Podcast Episodes

Peking to Paris: the world’s first great motor race

Episode 1899

In June 1907, five plucky teams departed the Chinese capital and embarked on a 9,317-mile automobile race to Paris. Traversing scorching deserts and perilous mountain passes in ill-equipped vehicles,…

Published on 1 year, 10 months ago

Conspiracy | 4. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion

Episode 1898

First published in Russia in 1903, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion purported to demonstrate evidence of a global Jewish conspiracy. Though it has repeatedly been proven to be a forgery, the text …

Published on 1 year, 10 months ago

Love: a weird & wonderful history

Episode 1897

From prehistoric carvings and medieval spell books to grand romantic gestures and tokens of affection, throughout history there has been no shortage of ways to say those three little words. Speaking …

Published on 1 year, 10 months ago

Life of the week: the Duke of Wellington

Episode 1896

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington has gone down in history as one of Britain's most formidable military commanders. But how did he earn such an impressive reputation? In today's Life of the We…

Published on 1 year, 10 months ago

Ploughman's for the people: a culinary history of Britain

Episode 1895

Did you know that the seemingly bucolic Ploughman's lunch actually came about because of a marketing ploy? Or that turnips were once thought to be an aphrodisiac? Pen Vogler takes Lauren Good on a cu…

Published on 1 year, 10 months ago

Chivalry: everything you wanted to know

Episode 1894

Where does the word "chivalry" come from? How should an honourable knight treat his vanquished foes? And do chivalric ideals underlie modern-day misogyny? In our latest Everything you wanted to know …

Published on 1 year, 10 months ago

Alexandria: the first modern city

Episode 1893

According to legend, when Alexander the Great rocked up on the island of Pharos in northern Egypt, he had a vision of a spectacular city – a vision that later became reality in the form of Alexandria…

Published on 1 year, 11 months ago

Conspiracy | 3. Who killed JFK?

Episode 1892

On the 22 November 1963, President John F Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested and charged with the murder, but over the past 60 years millions of people have come to be…

Published on 1 year, 11 months ago

Masters of the Air: the real history behind the new show.

Episode 1891

Donald L Miller shares how US 'bomber boys' made D-Day possible, a story now dramatised in the Apple TV+ series Masters of the Air

Masters of the Air is the big-budget Apple TV+ follow-up to Band of …

Published on 1 year, 11 months ago

Life of the week: Spartacus

Episode 1890

"I am Spartacus" is one of the most iconic lines in cinema history: from the 1960 film starring Kirk Douglas in the titular role, it has come to define how we see the Roman rebel. However, according …

Published on 1 year, 11 months ago