History Rage

Forget what you think you know about medieval holy wars. Move over, Richard the Lionheart—the most action-packed, technologically wild campaign happened in the land of the pyramids, and it’s time to stop ignoring it!

In this live episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill sits down with public historian, fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and author Thomas Smith to rescue the Fifth Crusade from historical obscurity. If you think the Crusades were just knights waiting around in a dusty Syrian desert, prepare to have your mind blown by a campaign dominated by amphibious warfare, terrifying medieval technology, and a truly jaw-dropping twist ending.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode:

The Strategic Shift: Why Western Europe realized that the true key to holding Jerusalem was actually conquering Egypt—the wealthy breadbasket of the Near East.
D-Day in 1218: Discover the incredible engineering behind flat-bottomed landing craft, complete with bow ramps for cavalry charges, used 800 years before Normandy.
Medieval Napalm & Hand Grenades: Get a breakdown of Greek fire, the terrifying incendiary weapons used on the Nile, and the highly unpleasant acidic liquids required to put them out.
The Floating Siege Engine: Meet Oliver of Cologne, the genius German schoolmaster who built a rotating wooden fortress on stilt-ships to conquer the Nile's impenetrable Chain Tower.
Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory: How a combination of apocalyptic prophecy, a flooding River Nile, and a massive, poorly-timed wine-drinking session brought the entire campaign crashing down.

Links & Resources Mentioned:

Buy the Book: Grab your copy of Thomas Smith's ground-breaking new book, The Fifth Crusade: A History of the Epic Campaign to Conquer Egypt, from the History Rage Bookshop.
Recommended Episodes:
Episode 174: Steve Tibble rages about crime during the Crusades.
Episode 300: Aleks Pluskowski rages that Crusades are not all in the Middle East.

Connect with the Guest:

Instagram: Follow Tom for more incredible medieval insights @medieval_tom

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Are you ready to look past the myths? Stay angry!
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Was England’s greatest medieval villain actually a misunderstood power broker?

Thomas Arundel has long been cast as one of the great villains of English history — a persecutor, a political schemer, even the man blamed for burning heretics. But is that reputation deserved, or is it a product of centuries of misunderstanding?
In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by renowned medieval historian Chris Given-Wilson to challenge one of the most persistent myths of the Plantagenet era. Together, they unpack the life, career, and controversies of the Archbishop of Canterbury who stood at the centre of one of England’s most dramatic regime changes.

Arundel’s rise was meteoric — from a wealthy noble family to Bishop of Ely at just 20, and eventually Archbishop of Canterbury. But his true influence came during the turbulent transition from Richard II to Henry IV, where he played a decisive role in legitimising the overthrow of a king. Far from a shadowy manipulator, Arundel emerges as a crucial architect of political authority in a deeply unstable England.
The episode dives into the chaos of late 14th-century politics: rebellion, deposition, and the uneasy foundations of Lancastrian rule. Arundel wasn’t simply along for the ride — he helped provide the religious and legal justification that made Henry IV’s kingship possible.

But it’s Arundel’s association with the suppression of the Lollards that cemented his dark reputation. Were these early reformers brutally persecuted by a tyrannical churchman? Or was Arundel responding to what he genuinely believed was a dangerous and destabilising religious movement?
Chris Given-Wilson explores the reality behind the accusations — including the controversial introduction of heretic burning in England. The truth is more complex than the legend: Arundel did not create these laws, but he operated within a system determined to preserve religious unity at a time of crisis.

By the end of this episode, the image of Arundel as a pantomime villain begins to crumble. Instead, we see a deeply embedded medieval figure — a man shaped by the politics, religion, and fears of his time.
If you think you know the story of medieval power and persecution, think again.

👤 Guest Information
Chris Given-Wilson
Emeritus Professor of Medieval History, University of St Andrews
Book: Archbishop, Chancellor, Kingmaker: Thomas Arundel and the Politics of Late Medieval England
Academic profile: Available via the University of St Andrews website

📚 Buy the Book
Support independent bookshops and grab your copy here:
👉 https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780300286403

🎧 More from History Rage
Love challenging historical myths? There’s plenty more where this came from.
Episode 184 with Helen Castor on Medieval Royal Politics
Episode 220 with Michael Livingston on the Battle of Agincourt

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History isn’t just about what happened — it’s about who gets remembered, and why.
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Stop commercializing historical grief and ignoring the true scale of global warfare.

Recorded live at the Imperial War Museum Festival, host Paul Bavill sits down with two of History Rage’s favourite returning guests—Dr. Peter Caddick Adams and Alex Churchill—for an unfiltered, hilarious, and deeply insightful look at how we commemorate global conflicts.

From the tacky monetization of grief to the complete erasure of French contributions on the Western Front, this live crowd episode pulls no punches. Why has our memory of the First World War become so lazy? The team breaks down the "Airfix School of Military History," explores the forgotten British conflicts post-1945, and takes aim at the deeply problematic world of Axis reenactment cosplay. Finally, they tackle the terrifying future of AI-generated history slop and explain why preserving your personal family archives on physical paper is the ultimate act of historical preservation.

Recommended Episodes to Unleash More Rage
If you loved this live panel, dive back into the archives with these essential episodes:

Episode 75: Dr. Peter Caddick Adams rages on Bernard Montgomery and explains why "Monty" might not be all he’s cracked up to be.
Episode 210: Alex Churchill rages against the narrow British lens of the First World War, proving it truly was a global conflict.

Featured Book
Support the authors who keep history honest. Grab your copy of Alex Churchill's brilliant book, which balances the scales of global wartime contributions:

Buy the Book: Ring of Fire: A Global History of the Great War by Alex Churchill. Order directly from the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781035903429

Support and Follow History Rage
Help us keep the rage alive! Subscribe, review, and join our community of history lovers who prefer hard truths over comfortable myths.

Subscribe to the Newsletter: Get monthly updates on upcoming shows, guests, and future live appearances at https://historyrage.substack.com or visit our main hub at https://www.historyrage.com.
Follow Us on Socials: Search for @HistoryRage across all major podcast directories and social media platforms to download, subscribe, and never miss a rant.

Stay Angry. Stay Informed.
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Victorian England wasn’t calm and orderly—it was a powder keg with Ian Breckon

Victorian England is often remembered as a world of polite manners, strict morality, and orderly progress. But beneath the surface lay unrest, desperation, and rebellion. In this explosive episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by historian and novelist Ian Breckon to dismantle the myth of a peaceful Victorian society.

Drawing on his research for the book Mad Tom’s Rising, Ian reveals the extraordinary story of Sir William Courtenay—better known as “Mad Tom”—a charismatic imposter who led a rural uprising in Kent in 1838. What followed was violent confrontation, mass mobilisation of labourers, and what has sometimes been described as the last battle fought on English soil.

Far from the tranquil image of Victorian England, this episode explores a period rife with poverty, political anxiety, religious fervour, and social upheaval. Ian explains how economic hardship, the legacy of the Poor Laws, and widespread discontent created the conditions for revolt. When “Mad Tom” emerged preaching radical ideas and promising justice for the oppressed, desperate people were ready to follow.

Paul and Ian discuss how this forgotten rebellion challenges popular assumptions about the Victorian era. Was England really stable and orderly—or was it simmering with revolutionary potential? And why has this dramatic episode been pushed to the margins of mainstream history?

Expect a gripping conversation about imposters, messianic leaders, class anger, and the uneasy reality of life for ordinary people in the early industrial age.

About the Guest
Ian Breckon is a historical novelist and researcher whose work explores overlooked and dramatic episodes from the past. His book Mad Tom’s Rising tells the extraordinary story of the Courtenay uprising and the social tensions that made it possible.
📚 Buy the book:
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781837732289

Listen to More from History Rage
If you enjoy historians tearing down popular myths, subscribe to History Rage wherever you get your podcasts.
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Think you know the true story behind the birth of the SAS? Think again.

In this extraordinary live episode, recorded on location at the Imperial War Museum History Festival, host Paul Bavill fires up the blue touch paper with best-selling military historian and filmmaker Damien Lewis. Together, they take dead aim at the cheap Hollywood tropes and television distortions that have rewritten the legacy of Britain's most decorated wartime icons.

Damien unleashes a masterclass of historical rage against the BBC’s SAS Rogue Heroes portrayal of Lieutenant Colonel Paddy Mayne. Far from the foul-mouthed, unhinged, drunken stereotype broadcast to millions, the real Paddy Mayne was a qualified solicitor, an Irish rugby international, a devotee of poetry, and the elite unit's hand-picked Discipline Officer who led his men through fraternal brotherhood and transformational command. You will discover the breathtaking truth behind his four Distinguished Service Orders (DSOs), his unmatched record of destroying enemy warplanes on the ground, and the clerical errors that unjustly denied him the Victoria Cross.

But the rage doesn't stop in 1945. Damien connects history directly to the modern day, sharing a raw, unfiltered look at the shocking state of modern British defence funding. From frontline special operations to deep post-war psychological trauma, this episode peels back the curtain on the heavy cost paid by the "raiders of the thug variety" who fought to save Western civilization.

Grab the Books & Follow the Guest
Dive deeper into Damien Lewis's meticulous archival research and gripping historical narratives.

Buy Damien's Books: Grab SAS Great Escapes 5, SAS The Great Train Raid, or his definitive trilogy on Paddy Mayne's band of warriors (Brothers in Arms, Forged in Hell, and Daggers Drawn) directly from the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781529448245
Follow Damien on Social Media: @authordlewis

Binge More History Rage Special Forces Episodes
If this deep dive into WWII Special Forces left you wanting more, check out these recommended past episodes:

Episode 33: Gavin Mortimer takes aim at the myths surrounding SAS founder David Stirling.
Episode 218: Tony Rushmer confronts the media's portrayal of legendary original member Reg Seekings.

Follow & Support History Rage
Help keep the podcast angry, independent, and dedicated to historical truth!

Visit the Website: Find every episode covering all eras of history at https://www.historyrage.com
Support us on Patreon: Join the inner circle of History Ragers for £5 a month to get entry into monthly book draws, exclusive live streams, the chance to submit questions to guests, and the coveted History Rage mug! Join today at https://www.patreon.com/historyrage
Get in Touch: Follow the anger on social media by searching for @HistoryRage on X/Twitter and Instagram, or join the conversation using the hashtag #HistoryRage.

And until next time... stay angry!
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