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Experts on History

Experts on History

By: World History Encyclopedia
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Join your host Dr Fiona Richards as she interviews our Experts on History!

We'll meet historians, archaeologists and curators who are experts in their field and hear about the lives of people who have made history their jobs, learn fascinating facts about the past, and go on a journey through world history. Fiona also includes questions for our experts that were sent in by WHE readers. 

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Episodes
  • Rome: Strategy of Empire | James Lacey

    Rome: Strategy of Empire | James Lacey
    Dec 12 2025
    Join World History Encyclopedia as they sit down with author and historian James Lacey to chat all about Rome: Strategy of Empire, the first work to lay out Roman strategic thinking from its start under Augustus until its final demise in 476 CE From Octavian's victory at Actium (31 bc) to its traditional endpoint in the West (476), the Roman Empire lasted a solid 500 years—an impressive number by any standard, and fully one-fifth of all recorded history. In fact, the decline and final collapse of the Roman Empire took longer than most other empires even existed. Any historian trying to unearth the grand strategy of the Roman Empire must, therefore, always remain cognizant of the time scale, in which she is dealing. Although the pace of change in the Roman era never approached that of the modern era, it was not an empire in stasis. While the visible trappings may have changed little, the challenges Rome faced at its end were vastly different than those faced by Augustus and the Julio-Claudians. Over the centuries, the Empire's underlying economy, political arrangements, military affairs, and, most importantly, the myriad of external threats it faced were in constant flux, making adaptability to changing circumstances as important to Roman strategists as it is to strategists of the modern era. By employing an expansive definition of strategy and by focusing much of the narrative on crucial historical moments and the personalities involved, James Lacey provides a comprehensive, persuasive, and engaging account of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. It assimilates the most recent work of classical historians and archaeologists to correct the flaws and omissions of previous accounts, thus presenting the most complete and nuanced narrative of Roman strategic thinking and execution ever published. — BUY ROME: STRATEGY OF EMPIRE — Buy the book from Oxford University Press https://global.oup.com/academic/product/rome-9780190937706?utm_campaign=1433189261099882389&utm_source=third%20party&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=text+advert&utm_term=WHE — SUPPORT US VIA OUR PATREON— https://www.patreon.com/join/whencyclopedia — BUY OUR MERCH — https://www.worldhistory.store​/​ — CHAPTERS — 0:00​ Introduction 0:51 James Jacey's background 6:00 Focus of the book - the strategy of Ancient Rome 17:34 Modern-day strategy and its links with Ancient Roman strategy 35:19 Outro — WANT TO KNOW MORE? — Ancient Rome https://www.worldhistory.org/Rome/ Roman Empire https://www.worldhistory.org/Roman_Empire/ The Extent of the Roman Empire https://www.worldhistory.org/article/851/the-extent-of-the-roman-empire/ Enemies of Rome in the 3rd Century CE https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1145/enemies-of-rome-in-the-3rd-century-ce/ Roman Warfare https://member.worldhistory.org/Roman_Warfare/ Roman Army https://member.worldhistory.org/Roman_Army/ — WATCH — The Roman Invasion of Britain with Richard Hingley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNfdfuH7z1c Rome: An Empire's Story with Greg Woolf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTQSrskjPRs The Roman Epic Poem The Aeneid: Introduction and Summary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2dcqDjxl_c History of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty of the Roman Empire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE7l5GL8KcI — ATTRIBUTIONS — The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on: https://www.ancientlyre.com https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Dx2vFEg8DmOJ5YCRm4A5v?si=emacIH9CRieFNGXRUyJ9 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ1X6F7lGMEadnNETSzTv8A World History Encyclopedia www.worldhistory.org
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    36 mins
  • Everyday Discoveries Reshaping History | Ian Richardson & Michael Lewis

    Everyday Discoveries Reshaping History | Ian Richardson & Michael Lewis
    Nov 29 2025

    Ian Richardson, Senior Treasure Registrar at the British Museum, explores how everyday discoveries made by the public have reshaped our understanding of Britain’s past. He explains the Portable Antiquity Scheme and the Treasure Act, showing how ordinary finds from metal detecting, gardening, or chance become part of the national record. In this talk, he shares stories of remarkable discoveries including a Bronze Age gold vessel mistaken for a light fitting, a rare Roman cavalry helmet, thousands of Anglo-Norman silver pennies buried after the Battle of Hastings, and even a jar of American gold coins hidden in a London garden. Richardson also explains how finds are reported, how museums decide what to keep, and why recording even small objects can reveal lost settlements and forgotten landscapes, while reflecting on the luck, strategy, and thrill behind uncovering history beneath our feet.

    Ian Richardson and Michael Lewis wrote Beneath Our Feet: Everyday Discoveries Reshaping History, going into greater depth on many of these stories and exploring the important role of the public in uncovering the past.


    📚 Buy the book here:

    Beneath Our Feet: Everyday Discoveries Reshaping History

    by Ian Richardson & Michael Lewis

    https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0500027528


    — SUPPORT US VIA OUR PATREON—

    https://www.patreon.com/join/whencyclopedia

    — BUY OUR MERCH —

    https://www.worldhistory.store​/​


    — ATTRIBUTIONS —

    The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:

    https://www.ancientlyre.com

    https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Dx2vFEg8DmOJ5YCRm4A5v?si=emacIH9CRieFNGXRUyJ9

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ1X6F7lGMEadnNETSzTv8A


    World History Encyclopedia

    www.worldhistory.org
    Show More Show Less
    59 mins
  • The Surprising Life of Christopher Marlowe | Harrison Mark

    The Surprising Life of Christopher Marlowe | Harrison Mark
    Nov 22 2025

    Step into the fascinating world of Elizabethan England with historian and educator Harrison Mark, as he explores the life, works, and mysterious death of Christopher Marlowe, one of the most influential—and controversial—figures in English literary history.

    In this conversation, Harrison shares his passion for history and literature, tracing Marlowe’s journey from his humble beginnings to his groundbreaking plays and poetry that transformed English drama. Discover how Marlowe’s bold themes of politics, religion, violence, and forbidden love pushed the boundaries of Renaissance theater and inspired none other than William Shakespeare.

    The lecture also dives deep into the mysteries surrounding Marlowe’s life: his rumored role as a spy for Queen Elizabeth I, his dangerous ideas on religion, his sexuality, and the suspicious circumstances of his early death—murder or secret escape? Harrison unpacks the myths and historical evidence with clarity and insight.

    — BUY OUR MERCH —

    https://www.worldhistory.store​/​


    — SUPPORT US VIA OUR PATREON—

    https://www.patreon.com/join/whencyclopedia


    — ATTRIBUTIONS —

    The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:

    https://www.ancientlyre.com

    https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Dx2vFEg8DmOJ5YCRm4A5v?si=emacIH9CRieFNGXRUyJ9

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ1X6F7lGMEadnNETSzTv8A


    World History Encyclopedia

    www.worldhistory.org
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
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