Bonus Episode: How did the religion of Christianity go from being persecuted in the Roman Empire, to becoming its state religion in less than 200 years? In this episode of Forbidden Fruit, we take a deep dive into the rise of Christianity within the Roman Empire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we take a look at the historical evidence of Jesus’ crucifixion, from the realities behind the legend, to piecing together what we know for certain and what is missing. We explore how little detail the Bible truly contains – including no reference to a cross – and the lack of archaeological evidence. Cast List: ·     Karen Bellinger: Anthropologist, archaeologist, and historian ·     Dr Andrew Boakye: Lecturer in Religions & Theology at the University of Manchester  ·     Janina Ramirez: A cultural historian, broadcaster and author based at the University of Oxford ·     Tony McMahon: A former BBC news producer, author, print journalist and historian ·     Dominic Selwood: A historian, barrister, bestselling author, novelist and frequent contributor to national newspapers including The Independent, The Spectator and The Daily Telegraph ·     Peter Stanford: Writer, editor, journalist and presenter, known for his biographies and writings on religion and ethics ·     Gunnar Samuelsson: Author and Associate Professor in New Testament Studies at the University of Gothenburg. ·     Bena Mantel: Licensed tour guide, lecturer and archaeologist. ·     Peggy Brunache: Historian, archaeologist and lecturer at University of Glasgow ·     Israel Hershkovitz: Anatomist Professor at Tel Aviv University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonus Episode: What happened to the innocent ship crew of the Hoki Maru? In this episode of Forbidden Fruit, we take a deep dive into their story as Japanese prisoners of war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is an explorative retelling of Operation Hailstone, a great sinking of Japanese battle ships by US forces in WW2, in Chuuk Lagoon in the Federated States of Micronesia. We follow a local team as they dive a newly discovered wreck, and recount stories of the epic battle along the way, including those from the perspective of local indigenous people.  Cast List: Bill Jeffrey: Associate Professor at University of Guam Diane Strong: Former Journalism Professor at the University of Guam. Biographer of Kimiuo Aisek. Gradvin Aisek: Local Chuukese whose father, Kimiuo, was born under the Japanese mandate on Chuuk. Guy Walters: A British author, historian, and journalist who has written several books on WWII. As a journalist for The Times, he writes on historical topics for the national press. Michael Barnette: Marine biologist, diver, author and photographer. Bill Stinnett: Local diver and owner of Truk Stop Hotel & Dive Centre on the island of Chuuk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonus Episode: In this episode of Forbidden Fruit, we do a deep dive into the famous female fighters of history, from the first superstar British women fighter, Lady Bareknuckles, in 1750s Georgian London, to British boxer, Nicola Adams, taking home the world’s first Olympic women’s boxing gold medal in the London 2012 Olympics.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we explore the underground female bare knuckle prizefighting that took place in the squalors of Georgian London. We cover the historical context of how this came to be and tell the story of important places and people attributed to this topic. Cast List: ·     Lucy Inglis: Eighteenth-century historian and author, and curator of an award-winning blog about Georgian London. ·     Mick Crumplin: Former surgeon and expert on medical techniques used throughout history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonus Episode: In this episode of Forbidden Fruit, we take a deep dive into the life of CIA operative Frank Olson. We explore his career, partaking in some of the CIA's most clandestine experiments, and how his participation ultimately led to his death.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we explore the CIA mind control experiments of the 1950s, specifically the top secret program ‘MK Ultra’, who utilised LSD. We'll recount various chilling experiments and explore the mysterious death of one of their top scientists. Cast List: Peggy Brunache: Historian, archaeologist and lecturer at University of Glasgow Lindsay Moran: Author and former CIA operative  Dominic Selwood: Historian, barrister, bestselling author, novelist and frequent contributor to national newspapers including The Independent, The Spectator and The Daily Telegraph Luke Daly Groves: Historian, author and lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire Lynn Picknett: Historian and researcher specialising in exposing historical conspiracies. She is also the co-author of several notable works Colin Ross: Psychiatrist and former president of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation Tony McMahon: Former BBC news producer, author, print journalist and