From Brothel to Battlefleet: The Rise of Pirate Queen Zheng Yi Sao

Was Red Sparrow just a steamy spy thriller—or was it based on something real? In this episode, we dive deep into the Cold War’s most seductive secret: Russia’s alleged Sparrow School, where young agents were allegedly trained in sexpionage to seduce and spy on targets across the globe. From blackmail, honey traps, and sparrows in sexy lingerie to real operations that reached as far as the Obama administration (allegedly 👀), this episode uncovers the history behind the world’s most infamous spy seduction school. 🔑 What You’ll Learn What Sparrow School was and how it (allegedly) operated How sexpionage became a Cold War weapon The infamous case of Maurice Dejean and a “people liquidator” Famous sparrows like Anna Chapman and Soviet opera stars Why sex, spies, and power are still dangerously connected today Based near Kazan, Sparrow School allegedly trained spies in seduction, blackmail, and emotional manipulation Both men and women were trained—despite LGBTQ+ identities being criminalized in the USSR Honey traps were used to turn diplomats and ambassadors into informants Modern intelligence agencies still warn about Russian “sparrows” on dating apps today 💌 Love the show? Subscribe & leave a review Support the pod on Patreon for bonus episodes Share this episode with your James Bond-loving friend or your Tinder date (👀) Patreon  Instagram  Website TikTok Merch Store YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

💌 Episode Summary Before Instagram poets and moody notebook scribbles, there was Sappho—the original lyric poet who set hearts (and historians) on fire. This week, we dive into the life, love, and legend-level drama of the Greek icon whose poems gave us longing, lyricism, and one of the best ancient bisexual panics in literary history. From inventing an entire genre of poetry to possibly being married to “a literal penis from the Island of Man” (thanks, trolls), Sappho’s legacy is powerful, poetic, and fiercely queer. Queer Creators and Historians to Follow lgbt_history taipeiqueen lesbianherstoryarchives onlinekyne ⏱️ What You’ll Hear Who was Sappho, really? What we know (and what’s been suspiciously erased) Lyric poetry 101 – How Sappho changed the entire game The gay panic of ancient scholars – Plato, Homer, and yes, Victorian dudes Her poetry of longing – Erotic, powerful, and absolutely not “just friendly” The fight for her legacy – From haters to historians to modern LGBTQIA+ orgs Why representation in history matters – Especially for young queer kids 📚 Quick Facts Born ~630 BCE on the island of Lesbos Credited with creating lyric poetry (think: personal, emotional, performed with a lyre) Wrote an Ode to Aphrodite—the only surviving full poem Widely believed to have been queer, though this was hotly denied for centuries Inspired organizations like Sappho for Equality, which still operates today 💥 Fun & Furious Details Scholars once claimed she was just a “schoolmistress” who trained wives. Others made up a fake husband named “Dick from Man Island” (yes, really). Her contemporaries called her the Poetess, the female Homer. Plato called her the Tenth Muse, despite hating poetry. Modern scholars finally started accepting her queerness in the 20th century. 🎙️ From Your Host, TK This episode is a love letter to the messy, powerful, poetic legacy of Sappho. She wasn’t just a woman who wrote poetry—she was a revolutionary voice who broke the mold, made people feel things, and still inspires generations today. Also, her poems? SPICY. 😳🌿 🚀 Want More? Subscribe to For the Love of History for weekly feminist deep dives Share this episode with your sapphic bestie or literary crush Support on Patreon for bonus episodes, early access, and sleepy history Merch? Toga? Blanket burrito? We gotchu. Instagram⁠  ⁠Website⁠ ⁠TikTok⁠ ⁠Merch Store⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Patreon⁠⁠  Whether you’re a poet, a history nerd, or someone who’s just a sucker for ancient queer drama, Sappho’s story is one you don’t want to miss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever heard of a spy duo in their 60s walking three Cocker Spaniels around Nazi-occupied Paris by day and running a secret escape line by night? No? Then buckle in. In this episode, TK interviews bestselling author Matthew Goodman about his riveting new book, *Paris Undercover*—a deep-dive into the true story of two real-life badass women who defied fascism during World War II. We talk about the historical detective work that uncovered the truth behind a bestselling memoir, the women erased from standard war narratives, and how even “elderly” ladies can outmaneuver the Gestapo. This isn’t your average WWII tale—it’s got espionage, pseudonyms, betrayal, friendship, and... waffles? 