Levison Wood is a professional explorer, writer and photographer who has walked the length of the Nile and circumnavigated the Arabian Peninsula. Levison spent time in the armed forces and served in Afghanistan. His latest book Escape from Kabul: The Inside Story was released in March 2023.
The blue plaque he chose is at 2 Westwood Hill, London SE26 6QR and reads: Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922) Antarctic Explorer lived here. We spoke about Shackleton's fortitude, courage and leadership skills, the difficulties faced by explorers trying to secure funding and why Shackleton considered a banjo an essential piece of survival kit.
The Blue Plaque Pod is a brand new podcast brought to you by Kassia St. Clair, author, cultural historian and commemorative plaque fancier. I would love to know what you think, whether you have a favourite plaque, or if there's someone you think would make a great guest. Get in touch at blueplaquepod.com.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.