historian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonus Episode: In this episode of Forbidden Fruit, we take a deep dive into the life of Christina, Queen of Sweden, who once owned the Devil’s Bible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we follow the 800-year history of a medieval Bible manuscript, famous for its giant illustration of the Devil contained within its pages. We recount its journey across Europe as it changes hands between emperors and queens, and the history it sees along the way – as well as the cursed legends that follow it. Cast List: Dominic Selwood: A historian, barrister, bestselling author, novelist and frequent contributor to national newspapers including The Independent, The Spectator and The Daily Telegraph Janina Ramirez: A cultural historian, broadcaster and author based at the University of Oxford Tony McMahon: A former BBC news producer, author, print journalist and historian Elin Andersson: A specialist in ancient manuscripts and an expert on the Devil’s Bible, based at the National Library of Sweden Scott Sophos: Prague-based historian and teacher Dr Andrew Boakye: Lecturer in Religions & Theology at the University of Manchester  Peter Stanford: Writer, editor, journalist and presenter, known for his biographies and writings on religion and ethics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonus Episode: In this episode of Forbidden Fruit, we take a deep dive into the Romanov’s relationship to the British Royal Family, and explore the question ‘Could Tsar Nicholas and his family have been saved by his cousin, King George V?’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we look at the murders of the last Tsars (royal family) of Russia in 1918, including the decline of Tsar Nicholas as ruler and the increasing instability of Russia throughout WWI. We cover their grizzly deaths at the hands of the new communist regime, and finish by looking at a century of conspiracy theories that followed their deaths, including a theory that one of his daughters survived. Cast List: James Sherwood An author, curator and broadcaster specialising in sartorial and royal history, fashion and bespoke tailoring, whose work has featured in the Financial Times, the International Herald Tribune, and the Independent on Sunday. Helen Rappaport An author and historian, she has written several books and is an expert on the period 1837–1918 in late Imperial and revolutionary Russia and Victorian Britain. Andrew Cook: A British author, popular historian and former British civil servant, who specialises in early 20th century espionage history. Christopher Warwick: A royal biographer and historian, he is the author of fourteen published books on modern royal subjects and is the authorised biographer of HRH the Princess Margaret. Guy Walters: A British author, historian, and journalist who has written several books on WWII. As a journalist for The Times, he writes on historical topics for the national press.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In April 1943, during the dark days of World War II, four teenage boys in Birmingham, England were hunting for birds’ eggs in a remote woodland called, Hagley Wood. The slightest of the boys stopped at a large Wych Elm tree. Climbing up and peering down he discovered it was hollow. Spotting something in the centre, the boy carefully reached through the branches and pulled out the item for a closer look.   His hope for a bird’s nest were soon forgotten when he realised what he was holding was a human skull.   Their chance encounter upon the remains of a woman in the Wych Elm sparked a murder case that has gone unsolved for 80 years. To this day her identity and the circumstances surrounding her death are still unknown; the mystery continuing to both baffle and surprise investigators.   With an unknown phantom graffitiing clues to the victim’s identity, case files being redacted, and vital evidence seemingly disappearing, many conspiracy theories have circled this story capturing worldwide attention. Some speak of government interference, others drawing direct links to Nazi Germany and espionage.  With the help of new technology can we finally crack this 80-year-old case? In this episode we re-examine the remaining evidence of the case, unravel the conspiracies surrounding the mystery, and with the help of new forensic facilities finally try to shine a light on the true identity of the Woman in the Wych Elm.    Cast List:  Joyce M. Coley   The author of the book ‘Bella: An unsolved Mystery’.  Andrew Sparke  An independent publisher and the author of ‘Bella in the Wych Elm’.  Richard Lund  The Son of Dr John Lund, a forensic scientist from the West Midlands Forensic Science Laboratory, who examined the victim’s remains and fragments of clothing.  Giselle K. Jakobs  A palaeontologist and author of ‘The Spy in the Tower’, she is the granddaughter of Josef Jakobs, a German spy with mysterious connections to the Woman in the Wych Elm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s 1943, and a tall moustached man is crossing the road to his hotel in New York City, pausing only to feed the birds. He rides the elevator up to the 33rd floor, and heads to his room, 3327. He is nothing more than an old man whose life is clouded by unpaid debts and whose only real interest seems to be caring for pigeons. It's hard to believe that this is a man who once changed the world.   In this episode we follow the story of Nichola Tesla. The father of the modern electricity system, the showman who dazzled audiences of hundreds, and a true visionary of the modern age. A life seemingly straight out of the script of a Hollywood blockbuster; he rose from nothing, had the world at his feet, and then lost it all.  He was unknown to most of the world and yet the father of our modern age. Most would accredit the great technological advancements of the modern world, such as electricity and radio, to the famed inventors of Thomas Edison and Guglielmo Marconi, but it was the work of Tesla that created the foundations for it all. A true visionary who was born to the wrong century, a man who dreamt of sending images to watches while the world still came to grips with the light bulb.   So how did an obscure young man from Serbia create the modern world? And why did someone to whom we still owe so much today end his life destitute and alone?    Cast List:  Alan Butler  A writer, researcher, and recognized expert in ancient cosmology and astronomy.   The Reverend Lionel Fanthorpe  A journalist, author, lecturer, and former editor of the Fortean Times magazine.   Andrew Gough  A Researcher, writer, and the editor of the Heretic Magazine.   Keith Tutt  A historian and author whose previous works include “Unexplained Natural Phenomena” and “The Search for Free Energy”.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the 13th of June 1886, the body of Ludwig II, the so-called Mad King of Bavaria, was found floating in two feet of water on Lake Starnberg, Germany. The official verdict given by the authorities was suicide by drowning. But the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, and the strange events that took place in the lead up to it have led many to believe it was no suicide.  Instead, they believe he was in fact killed by his own government, who have covered up his murder for over 100 years.   If you unravel the life of this unconventional monarch, you reveal the story behind one of Germany’s most enduring mysteries. A king loved by his people but hated by his government. Throughout his life, the young king did repeatedly test the patience of his ministers. More interested in music, the arts and architecture, the royal’s fascination for the whimsical seemed to leave little time for affairs of state. With expenditures growing and debts mounting as he chased his dreams for romantic architecture, is it only a story that his government would form a plot to seize power?   The death of King Ludwig II of Bavaria has been the subject of intrigue and investigation for over a century. How did a king once famous for his eccentric behaviour and fairy-tale castles end up being declared insane, removed from his throne, and found floating face down in shallow water near the shores of a remote Lake?  In this episode we explore the history of Bavaria’s supposedly mad king and question was his death the result of a deteriorating mental state, or were more darker forces at play?  Cast List:  James Sherwood  An author, curator and broadcaster specialising in sartorial and royal history, fashion and bespoke tailoring, whose work has featured in the Financial Times, the International Herald Tribune, and the Independent on Sunday.   Ann Marie Ackerman  A former American prosecutor, now a successful True Crime writer specialising in unusual German historic crimes, her latest work being “Death of an Assassin”.    Guy Walters  A British author, historian, and journalist, he has written several books on WWII. As a journalist for The Times, he writes on historical topics for the national press.  Ken Hollings  A writer, broadcaster and cultural theorist, whose work includes “Welcome to Mars”, and “The Bright Labyrinth”. He is currently a lecturer at the Royal College of Art specialising in experimental communication and the evolving relationship between culture and technology.   Dr Gerhard Immler  The Chief Archive Director of the Bavarian State Archives in Munich. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is August 1978; Georgi Markov is in his London flat when the phone rings. He’s greeted by the sound of a cold and distorted voice. “Georgi Markov you’re going to die”.   Markov is used to these death threats; he could set his watch by them. And so, he replies in his usual laconic way, “Killing me will only make me a martyr”.   He is about to hang up but for once the voice has a comeback.   “Not this time. This time you will not become a martyr. It will look as if you died of natural causes. You will be killed by a poison that the West can neither detect nor treat”.   