Explaining History

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we're joined by writer Susan Barrett to discuss her new novel, *All Cats Are Grey*—a dark and compelling work of historical fiction set against the backdrop of the London Blitz.

The book tells the story of four very different people, each of whom has committed what might be called a "necessary murder" in their past. They come together during the chaos of the blackout to use their lethal skills against a serial rapist and murderer who is exploiting the wartime disruption to terrorise the bomb-scarred streets of London. This villain is inspired by a real figure: Gordon Cummings, an infamous but largely forgotten serial killer of the Blitz era.

But our conversation ranges far beyond the plot. Susan, whose background is in film and television research, shares fascinating insights into how historical research has changed—and what we lose in the age of the internet. She discusses the serendipity of physical archives, the power of handwritten ledgers and Victorian photographs, and the surprising voices uncovered by the Mass Observation project that challenge our assumptions about "respectable" wartime behaviour.

We also delve into the mythology of the Blitz itself. How does the reality of crime, class division, and social disruption sit alongside the cherished national story of plucky unity? What did people actually think and do when the bombs were falling? And why does Britain have such a peculiar fascination with poisoners and serial killers?

From the tragic case of Timothy Evans and Reginald Christie to the Jack the Ripper industry, from the origins of the welfare state to the echoes of COVID—this is a wide-ranging conversation about history, memory, and the stories we tell ourselves.

*All Cats Are Grey* is published on 24th April by Bathwick Hill Press, a small independent publisher. Please consider supporting independent bookshops and publishers.

**Topics covered:**
- The changing nature of historical research in the internet age
- The Gordon Cummings case and wartime crime
- Mass Observation and authentic voices from the past
- The mythology of the Blitz versus historical reality
- Britain's fascination with serial killers and poisoners
- How COVID helps us understand wartime disruption
- The importance of independent publishing

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Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.
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Episode Summary:
In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the agonizing political and strategic choices faced by Great Britain in the 1930s.
Why did the British government delay rearmament for so long? Drawing on Daniel Todman's Britain's War: Into Battle, we examine how the shadow of the First World War and the Great Depression shaped the policy of appeasement. Nick argues that the "caution" of the Baldwin and Chamberlain governments wasn't just cowardice; it was a desperate attempt to avoid the "total war" that would require the complete subordination of freedom and prosperity to the state.
From the technological leap from biplanes to monoplanes to the "imperial overstretch" that left Singapore and Palestine vulnerable, we delve into the global chessboard of the late 30s. How did the need to defend an empire spanning the globe leave Britain dangerously exposed in Europe? And why was the fall of Singapore written into the strategic compromises of the 1920s?
Plus: Details on our upcoming Nazi Germany Masterclass in March!
Key Topics:
The Rearmament Debate: Why a "Churchillian" surge in 1935 might have failed.
Technological Change: The shift from fabric biplanes to the Spitfire and Hurricane.
Imperial Overstretch: The impossible task of defending the UK, the Mediterranean, and the Far East simultaneously.
The Palestine Mandate: How the Arab Revolt of 1936 tied down British troops needed elsewhere.
Books Mentioned:
Britain's War: Into Battle (1937-1941) by Daniel Todman
English History 1914-1945 by A.J.P. Taylor
Forgotten Armies by Christopher Bayly and Tim Harper

Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.
▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive Content
Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory
▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation
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In this special episode, we are honoured to be joined by Karen Jennings, a former Booker Prize longlist nominee, to discuss her powerful new novel, The First of December.
Set in South Africa during the final days of November 1838, the book explores the fraught moment of full emancipation for the enslaved. We delve into the brutal reality of the "apprenticeship" system that followed the 1833 Abolition Act, the unique Asian roots of Cape slavery under the Dutch East India Company, and the cynical economics of a system where human beings were mortgaged like property.

Karen shares the deeply personal and unsettling family history that inspired the novel—from ancestors who were French Huguenot settlers to a shocking discovery about a colonial forebear. We also discuss the enduring legacy of these injustices, connecting the dashed hopes of 1838 with the ongoing struggles for equality in South Africa today.
It's a profound conversation about history, memory, and why the fight for liberation is never truly "happy ever after."

The First of December will be available in March but here in the meantime is a selection of Karen's writing
Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.
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Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory
▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation
Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast
Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com
▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper
Website: explaininghistory.org

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In this episode of Explaining History, Nick dives into the technical and strategic realities of the Battle of Britain. Moving beyond the "few" narrative of heroic fighter pilots, we explore the structural advantages that allowed the RAF to survive the onslaught of the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1940.
Drawing on Richard Overy's The Bombing War, we examine the genius of Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding and his integrated air defense system. How did radar, the Observer Corps, and telephone networks combine to give British pilots a critical edge? And why did the German high command consistently underestimate the resilience of Fighter Command while simultaneously asking too much of its own exhausted pilots?
From the muddle-headed strategy of Hermann Göring to the sheer physical limits of aerial warfare, this episode unpacks why Hitler's plan to knock Britain out of the war was doomed from the start.
Plus: Information on our upcoming Nazi Germany Masterclass in March and how to access the recordings of our previous sessions!
Key Topics:
The Dowding System: How radar and communication saved Britain.
German Intelligence Failures: Why the Luftwaffe underestimated the RAF.
Attrition: The physical and mental exhaustion of pilots on both sides.
Strategic Confusion: Hitler’s lack of focus and Göring’s incompetence.
Books Mentioned:
The Bombing War by Richard Overy
Forgotten Armies by Christopher Bayly and Tim Harper

Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.
▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive Content
Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory
▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation
Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast
Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com
▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper
Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here is the complete package for this episode, which includes the podcast description, a detailed blog post, and the tidied transcript.
Part 1: Podcast Episode Description
Title: The Last Aztec Empress: Survival, Conquest, and the Life of Isabel Moctezuma
Episode Summary:
In this episode of Explaining History, Nick talks to author Sofía Robleda about her new historical novel, The Other Moctezuma Girls.
We delve into the extraordinary and often overlooked life of Isabel Moctezuma (born Tecuichpoch), the daughter of the last Aztec Emperor. Surviving the Spanish conquest, the smallpox epidemic, and six marriages, Isabel navigated a world collapsing around her to become one of the wealthiest landowners in New Spain.
Sofía and Nick explore the brutal realities of the conquest, the complex racial hierarchies of colonial Mexico, and the strategic marriages that allowed the Spanish to legitimize their rule. From the role of Malintzin as Cortés' translator to the legacy of the silver mines, this episode uncovers the resilience of indigenous women in the face of imperial destruction.
Key Topics:
Isabel Moctezuma: The "last Aztec Empress" who sued the Spanish crown and won.
The Conquest: How Cortés exploited internal divisions and disease to topple the Mexica empire.
Caste and Colorism: The casta paintings and the racial stratification of colonial Mexico.
Strategic Marriage: How Spanish conquistadors married indigenous nobility to secure land rights.
Books Mentioned:
The Other Moctezuma Girls by Sofía Robleda
Imagined Communities by Benedict Anderson

Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.
▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive Content
Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory
▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation
Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast
Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com
▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper
Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.