History Rage

Think you know the history of early Cold War espionage? Think again.

In this gripping episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill sits down with Dr. Stephen Long, Assistant Professor of International Relations and author of A Rich Harvest of Bitter Fruit, to dismantle decades of myths surrounding the CIA and MI6’s covert operations in communist Albania.

For years, mainstream history has claimed that the West launched a failed "rollback" operation to achieve regime change against Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha, and that notorious Soviet mole Kim Philby single-handedly sabotaged the mission. Using a massive cache of recently declassified CIA documents, Dr. Long exposes these narratives as fundamental fallacies. Discover how the operation was actually constrained by geopolitical anxieties surrounding Yugoslavia's Tito, how the CIA "cut its teeth" on a sophisticated propaganda war, and why Kim Philby's true significance has been vastly distorted by his historical celebrity.

From the heartbreaking double-cross of the "Apple" agent team to the tactical lineage that led directly to the Bay of Pigs, this episode completely rewrites the playbook on early Western intelligence failures.

Recommended Additional Episodes

Episode 103: Beyond the Stasi: The Untold Story of East Germany with Katja Hoyer
Episode 285: The Cambridge Five Are a Bunch of Shit with Antonia Senior

About the Guest

Dr. Stephen Long is an Assistant Professor of International Relations at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and an expert in US foreign policy and intelligence history.
Buy the Book: Grab your copy of A Rich Harvest of Bitter Fruit: MI6, CIA Covert Action in Communist Albania directly from the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781837732241

Support & Follow History Rage

Support us on Patreon: Get early, ad-free episodes, access to monthly live streams, and the coveted History Rage mug for just £5/month: https://www.patreon.com/historyrage
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Think the legendary detective began at 221B Baker Street?

Step onto the Victorian hospital wards of 19th-century Edinburgh! Before Arthur Conan Doyle created the master sleuth, he was a medical student mesmerized by Dr. Joseph Bell—a Scottish surgeon who could read a human body like a crime scene. Long before standard forensic science existed, Bell used acute observational deduction to unmask army deserters, uncover poisons, and assist Edinburgh’s police surgeon in solving headline-grabbing murders.

In this gripping episode, medical historian, bestselling author, and YouTube host Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris joins Paul Bavill to tear away the fictional facade and reveal the real, complex man behind the Sherlock Holmes legend. Discover how Bell’s groundbreaking diagnostic eye helped pioneer courtroom expert testimony, reform Victorian nursing, and inspire a literary icon—even if both Bell and Doyle grew to despise the famous detective!

Guest Links & Social Details:
Official Website: https://drlindseyfitzharris.com/
YouTube Series (Under the Knife): https://www.youtube.com/@UnderTheKnifeShow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlindseyfitzharris/
X (Twitter): https://x.com/DrLindseyFitz
Buy the Book (History Rage Bookshop): https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780241632611

Recommended Episodes Referenced in Transcript:
Episode 1: Cat Irving rages that Burke and Hare were not body snatchers.
Episode 254: Debunking the Lizzie Borden axe murder myths.
Episode 280: Alanna Skuse rages that Renaissance medicine is not quackery.

Follow, Contact & Support History Rage:
Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyrage
Follow on X (Twitter): https://x.com/HistoryRage
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyrage/
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Can we please stop believing that our ancestors didn't eat vegetables?

Are you tired of the myth that historical diets consisted only of giant turkey legs and gout-inducing meats? In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill welcomes food historian, author, and podcaster Sam Bilton to dismantle the persistent lie that people in the past avoided fruit and veg. From the misconception that medieval tables lacked greens to the Victorian culinary crimes that saw Brussels sprouts boiled for 40 minutes, Sam sets the record straight using the very text evidence left behind by historical cooks.

Discover how Tudor banquets actually incorporated seasonal produce, why Giacomo Castelvetro tried to get early 17th-century Brits to eat more celery, and how potatoes became the ultimate Shakespearean aphrodisiac. Plus, Sam reveals why an Elizabethan "boiled salad" is actually closer to modern gastropub fare than you think. It’s time to torch the meat-only myth and find out what our ancestors were really cooking.

Recommended Episodes
If you loved diving into the realities of historical dining, check out these recommended episodes from the History Rage archive:

Episode 204: Neil Buttery rages that medieval people did have table manners.
Episode 208: Annie Grey rages that British food is not dull and beige.

About the Guest
Sam Bilton is a food historian, lecturer, and author specializing in historical culinary arts. She is the author of Much Ado About Cooking: Delicious Shakespearean Feasts for Every Occasion.

Buy the Book: Get your copy of Much Ado About Cooking directly from the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781035427680
Podcasts: Listen to Sam on the Comfortably Hungry podcast and A Is for Apple.
Social Media: Follow Sam on all platforms @MrsSBilton.

