For almost two hundred years, the Knights Templar were one of the most fearsome military forces in the world. Despite their strict vows of individual poverty, the Order was a global financial powerhouse, with valuable holdings across Europe and the Middle East. Even today, the myth of the Templars endures. But who were the men who devoted themselves to the mysterious order? And how did such a powerful international organisation find itself suddenly brought down?
A Noiser podcast production, written by Duncan Barrett. With thanks to Thierry Do Espirito, author of The Knights Templar for Dummies, and to Michel Carnet, voice of the French nobleman.
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The Pirate Queen
It’s November 28th, 1809. The Imperial fleet in Tung Chung Bay is aflame. But the crew of Zheng I Sao’s ship watch on and cheer. This is the greatest victory of the Pirate Queen, scourge of the South China Sea. At its peak, her fleet was more than twice the size of the Spanish Armada. But who was Zheng I Sao? How did she become one of the most successful pirates of all time? And why did she go under the radar for so long?
A Noiser podcast production, written by Joel Duddell. With thanks to Dian Murray, historian, and author of Pirates of the South China Coast.
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The Pyramids
Sakkara, Egypt, 2,630BC. A man stands atop a structure of dizzying height as the final block grinds into place. For Imhotep, it is the culmination of his life’s work: a mountain made by man. He checks the joint while his workers wait in silence. Then, he gives a barely perceptible nod. It is done. Imhotep’s pyramid is the first, but more will come. Bigger pyramids, more beautiful pyramids, tombs filled with treasure, chambers inscribed with complex, sacred writings.
But what motivated these ancient people to toil for decades over their vast monuments? What purpose did the structures serve? And what mysteries might still remain inside?
A Noiser production, written by Jo Furniss. With thanks to Salima Ikram, Professor of Egyptology at the American University of Cairo.
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The Samurai
After a bloody battle on September 22nd, 1877, Saigo Takamori and his loyal warriors pause on a hillside overlooking Kagoshima. They’ll never surrender, but they’re wounded, exhausted, and massively outnumbered, and Saigo already knows how this will end. Because his noble Samurai army aren’t just fighting the Emperor’s gun-wielding forces. They’re fighting progress itself. And that’s a battle they cannot win. But were the Samurai really a class of elite martial artists, driven by unbreakable codes of chivalry and loyalty? Or, behind the propaganda, just a self-important militia of romanticised thugs?
A Noiser production, written by Joe Viner. With thanks to Jonathan Clements, historian, and author of A Brief History of the Samurai.
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Pompeii and the Vesuvius Eruption
"What happens when a volcano erupts just six miles from a bustling city? In 79 AD Mount Vesuvius is regarded as a source of bounty by those who live in its shadow. But one of history’s most infamous natural disasters soon unfolds. How did the lucky ones make their escape? And how did this Roman settlement become such an extraordinary archaeological site?
This is a Short History of Pompeii and the Vesuvius Eruption.
A Noiser production, written by Dan Smith. With thanks to Kevin Dicus, Professor of Classical Archeology at the University of Oregon.
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The ancient world was full of wonders.
Engineering marvels like the Great Wall of China and Stonehenge. Remarkable peoples like the Aztecs, the Romans and the Mongols. Infamous leaders such as Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and Herod the Great. Inventors, explorers, builders, pioneers and philosophers who shaped the world we live in today.
Welcome to Ancient Civilisations - the podcast that takes you back in time to discover the ancient world, one story at a time.
A Noiser production, narrated by Paul McGann and John Hopkins.
As featured on Short History Of... and Real Dictators.
Noiser+ members get ad-free listening, exclusive content, and early access to new episodes across the Noiser podcast network. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed to get started. Or go to noiser.com/subscriptions.
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