🕵️‍♀️The Hidden Heroines – Meet Etta and Kate, two women "of a certain age" who created an escape route across France to rescue Allied soldiers—without any training or backup. 📖 **Memoir vs. Reality** – Matthew uncovers that the popular wartime memoir *Paris Underground* wasn’t entirely factual—and wasn’t written by the woman who supposedly penned it. 🔍 Research as Spycraft– From sealed military archives in France to ghostwriters with ghostwriters, Matthew shares how pandemic-era sleuthing led to unexpected twists in the story. 📚 Narrative Nonfiction Gold – With a background in fiction and a passion for history, Matthew shows how using storytelling techniques can bring history to life *without* sacrificing accuracy. 🧠 Modern Parallels – We also explore how themes of resistance, misinformation, and female agency remain powerful and painfully relevant today. --- 💙💛Why You’ll Love This Episode: If you love juicy historical mysteries, stories of women who defy expectations, or just want to know how an Upper East Side widow ends up sneaking British pilots past Nazis, this episode is for you. --- 🎧 Listen if you’re into: - Hidden Figures of WWII - Feminist history - Narrative nonfiction and storytelling - Rewriting the historical record - Dogs. Obviously. 👋 Support the Show (and your inner nerd): 💬 Comment & subscribe if you're watching on YouTube! ⭐ Leave a rating or review on your favorite podcast app 📬 Share this episode with a history-loving bestie 💌 Join the Patreon crew for early access, bonus content & sleepy history episodes 🛍 Grab some podcast merch—because espionage looks better in a hoodie --- 🌐 Learn More About Matthew Goodman: 📚 [MatthewGoodmanBooks.com] (https://matthewgoodmanbooks.com/) – Browse his books, drop him an email, or snoop around his research journey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome, delicious donuts! 🍩 In this episode of For the Love of History, we’re unraveling the fascinating story behind The Dressmakers of London with award-winning author and Emmy-nominated journalist Julia Kelly. It's part historical deep-dive, part emotional sister saga, and 100% packed with nerdy joy — just how we like it. 🧵 What You’ll Learn: 💙How women navigated fashion rationing in WWII (spoiler: red lipstick was patriotic). 💙What it really meant to be conscripted as a woman in 1941. 💙The role of letters — the OG DMs — in wartime relationships. 💙Why class, fashion, femininity, and grief are intricately stitched together in this story. 💙Julia’s personal connection to sewing, vintage fashion, and the inspiration behind her characters. 💙An almost plotline in Egypt that got cut for historical accuracy! 📚 About the Book: The Dressmakers of London tells the story of two estranged sisters forced to run their late mother’s dress shop amid the chaos of WWII. With rationing, conscription, and buried trauma in the mix, this book weaves together personal loss, reconciliation, and the politics of fashion under fire. ✂️ Favorite Moments: 00:02:15 – Julia’s pivot from romance to historical fiction 00:04:20 – The dress shop inheritance and conscription twist 00:06:00 – Writing emotionally grounded history 00:12:30 – How fashion rationing reshaped femininity 00:20:00 – When fashion becomes politics: the Utility Clothing Order 00:25:00 – Stationery obsessions and letter-writing as wartime lifelines 00:34:00 – Why Egypt had to go, and Norfolk got the spotlight 🧵 Links & Where to Find Julia Kelly: 📚 Book: The Dressmakers of London 🌐 Website: juliakellywrites.com 📬 Newsletter: juliakellywrites.substack.com 📸 Instagram & TikTok: @JuliaKellyWrites ✉️ Your Turn! How would YOU spend your 66 clothing ration coupons in WWII? Dresses? Socks? Underwear? Sound off in the comments with your fave historical clothing facts or tell us when you last wrote a letter by hand! 🎙️ Like what you hear? Be sure to: 👍 Like this video 💬 Comment below (we respond!) 🔔 Subscribe for more world, women’s, and weird history 📝 Rate and review the pod — it’s the free 99 way to support indie history nerds everywhere! Instagram  Website TikTok Merch Store YouTube Patreon⁠  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re diving toga-first into the life and utter chaos of Caligula—the Roman emperor who ruled for just four years and made every single second a full-blown historical fever dream. From horse palaces and floating orgy boats to stabbing Poseidon and bullying his own guards, Caligula redefined what it meant to rule like a god (or at least think he was one). But was he really mad… or just the ultimate troll in a laurel wreath? This is Roman history at its weirdest—and honestly, its most fun. ⏱️ What You’ll Hear 00:02:00 – Who was Caligula really? And why did soldiers call him “Little Boots”? 00:06:00 – Roman power struggles, poisoned dads, and childhood trauma 00:08:00 – The golden-boy emperor everyone loved… until he got sick 00:11:00 – Enter: the villain era. Tormenting senators, gladiator cosplay, and birthday revenge 00:13:00 – Floating bridges, floating orgies, and Mussolini’s wild archaeological discovery 00:17:00 – Declaring war on the ocean and forcing soldiers to collect seashells 00:20:00 – The assassination that changed Roman history—and why the public still loved him 🤯 Why You’ll Love This Episode If you like: Ancient history with drama that rivals reality TV Stories of power, pettiness, and possible mental illness Tangents about orgy boats and emotionally sensitive dictators …this one’s for you. 🧠 Fun Facts You’ll Be Googling After This “Caligula” literally means Little Boots He once declared war on Poseidon and made his army stab the sea His orgy boats were real—and Mussolini found them He might have made it illegal to mention goats in front of him Caligula’s biographers: Suetonius and Cassius Dio Upcoming Patreon lecture: Samurai Ladies A love letter to weird history episodes past (yes, even the Pope excommunicating cats) This one is vintage For the Love of History—chaotic, messy, and full of weird Roman facts you’ll absolutely bring up at brunch. Thank you for helping me hit a new download record (!!!) and for being the best little history nerds on the internet. 💌 Call to Action If Caligula didn’t ban public affection, I won’t either. So please: Subscribe & review (mention your weirdest Roman fact!) Share with your favorite toga-wearing friends Support on Patreon for sleepy history, lectures, and more chaos Use code THANKYOU for free shipping on your merch (you earned it) Patreon  Instagram  Website TikTok Merch Store YouTube Don’t forget: drink your water, do something kind for yourself, and maybe don’t stab the sea today. Just a thought. 🐚 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forget everything you thought you knew about pirates—because this week, we’re telling the real story of the woman who ran the South China Sea and left Blackbeard in the dust. Meet Zheng Yi Sao: sex worker turned pirate queen, ruthless businesswoman, and literal nightmare of the Qing Dynasty. In this wild ride through 18th-century China, you’ll hear how a nameless girl from a fishing village built the most powerful pirate confederation the world has ever seen—and retired with her head (and fortune) intact. TLDR: She didn’t die in battle. She negotiated her way out and opened a salt empire. Iconic. ⏱️ What You’ll Hear The Origins – How a Tonka girl outsmarted a pirate king and negotiated her way into power Fleet Boss Moves – Zheng Yi Sao's brutal pirate code (decapitations included) Protection Rackets & Political Games – When piracy meets mafia tactics and government bribes The Retirement Plot Twist – Why this pirate queen walked away, rich and respected Legacy – Her influence on Pirates of the Caribbean, feminist history, and pop culture 🧠 Why This Episode Slaps (Historically Speaking) Zheng Yi Sao led a 70,000-strong pirate fleet and enforced one of the most progressive (and deadly) pirate codes of all time She outmaneuvered the navies of China, Britain, and Portugal—then walked into retirement as a government official She is a textbook example of a woman who used the patriarchy against itself—Confucian law? She laughed in its face 💥 Fun Facts She required pirates to bank 80% of their loot in a centralized pirate fund She chopped off heads for cheating… or skipping work Her fleet had more vessels than the Spanish Armada She transitioned her pirates into military and civil service with full pardons 📚 Mentions & References Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (yes, she inspired that pirate council scene) Sleepy History, Patreon goodies, and secret projects with the International Spy Museum (!!!) Shoutout to TK’s dad and their shared pirate obsession—Blackbeard shirts included 🎙️ From Your Host, TK This episode is dedicated to my dad, who taught me pirate flags before I learned cursive. And yes, I absolutely wore a child-sized wench costume to pirate festivals. No regrets. I hope you love this one as much as I do—it’s got revenge, politics, gay throuples, decapitations, and a business-savvy queen. What more could you want? 🚀 Help Us Climb the Charts! If you enjoyed this episode: Rate & review on your podcast app (or just tell me what snacks you eat while listening) Subscribe so you never miss another fierce lady from history Support the pod on Patreon for exclusive extras and more pirate nerdery Patreon  Instagram  Website TikTok Merch Store YouTube Stay badass. Stay curious. And remember: Zheng Yi Sao wasn’t legendary in spite of being a woman—she was legendary because she was one. 🖤 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do Catholic women in the Balkans, tattooed mummies in the Philippines, and Arctic medicinal ink have in common? They've all left their mark—literally and metaphorically—on the history of indigenous tattoo traditions. In this episode of For the Love of History, I sit down with renowned tattoo anthropologist Dr. Lars Krutak to explore his latest book: Indigenous Tattoo Traditions. We dive deep into the meaning, evolution, and resistance etched into skin across continents and centuries. 🖋️ From the sacred tattoos of Ainu women to anti-colonial Catholic ink in Bosnia 📸 From healing scars to lost libraries of tattooed skin 🔥 From cultural preservation to painful commodification This isn't just body art—it’s a global language of identity, resistance, and storytelling. 👉 TELL US your favorite tattoo story in the comments 🗓️ 📚 Subscribe for more history that doesn’t make the textbooks 🔔 Turn on notifications so you never miss our weird, feminist, global episodes 📖 Grab Lars’s new book, Indigenous Tattoo Traditions, via Princeton University Press 🎥 Treasure of the Rice Terraces, Ft Apo Whang Od - Official Teaser 🎤 Read Lars's interview with Princeton Press Patreon  Instagram  Website TikTok Merch Store YouTube 📌 Timestamps 00:00 – Intro to Lars & Indigenous Tattoo Traditions 04:00 – Tattoo anthropology 101 08:00 – The search for tattooed Catholic grandmas in the Balkans 12:00 – Indigenous tattoos in Africa 18:00 – Sacred, therapeutic tattoos in Japan & the Arctic 23:00 – Cultural appropriation vs. cultural revival 28:00 – Tattooed skin at Oxford?! 😱 32:00 – Gender & tattooing: women as artists and recipients 35:00 – The legacy of Whang-Od and the Philippines’ tattoo revival 40:00 – Modern indigenous artists keeping traditions alive 45:00 – Lars’s wildest discoveries and why museums are sleeping on this history Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There would be no true crime without this man!! What do Marilyn Monroe, Sharon Tate, and Robert F. Kennedy have in common? They were all investigated by Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the so-called “Coroner to the Stars.” In this episode of For the Love of History, host TK sits down with author and researcher Anne Choi to talk about her book L.A. Coroner, which unpacks the bizarre true story of how one Japanese American forensic pathologist turned celebrity death into public drama while navigating life as a first-generation immigrant. We dive into the racial politics behind Dr. Noguchi’s fame, how the media turned autopsies into headlines, and why Noguchi’s legacy still looms large in L.A.’s culture of death and spectacle. If you're into forensic history, medical ethics, or the strange intersection of race, fame, and mortality, this episode is for you. 📌 Key Topics Covered: Who was Dr. Thomas Noguchi, and why did the media love him? The rise of the “celebrity autopsy” in 1960s–70s Los Angeles How racial identity shaped Noguchi’s public perception and career The political fallout after the RFK and Monroe investigations Why Noguchi was fired—twice—and what that says about institutional racism The role of the L.A. County Coroner in shaping true crime culture How Anne Choi used public records, news archives, and court documents to research L.A. Coroner 📚 About Our Guest:Anne Choi is a writer, researcher, and historian focused on race, science, and death in American history. Her debut book, L.A. Corone,r explores how Dr. Noguchi’s work at the morgue intersected with celebrity culture, Cold War paranoia, and the racial politics of postwar Los Angeles. 📖 Featured Book:L.A. Coroner by Anne Choi – available now wherever books are sold. Instagram: @latruecrime Website: annesoonchoi.com ✨ Want more delightful brain food? Support the pod and get bonus goodies over on [⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠] ( 👉 Don’t forget to rate, review, and tell your cat about us. It helps more history nerds find us! 🐈‍⬛ ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠  ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠  ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Merch Store⁠⁠ ⁠⁠YouTube⁠ 📍 Timestamps 00:01 — Meet Anne Choi and the story behind L.A. Coroner 04:15 — Who was Dr. Noguchi? 09:30 — How Noguchi became “the Coroner to the Stars” 13:00 — Celebrity culture, death, and the L.A. media machine 18:40 — The RFK investigation and political fallout 23:50 — Noguchi's firings and the racialized scandal 28:00 — What autopsies reveal about power and spectacle 34:15 — Researching death through archives and ethics 39:00 — Final thoughts on legacy, race, and true crime 🎯 Call to Action: Obsessed with true crime and weird L.A. history? Then don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with fellow crime-curious. And grab a copy of L.A. Coroner—you’ll never look at celebrity culture the same way again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this powerful episode of For the Love of History, host TC is joined by scholar and author Dr. Anita Say Chan to explore the unsettling historical roots of modern data science and artificial intelligence. Drawing from her groundbreaking book Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future, Anita uncovers how today's predictive algorithms trace back to 19th-century eugenics. Yes, really. Statistical regression—the backbone of online recommendation engines—was developed by a eugenicist. And that’s just the beginning. We unpack how algorithmic bias, data colonialism, and techno-eugenics operate in today’s platforms—from Facebook’s role in global violence to the AI industry’s resistance to regulation. If you’re curious about the intersections of technology, race, gender, and power, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for. 📌 Key Topics Covered: The hidden eugenic origins of data science and regression analysis How algorithms are modern tools of social control The racist, classist history of “fitness” in academic institutions What “techno-eugenics” looks like today—from content moderation failures to AI bias Case studies: Facebook’s role in violence in India and Myanmar Why Big Tech underinvests in safety protocols outside the West How tech elites bypass democratic institutions for unchecked influence 📚 About Our Guest:Dr. Anita Say Chan is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and founder of the Community Data Clinic. Her research focuses on feminist, decolonial approaches to tech and global information justice. 📖 Featured Book:Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future by Anita Say Chan 📍 Timestamps (For Better UX + SEO): 00:01 — Meet Dr. Anita Say Chan 04:00 — Eugenics and the invention of data prediction 10:15 — U.S. universities and the rise of eugenic policy 17:45 — Techno-eugenics: What it means today 24:30 — Case study: Facebook in India and Myanmar 30:00 — Tech elites, lobbying, and the erosion of democracy 35:00 — The fight for global data justice 🎯 Call to Action: Enjoyed this deep dive into the dark roots of data? Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Share this episode with a friend who's still not questioning the algorithm—and grab a copy of Predatory Data to keep the conversation going. ✨ Want more delightful brain food? Support the pod and get bonus goodies over on [⁠Patreon⁠] ( 👉 Don’t forget to rate, review, and tell your cat about us. It helps more history nerds find us! 🐈‍⬛ ⁠Patreon⁠  ⁠Instagram⁠  ⁠Website⁠ ⁠TikTok⁠ ⁠Merch Store⁠ ⁠YouTube 🧠 SEO Keywords Integrated: Big Tech and eugenics history of data science algorithmic bias in tech techno-eugenics explained AI and racial bias Anita Say Chan interview Predictive algorithms and inequality data colonialism podcast on tech ethics podcast on eugenics history Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙 Sisters in STEM: The Truth About Hypatia (No, She Wasn’t a Math Babe Martyr) Who really was Hypatia of Alexandria? A fourth-century philosopher. A math editor. A teacher who handed out celestial knowledge like candy—and nope, she wasn’t some toga-clad sex symbol seducing her students for extra credit. (We’re looking at you, 19th-century fanfic bros.) In this season finale of For the Love of History, your charmingly chaotic guide TK unpacks the real story behind one of the most misunderstood women in STEM history. We travel back to the golden—er, blood-stained—streets of ancient Alexandria, where academic clout could literally get you killed. (Spoiler alert: it did.) This episode dives into: ⭐ Why Hypatia was the original SparkNotes queen of ancient math 🌟 The messy political stew that led to Hypatia’s brutal death (hint: it wasn’t religion) 🌟 The manipulation and exaggeration of her character 🌟 And yes… that iconic tampon mic drop moment 💅 So if you’re into the history of women in STEM, Alexandria drama, or just love a good ancient scandal, this one’s for you. ✨ Want more delightful brain food? Support the pod and get bonus goodies over on [Patreon] ( 👉 Don’t forget to rate, review, and tell your cat about us. It helps more history nerds find us! 🐈‍⬛ Patreon  Instagram  Website TikTok Merch Store YouTube Target SEO Keywords: Hypatia of Alexandria history of women in STEM ancient women philosophers women in science history Neoplatonism explained Library of Alexandria Alexandria history ancient math history Hypatia podcast Hypatia the philosopher Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices