Beastly History

Thrilling tales of people and the wild

Author: Wild Beast

Thrilling tales of people and the wild.Join journalist and natural history super-fan Michelle Douglass, as we uncover the juiciest, strangest and most gripping true stories from our planets past.From perilous polar expeditions and extreme survival stories to animal myths, legends, and natural historys heroes, villains and oddballs - each month we dive into one unforgettable true tale, and explore the social history behind it with an expert guest.The world is brilliantly beastly. Lets explore. Discover more:Follow Beastly History on Insta@beastlyhistoryBeastly History on Acast websitehttps://shows.acast.com/beastly-historyArtwork by Bex GloverBeastly History is created by Wild Beast Audio Visual Studios, Bristol, UK. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Language: en

Genres: History, Nature, Science

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'Iceberg Right Ahead!' A Titanic Lookout's Story
Tuesday, 12 May, 2026

(Content warning: please be aware this episode includes discussion of suicide). It's 1140pm in the North Atlantic Ocean, April 14 1912, when Titanic lookout Fred Fleet first glimpses a hulking great mass of ice looming out of the darkness. He desperately warns the crew with the famous words "Iceberg! Right Ahead!" But it's already too late. Many things went wrong in the build up to one of history's most famous disasters and the loss of around 1500 lives. And in this episode we're focusing on the Titanic story through the point of view of 24-year-old lookout Fred Fleet. Why didn't Fleet see the iceberg in time? How come crew apparently ignored ice field warnings? And what does the catastrophe tell us about the Edwardian attitude towards the natural world in the name of progress? Michelle's joined by Titanic expert Paul Lee for an epic Beastly History. More Beastly: Follow Beastly History on Instagram @beastlyhistoryDiscover More: Explore Paul Lee's Titanic research: https://www.paullee.com/titanic/Read Fred Fleet and others' testimony at the Titanic inquest in 1912: https://www.titanicinquiry.org/BOTInq/BOTInq15Fleet01.php Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.