About this episode
Despised by the English, mistrusted by the Scottish nobles, and revered by his countrymen: William Wallace is synonymous with the battle for Scottish freedom. But scratch away at the legend, and even the most basic details are disputed. Where he was born, who he married, and what he did after his famous battle at Stirling Bridge. Thanks to the brutal nature of his death, he doesn’t even have a grave. What can we really know about the man immortalised by the poets? Was he anything like the warrior depicted in ‘Braveheart’? And what does his legacy tell us about the people of Scotland who idolize him to this day? This is a Short History of William Wallace. Written by Jo Furniss. With thanks to Graeme Morton, Professor of Modern History and Director of the Centre for Scottish Culture at the University of Dundee, and author of William Wallace: Man and Myth. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Listen to this episode in English to learn English
Podcast episodes are one of the highest-density ways to absorb English at native pace. William Wallace from Short History Of... gives you natural dialogue, unscripted speech, and vocabulary that actually appears in real conversations.
In the Clue app, every word in the transcript is tappable. Tap an unknown word, see the translation in your language instantly, and keep listening without breaking flow.
Episodes to Learn English
- The Brink’s-Mat Robbery Jul 5, 2026
- The Founding Fathers of the US (Re-run) Jul 3, 2026
- Hurricane Katrina Jun 28, 2026
- The Kray Twins Jun 21, 2026
- Introducing: Founding Fathers: An American Dream - Episode 1 Jun 16, 2026
- Punk Jun 14, 2026
- Jacques Cousteau Jun 7, 2026
- Charlemagne May 31, 2026
- The Golden Age of Railways May 24, 2026
- The Haitian Revolution May 17, 2026
- The Real James Bond May 10, 2026
- The Spanish Civil War May 3, 2026
- Sir Francis Drake Apr 26, 2026
- Bob Dylan Apr 19, 2026
- The American Civil War (Part Two of Two) Apr 12, 2026
- The American Civil War (Part One of Two) Apr 5, 2026
- The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand Mar 29, 2026
- C.S. Lewis Mar 23, 2026
- Introducing: Real Vikings - Episode 1 Mar 18, 2026
- Ernest Hemingway Mar 16, 2026
- The European Middle Ages (Part 2 of 2) Mar 9, 2026
- The European Middle Ages (Part 1 of 2) Mar 2, 2026
- The Silk Roads Feb 23, 2026
- The Falklands War Feb 16, 2026
- Rwandan Genocide Feb 9, 2026
- Rasputin Feb 2, 2026
- The Māori Jan 26, 2026
- Nikola Tesla Jan 19, 2026
- David Bowie Jan 12, 2026
- The Louisiana Purchase Jan 5, 2026