full…
From Absolute History. The Chemise à la Reine was a dress made infamous by Marie Antoinette in the early 1780s. In contrast to the highly structured opulent garments worn by the French court, the gown was made of thin muslin and resembled underwear. When Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun painted Marie Antoinette in her new clothes, the portrait…
From Absolute History. Immersed in Ireland’s timeless beauty is a dark history of magic, ritual, and prime evil worship. Elemental forces from this ancient past come back as apparitions to wander amongst the living and many of these restless souls are trapped in Ireland’s castles. The spirits reach out from the beyond, lost phantoms that…
From Absolute History. Over a century ago, a tomb ship bound for China was shipwrecked and sank. The SS Ventnor had a ghostly cargo, the remains of 499 Chinese gold miners were all packed in coffins that never made it home. The ship still lies off the coast of Northern New Zealand. Can the descendant…
From Absolute History. Four families with a longing to escape the demands of the modern world head back over a hundred years. They’re experiencing life, for a month, as a small fishing community on the dramatic and wild tidal island of Llanddwyn, off the coast of Anglesey. They may have settled into the 1900s style…
From Absolute History. Deep in Wales’ long memory is a history of violence and bloody curses. Where the deeds of noblemen and warrior princes come back to haunt the living world. Acts of treachery and vengeance leave their stain within Wales’ haunted castles. 📺 It’s like Netflix for history… Sign up to History Hit, the…
From Absolute History. Amber explores the life of The Black Prince, a hero to the English, villain to the French. He was a warrior whose premature death in 1376 denied him the crown by just 12 months. He is laid to rest in a gilded bronze tomb at Canterbury Cathedral. A prime example of 14th-century…
From Absolute History. Four families with a longing to escape the demands of the modern world head back over a hundred years. They’re experiencing life, for a month, as a small fishing community on the dramatic and wild tidal island of Llanddwyn, off the coast of Anglesey. They may have settled into the 1900s style…