Welcome to Mr Allsop History . com
My book of daily historical accounts, 366 Days, is now available to purchase from Amazon.
Mr Allsop History . com is a FREE History revision website containing GCSE History revision, IGCSE History revision, A Level History revision and IB Diploma History revision podcasts and videos.
It is regularly updated with new episodes of my popular GCSE History revision podcasts, IGCSE History revision podcasts and revision PowerPoints. To automatically receive new episodes when they are created you can subscribe in iTunes or by using the RSS feed. There are also a range of IB Diploma History revision podcasts and AS/A2 (A Level) History revision podcasts for students studying 19th and 20th Century European History. For automatic updates to these you can subscribe in iTunes or use the RSS feed.
You could also join the Facebook page to receive updates when new History revision podcasts and resources are added.
Elsewhere on the site you will find the music video I produced to accompany Billy Joel’s song We Didn’t Start the Fire. Suggestions on how history teachers might incorporate the song and video into a lesson sequence on historical significance can be found here.
I also write and host a daily ‘on this day in history’ podcast at www.HistoryPod.net. I’ve created hundreds of 2-3 minute long podcasts covering a whole range of historical periods and events. Those that relate to the history revision topics on this website are also linked to directly.
Everything on this History revision website is FREE to download so please let your history students, friends or teachers know about it! If you would like to include links to any of the GCSE, IGCSE, A Level or IB History revision resources on your own website, please direct your visitors to www.mrallsophistory.com.
Hey Mr. Allsop! I was wondering if I could finish history in under a month? I have never taken history in my life so all topics are completely fresh – do you think it is wise to take it?
Are you asking whether you would be equipped with sufficient historical knowledge, understanding and skills to take GCSE History in a month, having never studied it before?
Mr Allsop, your website is very helpful thank you.
hello mr Allsop!
Your podcasts have been helping me a lot, will do my mocks soon so I hope I´m prepared:). I wanted to ask you if you teach your own students with content similar to the ones in your podcasts?
Everything on my website was originally designed to support my own teaching and my students so they use all these materials in class (though there are obviously a lot more beyond videos and podcasts).
Do you recommend having a memorised introduction outline for the IGCSE History Paper 4 40 mark Question?
If yes, could you suggest what it would look like?
Thank you
I wouldn’t. There is a danger that a memorised format could distract you from actually answering the question. It’s best just to have done enough of them to be able to automatically include the key features of a good introduction (particularly a strong thesis).
HI, I just wanted to drop in and let you know I was able to obtain an A* in my GCSE, I do believe that you had a huge impact on my mark and helped me to give me a genuine understanding of the topics I needed to know. I’m now able to take History for A level and I wanted to thank you so much for the help your podcasts gave me. Thanks to you, I am able to continue studying a subject I love. Will miss your podcasts next year and really hope that you’ll bring out some that correlate with my syllabus, wishing you a great year full of success and once again, thank you.
I’m delighted that you achieved so highly, and am flattered that you feel my resources had an impact on that in some way. Ultimately it’s all your own work in the exam, but I really appreciate you taking the time to stop by. Good luck with your A Levels studies next year – out of interest, what syllabus/units are you studying?
Am I supposed to teach the core content first or the depth study. Considering Option B and WW1 for depth study?
It’s entirely up to you – there isn’t any set order, as long as you cover everything required 🙂
Thanks for your response.
Thanks for your revision materials
Hi Mr Allsop, your videos have helped me tremendously in History which I hope to take for A level next year. I was wondering if you have or if you are planning on making any material on USA 120-1940’s or have anything relating to depth study questions. Thanks so much
Thanks for your message. I’m glad that my resources have helped you. I don’t currently have any plans to create materials on the USA but do have a range of A Level depth study revision podcasts and other resources here.
Thanks a lot sir for freeing your time to make all these podcasts and revision guides. I am a candidate this year (May/June 2017). Your podcasts have really helped me with summarising everything into much simpler terms for me to understand. I am sitting my paper 2 tomorrow and I just heard all your tapes and podcasts. Really wonderful! Thanks a lot once again for your help. I am much more confident in sitting these papers now.
To Mr. Allsop
Hello. I bought this smartphone just a year ago and started podcast recently. I found your historypod by chance. I enjoy your narration every day. Today’s topic is the spies of nuclear technology and their death sentence. This is rather new, compared with other topics. But, the problems of nuclear technology remain deep-seated in our society. I’m a Japanese and the disaster of Fukushima overshadows Japan. My daughter started to live in Fukui prefecture this spring. In Fukui, lots of nuclear power plants exist. When I visited there, I came across the demonstration against nuclear energy. When I listened to your story, I felt something complicated but deeply related with us.
Hello, Mr. Allsop.
Thank you for your very good history introduction. I started to listen to your story every day. I’m a history buff so I enjoyed your narration.
I’m a Japanese. In English language, history is very often euro-centric. I hope we can have more Asian history such as this Battle of Iwo Jima and The Vietnam war, if possible. Thank you for creating such good history introductions and I will want to continue to support you.
I’m Hiroyuki Yasuda. Nice to meet you. Im a Japanese and a history lover. Actually, I started to use my smart phone last year. I happened to know HistoryPod. I enyoy your narration of history every day. Thank you for making such a good narration of history. And your explanation is very easy to understand. I really appreciate HistoryPod. Please keep on creating good history. Thank you so much.
Thank you for your kind words. I’m really pleased that you enjoy the daily HistoryPod podcast, and hope you continue to do so!
Are transcripts for Italian Unification available?
Not at the moment, but they are on the ‘to do’ list when I get a moment!
Hi Mr. Allsop,
I was listening to the MP3 version of your podcast ‘The First Gulf War- Course and Consequences’ while reading the transcript. In the podcast you say “The Desert Storm bombing campaign saw over 2,250 coalition aircraft fly in excess of 1000 sorties A WEEK for 5 weeks” while the transcript reads “in excess of 1000 sorties A DAY for 5 weeks”. Please could you tell me which figure is correct, as I am sitting the iGCSE History exam in May this year. Also, thank you so much for such a helpful revision website! The section on Germany Depth Study was especially helpful, and is greatly appreciated.
Regards, iGCSE Northampton
Thanks for your message. Thanks for flagging the discrepancy. The statistic should be ‘in excess of 1000 per day’ as stated in the transcript. I’ll be correcting the audio version now 🙂
Dear Sir,
Why is there three different history paper, e.g. 0470/11, 0470/12 and 0470/13 for the June as well as Nov papers?
These are effectively different time zones (1-2 is those areas a couple of hours either side of GMT; 1-1 is for those that are further west while 1-3 is for those that are further east). This ensure exam security, since everyone in a timezone starts the exam within the same time window.
Thanks Mr. Allsop,
Based on your explanation, I conclude countries in the America/ Europe continent (e.g. Canada, France, etc.) would be taking 1-1, whereas countries in the Asia continent (e.g. India, China, Singapore, etc.) would be taking 1-3.
I hope my understanding is correct.
Sorry, I think European continent would be doing 1-2.
Yes, it’s divided based on time zones. Generally speaking the Americas do 1-1, Europe/Africa/Middle East do 1-2 and Asia/Far East/Australasia do 1-3.
Love you history teacher, you’re great, helped me through many hard times in history revision. Thank you for your help
Hello Mr Allsop!
I am going to sit for the AS CIE History Exam as a private candidate. I have seen your great videos on exam technique for Paper 2(a) and (b) – thank you so much for them! I was wondering if you could take a quick look at an answer I wrote for Paper 2 (a) and (b) and let me know if I am doing it right?
Any other advice, help and guidance with the examination will be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
I’m afraid I’m not able to read or feedback on answers by anyone but my own students.
Hi Mr Allsop,
I was just wondering if you had any advice on answering a part c question for the middle east? (arab israeli conflict)
I don’t see any here so I thought I’d ask
I don’t have any materials specifically related to the Arab-Israeli conflict, but the approach to a part (c) question on CIE exam paper 1 would be the same as every other unit.
Hi thought I’d tell you I got an A* in IGCSE History. Your videos really helped.
Thanks!
you are doing a good job.
It could even be more help if written summarized text can appear along with the lecture for one to take down.
Many of the podcast have transcripts that you can download. I am currently producing transcripts for all those that don’t currently have them.
Hello
just to say brilliant website really helping me with my IGCSE.
thanks for all your hard work!
hello,
2 questions:
1) Are there any textbooks you could recommend for the cie A2 Cold War option? (components 3 & 4; the topics being the origins of the cold war and the cold war itself (1950-1991).
2) I have noticed that there are next to no past papers for this same option, as cie recently changed the syllabus. Do you have any suggestions as to what to do, considering the only past papers that are available are one specimen of each component?
Thanks very much!
I don’t teach Cold War for Paper 4 (I do Europe of the Dictators), but for Paper 3 I find a combination of the Heinemann History textbook by Steve Phillips and the Martin McCauley book to provide a sound base. For deeper historiography it’s worth reading Ralph B. Levering and David Reynolds.
In terms of past papers, the Teacher Support section of the CIE website now has the Specimen Paper alongside past papers from Summer and Winter 2015. As each session has three time zones, that means there are currently 6 past papers available, plus the specimen. The three papers from this summer will probably be online in September.
Hi Mr.Allsop, I would like to know what should we do as projects for paper 4 of the CIE exam of 2018?
I’m not really sure what you mean by ‘projects’. Paper 4 in 2018 will be the same as the past two years’ Paper 4s (i.e. a choice of two questions on the chosen Depth Study).
Hello Mr Allsop! I was wondering if you’d tell me the required minimum length of the 40 mark essay. Should it be roughly 4 sides? 5? I’m a little perplexed as to how long my essay should really be
That’s a difficult question to answer, as everyone writes at different speeds and in different ways. For example, you could write pages and pages of content but not in correct style for a CIE Paper 4 exam. The advice I give to my students is that your answer should be roughly three-times the length of a Paper 1 Part (c) question. Paper 4 is, in many ways, just a Part (c) ‘how far’ question in one hour. On Paper 1 you have 20 minutes to answer that, so in an hour you should be looking to write approximately three times the amount. You should take time to plan your answer to begin, though.
This webpage is fantastic.I am sitting my History paper 4 tomorrow and doing Germany depth study, but I have a question: since there are two questions, is there always going to be a question on Nazi Germany and a question on Weimar, or can there be 2 questions on 1 topic?
I’m glad you’ve found my site helpful. Broadly speaking there are four Germany 1918-1945 topics: Weimar Germany, the rise of Hitler, Nazi control of Germany, and life in Nazi Germany. Obviously these are not strict divisions, but the questions would generally come from two of those.