An Offa Interview with Rory Naismith

More from The British History Podcast All episodes →

1. 

   S11 · E506 · 14 Aug 2026 · 4 min

   506 – Chapter Eleven: The Machine

   At long last, the struggle was over. The post 506 – Chapter Eleven: The Machine first appeared on The British History Podcast .

2. 

   S10 · E505 · 7 Aug 2026 · 48 min

   505 – The Battle of Tinchebray

   It was the 15th of August, and King Henry was at Bec. He didn’t want to be at Bec, of course. He wanted to be in the field, fighting Robert. However, until the matter with Anselm was resolved, he didn’t dare take to the field. So here he was. The post 505 – The Battle of Tinchebray first appeared on The British History Podcast .

3. 

   S10 · E504 · 30 Jul 2026 · 42 min

   504 – At Anslem’s Bec and Call

   It was July 21st of 1105 and Henry was in Laigle. Just like he was in the late 1070s. And, just like in the late 1070s, he was in conflict with his older brother. Only this time he wasn’t in the town to do something fun, like pee on Robert from a balcony. No, this […] The post 504 – At Anslem’s Bec and Call first appeared on The British History Podcast .

4. 

   S10 · E503 · 11 Jul 2026 · 34 min

   503 – The Holy Ghosting

   Curthose and his attendants, what remained of them, were rushing as quickly as they could to Rouen… and he was, presumably, crossing his fingers hoping that the people of that city would welcome him. And, honestly, after Caen I’d say it was even odds at best. The post 503 – The Holy Ghosting first appeared on The British History Podcast .

5. 

   S10 · E502 · 26 Jun 2026 · 36 min

   502 – The Cage Match of Bayeux

   Henry, with the help of Bishop Serlo, had just rebranded himself and his knights as the pious leaders of Greater Christian Normandy by going through little more than a ritualized barber shop scene and, while we know it was just cosplay, the fact is that people fall for bad faith optics all the time Which […] The post 502 – The Cage Match of Bayeux first appeared on The British History Podcast .

6. 

   S10 · E501 · 6 Jun 2026 · 43 min

   501 – Bishop Serlo’s Pop Up Hair Salon

   For months, messengers had been arriving from Normandy carrying news of the disorder and chaos that was gripping the Duchy. Now, normally, this would have been good news for King Henry. It was no secret that the King wanted to reunite his father’s cross channel empire under himself… nor was it a secret that he […] The post 501 – Bishop Serlo’s Pop Up Hair Salon first appeared on The British History Podcast .

7. 

   S10 · E500 · 17 May 2026 · 1 hr 4 min

   500 – 500th Episode AMA Extravaganza

   We answer SO many questions. So… so many questions. The post 500 – 500th Episode AMA Extravaganza first appeared on The British History Podcast .

8. 

   S10 · E499 · 7 May 2026 · 33 min

   499 – William of Mortain and How Some People Never Have Enough Wealth

   Some families are just…the worst. You know how it is, there’s the one or two in there that are half decent, but mostly you avoid them too because the rest of the family is just awful. The post 499 – William of Mortain and How Some People Never Have Enough Wealth first appeared on The British History Podcast .

9. 

   S10 · E498 · 24 Apr 2026 · 47 min

   498 – Power and Predictability

   The death of Duke Robert’s chief ally, William of Breteuil, and the succession crisis it kicked off, was destabilizing the duchy of Normandy. And while I’m sure it was a relief that King Henry and Robert of Meulan had brokered a sort of resolution to the crisis… everyone watching knew their intrusion into Norman […] The post 498 – Power and Predictability first appeared on The British History Podcast .

10. 

    S10 · E497 · 9 Apr 2026 · 24 min

    497 – That’s Me In The Spot. Light.

    It was 1103 and things were a mess. And…when are they not? But a major reason for this mess was (oddly) William of Breteuil. Now, as you might recall, William of Breteuil was the firstborn son of the Conqueror’s close friendWilliam fitz Osbern… and, thanks to this proximity to power, he was one of the […] The post 497 – That’s Me In The Spot. Light. first appeared on The British History Podcast .