Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchCongo, Cold War & CIA plotting: the 1961 assassination that shook Africa
Episode 2090
Soon after gaining independence from Belgium in 1960, the new Republic of the Congo was rocked by the assassination of its young firebrand leader, Pa…
1 year, 10 months ago
Viking trade, Titanic and Olympic rings: history behind the headlines
Episode 2089
Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter discuss the historical news stories that have made headlines this month
In the latest episode of our monthly series chart…
1 year, 10 months ago
How ancient India transformed the world
Episode 2088
From the Roman economy and Angkor Wat to the spread of Buddhism and the numerical system we use today, ancient India was one of the great seedbeds of…
1 year, 10 months ago
The Hittites: everything you wanted to know
Episode 2087
The Hittites were one of the most powerful civilisations in the Near East, building a vast empire that encompassed much of modern-day Turkey. But asi…
1 year, 10 months ago
The Iranian embassy siege: an SAS hostage drama in London
Episode 2086
In May 1980, TV coverage of the world snooker final was interrupted by live footage of men in black balaclavas abseiling down the walls of the Irania…
1 year, 10 months ago
Ancient Egypt | 4. religion and death
Episode 2085
Nothing is more synonymous with ancient Egypt than mummification. But why was this postmortem practice actually performed? And what other rituals and…
1 year, 10 months ago
Native Americans: a history of power and survival
Episode 2084
The story of Native American societies decimated by European arrival is a familiar one. But, while undoubtedly important, that’s only one part of the…
1 year, 10 months ago
Isambard Kingdom Brunel: life of the week
Episode 2083
From pioneering railways and awe-inspiring bridges to ocean-spanning passenger ships and flatpack hospitals, there was no engineering challenge too a…
1 year, 10 months ago
The 1943 battle of Kursk – and its present-day echoes
Episode 2082
Recent developments in the Russia-Ukraine war have seen Kursk make headlines – provoking parallels with the Second World War battle that took place i…
1 year, 10 months ago
Medieval torture: everything you wanted to know
Episode 2081
Why were people tortured in the Middle Ages? Was it ever legal? Did the infliction of physical pain play as large a role in medieval prosecutions as …
1 year, 10 months ago