Biography

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The podcasting of a life, by Matt Smith. “Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.” - Charles Dickens.

Recent Episodes
  • Ned Kelly 4: Such is Life
    Feb 16, 2018 – 21:14
  • Ned Kelly 3: The Last Stand
    Dec 20, 2017 – 26:55
  • Ned Kelly 2: A Short Life of Crime
    Oct 13, 2017 – 26:33
  • Ned Kelly 1: Australian Outlaw
    Sep 27, 2017 – 30:38
  • Gandhi 4: Father of the Nation
    Apr 13, 2017 – 26:59
  • Gandhi 3: Shaking the Foundations
    Mar 24, 2017 – 22:43
  • Gandhi 2: Hate the Sin, Not the Sinner
    Mar 3, 2017 – 22:32
  • Gandhi 1: A Good Seed is Sown
    Feb 10, 2017 – 25:09
  • Themistocles 3: Persuasion and Compulsion
    Dec 12, 2016 – 24:09
  • Themistocles 2: Indubitable Signs of Genius
    Dec 1, 2016 – 21:51
  • Themistocles 1: Great Light of the Greeks
    Nov 22, 2016 – 25:21
  • Ely S. Parker
    Oct 19, 2016 – 25:07
  • Frida Kahlo 2: Acid and Tender
    Sep 7, 2016 – 21:28
  • Frida Kahlo 1: A Ribbon Around a Bomb
    Aug 30, 2016 – 25:51
  • Douglas Mawson 3: Flaws in the Ice
    Jul 6, 2016 – 26:08
  • Douglas Mawson 2: The Home of the Blizzard
    Jun 29, 2016 – 29:27
  • Douglas Mawson 1: The Pole Hunters
    Jun 22, 2016 – 21:43
  • Confucius 2: The Master Says
    May 17, 2016 – 20:24
  • Confucius 1: The Man Who Moves the Mountain
    May 3, 2016 – 22:18
  • Catherine the Great 4: Without you, Felitsa
    Apr 19, 2016 – 19:04
  • Catherine the Great 3: The Warrior Empress
    Apr 5, 2016 – 28:44
  • Catherine the Great 2: Patron and Collector
    Mar 22, 2016 – 20:30
  • Catherine the Great 1: Rise of a German Princess
    Mar 8, 2016 – 24:37
  • Vida Goldstein
    Feb 22, 2016 – 30:40
  • Martin Luther King Jr 2: I Have a Dream
    Feb 10, 2016 – 23:17
  • Martin Luther King Jr 1: They Told Us We Wouldn't Get Here
    Jan 25, 2016 – 27:46
  • Charles Darwin 6: So Many Barnacles, So Little Time
    Jan 18, 2016 – 26:52
  • Charles Darwin 5: Darwin's Warm Reception
    Jan 5, 2016 – 17:53
  • Charles Darwin 4: How Evolution Works
    Dec 15, 2015 – 17:09
  • Charles Darwin 3: The Theories of Charles Darwin
    Dec 1, 2015 – 26:57
  • Charles Darwin 2: The Voyage of the Beagle
    Nov 17, 2015 – 28:23
  • Charles Darwin 1: Before Darwin
    Nov 4, 2015 – 20:05
  • Spartacus 3: The Death and Legacy of Spartacus
    Oct 20, 2015 – 19:39
  • Spartacus 2: Spartacus and the Third Servile War
    Oct 6, 2015 – 17:09
  • Spartacus 1: Spartacus the Gladiator
    Sep 22, 2015 – 21:25
Recent Reviews
  • theschnecki
    Where’d you go?
    Wish they’d come back!!!
  • Momobarker
    Great Podcast
    I love this podcast. Very informative and easy to listen to and understand. I highly recommend it. -Ned Barker
  • f.games
    Best podcast
    Love everything about this podcast. Great content and delivered with a tone that engages the listener. Well researched and as a result lots to learn.
  • pocket_ashes
    Loving listening
    Easy going listening with interesting content. I have been enjoying this so much I haven’t listened to any of my other podcasts!
