History Rage

Daniel Defoe wasn’t just a novelist — he helped forge Britain itself
Daniel Defoe is remembered as the author of Robinson Crusoe — but that legacy hides a far more dangerous, politically explosive truth. Long before his novels reshaped literature, Defoe was shaping nations.

In this episode of History Rage, Paul Bavill is joined by historian Marc Mierowsky, Fellow and Lecturer in English at the University of Melbourne, to rage against the idea that Defoe was “just” a novelist. Instead, we uncover Defoe as a government propagandist, intelligence agent, and covert operator, working at the very heart of early British state power.

Marc reveals how Defoe:
Operated as a political fixer and spy for Robert Harley
Built one of Britain’s earliest nationwide intelligence and propaganda networks
Infiltrated Scottish politics during the crisis years before the 1707 Act of Union
Manipulated religious divisions, rebellion, and public opinion
Helped sabotage organised resistance to the Union of England and Scotland

This is a story of dirty tricks, espionage, pamphlet warfare, and political manipulation, all carried out by a man later celebrated as a literary pioneer. It also raises uncomfortable questions about state power, surveillance, and whether the foundations of modern Britain were laid through persuasion — or coercion.
If you think you know Daniel Defoe, this episode will leave you furious, fascinated, and questioning everything.

About the guest
Marc Mierowsky is Fellow and Lecturer in English at the University of Melbourne, specialising in Restoration and early eighteenth-century literature, politics, and espionage. His research focuses on Daniel Defoe’s secret service work, propaganda networks, and the intelligence machinery behind the Anglo-Scottish Union.
Marc Mierowsky – links & contact
Book: A Spy Amongst Us: Daniel Defoe’s Secret Service and the Plot to End Scottish Independence
Publisher page / book retailers: Available via major academic and online booksellers
Affiliation: University of Melbourne

Why this episode matters
Defoe’s story forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth: the modern British state was built using surveillance, propaganda, and manipulation of public opinion. The debates around sovereignty, identity, and union that rage today were already burning in the early 1700s — and Defoe was pouring fuel on the fire.
This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in:
British history
Scottish independence and the Act of Union
Early modern espionage
The hidden political origins of the novel
Propaganda, intelligence, and state power

About History Rage
History Rage is the podcast that smashes historical myths and takes cherished assumptions out back and wrecks them. Hosted by Paul Bavill, each episode gives expert historians space to rage about the misconceptions they want destroyed.
Follow & contact History Rage
Website: https://historyrage.com
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Email: [email protected]

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Discover the Spanish Infanta who reshaped Renaissance power from behind the throne.
Step into the glittering courts of 16th-century Europe as historian Professor Magdalena Sánchez joins host Paul Bavill to rage against a stubborn myth: that women only matter in history when they command political power.
Catalina Micaela — daughter of Philip II of Spain and Duchess of Savoy — has long been treated as a political footnote. But across 3,000 intimate letters, a forceful, devoted, and highly capable woman emerges: one who shaped diplomacy, managed wars, and commanded a court… while enduring ten pregnancies in thirteen years.

Professor Sánchez reveals how Catalina:
• Asserted her authority as Infanta of Spain, not merely “a duchess”
• Governed Savoy during her husband’s campaigns, acting as his lieutenant
• Challenged ministers, criticised generals, and organised court life with precision
• Maintained deep emotional connection through constant letter-writing and gift-giving
• Balanced political influence with religious devotion and motherhood as central duties
This episode uncovers Catalina’s love story, her leadership, and the invisible labour of royal women — all of which historians have too often ignored.
If you think only queens and rulers shape history, Catalina will change your mind.

Further Listening from the History Rage Archive
For more on powerful and underestimated women of Renaissance Europe:
• Episode 199 — Catherine de’ Medici with Una McElvenna
• Episode 232 — Ruling Queens with Elizabeth Norton

About Our Guest – Professor Magdalena Sánchez
Professor of History at Gettysburg College and author of:
Infanta: The Short Remarkable Life of Catalina Michaela (Yale University Press) — the first major biography to spotlight Catalina’s voice and legacy.
📚 Buy the book
Infanta: The Short Remarkable Life of Catalina Michaela
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780300282832

Listen, Follow & Support History Rage
🎧 New to History Rage? We invite leading historians to vent their anger at the myths we keep getting wrong.
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Tell one friend, one colleague, one fellow history-nerd — and help the rage spread.
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Samuel Pepys exposed: secrets, suppression, and the truth behind his diary. Samuel Pepys Was Not What You Think…
EXPLICIT CONTENT WARNING - NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED!

For generations, Samuel Pepys has been portrayed as a witty observer of Restoration London — a charming administrator who documented plague, fire, and naval reform.

But what if that version of Pepys wasn’t the full story?

In this explosive Gloucester History Festival Special, historian and author Guy de la Bédoyère joins History Rage to challenge the long-standing myth that Pepys was simply “a man of his time.”

Drawing on decades of research — including learning Pepys’s original shorthand — Guy reveals how editors suppressed, mistranslated, and obscured disturbing passages from the diary for over 200 years.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode
This episode goes beyond familiar Pepys anecdotes and digs into the hidden layers of his diary — and the people who shaped how history remembers him.

Inside this episode:
Why large sections of Pepys’s diary were deliberately removed or mistranslated
How 19th- and 20th-century editors shaped the public image of Pepys
The truth behind Pepys’s secret use of foreign languages and coded shorthand
Why the phrase “a man of his time” can dangerously excuse behaviour
Why Pepys’s record remains unique in early modern history
Guy explains how Pepys deliberately buried controversial actions within routine daily entries — making them easy to overlook unless carefully decoded.

