Podcast · History
by iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild · English · History
Each season of Unobscured digs deep into one of history's darkest and most misunderstood moments, and sheds light on the true story beneath the myth. Explore the Salem witch trials (S1), the Spiritualist Movement (S2), Jack the Ripper (S3), and Grigori Rasputin (S4) through the narrative storytel
29 Jan 2026 · 3 min
Let’s go on a brand new adventure together. EXHUMED officially arrives on August 4th, but you can pre-order it right now. Visit aaronmahnke.com/exhumed to pre-order your copy today! And, if you buy the hardcover, you can submit your receipt and get a free EXHUMED tote bag. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5 May 2022 · 2 min
The spirit of UNOBSCURED has evolved and transformed into a brand new show called GRIM & MILD PRESENTS. We'll still be doing season-long deep-dives into major topics, but releasing episodes bi-weekly throughout the year, rather than all lumped into October and November. Learn more here . Subscribe to Grim & Mild Presents here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · 26 Jan 2022 · 1 hr 25 min
Our interview with Helen Rappaport, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and best-selling author of books on Russia and the Romanovs. Her books like "Four Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Romanov Grand Duchesses," and "The Race to Save the Romanovs: The Truth Behind the Secret Plans to Rescue Russia's Imperial Family," provide the most intimate and dramatic portraits available of the lives of the Romanov family and their place in the modern world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · 19 Jan 2022 · 1 hr 34 min
Our interview with Dr. Joshua Sanborn, Professor of History at Lafayette College. His book on the collapse of the Romanov regime, "Imperial Apocalypse: The Great War and the Destruction of the Russian Empire," provides a rich history of the Great War through stories of the people on the ground. Restoring focus on the Eastern Front of the war, Dr. Sanborn's work traces the forces changing early twentieth centry Russia, and through Russia, the world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S3 · 12 Jan 2022 · 1 hr 48 min
Our interview with Dr. Heather Coleman, Professor of History at the University of Alberta. In her teaching and writing on the religion of the ninteenth and twentieth centuries, Dr. Coleman has shed new light on the role that religious life played in the modernization of the Russian empire in the last years of the Romanovs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · 5 Jan 2022 · 1 hr 58 min
Our interview with Douglas Smith, award-winning historian, author, and translator. His book "Rasputin: Faith, Power, and the Twilight of the Romanovs" is a major study of Rasputin's rise and influence, and the very best historical work available on the life, death, and legacy of the Siberian peasant who became advisor to the Tsar. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E10 · 8 Dec 2021 · 49 min
Grigory was mortal. The autopsy proved that. But as the Romanovs grappled with that reality, the world found that legends and myths were much harder to kill. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E9 · 1 Dec 2021 · 40 min
It seemed Grigory Rasputin was untouchable. If the plots laid against him weren't exposed before they hatched, then the hands set against him failed in their courage at the last moment. But even for a man like Grigory, some day the charm runs out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E8 · 24 Nov 2021 · 42 min
The empire was bleeding. Who was to blame? As the accusations flew thick and fast, Grigory Rasputin proved once again that the ladder of chaos was an old friend. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E7 · 17 Nov 2021 · 38 min
Grigory struggled to heal. But as he swam back to life, another more successful assassination shot a hole in divine autocracy, and The Great War swept over the empires of his world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E6 · 10 Nov 2021 · 43 min
Venomous rumors wrapped Rasputin and the Romanovs in a whirlwind. Grigory himself was at the center of the storm. But when the holy man seemed to promise the only path to healing, it made his grateful patrons turn a blind eye. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E5 · 3 Nov 2021 · 41 min
Nicholas and Alexandra found themselves in an endless cascade of battles. Comfort and rest was in short supply. Every path before them seemed to lead to the same dead end. But one voice promised to guide them home. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E4 · 27 Oct 2021 · 42 min
At the right hand of the Tsar, Grigory Rasputin turned his newfound power and prestige to vicious ends. And he wasn't the only one. Predators across the empire were howling for blood. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E3 · 20 Oct 2021 · 51 min
The Tsar and his people wrestled for control of the empire. A voice whispering that control was his divine right was exactly what Nicholas wanted to hear. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E2 · 13 Oct 2021 · 36 min
His hometown was a crossroads. Money and merchandise passed him by, so when Grigory set out on the road himself, it just made since. But he walked into a future that no one could see coming. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · E1 · 6 Oct 2021 · 42 min
