Episodi

  • You hand a butcher a torch - and refuse to light your rector's pyre

    You hand a butcher a torch - and refuse to light your rector's pyre
    Sep 24 2026
    A butcher is ordered to burn his own rector alive on a freezing Suffolk morning. What do you do when the one thing you will not surrender is the one thing they will kill you for keeping?

    You hand a butcher a torch - and refuse to light your rector's pyre

    This episode explores the story of Rowland Taylor, a man who faced an impossible choice in 1555. It delves into the personal and political forces that shaped his decision, and the profound question of what it costs to hold an idea when the world decides it should die.

    Person: Rowland Taylor
    Date: February 1555
    Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk, England
    Status: Rector
    Event: English Reformation

    - Rowland Taylor was a Cambridge doctor of law and rector of Hadleigh for eleven years, genuinely loved by his community.
    - He had helped build the English Reformation, serving as chaplain to influential reformers Hugh Latimer and Archbishop Thomas Cranmer.
    - Taylor publicly denounced transubstantiation and defended clerical marriage, positions that carried significant consequences.
    - Six days after Mary I was crowned in July 1553, Taylor was arrested, and later held in King's Bench Prison.
    - In January 1555, Parliament revived the statute making heresy a capital offense, leading to Taylor's examination before a commission.

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    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    16 min
  • The smile that cost her everything

    The smile that cost her everything
    Sep 23 2026
    In 1558 England, a farmer's daughter reads a forbidden book and faces a choice: recant her beliefs or face the ultimate penalty. What would you do?

    The smile that cost her everything

    This episode explores the story of Alice Driver, a woman who found conviction in an English Bible during a period of religious upheaval. It asks what it takes to stand by your beliefs when your life is on the line.

    Person: Alice Driver
    Date: November 4, 1558
    Location: Ipswich, England
    Event: Execution by burning
    Period: Marian persecutions

    - Alice Driver, a farmer's daughter, obtained and read an English Bible in 1558, a dangerous act under Queen Mary I.
    - England had experienced rapid religious shifts, from Henry VIII's break with Rome to Edward VI's Protestantism, then Mary I's staunch Catholicism.
    - Queen Mary I reinstated heresy laws, leading to the burning of nearly 300 people between 1555 and 1558 for denying Catholic doctrine.
    - Alice Driver compared the Bible to the Roman Mass and concluded the Mass was "idolatrous," a belief she refused to renounce.
    - She and Alexander Gooch, a weaver, were discovered hiding in a haystack by men with pitchforks and subsequently arrested.

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    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    17 min
  • The ring that gave seven hours to a dying man

    The ring that gave seven hours to a dying man
    Sep 22 2026
    A woman buys a wedding ring, knowing her fiancé will die by dawn. This is the story of a man who planned a revolution and chose to walk into the fire.

    The ring that gave seven hours to a dying man

    This episode tells the story of Joseph Plunkett, a man of contradictions who navigated poetry, politics, and war. It explores the unlikely path that led him to a jail cell and the choices he made in the face of overwhelming odds.

    Person: Joseph Plunkett
    Date: May 3, 1916
    Location: Dublin
    Event: Easter Rising
    Affiliation: Irish Republican Brotherhood

    - A woman purchased a wedding ring on May 3, 1916, knowing her fiancé would be executed by dawn.
    - Joseph Plunkett, born into a wealthy and cultured Catholic family in Dublin, was educated by Jesuits and studied Arabic literature.
    - He co-founded the Irish Esperanto Association and joined the Gaelic League, where he met his close friend, Thomas MacDonagh.
    - Plunkett contracted tuberculosis young, which led him to warmer climates where he began to think about Ireland's future.
    - He became a key member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood's Military Committee, planning the Easter Rising and even proposing a German Catholic prince as king of Ireland.

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    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    21 min
  • He Wrote Philosophy While Waiting to Be Killed

    He Wrote Philosophy While Waiting to Be Killed
    Sep 21 2026
    A celebrated Roman senator is chained and awaiting execution while writing philosophy - what did he choose, and why?

    He Wrote Philosophy While Waiting to Be Killed

    In this episode, we follow the life and choices of Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius from his peak as a Roman senator to his arrest and imprisonment. The episode covers his political roles, intellectual ambitions, and the book he wrote while awaiting execution, asking what motivated him to speak up and write under such circumstances.

    Person: Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius
    Date: 522 (consular nomination surrendered); ~480 (birth); ~44 (age at death)
    Location: Italy (Gothic kingdom under Theodoric the Great)
    Topic: Book written between arrest and execution; translations and commentaries on Aristotle and Plato

    - Born into the senatorial Anicii family, orphaned young, raised by Quintus Aurelius Memmius Symmachus and later married his daughter Rusticiana.
    - Ambitious scholarly project to translate all of Aristotle and Plato into Latin and harmonize their philosophies; completed key logical works of Aristotle.
    - Held high public office by his mid-twenties, served as sole consul in 510, and undertook precise diplomatic and administrative tasks for Theodoric.
    - In 522 he surrendered his consular nomination to have his sons appointed, then declined from the summit of Roman honor to imprisonment within fourteen months.
    - Wrote a philosophical treatise in prison that contains no plea for mercy but wrestles with fortune and the meaning of suffering while he awaited his fate.

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    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    21 min
  • A single thread of friendship purchased a soldier's death

    A single thread of friendship purchased a soldier's death
    Sep 20 2026
    A man who ordered executions is hunted through London. What happens when the cause you believe in is crushed, and the people who crushed it walk free?

