216.5K
Downloads
108
Episodes
A comedy history podcast looking at the forgotten side of the past. The jokes are silly, the accents are terrible, and the history will amaze you.
Episodes
Thursday Feb 25, 2021
Thursday Feb 25, 2021
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside... We're celebrating all things aquatic today!
Which basically means shipwrecks, sorry (not sorry, they are great). Sam starts us off with an honourable mention for the only ship ever sunk by a meteor, before talking about Poon Lim and his incredible, record-breaking story of survival at sea.
Next, Tom's got the sinking of the whaling ship Essex and the cannibalistic survival story that followed, in a tale which inspired Moby Dick.
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook (and our Facebook group for memes and fun), Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!
Wednesday Feb 03, 2021
Wednesday Feb 03, 2021
It's coups week! Which was a lot harder to research and less funny than we were anticipating, to be honest. But we made it work!
Tom kicks us off with the overthrow of King Wanda, who woke up one day drunk, shaved and living in a monastery. Best. Stag Do. Ever.
Next, Sam takes a look at the Golpa Borghese, a very Italian coup involving the mafia, some fascists, a renegade group of freemasons and, obviously, some Government corruption.
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook (and our Facebook group for memes and fun), Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!
Wednesday Jan 20, 2021
Wednesday Jan 20, 2021
This isn't a democracy, you can't tell us what to do! Apart from the audience member who told us to do tyrants and despots, which is exactly what we've done this week.
Sam starts us off this week with a look at The Zhengde Emperor - the mad Ming ruler who spent his time playing dress-up, chopping up Europeans and collecting animals and women, rather than really doing anything useful.
Next, Tom takes a look at Plato's republic, a classical Greek work that might just have some useful messages today. Or it might just be the rantings of a grumpy old man, who can say...
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook (and our Facebook group for memes and fun), Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!
Thursday Jan 07, 2021
Thursday Jan 07, 2021
Boom! It's weapons week. And our first episode of 2021!
Tom starts the year off with a bang, with a look at the first ever military submarine, the Turtle of 1776. He also gives an honorable mention to Dazzle camouflage - the idea you can mask a ship's movement by painting it mad, zebra-like patterns.
Next, Sam takes a somewhat odd look at the surprisingly long history of strapping bombs to birds - nearly a millennia of animal cruelty in the name of killing one another from crows with fireworks up their bums to nuclear chickens.
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!
Wednesday Dec 23, 2020
Wednesday Dec 23, 2020
What a year! And how better to say goodbye to it than reminding ourselves how things were crappy in the olden days, too.
So, here we have our end of year quiz, with audience suggestions too (the questions were posted on our Facebook page and Patreon).
Have a great holiday season and new year everyone, wherever you are. I hope 2021 is better than whatever... this... is!
Our next public episode is all about mad military inventions!
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!
Thursday Dec 10, 2020
Thursday Dec 10, 2020
It's best friends week!
Tom kicks us off with a look at the origin of 'Whipping Boys', along with a trip to the land of the Groom of the Stool, and court eunuchs.
Next, Sam takes a look at the unusual friendship and daring prison camp escape of Max Gendelman and Karl Kirschner, a Jewish-American POW and a German officer who became best friends.
Next week is a patron exclusive all about knock offs. Join our Patreon for access to all episodes, special songs, medals and more amazing perks!
Our next public episode is all about mad military inventions!
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020
Waking up the next day full of regret and with a splitting headache: Just one of the side effects of listening to this podcast. Especially in hangovers week!
Well, to be honest, we've both just done drunks, but hey ho. Sam kicks us off with a look at the battle of the Alma, a Crimean war barney fuelled by huge amounts of mid-fight boozing on the part of the Russians.
Next, Tom takes a look at the sinking of the White Ship, a Norman party cruise gone wrong, which led to decades of national strife for medieval England.
Next week is a patron exclusive all about psychiatry. Join our Patreon for access to all episodes, special songs, medals and more amazing perks!
Our next public episode in two weeks is all about best friends!
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!
Wednesday Nov 11, 2020
Wednesday Nov 11, 2020
Here in my car, I've got lots of podcasts, all about stuff that happened way in the past. It's Cars!
Yes, the humble automobile is the topic this week. Tom's been looking at the amazing overland odyssey of mad Australian Francis Birtles, who drove from the UK to Oz (granted, with some boats) in the 1920s.
Next, Sam takes a look at Bertha Benz, wife of car inventor Karl Benz, who in 1888 got bored of her husband's tinkering and stole his car, taking the first ever long-distance drive, and kick-starting a revolution in the process.
Next week is a patron exclusive all about, deserts. Join our Patreon for access to all episodes, special songs, medals and more amazing perks!
Our next public episode in two weeks is all about hangovers!
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!
Wednesday Oct 28, 2020
Wednesday Oct 28, 2020
Nudists or animal lovers? It's anyone's guess this week as we mangle the line between naturalists and naturists.
Tom takes a look at Nazi nudists, because he got confused about the topic. Frankly, it's still pretty interesting though.
Meanwhile, Sam's been looking at nudist explorer Robyn Davidson's 1700 mile naked trek across Australia, followed by an examination of the creator of cryptozoology and monster hunter Ivan T Sanderson, and mad-scientist/monster creator Ilya Ivanovich Ivanov's quest to breed chimp-human hybrids.
Next week is a patron exclusive all about, natural disasters. Join our Patreon for access to all episodes, special songs, medals and more amazing perks!
Our next public episode in two weeks is all about vehicles.
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!
Wednesday Oct 14, 2020
Wednesday Oct 14, 2020
There's nothing civil about That Was Genius. Except this week's theme, civil wars.
Sam starts off with a look at the Battle of Bamber Bridge, a WW2 attempt to segregate US troops stationed in a small village in Britain, which saw whites banned and a running battle between African American and white US troops in the streets.
Next, Tom takes a look at the civil war origins of various words, phrases and idioms throughout history, with an honourable mention for Basil Copper Hands, the Byzantine con-man and insurrectionist.
Next week is a patron exclusive all about, erm... Shoes (Tom's choice)! Join our Patreon for access to all episodes, special songs, medals and more amazing perks!
Our next public episode in two weeks is all about 'Naturalists' (not nudists).
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!