History Rage

The battle that built Arthur’s legend may never have mattered

Was the Battle of Badon really the decisive moment that saved Britain from the Anglo-Saxons — or has history given it far more importance than it deserves?

In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by leading early medieval historian Professor Nick Higham to challenge one of the most persistent myths in British history. The popular narrative tells us that Badon was a crushing British victory that halted Anglo-Saxon expansion for generations — often linked to the legendary figure of King Arthur. But when you dig into the sources, archaeology, and timeline, that story begins to unravel.

Drawing on early texts, including the writings of Gildas, Professor Higham explains how the earliest reference to Badon describes a siege rather than a dramatic battlefield clash. More importantly, the event seems to have been used mainly as a chronological marker rather than as evidence of a decisive national victory. Later writers transformed this brief reference into a heroic turning point, laying the foundations for the Arthurian tradition that still shapes popular history today.

This episode explores how archaeology challenges the idea of a long pause in Anglo-Saxon expansion after Badon. Instead of retreat, the material record shows continued settlement growth and cultural spread across southern Britain. Rather than one defining battle, the fall of Roman Britain and rise of Anglo-Saxon England appears to have been a long, complex transition shaped by migration, shifting power, and cultural change.

If you enjoy myth-busting history and want to understand how legends are created — and why they endure — this episode delivers a powerful rethink of one of Britain’s most famous early medieval events.

About the Guest — Professor Nick Higham
Professor Nick Higham is Emeritus Professor of Early Medieval History at the University of Manchester and one of the UK’s leading experts on the transition from Roman Britain to Anglo-Saxon England. His research focuses on the origins of England, early medieval warfare, and the development of historical traditions.

Buy the Book Featured in This Episode:
How England Began: From Roman Britain to the Anglo-Saxons
Support the podcast and the author by purchasing here:
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780300254921
Find out more about Professor Nick Higham’s work through his academic publications and public history contributions.

Explore More History Rage Episodes
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:
Episode 201 — The Anglo-Saxons Were No Better Than the Vikings
Episode 148 — Vikings Are Not Just Mass Slaughterers
These episodes expand on the realities behind popular myths about early medieval Britain.

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Got a historical myth you’d like to see challenged? Get in touch:
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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

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

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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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