Support & Follow History Rage
Help us keep the rage train rolling! You can support the podcast, get ad-free early access, join monthly live streams, and grab your exclusive History Rage mug by becoming a patron.

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyrage
Follow us on Twitter/X: https://x.com/HistoryRage
Website: https://www.historyrage.com
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Did the ancient world celebrate queer love, or did they invent homophobia?

Stop repeating the myth that the ancient Greeks and Romans lived out an enlightened, carefree bisexual paradise. In this explosive episode of the History Rage Podcast, where historical myths are debunked, host Paul Bavill sits down with historian, linguist, and author Harry Tanner to tear down everything you think you know about ancient sexuality truths.

From popular pop-history literature to classic classrooms, we are constantly told that sexuality is a modern 19th-century invention and that ancient city-states completely tolerated same-sex love. But the original ancient Greek texts paint a much darker reality, exposing the deep roots of ancient Greek homophobia. In discussing his book, The Queer Thing About Sin, Harry exposes the starting gun of systemic bias in the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, tracking how societal crises, severe wealth inequality, plagues, and wars forced ancient cultures to turn aggressively on their queer citizens.

Discover the hidden truth behind discriminatory laws in Athens and Sparta, the reality of Romans and homosexuality, and the broader history of queer phobia. We explore why we must finally stop confusing brutal acts of wartime dominance with actual sexual tolerance. We also dive into the linguistic traps of the New Testament, confronting the intersection of religion and homophobia, and how academic nuance is the ultimate antidote to dogmatic prejudice. It is raw, it is angry, and it is a vital rewrite of Western history from History Rage.

Recommended Episodes to Binge Next

Episode 275: The Lives and Loves of Alexander the Great with Stephen Harrison
Episode 185: The Relationships of James I with Gareth Russell

About Our Guest

Buy the Book: Grab your copy of The Queer Thing About Sin directly from the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781399422314
Follow Harry Tanner: Connect on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/harryjamestanner or find him on Threads at https://www.threads.net/@harryjamestanner

Support & Follow History Rage

Support us on Patreon: Unlock early, ad-free episodes, monthly livestreams, and the highly coveted History Rage mug for just £5 a month at https://www.patreon.com/historyrage
Follow the Show: Stay updated with the latest historical rants on Twitter/X at https://x.com/HistoryRage or visit our central hub at https://www.historyrage.com
Spread the Rage: If you are loving the show, please leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and tell a friend to get aboard the rage train!
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Think history is a neat, upward march of progress? Think again.

We love to tell ourselves a cozy story about human history: we started as innocent hunter-gatherers in perfect harmony with nature, invented farming, and smoothly leveled up all the way to modern civilization. But Patrick Wyman—historian, author, and creator of the smash-hit Tides of History podcast—is here to tell us that standard textbook narrative is absolute bollocks. In this explosive episode of History Rage, Patrick unleashes on the myth of the "golden age" of human innocence and exposes the messy, chaotic reality of our deep past.

The truth? Human prehistory isn’t a straight line—it’s 10,000 years of spectacular booms, violent crashes, and desperate trade-offs. From prehistoric European societies tearing themselves apart in mysterious waves of conflict to sophisticated urban centers that completely rejected the need for kings or rulers, our ancestors weren't floating through an age of innocence. They were just like us: making shit up as they went along, altering their environments, and desperately trying to stay in the game.

Plus, Patrick stays fired up to deliver a much-needed, historically accurate beatdown to the internet's favorite conspiracy theory: no, aliens did not build the pyramids.

Ready to abandon the march of progress and see our ancestors for who they truly were? Hit play now to get angry, get smart, and look at human history with a whole new perspective.

About Our Guest: Patrick Wyman
Patrick Wyman is a historian, author, and the brilliant mind behind the massive history podcasts The Fall of Rome and Tides of History.

Buy the Book: Support the podcast and pick up Patrick's incredible new book, The Lost Worlds, directly from the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780063256484
Listen to the Podcast: Search for Tides of History on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your audio.
Follow Patrick on Threads & Instagram: https://www.threads.net/@wyman_patrick or https://www.instagram.com/wyman_patrick
Follow Patrick on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/patrick_wyman

Recommended Additional Episodes
If you loved diving into the mysteries of the ancient world, make sure to queue up these recommended episodes of History Rage next:

Episode 17: Caroline Nicolay rages that there was plenty of rich civilization thriving long before the Romans ever turned up.
Episode 132: Professor Jim Leary talks about the deep prehistory of human movement and migration.

Support & Follow History Rage
History Rage relies entirely on the support of our legendary listeners to keep the rage train rolling.

Support us on Patreon: Get early, ad-free episodes, access to monthly livestreams, and the coveted History Rage mug for just £5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/historyrage
Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/HistoryRage
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/HistoryRage
Share the Rage: If you loved this episode, the absolute best thing you can do is leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and tell a friend to get them on board!
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