Why This Episode Matters
Pepys’s diary is one of the most important personal records in English history — documenting events like:
The Great Plague of 1665
The Great Fire of London
The Restoration of monarchy after the English Civil Wars
But Guy argues that understanding Pepys properly means confronting the uncomfortable details — not sanitising them.
This episode challenges the idea that historical figures should be excused simply because of the era in which they lived — and asks what happens when historians uncover what earlier editors chose to hide.

About the Guest — Guy de la Bédoyère
Guy de la Bédoyère is a bestselling historian, broadcaster, and former Time Team presenter.
He is widely known for his work on Roman Britain and historical biography, and his latest research focuses on uncovering suppressed truths within Pepys’s writings.

📖 Buy the book here:
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780349147406
Purchasing through the History Rage Bookshop helps support both the podcast and independent booksellers.

See Guy Live — Gloucester History Festival
🎟 Live Event Announcement
Gloucester History Festival
📅 Saturday 18th April 2026
🎤 The Confessions of Samuel Pepys
Guy will be speaking live about the hidden realities behind Pepys’s diary and answering audience questions.
🎟 Get tickets:
https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk/events/the-confessions-of-samuel-pepys/

Follow History Rage
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Listen Next
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:
Episode 241 — Quakers weren’t peaceful outsiders
Episode 284 — The forgotten women of the Restoration court

Both continue the theme of challenging historical myths and misconceptions.
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Titanic myths sink fast when the real evidence finally surfaces.

For decades, J. Bruce Ismay has been cast as the Titanic’s cowardly villain—but what if almost everything you think you know is wrong? In this revelatory episode, Paul Bavill is joined by Clifford Ismay, author of Understanding J. Bruce Ismay: The True Story of the Man They Call the Coward of the Titanic, to explore the real man behind the myths.

Drawing on family documents, maritime records, witness statements, and newly uncovered letters, Cliff exposes how false press narratives, Hollywood invention, and long-lived conspiracy theories reshaped Ismay’s legacy beyond recognition.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Why the infamous “coward” label doesn’t match documented evidence
How J. Bruce Ismay actually spent the final hours on the Titanic
Why claims that he forced Captain Smith to speed up are baseless
The truth about “unsinkable” myths and who really said it
How William Randolph Hearst ignited a media assault that changed history
The bizarre “Olympic switch conspiracy”—and why it’s complete nonsense
How Ismay lived after the disaster, and why the recluse narrative isn’t true
How film portrayals from A Night to Remember to Titanic distort the facts

This is Titanic history stripped of melodrama and rebuilt from primary sources—the closest you’ll get to the truth without descending to the wreck yourself.

ABOUT THE GUEST – Clifford Ismay
Clifford Ismay is a maritime historian, museum director, and author specialising in Edwardian shipping history and the legacy of the White Star Line. As a distant relative of J. Bruce Ismay, he brings unparalleled insight into both the man and the myths that engulfed him.

Clifford Ismay – Contact & Follow
📘 Book: Understanding J. Bruce Ismay
👉 Order here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780750998666

Listen Next
🎧 Episode 117 – Gareth Russell on Third Class “Locked Below Deck” Myths
🎧 Episode 91 – Anne Fletcher on the Widows of the Scott Expedition

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The Mercian king history reduced to a ditch—but changed England

Most people know Offa of Mercia for one thing: a giant ditch dividing England and Wales. But that familiar image hides a far more powerful—and fascinating—figure.
In this episode, host Paul Bavill is joined by Cambridge historian Rory Naismith to challenge the long-standing myth of Offa as a brutal warlord. Instead, we uncover a ruler who helped shape the political, economic, and diplomatic foundations of early England.

Why Offa of Mercia deserves a rethink
For centuries, narratives shaped by sources like the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle have painted Offa as a violent tyrant. But as Rory explains, that version of history is incomplete—and often biased.
Look closer, and a different picture emerges:
A king who ruled for nearly 40 years, stabilising a vast kingdom
A ruler who centralised power across southern England
A leader who pioneered systems later used by kings like Alfred the Great
Offa wasn’t just surviving—he was building something lasting.

More than Offa’s Dyke
Yes, Offa's Dyke is impressive—stretching coast to coast and rivaling Roman engineering in scale. But it wasn’t simply a defensive ditch.
It was:
A symbol of power and dominance
A political statement to neighbouring Welsh kingdoms
Part of a wider strategy to control borders and project authority
Offa wasn’t just reacting—he was sending a message.

The king who connected kingdoms
Far from being isolated, Offa operated in a deeply interconnected world.
This episode explores:
His rivalry and diplomacy with Charlemagne
Trade, coinage, and economic reform across his realm
A remarkable gold coin linking Mercia to the Islamic world
From Rome to Francia, Offa was playing the game of international politics at the highest level.

Offa’s real legacy
Forget the “bloodthirsty conqueror” cliché. Offa’s greatest achievement was something far more significant:
Creating a unified system of kingship
Bringing together multiple regions under one authority
Laying the groundwork for the future kingdom of England
Without Offa, the later successes of rulers like Alfred may not have been possible.

Listen More
Episode 16 – Eleanor Janega on the Dark Ages: https://pod.fo/e/11c7f3
Episode 240 – Dirk Hoffman-Becking on the Holy Roman Empire: https://pod.fo/e/3330ce

Guest details: Rory Naismith
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rory_naismith
📚 Buy the book “Offa: King of the Mercians” via the History Rage Bookshop:
👉 https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780300257465

See Rory live
🎤 Gloucester History Festival
📅 Sunday 19th April
🎟️ Tickets: https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk/events/anglo-saxon-kings/

Follow & support History Rage
Love the show? Here’s how to keep the rage alive:
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Your support helps bring more expert guests and untold stories to the surface.

History isn’t just what we’re told—it’s what we question.
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