Pax Britannica: A History of the British Empire

Pax Britannica: A History of the British Empire

Pax Britannica is a narrative history podcast covering the empire upon which the sun never set. Shortlisted for the 2023 Independent Podcast Awards, Pax Britannica follows the events which created an empire that dominated the globe. Hosted by Dr Samuel Hume, a historian of British Imperial history, Pax Britannica aims to explain the rise and eventual fall of the largest empire in history. After all, how peaceful was the 'British Peace'?

Episodes

04.17 - The Trial of the Praying Indians

August 3, 2026 • 32 mins
With King Philip's War going badly, Massachusetts turns on their Christian Indian subjects. Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mailing List⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠House of Lords for ad-free episodes! Go to AirwaveMedia.com to find other great history shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Scottish History Tour Announcement & Survey

July 30, 2026 • 1 min
I’m planning a historical tour of Scotland. Simply follow this link - https://forms.gle/vtisYFQy96hiXdw96 - to complete the survey - help me craft a history tour that you’d like to go on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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04.16 - King Philip's War

July 27, 2026 • 29 mins
The first shots of the King Philip's War, as the United Colonies of New England face off against Philip, Sachem of the Wampanoag. Will the colonies get the short, easy war they expect? Who ever does? Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mailing List⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠House of Lords for ad-free episodes! Go to AirwaveMedia.com to find other great history shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Bonus - Astronomy and Empire at the Royal Observatory

July 23, 2026 • 67 mins
I was kindly invited to interview the curators of Royal Observatory Greenwich to celebrate the 350th Anniversary of the first Astronomer Royal, John Flamsteed, moving in. I got to explore the whole museum, and then sat down for a chat with two curators: Senior Curator Dr Louise Devoy, and Daisy Chamberlain, Curator of First Light. The Royal Observatory is open to the public, and well worth a visit! https://www.rmg.co.uk/royal-obse...
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04.15 - CSI: New England

May 18, 2026 • 30 mins
John Sassamon is found dead, a suspected murder victim. Who killed him, why, and how did it lead to war? Watch the Kurzgesagt Nightshift video I wrote! https://youtu.be/bVc_xY6TWiY?si=JoAa78lzgJHIpoFT Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mailing List⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠House of Lords for ad-free episodes! Go to AirwaveMedia.com to find other great history shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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04.14 - All's Fair in Love and Law

March 23, 2026 • 36 mins
Rhode Island gets a Royal Charter, and the rest of New England is ordered to play nicely with the Indians. Philip becomes Sachem, and Weetamoo turns the English love of lawsuits against them. Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mailing List⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠House of Lords for ad-free episodes! Go to AirwaveMedia.com to find other great history shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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04.13 - From Death and Darkness

March 16, 2026 • 32 mins
How the Puritans converted the Indians, the origins of Harvard University Press, and the first bible in an American language. Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mailing List⁠⁠⁠⁠! Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠House of Lords for ad-free episodes! Go to AirwaveMedia.com to find other great history shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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4-12 - Love Thy Neighbour

February 23, 2026 • 34 mins
We get to grips with the history of King Philip's War, and set the stage for the conflict to come. Join the ⁠⁠⁠Mailing List⁠⁠⁠! Join the ⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠House of Lords for ad-free episodes! Buy a ticket to ⁠⁠Intelligent Speech 2026 ⁠⁠and use the code PAX for 10% off. Go to AirwaveMedia.com to find other great history shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Bonus - The Company in India with Professor Philip Stern

February 16, 2026 • 56 mins
Philip J. Stern, Professor of History at Duke Empire, Incorporated The Company-State: Corporate Sovereignty and the Early Modern Foundations of the British Empire in India Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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04.11 - New Starts in New England

February 9, 2026 • 23 mins
New England faces smallpox, failed harvests, and religious dissenters. Join the ⁠⁠Mailing List⁠⁠! Join the ⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠House of Lords for ad-free episodes! Buy a ticket to ⁠Intelligent Speech 2026 ⁠and use the code PAX for 10% off. Go to AirwaveMedia.com to find other great history shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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04.10 - The Cabal

