Highlights From Talking History

On this episode of Talking History, we discuss the Irish Civil War on its 100th anniversary - joined by Diarmaid Ferriter, professor of Modern Irish History at University College Dublin, and author of ‘Between Two Hells: The Irish Civil War’; Dr Sinead McCoole, historian and curator; and co-authors of Cathal Brugha: An Indomitable Spirit, Dr Daithi Ó Corráin, assistant professor in the School of History and Geography at Dublin City University and co-author of The Dead of the Irish Revolution, co-editor of the Irish Revolution, 1912–23 series, and Dr Gerard Hanley of DCU's School of History.

On this episode of Talking History, marking the 75th anniversary of the publication of the diary of Anne Frank, Dr Patrick Geoghegan explores her story and its impact with Karen Bartlett, author of 'The Diary That Changed The World'. He is also joined by the authors of 'Family Histories of World War II: Survivors and Descendants', Róisín Healy and Gearóid Barry of NUI Galway.

As Britain marks Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee this weekend, Dr Patrick Geoghegan is joined by an esteemed panel of experts to discuss the ups and downs of the monarch's 70 years on the throne. Featuring Dr Carolyn Harris, an expert in the history of European monarchy, an instructor in history at the University of Toronto and royal commentator; Professor Philip Murphy, author of ‘Monarchy and the End of Empire: The House of Windsor, the British Government, and the Postwar Commonwealth’ and ‘The Empire’s New Clothes: The Myth of the Commonwealth’, and Director of History and Policy at the Institute of Historical Research at the University of London; and Professor Irene Morra of Cardiff University, currently Visiting Professor in English Literature at the University of Toronto, and author of ‘The New Elizabethan Age: Culture, Society, and National Identity after World War II’.

As the exhibition ‘Tutankhamun: Excavating the Archive’ opens at the University of Oxford, in this episode Patrick Geoghegan discusses the impact of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun 100 years ago, debates the darker legacy of the pharaoh, and spotlights the overlooked Egyptians who contributed to the finding. He's joined by an esteemed panel: Professor Christina Riggs of Durham University's History Department, Dr Hussein Omar of the School of History at University College Dublin, and Dr Daniela Rosenow, co-curator of the exhibition and project officer at the Griffith Institute at Oxford.

Patrick Geoghegan is joined by a host of esteemed guests to discuss the following books: 'For King & Country: The British Monarchy and The First World War' by Heather Jones; '1922: Scenes from a Turbulent Year' by Nick Rennison; 'Belonging & Betrayal: How Jews Made The Art World Modern' by Charles Dellheim; and 'British Romanticism and Religion' by Jeffrey W. Barbeau. Listen and subscribe to Talking History with Patrick Geoghegan on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App. You can also listen to Newstalk live on newstalk.com or on Alexa, by adding the Newstalk skill and asking: 'Alexa, play Newstalk'.

Join Patrick for the best of Irish and International history publications for May 2022. Books covered on the show include: Periodicals and journalism in twentieth-century Ireland 2, the editors Mark O'Brien & Felix M. Larkin; The Songs of Elizabeth Cronin, Irish Traditional Singer, by Dáibhí Ó Cróinín; You Will Dye at Midnight: Victorian Threatening Letters, by Donal P. McCracken; Irish Lives in America by Liz Evers and Niav Gallagher; and Legacies of the Magdalen Laundries – Commemoration, gender, and the postcolonial carceral state, which is edited by Miriam Haughton, Mary McAuliffe and Emilie Pine.

Patrick and an esteemed panel of philosophers, writers and biographers discuss the life and intellectual legacy of ancient Greek philosopher and sage Epicurus. Joining Patrick on the panel are: Dr Catherine Wilson, author of 'How to Be an Epicurean: The Ancient Art of Living Well', Professor James Warren, Faculty of Classics, Cambridge, Dr Martin Brady, Head of the Dept of Classics, UCD, Dr John Sellars, Reader in Philosophy, Royal Holloway University of London, Professor Monica Gale, Professor in Classics, Trinity College Dublin and Dr Tim O' Keefe, Georgia State University.

Patrick is joined by a number of experts on one of Ireland's most famous mythical figures

Join Patrick for the best of Irish and International history publications for April 2022. Books covered on the show include: 'Churchill, Master and Commander: Winston Churchill at War 1895–1945', by Anthony Tucker-Jones; 'The Improbable Adventures of Miss Emily Soldene: Actress, Writer and Rebel', by Helen Batten; 'Roscommon. The Irish Revolution, 1912–23', by John Burke; 'We Go Into Action Today At Noon: First-hand Accounts From Ireland's Revolutionary Years, 1913-22', by Eamonn Duggan; and 'Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Hearts', by Nadine Akkerman.

On today's episode of Talking History, Patrick Geoghegan reflects on the 110th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, with guests Julie Cook, author of 'The Titanic and the City of Widows it Left Behind', Gareth Russell, historian and author of 'The Ship of Dreams', and Nicola Pierce, author of 'Titanic: True Stories of Her Passengers, Crew and Legacy'.

Talking History reflects on the life and times of African-American abolitionist and statesman Frederick Douglass, who visited Ireland in 1845. Dr Patrick Geoghegan meets Professor Christine Kinealy, Director of Ireland’s Great Hunger Institute, and author of ‘Frederick Douglass in Ireland: In his own words’; Dr David Blight, Sterling Professor of History, of African American Studies, and of American Studies; Dr Laurence Fenton, Author of 'Frederick Douglass in Ireland, The Black O’Connell', and Professor Robert S Levine, Biographer, Distinguished University Professor in English at the University of Maryland. In this episode, they examine the orator's early life and the impact of slavery, all the way to his relationship with President Abraham Lincoln.

Join Patrick for the best of Irish and International history publications for March 2022. Books covered on the show include: ,  'Illuminating Natural History: The Art and Science of Mark Catesby' with Henrietta Mc Burney, 'Developing Rural Ireland' with Michael O'Fathartaigh, 'Mary Churchill’s War' with Emma Soames,  'Vinegar Hill: The Last Stand of the Wexford Rebels of 1798' with Ronan O'Flaherty and Jacqui Hynes.  

Join Patrick for the best of Irish and International history publications for March 2022. Books covered on the show include: 'The Last Witches of England' with John Callow, 'The Reckoning: The Defeat of Army Group South, 1944' with Prit Buttar,  'Kenmare: History and Survival' with Colum Kenny, 'The Story of the Country House: A History of Places and People' with Clive Aslet and 'Mozart in Motion' with Patrick Mackie.  

To discuss the life and times of Jewish philosopher Maimonides on Talking History with Professor Patrick Geoghegan was Professor Sarah Stroumsa, the Alice and Jack Ormond Emeritus professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the author of 'Maimonides in his world: Portrait of a Mediterranean thinker', Dr Moshe Halbertal, Professor of Jewish thought and philosophy at Hebrew University Jerusalem and is also Grüss professor of Law at NYU, Dr Marc Shapiro, Weinberg Chair in Judaic Studies at the University of Scranton and author of Author of ‘Studies in Maimonides and His Interpreters’. Dr George Yaakov professor George Yaakov for Modern Jewish philosophy at Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel, Professor Robert Eisen, Professor of Religion and Judaic Studies at George Washington University in Washington DC and Dr David Biale, Emanuel Ringelblum Distinguished Professor of Jewish History, University of California, Davis and author Not in the Heavens: The Tradition of Jewish Secular Thought.”

This week Patrick covers the best in Irish and International history publications for February 2022. Books covered on the show include: 'Maladies of Empire: How Colonialism, Slavery and War Transformed Medicine' with Jim Downs, 'The Celtic Myths That Shape The Way We Think' with Mark Williams, 'The Queen v Patrick O'Donnell' with Sean O Curirreain, 'The Dublin Cattle Market's Decline 1955-1973' with Declan O Brien and 'Jane Austen Early and Late' with Freya Johnson.

This week Patrick explores the life and legacy of Cnut, also known as Cnut the Great and Canute, was King of England from 1016. Joining Patrick on the panel are:Dr. Timothy Bolton is an honorary fellow of both Cardiff and Aberdeen Universities, Caitlin Ellis is an expert on Medieval Britain and Ireland has recently begun work as an O’Donovan Scholar in the School of Celtic at the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies, Philip Parker is a former diplomat and publisher, Professor Levi Roach teaches at the University of Exeter and is an expert in kingship and royal governance and Tore Skeie Author of: The Wolf Age: The Vikings, The Anglo Saxons and the Battle for the North Sea Empire.

Join Patrick for the best in Irish and International history publications for February 2022. Books covered on the show include: 'Meet The Georgians' with Robert Peal, 'The Reckoning' with Prit Buttar, 'Colm O'Caodhain: An Irish Singer and His World' with Rionach ui Ogain, 'Faith and Fury: The Evangelical Campaign in Dingle and West Kerry 1825-45' with Bryan Mac Mahon, Peadar Cowan (1903-62) Westmeath GAA administrator and political maverick with Tom Hunt, and 'Christian Ireland' with Crawford Gribben.

Join Patrick for the best of Irish and International history publications for January 2022. Books covered on the show include: 'A Brief History of Motion' with Tom Standage, 'The Searchers: The Quest for the Lost of the First World War' with Robert Sackville West, 'The Bronze Lie' with Myke Cole, 'The Poets of Rapallo' with Lauren Arrington, 'The Last Viking: The True Story of King Harald Hardrada' with Don Hollway and 'The Finnish-Soviet Winter War 1939-40' with Dr David Murphy.  

This week Patrick covers the best in Irish and International history publications for January 2022. Books covered on the show include: 'The Tudors in Love' with Sarah Gristwood, 'A Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution' with Mike Duncan, 'Antrim: The Irish Revolution 1912-1923' with Brian Feeney, 'The Making of the Anglo Irish Agreement of 1985' edited by Frank Sheridan and The Little Museum of Dublin Icons Lecture Series.  

This week Patrick and a panel of esteemed historians, researchers and scholars discuss the lore of the great mythical hunter-warrior Fionn Mac Cumhaill. Joining Patrick on the panel are: Dr Natasha Sumner, Director Fionn Cycle Folklore Project, Harvard, Dr Kevin Murray, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Early and Medieval Irish, University College Cork, Dr Sile Ni Muhurchu, Department of Modern Irish, University College Cork, Brian O' Sullivan, Author and Historian, Dr Jim MacKillop, Editor of  the 'Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology' and Dr Joseph Flahive, Scholar, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin.