492 – The War for Perception
From The Dark Ages | The British History Podcast by Jamie Jeffers
February 12, 2026 · 38 min · Season 10 · Episode 492
About this episode
This episode discusses the rivalry between John Dryden and Thomas Shadwell following Dryden's appointment as England's first Poet Laureate.
In 1668, John Dryden became England’s very first Poet Laureate.  But he had a rival.  No, not just a rival.  A nemesis. This man’s name was Thomas Shadwell, and I can’t overstate how much Dryden hated him. The post 492 – The War for Perception first appeared on The British History Podcast .
People in this episode
Host: Jamie Jeffers
Topics covered
- Poet Laureate
- rivalry
- literature
- 17th century
- England
Keywords
- John Dryden
- Thomas Shadwell
- Poet Laureate
- rivalry
- 1668
- literature
- England
More episodes of The Dark Ages | The British History Podcast
- An Offa Interview with Rory Naismith · June 10, 2026 · 1h 2m
- 501 – Bishop Serlo’s Pop Up Hair Salon · June 6, 2026 · 43 min
- 499 – William of Mortain and How Some People Never Have Enough Wealth · May 7, 2026 · 33 min
- 498 – Power and Predictability · April 24, 2026 · 47 min
- 497 – That’s Me In The Spot. Light. · April 9, 2026 · 24 min
- 496 – That’s Me In The Corner · March 25, 2026 · 37 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Dark Ages | The British History Podcast podcast page.