A month later, Markov would be dead. But little did the murderer know that by giving Markov this warning they would turn what looked like a natural death into a full-scale murder inquiry.   It would become the most famous assassination of the Cold War, and yet to this day no one has been charged with his murder. However recently declassified documents may shed light on who was responsible and uncover the shadowy work of a mysterious organisation known as Service 7 or, more bluntly, the ‘Murder Bureau’.   In this episode we re-examine the case files of this long unsolved assassination, explore the tactics and gadgetry used in a secret war played out across Europe and unravel the history of the illusive Murder Bureau.    Cast List:  Guy Walters  A British author, historian, and journalist, he has written several books on WWII. As a journalist for The Times, he writes on historical topics for the national press.  Boris Volodarksy  A former officer in Russian Military Intelligence, now a historian and author specialising in Soviet intelligence operations. He is the writer of several works, the most notable being “The KGB's Poison Factory: From Lenin to Litvinenko”.   Alexenia Dimitrova  A Bulgarian journalist and author with 27 years experience in journalism. Her books include “War of the Spies” and “Murder Bureau”.   Richard Felix  A historian and lecturer specialising in local and paranormal history.   Natalia Mehneva  The daughter of Traycho Belopopski, a former target of the Murder Bureau. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to all four gospels, Jesus chose one person as the first witness of his resurrection. One person, who was entrusted with spreading this momentous news; a follower whose life is still shrouded by conspiracy, the mysterious Mary Magdalene.   2000 years on, Mary continues to be one of the churches most disputed subjects. Some believe she was a prostitute; many claim she was Jesus’s most devoted disciple and was at the heart of the Christian faith. However, some suggest she was much more.    In Southern France two treasure hunters are pursuing a new lead in their search for her remains, arguably the remains of the most significant woman in history.    Pat Jokl and his friend Ronnie are history enthusiasts who have spent 20 years trying to uncover the whereabouts of Mary Magdalene’s Tomb. After the resurrection, the Bible sheds little light on what happened to her next with many believing she was deliberately written out of history. In this episode we follow Pat Jokl and his team on their biblical treasure hunt, tracing what many believe to be the journey Mary Magdalene took after the resurrection to spread the true word of the Christian faith.   With an unearthed set of 13th century documents from the French archive suggesting a medieval aristocrat stole the Saint’s remains, Pat believes he’s one step closer to finding Mary Magdalene’s burial site in Southern France. Armed with new equipment and this vital lead could this be moment he solves one of the bible’s greatest mysteries? Could this be the moment he finally finds Mary Magdalene?  Cast List:   Pat Jokl  A treasure hunter who has been searching for Mary Magdalene’s remains for over 20 years.    Tony McMahon  A former BBC news producer, award short-listed author, print journalist and historian.   Dr Karen Bellinger   An anthropologist, archaeologist and historian whose work focuses on early modern European culture and society and its colonial expansion throughout the Atlantic world.   Lynn Picknett  A historian and researcher specialising in exposing historical conspiracies, she is co-author to several notable works including “Turin Shroud: How Leonardo da Vinci Fooled History” and “War of the Windsors”  Father Florian Racine  The rector of the Basilica of St. Mary Magdalene church in Saint-Maximin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is the early 1980s, and in a house in West Germany a man called Gerd Heidemann is flicking through a book with mounting excitement. Sentences leap from the page:   ‘The burning of the books was not a good idea of Goebbels’,    ‘I have violent flatulence, and – says Eva – bad breath’,    ‘The measures against the Jews are too strong for me’.   The book he is reading is one of over sixty volumes of the revelatory personal diaries of Adolf Hitler himself. Through Heidemann they will be purchased for millions of dollars and published in the world’s leading newspapers and magazines. However, on publication day, with the world captivated by the opportunity to read the inner-most thoughts of the most notorious dictator in history, the scoop of the century falls apart. The diaries are total fakes and not even particularly good ones.   In this episode we explore the story of Gerd Heidemann and how he and many others fell victim to a now notorious conman and forger. Starting with how Heidemann was captivated by a historic find he couldn’t ignore, to how simple forgeries made their way through authentication unscathed, to finally how the historic find of the century was shattered on the day of its publication.   