When she traded her name for an empire, Alexandra faced a world that bewildered her—imperial Russia. Even her wedding was overshadowed by death. The darkness of those waters left her searching for a lineline. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S4 · 29 Sep 2021 · 2 min
Unobscured—the popular historical documentary podcast from Aaron Mahnke—returns for a brand new season. This time, the team aims to separate fact from fiction about one of history’s most mysterious characters: Grigori Rasputin. Season 4 premieres on October 6th, 2021. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S3 · 27 Jan 2021 · 2 hr 25 min
Our interview with writer Paul Begg. To wrap up our exploration of Whitechapel in 1888, we turn to the historian and researcher whose dedication to the original documents laid the foundation for deep and rigorous study of the murders. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S3 · 20 Jan 2021 · 2 hr 16 min
Our interview with Dr. Drew Gray, historian of the 18th and 19th centuries, and Subject Lead in History at the University of Northampton. With Dr. Gray, we explore the history of police magistrate hearing, the development of Victorian model dwellings, and meditate on the power of the Ripper industry. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S3 · 13 Jan 2021 · 2 hr 57 min
Our interview with Dr. Louise Raw, whose book, "Striking a Light," became a new landmark in British labor history. We explore her journey into historical writing, the process of discovering the matchwomen, and hear the stories that brought them to life for Dr. Raw and for all of us as well. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S3 · 6 Jan 2021 · 1 hr 48 min
Our interview with Adam Wood, publisher of Mango Books and executive editor of "Ripperologist Magazine." His book, "Donald Swanson: The Life and Times of a Victorian Detective," gave us a dramatic and on-the-ground perspective. Our conversation explores how it came to be and what the life of Donald Swanson offers to readers today. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S3 · E10 · 9 Dec 2020 · 44 min
Cases were closed and the files were sealed. Investigators went back to careers scattered across the British empire. It would be decades before their conclusions would shed light on London's dark Autumn of Terror. It would be almost one hundred years before what they knew offered answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S3 · E9 · 2 Dec 2020 · 32 min
Turmoil swept England, from Whitechapel's mean streets to the halls of power. Public servants savaged each other in person and in the press. Blame was thrown on all sides. None of it helped. Vulnerable women continued to die. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S3 · E8 · 25 Nov 2020 · 45 min
A terrorist bombing campaign left London crawling with spies. Paranoia and isolation afflicted everyone, from the clandestine service to the people they were sworn to protect. But even efforts of the government's Special Branch couldn't prevent one of the most horrifying moments in the history of English crime. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S3 · E7 · 18 Nov 2020 · 47 min
Taunts in red ink sent a wave of fear through London. The Metropolitan police knew they had to respond. So the forces under Charles Warren mobilized like never before, and everything was on the line. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S3 · E6 · 11 Nov 2020 · 39 min
The version of events all depends on where you stand. Eye witnesses and identifications are key to detective work, but even veteran investigators can struggle to see through the screen of their assumptions. Matching perception to reality can be the biggest challenge of all. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S3 · E5 · 4 Nov 2020 · 37 min
Chief Inspector Swanson inherited a complicated legacy. The history of the Metropolitan Police was full of twists and turns. No less the city they patrolled, that had never grown completely comfortable under a watchman's eye. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S3 · E4 · 28 Oct 2020 · 47 min
They said London was a den of vice and violence growing grimmer by the day. The police had their orders to put the pieces together. But there were plenty of visitors who had no trouble taking pleasure in a community falling apart. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S3 · E3 · 21 Oct 2020 · 49 min
Victorian journalists had learned the lesson well: true crime sells. They were investigators, but they were storytellers too. And the story they told was meant to shock middle class London, as much as it was meant to inform. Not a hard job when the news was this horrifying. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S3 · E2 · 14 Oct 2020 · 44 min
A city divided. It didn’t happen by accident. A century of destroying the old to bring in the new left many without homes. If glossy West London was the city’s pride, the poor pushed to the margins were shamed. All the more when the knives came out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Each season of Unobscured digs deep into one of history's darkest and most misunderstood moments, and sheds light on the true story beneath the myth. Explore the Salem witch trials (S1), the Spiritualist Movement (S2), Jack the Ripper (S3), and Grigori Rasputin (S4) through the narrative storytel
Unobscured is a English history podcast from iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.
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