16th century England was a seething hotbed of religious rivalry, a cauldron of conspiracies, treason, rebellion, persecution and war. At stake was the life of Queen Elizabeth I, English Protestantism, and England itself. Into this mix strode Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth's ingenious and pioneering spymaster. He was an expert in subterfuge, a creator of international networks of informants, a code-maker and code-breaker, and agent provocateur.  Without him, its possible England would have become dominated by Spain just as it was about to burst on to the world stage. Delve into 16th century intrigue and spy games, with Francis Walsingham.   Subscribe to us here on your favourite podcast channel, visit www.bitesizebattles.com, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @bitesizebattles. Thanks for listening.