So how were some of the world’s foremost journalists conned, and who was behind a fraud that has gone down in media history?    Cast List:   Guy Walters: A British author, historian, and journalist, he has written several books on WWII. As a journalist for The Times, he writes on historical topics for the national press.  Dr Linda Papadopoulos: The Reader in Psychology at London Metropolitan University, with a 17-year career working as a research scientist and practicing psychologist.   Magnus Linklater: A journalist, writer, and former newspaper editor, he was the Executive Editor of Features at the Sunday Times during the Hitler Diaries scandal.   Gerd Heidemann: A former journalist for Stern Magazine, he was the first to bring the diaries to the attention of the media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s 1940 and there’s a serial killer on the streets of Berlin looking for his next victim. Elfreda Franka is travelling home on the late train after work. Sitting alone in the dark carriage she stares out of the window as the train pulls into a station.    Another passenger gets onboard.    Curious but unable to make out their features, Elfrieda continues to stare out into the pitch black as the train departs. The stranger quietly approaches Elfrieda and before she can sense danger, she feels a cold, hard and heavy object strike her. She was not the first and wouldn’t be the last victim of the S-Bahn murderer.  This is a true story about the crimes of a mass murderer, who assaulted and fatally attacked women on a killing spree that lasted nine months. In this episode we follow the work the Criminal Politici and their lead investigator Police Commissioner Wilhelm Ludtke, as he and his team of detectives worked tirelessly to track down this illusive killer.  However, as the body count mounted the detectives not only had to track down this violent phantom but had to do so against the ever-growing interferences and limitations of Nazi High Command. This is the story of a hunt for truth in a political landscape where the “truth” was whatever Hitler deemed it to be.   Despite a thorough investigation, how did the killer avert the police for so long? Why did Nazi High command want to keep it a secret? And how did they finally catch the illusive killer?     Cast List:   David Thomas  The Author of historical crime thrillers such as “Ostland” and an award-winning journalist, with twenty-five years of experience working for Fleet Street newspapers.  Roger Moorhouse  A historian and author of many books on the second World War, including ‘Killing Hitler’. He is a specialist in modern German history with particular focus on Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich.  Dr Linda Papadopoulos  The Reader in Psychology at London Metropolitan University, with a 17-year career working as a research scientist and practicing psychologist.  Dr Jens Dobler  The official historian for the Berlin Police Department. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the early morning of June the 26th, 1718 and in the basement of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St Petersburg, Russia, lies a young man. His face is covered in bruises, his back is bleeding, and his eyes are sunken holes in their sockets, wreathed in black. The door is flung open, and another man strides into the prison chamber. In his hand is a hard leather whip about three and a half feet long, ending in a beak-like hook.  He walks over to the prisoner, who closes his eyes and quietly sobs. He knows what’s coming.  The prisoner is Tsarevich Alexei, heir to the Russian throne. His torturer is his own father, Tsar Peter the Great.   Peter the Great was one of the most bloody and brutal rulers in Russian history. Known for leading his own torture interrogations, and using forced labour to construct his architectural visions, his son is only one of thousands of people who will suffer at his hands during his reign. Yet he is remembered as one of Russia’s greatest ever rulers. Creating a navy, a city, and being one of the first Tsars to travel Europe in 100 years, his love of science and learning saw him transform his antiquated realm into a European power of the modern age.   But given the high price paid by his people, his predisposition for violence, and how the future of his reign was cemented by torture, can he truly be seen as Peter ‘the Great’ today?    Cast List:   Tony McMahon  A former BBC news producer, award short-listed author, print journalist and historian.   Hallie Rubenhold   A bestselling author, social historian and historical consultant for TV and film. Her notable works include “The Five; The Untold Lives of The Women Killed by Jack the Ripper” and “The Covent Garden Ladies”.   Nigel Jones   A historian, journalist, former deputy editor of History Today magazine and former reviews editor of the BBC’s History Magazine.   Dominic Selwood  A historian, barrister, bestselling author, novelist, and frequent contributor to national newspapers including The Independent, The Spectator and The Daily telegraph.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices