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80 episodes

Hall of Fame: The Good War Criminal
09/03/2026 | 4 mins.
Keith Lowe is one of our greatest historians of the Second World War and its aftermath. He joined us to share the story of Ben Ferencz, one of the Nuremberg prosecutors who made it his life's work to fight for peace. Search for Ben Ferencz and the Quest for World Peace: Keith Lowe on the Fear and the Freedom.
Keith's choice for our Hall of Fame is equally impressive. Someone who fought to try and change a nation's story of its war. But it is an uncomfortable nomination, because Yuasa Ken was a Japanese war criminal who performed horrendous human experiments during the war. Afterwards, however, he saw the light and dedicated the time he had left in the world to educate his country about its culpability.
This is a powerful and unsettling listen, but it is one which we all need to hear.

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Hall of Fame: The Martyrs of Matouba
08/03/2026 | 3 mins.
Joris Lechene joined us to understand the life and afterlife of the great John La Rose, one of the leading lights of Black British cultural life from the 1960s to the 1980s. And a few years ago, he was in the news again as London's Black Boy Lane was renamed in his honour. But the fallout was something to behold.
This is a gripping episode – the very essence of Trapped History. You can find it as Black Boy Lane: Joris Lechene on the Legacy of John La Rose.
And Joris' nomination for the Hall of Fame is equally fascinating. Because he doesn't nominate a person. He nominates a whole uprising, when the former slaves of Guadeloupe fought to the death against the French.

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Hall of Fame: The Violinist of Auschwitz
07/03/2026 | 4 mins.
Anne Sebba breathed life into the story of the women of the French Resistance, in the brilliant The Women who Ran the Resistance: Anne Sebba on the Forgotten Heroines.
And in this Hall of Fame nomination, she does the same for the women of the death camps. Hilde Grunbaum's life is a truly emotional one as both she and dozens of other female musicians would make up the Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz. It was a lifeline in the midst of horror.

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Hall of Fame: The Barber of the Hindoostane Coffee House
06/03/2026 | 4 mins.
Sathnam Sanghera joined us to find out all about Cornelia Sorabji, the first woman to graduate from an Indian university, the first woman anywhere to get a law degree – from Oxford at that – and the first woman to represent the accused in a criminal case in a British-run court.
Her story is incredible – but even more astonishing is the tale Sathnam brings to the Hall of Fame: that of Dean Mahomed, an Indian surgeon, soldier and writer who settled in England. Which is where he established the country's first Indian restaurant and introduced the art of "shampooing" to Europe.
Prepare to be amazed! And then, head over to the main episode to hear all about The Indian Imperialist: Sathnam Sanghera on the Curious Cornelia Sorabji.

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Hall of Fame: The Master of Memorials
05/03/2026 | 4 mins.
Sculptor Ian Wolter accompanied us on a cold and windy day to the mesmerising Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice. The insights of a practising artist were priceless and so his choice for the Trapped History Hall of Fame is equally insightful.
Charles Jagger was a prize-winning young sculptor on the up when the First World War broke out. He quickly signed up and served in the trenches and at Gallipoli. He was awarded the Military Cross and was wounded three times.
On his return to civilian life, Charles was a changed man. And a changed artist too. Because while he would create many sculptures and statues which were not war-related, it is for his war memorials which he is remembered. They can be found in Belgium, France, Egypt and Australia but perhaps his most famous and heart-breaking one is London's Royal Artillery Memorial.
Ian is the perfect guide to the work and the emotions behind it. So when you've listened to this, head over to the main episode to hear Remembering the Ordinary: The Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice.

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About Trapped History

Trapped History is a history reboot for everyone. It tells the stories of the forgotten – of the hidden heroes ignored by the history we were taught in school. We take our name from something the writer James Baldwin said: “People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them.” We want to break people free from those stories. Whether it is women's history, Black history, military history, cultural history – all of this, hidden or forgotten, is also trapped history. And so we give you a history podcast for the curious, with inspiring tales of unsung heroes, people who broke the mould with their courage and defiance. Co-hosts Oswin and Carla are joined by special guests who help bring those stories to life. People like Mishal Husain, Jeremy Corbyn, Michaela Strachan, Sathnam Sanghera – even Zippo the Clown and Jet from Gladiators! Anyone with a new and different perspective on history. Rebooting history one story at a time. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to the award-winning history podcast at our website for bonus episodes and more: www.instagram.com/trappedhistory www.facebook.com/trappedhistory www.trappedhistory.com This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

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