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The Preacher Too Radical for Luther
Episode 326
The mid-15th to mid-16th centuries in Europe was an era of political, social, and religious unrest, when the Roman Catholic Church was being question…
2 years, 3 months ago
Female Spies in the 17th Century
Episode 325
If you think that the female spy is a 20th century phenomenon - be it Mata Hari, Mrs Zigzag or Eve Polastri - think again! Accounts of numerous 17th…
2 years, 3 months ago
Six Wives: Katherine of Aragon
Episode 324
Six wives - six lives that we think we know everything about. But beyond their mostly doomed marriages to Henry VIII and, in most cases, tragic ends…
2 years, 3 months ago
Henry VIII's Sister, Margaret Queen of Scots
Episode 323
Margaret Tudor - daughter of King Henry VII, sister to Henry VIII - was married at 13 to James IV of Scotland, learning the skills of statecraft that…
2 years, 4 months ago
Shogun: The Real First English Samurai
Episode 322
The acclaimed TV series Shogun, now screening on Disney+, is based on true events. Its main character John Blackthorne is modelled on William Adams, …
2 years, 4 months ago
Shardlake and its Creator C.J. Sansom
Episode 321
Fans of historical fiction and crime novels have been saddened to learn of the recent death of the award-winning, best-selling author C.J. Sansom, ju…
2 years, 4 months ago
Forbidden Desire in Early Modern Europe
Episode 320
**This episode contains conversation about sexual behaviour**
In early modern Europe, acting upon same-sex desires was forbidden. We only know of man…
2 years, 4 months ago
Walter Raleigh’s Quest for El Dorado
Episode 319
Sir Walter Raleigh remains one of the most famous men of the Elizabethan era. He was a true Renaissance man - a statesman, soldier, writer, explorer …
2 years, 4 months ago
From Tudor to Stuart: Regime Change
Episode 318
In 1603, Queen Elizabeth I died and King James VI of Scotland, became King James I of England. Elizabeth was a hard act to follow for the Scottish n…
2 years, 4 months ago
Diving Tudor Shipwrecks
Episode 317
In the 16th and 17th centuries, sailing was a tool of warfare and empire, of conquest and discovery, of trade and travel. But vessels were often lost…
2 years, 4 months ago