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Life Lessons from History

History Extra
Sustainability
Edo Japan
Tokugawa Shogunate
Water Management
Waste Disposal
Etruscans
Community Responsibility
Fertilizer
Elizabeth I
Sleep Hygiene
Japan
Pompeii
Seven Deadly Sins
Walking
Babylonians
Assyrians
Tudor Period
Early Modern Health Practices
Ancient Rome
Ancient Greece

How can the experience of the Babylonians and Assyrians ease our worries now? Can we look to a Tudor queen for advice on procrastination? How can we harness the ancient fear of faeries and witches to add a bit of enchantment to our lives today? What’s this all about? It’s a simple concept. I find a great historian or archaeologist and I ask them to propose a Life Lesson from History – some learnin... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes25Founded10 months ago
Number of ListenersCategory
History

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Artwork for Life Lessons from History

Latest Episodes

Just get outside and enjoy some fresh air. That was a simple pleasure that our medieval forebears embraced, and it’ll do wonders for us today. That’s the view of medievalist Katherine Harvey, talking on this episode of Life Lessons from history, from... more

Sometimes things go your way, sometimes they don’t. That was the approach that many people in the Middle Ages took to life, because they had an understanding of time that was more cyclical than we tend to have today. You can channel this in your day-... more

Become a secret agent and throw yourself into life-or-death situations because if it doesn’t kill you, it’ll make you stronger. That’s not very helpful or practical advice for most of us, but if you do want to build your confidence, Roderick Bailey t... more

If you don’t think you can carry on with something, take a moment to consider the resilience of 17th-century patients. Sick people in the 1600s were remarkably resilient, even when the chances of them recovering from illnesses were slim. They still p... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Katherine Harvey
Medieval and early modern historian
Historian, author of The Medieval Guide to Healthy Living
Episode: Just get outside, the air is lovely
Janina Ramirez
Medieval historian and broadcaster
Historian/broadcaster (as introduced)
Episode: Wait for the wheel of fortune to turn your way
Roderick Bailey
Historian of the Second World War; author and expert on SOE
Historian, author
Episode: Be more confident, like a WW2 secret agent
Alun Withey
Senior Lecturer in History
University of Exeter
Episode: Never give up, even in the face of terrible odds
Elizabeth Boyle
Lecturer in Early Irish at Maynooth University; medievalist specializing in early Irish literature
Maynooth University
Episode: Argue like a medieval Irish monk
James Romm
Professor of Classics at Bard College; author of Since You're Mortal
Bard College
Episode: Always look on the gloomy side of life
Nicholas Crane
Author, geographer, walker
Author, The Path More Traveled; The Secret History of Britain's Footpaths
Episode: Go for a walk to free your mind
Peter Jones
Medieval historian
HistoryExtra
Episode: Master the Medieval Art of Knowing Yourself
Dr. Helen Gittos
Fellow and tutor in Medieval History at Oxford
University of Oxford
Episode: Let’s talk about death more honestly

Host

Dave Musgrove
Host of the life-lesson format, guiding conversations with historians and archaeologists.

Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars from 40 ratings
  • A good discovery

    I’ve only recently discovered this podcast, and I’m enjoying it. The presenter has a light touch but he also asks the sort of probing follow-up questions that I too would like answered.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jasp002
    United Kingdoma month ago
  • History to live by

    I love the premise! What I find about people from the past is that there is usually something relatable about their lives and/or worldviews, and quite often, they had practices or hacks that still make sense today.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Alaric71
    United States2 months ago
  • the best premise

    Finally, the thing I've been looking for from a history podcast. Funny and informative, and actually asks the questions historians never get to: what's personally relevant about the period they study. More episodes, please!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Poetry Person
    United States7 months ago
  • Wonderful

    A delightful spinoff of the History Extra podcast!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Onward&Upward2020
    United States9 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Engaging and insightful guests with a clear through-line to practical life lessons.
High-quality scholarship made accessible to a general audience.
Great mix of historical topics and modern relevance, with strong storytelling.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#121
United Kingdom/History
Apple Podcasts
#240
Australia/History
Apple Podcasts
#122
Ireland/History
Apple Podcasts
#122
Indonesia/History
Apple Podcasts
#146
Hong Kong/History
Apple Podcasts
#171
South Korea/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Wait for the wheel of fortune to turn your way
Q: What can modern listeners learn from the medieval approach to time and patience?
Adopting a more flexible, cycle-aware mindset can reduce stress, encourage patience, and help people ride temporary upheavals without panic.
Wait for the wheel of fortune to turn your way
Q: How did medieval people structure their days without clocks?
They aligned daily life to natural rhythms, using daylight, seasonal cycles, bells, candles, and religious observances to organize time.
Be more confident, like a WW2 secret agent
Q: But what about ill-judged life decisions you mentioned?
The host asks the guest about risky personal choices to test oneself, and the guest reflects that such experiences, when approached thoughtfully, can be enriching and help build credibility and resilience.
Never give up, even in the face of terrible odds
Q: Alun, wrap up. Do you want to summarize what the life lesson is and how it applies today?
The core takeaway is never give up; people in the past faced far worse conditions but kept going, offering a model of resilience and proactive problem-solving that can inspire today's challenges.
Argue like a medieval Irish monk
Q: How would a medieval Irish monk contend with the limited character space of social media?
They would likely link to longer, more nuanced pieces and prioritize truth and clarity over rapid, shallow assertions, using limited space to guide readers toward fuller explanations.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
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Household Income
Social Media Reach

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Which podcasts are similar to Life Lessons from History?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Life Lessons from History:

1. HistoryExtra podcast
2. The Ancients
3. Dan Snow's History Hit
4. Not Just the Tudors
5. Gone Medieval

How many episodes of Life Lessons from History are there?

Life Lessons from History launched 10 months ago and published 25 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Life Lessons from History?

Recent guests on Life Lessons from History include:

1. Katherine Harvey
2. Janina Ramirez
3. Roderick Bailey
4. Alun Withey
5. Elizabeth Boyle
6. James Romm
7. Nicholas Crane
8. Peter Jones

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