Blind History

Mozart, Beethoven and Bach - possibly the three most famous composers of all time. Which one of them had 20 children? Which one died a pauper and was buried in a mass grave? And which one wore the same clothes for up to three weeks at a time, stinking to high heaven? These are just some of the things you’ll learn from the season 3 finale of #BlindHistory - brought to you by Taylor Blinds & Shutters. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

Joseph Stalin is in the big three of the truly evil people of the 20th century, along with Mao and Hitler. Their combined body count is well over 100 million souls, and most of those weren’t soldiers. Stalin did however raise Russia to power, might and glory - and his personal story is human and full of flaws. Join us in this penultimate episode of Blind History season 3, and discover that even monsters can start off just like you or me. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

Charlemagne’s reign marks the end of the dark ages and the start of the medieval era. In this episode we explore the origins of France and Germany, the genealogies of all the kings and queens of Europe, and the first emergence of Northwestern Europe from savagery and barbarism, since the fall of the Roman Empire. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

During his short but expansive reign, he brought millions of souls under the banner of the Mongol Empire. Riding and fighting on horseback, he and his horde advanced into Persia, eastern Europe and China with such ferocity that even long after his reign had ended, the mere mention of his name would make men shudder, women weep, and children hide. Such was the reputation of the great Genghis Khan. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

From his silver throne in the glittering palace of Versailles, Louis XIV watched over his kingdom, resplendent in majesty. Everything about being a king was designed, considered, exalted. He taught the world what kings should look like, sound like, how they should walk and eat. He made himself the centre of the French universe, and epitomised the very idea of absolute monarchy. Within a hundred years of his death, everything he had painstakingly imbued into France had been ripped apart by revolution. Join us on a journey into the history of France in this episode of Blind History… Taylor Blinds & Shutters

In central Iran, at the foot of a low hill overlooking a seemingly endless plain, stand a few broken columns reaching impossibly high for ruins. Atop one or two are the stern, proud faces of bulls and eagles, battered by the sands of 2300 years of history. In the great appadana that once stood there, Darius, King of kings, used to sit and preside over a parade of nations that had come to honour him. The most diverse, multicultural empire of the ancient world: Persia. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

Perhaps no other American family was ever so photographed, written about, talked about, admired, hated and controversial. Were they brilliant, heroic, extraordinary people or arrogant, competitive, self-absorbed children of a wilful, overambitious patriarch? Most people think they know the Kennedys. We’ll tell you what you don’t know. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

History isn’t just stories from the past, it’s also about things that humanity has been through that might be more relevant now than ever. Take great plagues for example: Humankind has faced some truly horrible diseases and pandemics in the past... and as awful as coronavirus is, it’s not nearly as scary as some of those that wiped out millions of us before - or the truly terrifying treatments they used to apply.

Perhaps no other single human has had such a lasting and powerful effect on the idea of civilisation. For his long reign, Augustus mostly wanted to be called ‘First Citizen’, but in effect he was one of the most powerful men to ever walk the Earth. He instituted a period of peace called the Pax Romana, something that was unknown in the brutal ancient world. He made laws, elevated culture, commissioned public works and vanquished all his enemies. By the time he died, he had brought about the creation of the greatest empire known to man. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

Anyone who has ever heard of King Henry VIII knows he had many wives. Some even know their names. Their individual stories are complex, beautiful, sad, poignant and remarkable. In an age where women are finally being given their due, these six Queens deserve to be known for more than just the man they married... Taylor Blinds & Shutters

There are some names that send a shudder through the air. Some names that have changed whole countries. Names that hang like a dark cloud over history. Idi Amin is such a name. The whole of East Africa - even the world - is still flabbergasted that as recently as 40 years ago, this evil man was able to murder thousands and get away with it. Did he deserve such fear and ignominy? Find out in this episode of Blind History... Taylor Blinds & Shutters

Socrates, Aristotle and Plato are the fathers of Western (if not world) philosophy. Despite us knowing so little about their lives, they have an enduring influence on every aspect of our thinking and understanding. The university, the academy, the school... these things all come from the three great philosophers - men who actually lived, and knew each other. It's time we got to know them. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

We end season two of Blind History in Ancient Rome... the place that gave us Hadrian, Augustus, Trajan and Marcus Aurelius. But this time we investigate the bad emperors - the ones who murdered, ruined, destroyed and perverted the greatest empire of antiquity. Caligula, Nero, Commodus and Elagabalus were some the most depraved men to exercise absolute power - and their lives were brutal and merciless. Brought to you by Taylor Blinds & Shutters. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

Who is the most powerful Kim in the world? No, it isn’t Kim Kardashian - it’s a small Korean man with a bad haircut. He also has his finger on the button of a dangerous nuclear arsenal and the command of the third largest standing army on earth. Kim Jong-Un is the latest in a succession of Kims who rule North Korea - and their private lives are wilder than their public personas. Find out about them in this episode of Blind History.

Napoleon’s great adversary, a man of impeccable military credentials, and one of the finest examples of the great British soldier that tends to sound more like myth than fact, Arthur Wellesley was also just a man. He had mistresses, a sense of humour, and an inspirational style of leadership that has endeared him to generations of admirers. What Nelson was to the sea, Wellington was to land - and both helped raise Britain to the great world power it became in the late 19th century.

Born on the steppes and raised on horseback, young Attila was to lead a small tribe of barbarians to prominence, but not before he had been to Rome, threatened Constantinople, and fought and won many battles. His name is synonymous with raping, pillaging and destruction, but in reality Europe east of the Rhine had never seen a man more gifted in forging a single kingdom out of so many disparate tribes. His story is full of intrigue and love, violence and blood. Brought to you by Taylor Blinds & Shutters. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

The image of a brilliant scientist is one inextricably linked to the picture of Albert Einstein. His unkempt hair, shabby jackets and the twinkle of genius in his eye - but the story of Einstein isn’t so one-dimensional. His relationships, his politics and the story of what happened to his brain after he died are as intriguing as the great ideas he presented to science and the world. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

Stovepipe hats, four score-and-twenty speeches, and a bullet in the back of his head is what some people know about Abraham Lincoln. In fact this was the President who modernised the American economy, preserved the union and abolished slavery. Not bad for a life cut short by an assassin’s bullet. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

Anthony Mederer from Taylor Blinds & Shutters is in studio on The Gareth Cliff Show – find out how the podcast Blind History came about, where his love of history began, and the process he and Gareth go through to come up with such riveting episodes. Taylor Blinds & Shutters

Criminals can be great criminals. They can influence history, change cities and become the story themselves. Robin Hood, Al Capone, Bonnie & Clyde... they all ended up the stuff of legend. So would it be with the Krays, two London brothers who ended up owning the city and bending it to their will. Brought to you by Taylor Blinds & Shutters. Taylor Blinds & Shutters