Podcast Episodes

The invisible tracks that have shaped the world

Episode 2145

Each ocean voyage through history has laid down a track that tells a story. These invisible pathways across the seas can reveal how the world has been shaped by power, conquest and exploration. Dr Sa…

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago

Should we stop talking about the crusades?

Episode 2144

When you think about 'the crusades', you probably think of a series of military campaigns in the Holy Land, representing a great battle between the forces of Islam and Christianity. But is this actua…

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago

Æthelred the Unready: life of the week

Episode 2143

King Æthelred II ruled England from 978 to 1016 – with a little gap in 1014. Known to history as 'the Unready', he faced many challenges in his reign, not least the attentions of several Viking invas…

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago

The golden age of the country house

Episode 2142

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Britain’s country houses enjoyed something of a renaissance. No longer were stately homes only seen as the preserve of stuffy landed gentry. Instead, the ar…

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago

Victorian schools: everything you wanted to know

Episode 2141

The 19th century witnessed a revolution in Britain's schools, as compulsory mass education was rolled out, and thousands more children learnt how to read and write. But what was it like to study in a…

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago

Gladiators: everything you wanted to know

Who became a gladiator? Were they really the superstars of their day? And was giving a thumbs down for a death sentence a real thing? As Gladiator II hits cinemas, Emily Briffett speaks with historia…

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago

Nelson: a life of heroism and scandal

Episode 2140

Nelson is one of the most well-known historical figures from British history. His leadership of the British fleet to victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and his death in the same battle, rend…

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago

Medieval make do and mend

Episode 2139

The medieval approach to sustainability was entirely different to ours today. In a world where the modern definition of 'waste' didn't even exist, the repair market boomed and building materials were…

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago

Thomas Cromwell: the triumph and tragedy of Henry VIII's right-hand man

Episode 2138

In the spring of 1540 Thomas Cromwell was at the height of his power, but just a few months later he found himself at the scaffold on Tower Hill preparing to be executed for treason and heresy. What …

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago

Joseph McCarthy: life of the week

Episode 2137

Joseph McCarthy's infamous crusade in the 1950s whipped up a frenzy of anti-communist sentiment across America – and wrecked the reputations of scores of people accused of harbouring sympathies for t…

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago