Niccolò Machiavelli: life of the week
HistoryExtra podcast
05/04/26
•49m
About
Comments
Featured In
From obscure beginnings to torture, exile, and desperate reinvention, the biography of Renaissance diplomat and author Niccolò Machiavelli reads like political theatre at its most brutal. In this episode, Alexander Lee speaks to Danny Bird about the man behind the myth. He presents Machiavelli as an 'everyman', who loved his family and friends, sang poetry, drank, gambled, and wrote by night, producing one of the most contentious books ever: The Prince. Long condemned as a manual for tyrants, might it instead be better to see it as a clear-eyed guide to political survival in unstable times?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Previous Episode
A dinner party in a beautifully decorated Georgian dining room might sound sophisticated, even romantic – but planning such events was not for the faint-hearted. Amy Boyington advises Lauren Good on how to host a perfect dinner party during the period, from what to serve to how to serve it. What was the most peculiar Georgian dish? What was the ultimate faux pas? And why was public urination a more likely prospect than you might have thought?
-----
GO BEYOND THE PODCAST
Don't miss another discussion between Amy Boyington and Lauren Good, revealing women's forgotten contributions to Georgian architecture – from Queen Charlotte's technical drawing lessons to Sarah Churchill's involvement in building Blenheim Palace: https://bit.ly/4sPhhwn
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Next Episode
A worker's eye-view of ancient Rome
May 5
•38m
We know plenty about the lives of rich and powerful Romans – men such as Julius Caesar and Augustus. But Kim Bowes is more interested in those who worked for a living: the so-called 90 per cent. In this episode of the HistoryExtra podcast, Kim tells Spencer Mizen about her endeavours to unearth the lost voices of the Roman empire's working people – from Egyptian farmers and entrepreneurial barmen to profit-hungry pimps.
–––––
GO BEYOND THE PODCAST
Don't miss this Life of the Week podcast featuring Edward Watts telling Spencer Mizen about Rome’s cruel and brilliant first emperor, Augustus: https://bit.ly/4bLFLQD
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
If you like this episode you’ll love
Promoted