January 26, 2026 • 32 mins
With the downfall of Clarendon, the CABAL takes centre stage in Restoration politics. But it's never so simple... Join the ⁠Mailing List⁠! Join the ⁠Patreon ⁠House of Lords for ad-free episodes! Buy a ticket to Intelligent Speech 2026 and use the code PAX for 10% off. Go to AirwaveMedia.com to find other great history shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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04.09 - The Raid on the Medway

January 19, 2026 • 34 mins
Bankruptcy forces the Royal Navy into port. I'm sure it'll be safe. Nicholas Rodgers, The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, Volume 2, 1649–1815 Anna Keay, The Restless Republic, 2022. Rebecca Rideal, 1666: Plague, War, and Hellfire, 2016. Frank Fox, The Four Days' Battle: The Greatest Sea Fight of the Age of Sail, 2009. David Onnekink & Gijs Rommelse, The Dutch in the Early Modern World. ...
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04.08 - The Four Days' Battle

January 12, 2026 • 44 mins
The Royal Navy and the Dutch fleet square off. Michiel de Ruyter needs to clear the way for the merchant fleet to get home, or else the Dutch economy might collapse. George Monck, Duke of Albemarle, is outnumbered and outgunned, and Prince Rupert races to join him. Nicholas Rodgers, The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, Volume 2, 1649–1815 Anna Keay, The Restless Republic, 2022. Rebecca Rideal, 1...
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04.07 - A City of Ash

January 5, 2026 • 35 mins
After the Great Fire of London, the city needed to be rebuilt. Rebecca Rideal, 1666: Plague, War, and Hellfire Jacob Field, London, Londoners and the Great Fire of 1666: Disaster and Recover. Clare Jackson, Charles II: The Star King For other great shows on the Airwave network, go to AirwaveMedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Slavery throughout History with Patrick Wyman

December 22, 2025 • 53 mins
Today I speak with Dr Patrick Wyman, host of The Fall of Rome, Tides of History, and his new show Past Lives. He's also published The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World, and has a forthcoming book, Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World. We talk about public history, slavery, and the podcast industry! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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04.06 - The Great Fire of London

November 24, 2025 • 42 mins
From a bakery on Pudding Lane, a fire destroys most of the City of London. Rebecca Rideal, 1666: Plague, War, and Hellfire Jacob Field, London, Londoners and the Great Fire of 1666: Disaster and Recover. Clare Jackson, Charles II: The Star King For other great shows on the Airwave network, go to AirwaveMedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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04.05 - The Great Plague of London

November 10, 2025 • 31 mins
The Bubonic Plague, Yersinia Pestis, arrives in London at the end of 1664. By the end of 1665, it will have killed 200,000 people all across England and Wales. Evelyn Lord, The Great Plague: A People's History. Dorothy Moote, The great plague: the story of London's most deadly year. Charles River, The Great Plague of London: The History and Legacy of England’s Last Major Outbreak of the Bubonic Plague Rebecca Ri...
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04.04 - The Royal Navy Reborn

October 20, 2025 • 31 mins
The Second Anglo-Dutch War begins, and we take a closer look at the Royal Navy of the Restoration. Jonathan Healey, The Blazing World, 2023. Nicholas Rodgers, The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, Volume 2, 1649–1815 Anna Keay, The Restless Republic, 2022. Rebecca Rideal, 1666: Plague, War, and Hellfire, 2016. Charles Wilson, England’s Apprenticeship: 1603-1763, 1975. David Veevers, ...
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The Stuarts, the Scottish Restoration, and Devil-Land with Professor Clare Jackson

October 13, 2025 • 50 mins
The Mirror of Great Britain: A Life of James VI&I Devil-Land: England under Siege, 1588-1688 Charles II: The Star King Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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04.03 - The First Scramble for Africa

October 6, 2025 • 34 mins
New trade policies annoy the Dutch, and new English companies attempt to force their way into West African markets. New Amsterdam becomes New York. The Second Anglo-Dutch War begins. Jonathan Healey, The Blazing World, 2023. Anna Keay, The Restless Republic, 2022. Rebecca Rideal, 1666: Plague, War, and Hellfire, 2016. Charles Wilson, England’s Apprenticeship: 1603-1763, 1975. David Veevers, The Origins of the ...
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