We love hearing about the 17th Century and the English Civil Wars – and there are now plenty of podcasts that allow you to dive into this endlessly fascinating period of history!
To help you find the best way to distract, educate, and entertain yourself, we’ve compiled a list of the best podcasts that focus on the English Civil Wars or take a look at the wider context of the conflict, so that you can download, plug in, and discover more about this fascinating period of history…
Uprising: The Civil Wars
This is the ideal podcast if you’re looking for a primer about the English Civil Wars that doesn’t skimp on detail. Historian Rebecca Rideal runs through events of the period blow-by-blow – from the first battles against King Charles’ regime in Scotland, to resistance and rebellion in Ireland, and all-out war in England and Wales.
Speaking to historical experts, she explores a story of shifting loyalties, changing times, and devastating conflict.
Our members were also delighted to be asked to contribute their voices to the series – reading the words of historical figures such as Oliver Cromwell and Queen Henrietta Maria!
Listen now on Apple Podcasts or the podcast app of your choice
The World Turned Upside Down
The World Turned Upside Down tells the stories of the people, events and ideas of the British Civil Wars, which are explored by leading historians who – in fortnightly audio podcasts and with the help of professional actors – explain how these turbulent times shaped the Britain we know today, answering questions including: How were the British Civil Wars fought? Why was the monarchy restored in 1660? What was the role of religion? What caused the British Civil Wars? What were leading figures such as Charles I & Oliver Cromwell like? What was the impact on the daily life of ordinary people? Each programme is complemented by supporting materials, including transcripts, interactive glossary, timelines, further reading, original sources and maps.
Listen now on on Apple Podcasts, YouTube or the podcast app of your choice
Early Stuart England
If you enjoyed our first two recommendations but want to dive in even deeper, then you simply cannot beat the Early Stuart England podcast. Created and presented by Gregory Koabel from the University of Regina in Canada, this is a podcast nirvana for those interested in the whole period of the early 17th Century.
Greg begins at the beginning of the reign of the Stuarts – the death of Elizabeth I in 1603 and the ascension of James VI of Scotland to the English crown – and charts the ups and downs of the new regime as, without anyone knowing, the seeds of the civil wars were planted one by one. The forty years before the wars are all too often ignored by those keen to talk about the conflict itself, but it is vital in understanding how personalities and politics brought both sides to the field at Edgehill in October 1642.
Although he initially intended to end the series at the dawn of the Civil Wars, thankfully Greg continued and his analysis of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms is unparalleled. This is especially an essential listen for those interested in the situation in Scotland and Ireland.
Listen now on on Apple Podcasts, or the podcast app of your choice
Revolutions – Season One
Mike Duncan’s The History of Rome remains one of the best history podcasts of all time and his second podcast, Revolutions, is no different. Focusing on revolutions throughout early modern and modern history, he began with the English Civil Wars. This is certainly the best podcast if you’re looking for a clear, easy to grasp narrative of the civil wars.
Just as with the History of Rome, Duncan really brings the often complex and overlapping history of the period alive with clarity and enthusiasm. He’s subsequently moved onto the America, French, Haitian, and Mexican revolutions but anyone looking for a great and comprehensive introduction to the English Civil Wars should definitely give this a listen.
Listen now on the Revolutions website, Apple Podcasts, or the podcast app of your choice
CavalierCast
Mark Turnbull’s CavalierCast covers anything and everything civil war related.
An author and a regional chair of the Battlefields Trust, Mark talks to various knowledgable guests about personalities and aspects of the civil wars, from multi-part episodes on the Battle of Dunbar and the life of Queen Henrietta Maria, to talking to people involved in bringing the past to life, including Dr Ismini Pells talking about the Civil War Petitions project, John Rees discussing the Levellers, and curator Stuart Orme from the Cromwell Mueum in Huntingdon.
Listen now on on Apple Podcasts, or the podcast app of your choice
Pax Britannica
Pax Britannica is in much the same vein as Early Stuart England, but not only is Samuel Hulme’s presenting style slightly different, but he is coming at the project from a different perspective. The show is a narrative covering the entirety of the British Empire. Also beginning with the accession of James VI of Scotland to the throne of England, Pax Britannica follows the people and events that created an empire that dominated the globe.
It also includes interviews with experts in their field, which provide fascinating interludes to the main narrative that skip forward and backward in time while also delving deeper into specific subjects or focusing on particular characters.
Listen now on on Apple Podcasts, or the podcast app of your choice
In Our Time
It’s been a BBC Radio Four institution for over 20 years but In Our Time is the perfect format for a podcast – three experts discuss a single subject in a live broadcast. It’s not a confrontational format and Bragg has a knack for cutting through opaque concepts and technical language to keep it ideal for laymen.
The show has focused on events of the civil wars, including the trial of Charles I, The Putney Debates, and the Restoration; but there are also episodes that explore themes of the period, such as the Divine Right of Kings, Republicanism, and Max Weber’s influential and controversial The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. There are also episodes on people and events outside of the conflict but which provide fascinating wider context such as the life of Pocahontas, The Thirty Years War, and The Glorious Revolution. They’ve also just added an episode about The Covenanters, the Scottish Presbyterians who aided Parliament in its war against King Charles.
Listen now on the In Our Time website, Apple Podcasts, or the podcast app of your choice
BBC History Extra
BBC History Magazine is a pretty much compulsory read if you have an interest in history and the magazine’s podcast expands on many of the lead articles in each month’s issue, although you’ll need a subscription to access episodes. They have a strong of episodes on the period, including one on the civil wars and Restoration, Charles II’s escape after his failed invasion of England, the relationship between James VI/I and his favourite the Duke of Buckingham (which would go on to have profound consequences in Charles’ reign); Charles I’s children; the Great Fire of London; the 17th Century polymath and wine bottling pioneer Kenelm Digby, and a particularly good interview with academic Nadine Akkerman about the female spies of the civil wars.
Listen now on the History Extra website, Apple Podcasts, or the podcast app of your choice
New Books Network
While the podcasts listed above are for more general audiences, the New Books Network is a bit more in-depth and at times esoteric. It carries interviews with academic researchers and writers about their new books and has some fascinating insights into topics such as the fear of the 1643-53 Westminster Assembly towards Antinomianism (the idea that those Christians who are ‘saved’ are under no moral obligation to obey the Ten Commandments); that there was no such thing as ‘Baptists’ during the English Civil Wars; the life of the English Quaker and founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn; the fascinating fates of the Scottish prisoners-of-war taken by the English at the Battle of Dunbar in 1650 following the excavation of mass graves in Durham; how, why, when, where and by whom Bibles were read in early modern England; the radical ideas about women and gender relations in the writing of Margaret Cavandish, the first duchess of Newcastle; and the history of Calvanism, which was such an influence on the Puritans and Presbyterians of the early to mid 17th Century.
Listen now on the New Books Network website, Apple Podcasts, or the podcast app of your choice
Got your own recommendation for a podcast about the period?
Let us know at earlofmanchesterspr@gmail.com and we’ll include in a future round-up!