Podcast Episodes

Chaos, ruin & renewal: Germany in 1945

Episode 1485

At the bitter, drawn-out conclusion of the Second World War in 1945, Germany stood in ruins – both literally and psychologically. Cities had been reduced to rubble, millions were dead or displaced an…

Published on 3 years, 2 months ago

Sci-fi history: everything you wanted to know

Episode 1484

Why has the idea of a “utopia” been so compelling over the centuries? What major cultural shifts have been reflected by the sci-fi genre? And why have generations of sci-fi authors been so obsessed w…

Published on 3 years, 2 months ago

The Cuban Missile Crisis Series Trailer

On 16 October 1962, US President John F Kennedy was made aware of the presence of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles away from the shores of the United States. The 13 October days that fo…

Published on 3 years, 2 months ago

Chaucer’s disputed legacy: new discoveries

Episode 1483

Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the most famous figures in English literature, and remains widely lauded for his major works such as The Canterbury Tales and Troilus and Criseyde. However, a dark shadow l…

Published on 3 years, 2 months ago

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan: war without end

Episode 1482

When Soviet forces mounted an invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979, they entered a nation already in the grips of a complex civil war. Speaking to Matt Elton, Elisabeth Leake reveals how the inva…

Published on 3 years, 2 months ago

The Mary Rose | 1. raising the wreck

Forty years ago, when the Mary Rose was raised from the seabed on 11 October 1982, it was a momentous occasion, met with global broadcasts and cheers from excited bystanders. This daring feat of unde…

Published on 3 years, 2 months ago

Spectacles of death: public executions in London

Episode 1480

From grisly medieval punishments to the justice doled out to celebrity criminals in the Victorian era, public executions were a spectacle that shaped the landscape of London for centuries. Curator Be…

Published on 3 years, 2 months ago

Berlin’s turbulent 20th century

Episode 1479

Sinclair McKay traces the history of the German city through the lives of its inhabitants, and how they weathered the tumult of the 20th century – from the wild hedonism of the Weimar years cut short…

Published on 3 years, 2 months ago

A mutineer in the family

Episode 1478

In 1789, a group of mutinous sailors seized control of HMS Bounty from its captain William Bligh in dramatic fashion. A new book by Harrison Christian explores the life of the author’s direct ancesto…

Published on 3 years, 2 months ago

The Bank of England: everything you wanted to know

Episode 1477

Why was the Bank of England created? Did it power the Industrial Revolution? And when did it become known as the “Old Lady”? As the Bank continues to hit the headlines in the UK, Professor Anne Murph…

Published on 3 years, 2 months ago