    A single thread of friendship purchased a soldier's death

    This episode explores the events surrounding the 1848 Hungarian Revolution and its aftermath, focusing on the fate of its leaders and the question of justice when institutions fail.

    Person: Julius Jacob von Haynau
    Date: 1850
    Location: London, England
    Event: Hungarian Revolution of 1848
    Topic: Justice

    - In 1848, Lajos Kossuth delivered a speech to the Hungarian parliament, demanding a constitutional government for Hungary.
    - The revolution spread, and the Hungarian forces, led by generals of diverse ethnic backgrounds, gained control of nearly the entire country.
    - Emperor Franz Joseph requested military aid from Tsar Nicholas of Russia, who sent 190,000 soldiers into Hungary.
    - Kossuth abdicated, handing command to General Artúr Görgei, who surrendered to the Russians and was subsequently exiled, not executed.
    - Thirteen Hungarian generals, not under Russian protection, were tried by a military tribunal in Arad, with ten hanged and three shot due to personal ties to Prince Franz de Paula of Liechtenstein.

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    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    18 min
  • You Sign the Reprisal Request and Five Hundred People Die

    You Sign the Reprisal Request and Five Hundred People Die
    Sep 19 2026
    A German general signs a reprisal permission slip in occupied Serbia that authorizes fifty civilian executions for every soldier killed - what would you do?

    You Sign the Reprisal Request and Five Hundred People Die

    In this episode, we follow the career and choices of Generalmajor Hartwig von Ludwiger and the paperwork that led to mass reprisals in occupied Serbia. The episode traces how institutional honors, promotions, and a bureaucratic permission transformed policy into action, and asks what happens when the system hands you authorization.

    Person: Hartwig von Ludwiger
    Date: born 29 June 1895; assumed command 3 March 1943; first reprisals April 1943
    Location: Serbia (Military District Serbia)
    Event: reprisal policy of 50 civilians executed per German soldier killed
    Superior: General Paul Bader (approved reprisal requests)

    - Decorated veteran: fought in WWI at Champagne, Arras, the Somme, Flanders and the Maas; awarded Iron Cross First Class and Silver Wound Badge.
    - Career continuity: served in the Reichswehr, suppressed Silesian Uprisings, rose through ranks to Generalmajor with decades of institutional reinforcement.
    - Command in Balkans: took leadership of the 704th Infantry Division (redesignated 104th Jäger Division) in March 1943 and was promoted to Generalmajor.
    - Reprisal process: after the first partisan killing in his sector, Ludwiger submitted formal reprisal requests rather than issuing immediate orders.
    - Chain of authorization: reprisal requests traveled to and were approved by General Paul Bader under a standing fifty-to-one execution ratio.

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    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    18 min
  • The Burning Springs That Asked If You'd Ride Anyway

    The Burning Springs That Asked If You'd Ride Anyway
    Sep 18 2026
    A seasoned frontiersman rides into the Ohio wilderness, signing his will-what would you sacrifice for a belief?

    The Burning Springs That Asked If You'd Ride Anyway

    This episode explores the life of William Crawford, a surveyor and soldier who navigated the treacherous Ohio country. It asks what drives a man to confront impossible odds for what he believes in.

    Person: William Crawford
    Date: May 16, 1782
    Location: Ohio wilderness
    Age at last ride: 59

    - William Crawford, born in 1722, was a surveyor who made claims and drew lines in the Ohio country, a skill that often blurred with being an explorer and soldier.
    - He met George Washington around 1749, forming a partnership where Crawford served as Washington's trusted agent for scouting and investing in western lands.
    - Crawford survived the catastrophic ambush at Monongahela in 1755, an experience that taught him and Washington the brutal realities of frontier warfare.
    - In 1773, Crawford's expedition discovered the "Burning Springs of Kanawha," where water ignited when a flame was brought near, a phenomenon that astonished even the experienced frontiersman.
    - During the Revolution, Crawford served as a Lieutenant Colonel and commanded Fort Pitt, but faced a new threat when former subordinate Simon Girty deserted to the British side in 1778, becoming an agent among the Ohio nations.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    18 min
  • The order sheet that built a reflex you could not unlearn

    The order sheet that built a reflex you could not unlearn
    Sep 17 2026
    A Fascist leader is seized by partisans in 1945 Milan and brought before Mussolini's hanging body. What makes a man salute in the face of death?

    The order sheet that built a reflex you could not unlearn

    This episode explores the life of Achille Starace, a key figure in Italian Fascism, and examines the origins of his unwavering loyalty and the system he helped create. What happens when devotion becomes one's entire identity?

    Person: Achille Starace
    Date: April 29, 1945
    Location: Milan, Italy
    Role: National Fascist Party Secretary
    Event: Execution

    - Achille Starace, born in Gallipoli in 1889, joined the Italian Fascism Army in 1909 and earned multiple military medals during World War I.
    - In 1914, before Italy entered WWI, Starace engaged in a physical altercation with pacifist demonstrators in Milan, showcasing an early inclination towards aggression.
    - He joined the Fascist movement in Trento in 1920 and rapidly rose through its ranks, becoming Vice-Secretary of the National Fascist Party by October 1921.
    - Starace participated in the 1922 March on Rome as one of nineteen column commanders, leading a Blackshirt squad.
    - As National Fascist Party Secretary for eight years, Starace implemented daily "order sheets" that dictated behaviors, replacing handshakes with the Roman salute and enrolling children in youth movements to instill Fascist gestures.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    19 min