  • RemusLk
    Five stars
    I love this podcast! Some biography podcasts are hard to hear and ever harder to sit through. Not these! Thank you- makes my commute so much better!
  • Toni 101
    Just the right length
    Easy-to-take history - interesting bios of famous folk - likeable host and experts.
  • Patty132400
    Great podcast for learning
    I learn so much every episode. Very informative, but it flows like a discussion rather than a lecture. Love that you guys always bring on professionals!
  • emlouise
    Great podcast!
    Love the intimate stories of important historical moments and people
  • Jaisjsnak
    lots of fun - a good base
    These are a great introductions to people from history - always interesting - thanks
  • Smell what the Brock is cookin
    Much enjoyed
    Matt Smith is a top-notch podcaster. Like his Emperors of Rome ‘cast, this one compiles the expertise of academics to introduce important historical figures. I especially enjoyed the episodes about Australian figures as they’re not part of the curriculum here in the States. No one will ever confuse the work here with one of those towering David McCullough biographies, but the short and sweet format provides a great base layer of understanding of who these people were and why their legacy perseveres.
  • that'70sshowaddict1234
    Informative But Dull
    Well-researched, but not particular interesting. Some of the subjects were new to me and very fascinating, but it felt like passion was missing from this project overall.
  • xinxerfile
    The best biography podcast I've come across
    I love biographies and for a while I struggled to find time to read them so I started looking for podcasts. I have subscribed to a few but this is the only one I keep coming back to for a few reasons ....The figures they cover have always fascinated me but I knew little about them. On the other hand the facts presented are biographic and interesting without becoming mundane. The podcast is well presented and I admire the work done by the heads of departments at La Trobe. Each podcast spices my curiosity to dig even more the particular subject. Every biography is well researched and quite a delight to hear. Thank you and I look forward to hear more.
  • traeapple
    Love It!
    Excellent podcast - love the style and depth of the topics.
  • Ajdub82727
    Awesome
    Just discovered this one and listened to every episode. Love it and can't wait for more. Great job by the host and always interesting and knowledgeable expert guests.
  • CalenCross
    Great podcast.
    Taking both well known and not so well known figures in history and presenting their very interesting lives!
  • Dsavvk
    Please make more!
    Very well done. This podcast is organized, accurate, timely and very insightful. I wish there was more episodes.
  • MikeRT10
    Light and informative
    This is a great "background podcast". Requires less engagement of the brain than some other history podcasts, but still informative and interesting.
  • PenBoy456man
    Great Narrator!!
    After the first episode on Spartacus I was hooked... Great podcast, keep up the good work.
  • natty.a8
    Biography
    Love all of these! They do a great job. Nice amount of time! And lots of info!
  • AplGrl
    Fantastic
    It’s gotten kind of difficult to sift through all the podcasts available these days and find the really good stuff- but this one is fantastic. It’s a keeper!
  • LA Connection
    I Listen to Every Podcast!
    These re great. They seem well researched and they're're very entertaining!
  • raven 19
    Great Podcast
    Interesting podcast, easy to listen to and eye opening to new characters , you may not have heard of. History can be very interesting.
  • Tyrelllloyd2011
    Fantastic!!!
    Great content the only problem is they don't put out episodes more often
  • History podcasts
    Excellent
    @nightlightguy does it again
  • Freelance illustrator
    Brilliant and Fascinating
    Magnificent. Every episode is fascinating, and is covered with extraordinary depth and detail. It’s wonderful to learn about less widely known details of history. Great work!
  • KaylaJay29
    Short and sweet
    This is a fun podcast that breaks down the biography of historical figures. So far, that have only covered two people but I look forward to many more. Each episode is about 20 minutes and dives into interesting facts and back stories to these historical figures we all know by name. Great format, love to listen and learn. Keep up the great work.
  • Empress Livia
    Excellent
    Another slam dunk by Matt Smith. After exploring all of space and time, he's found a home in the podcast world :)
  • Tonylf(:-)
    I love these podcasts
    I think this is great and wonderful to listen to. The narrator is soothing and the expert has a wonderful curiosity in her voice.
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