Welcome to Histories of the Unexpected where you will discover the history of things you did not even know had a history; like the history of holes, or the history of the scar.

For this episode let us join our hosts James and Sam for something a little different. Here at Histories of the Unexpected we like to get people thinking about the past in different ways, who knew, for example, that the history of zombies is actually all about book burning, or that the history of perfume is actually about political assassination, well hopefully, if you’ve been listening, you do. But James and Sam are now on a mission to open a window into the everyday life of an historian, to provide you the listener with an historian tool box and maybe you can do a little historical digging of your own. So, with our historical spades at the ready and our safety helmets firmly strapped on, because as you know these journeys can get a little bumpy, James and Sam will tell you just what it is they do. Whether it’s getting a fright in Somalia or grappling with the ‘REF’, filling gaps or consulting on interpretations, projects and restorations, designing computer games or discussing the pros and cons of academic writing, James and Sam shed a little light on doing history.

‘Human history in essence is the history of idea’ (H. G. Wells)

‘There is history in all men’s lives’ (William Shakespeare)