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Dominique Olivier
Dominique Olivier
The man who sold a country that didn’t exist
This is the tale of the rise and fall of a nation that existed only on paper, and the man who convinced thousands that it was real. Dominique Olivier entertains and shocks you with the story of Gregor MacGregor, one of the most extraordinary frauds in history.
Dominique Olivier
The South Sea bubble: a financial crash to remember
If you’ve been watching the current frenzy around artificial intelligence - the breathless predictions, the overnight billionaires, the declarations that civilisation is either saved or doomed - you may feel a faint sense of déjà vu as you read Dominique Olivier's tale of The South Sea Company bubble. It even caught out Sir Isaac Newton!
Dominique Olivier
A succulent crime story
How did a lockdown hobby turn into an ecological emergency? In the stillness of the Karoo, poachers aren’t after gold or ivory, but thumb-sized succulents so coveted that entire species are vanishing into the black market.
Dominique Olivier
Holy chaos: a history of papal misadventures
The papacy may claim divine authority, but its history often reads like a medieval fever dream. Power struggles, murder plots, and moral scandals played out beneath the frescoes of Rome, turning spiritual leadership into something closer to a soap opera. There have been some excellent popes, but also some shockers. Dominique Olivier will entertain and shock you in this great piece.
Dominique Olivier
Why do we love being scared?
We’re the only species that screams for fun. From haunted houses to horror movie festivals, humans have turned fear - evolution’s greatest red flag - into entertainment. But why do we like it? And why do only some people like it? Dominique Olivier explores the science of being scared.
Dominique Olivier
Outwit, outplay, outproduce: the day TV got real
A tropical island experiment, a writers’ strike, and a collapsing TV economy gave birth to modern day reality television. Get ready for a shot of nostalgia into your veins with the story of Survivor - and the fortunes made by TV networks. Dominique Olivier tells the story.
Dominique Olivier
Everybody loves a good brand rivalry
Whether the medium is sport, politics, or pop culture, one thing is for sure: human beings gravitate towards conflict. Brands know this, and that’s why, every so often, they take off their gloves and enter the ring. American Eagle vs. Gap gave Dominique Olivier the perfect opportunity to dig into historical brand rivalries.
Dominique Olivier
How a boardwalk sideshow changed modern medicine
Coney Island had its peep shows, its freak shows, its barkers and rides. And tucked between them was an exhibit of premature infants in glass boxes, tended by trained nurses. This wasn’t entertainment - it was the beginning of modern neonatal care, smuggled in as a carnival act.
