Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchAncient Egyptian pyramids: everything you wanted to know
Episode 1809
For millennia, Egypt’s mighty pyramids have acted as emblems of the vibrant ancient civilisation that once straddled the Nile Valley. From mysteries surrounding their design and construction and the …
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
Scotland’s last witch
Episode 1808
Nicknamed ‘Hellish Nell’ from childhood, spiritualist medium Helen Duncan made a living from claiming to communicate with the spirits of the dead at seances around Britain. But in 1944, her ‘psychic …
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
The First Crusade | 4. Besieged
Episode 1807
In late AD 1097, a weary and wartorn band of crusaders arrived at the imposing walls of Antioch: a key strategic location on the long journey down the Levant. In the shadow of the city’s tall towers,…
Published on 2 years, 2 months ago
Fighting racism in postwar Britain
Episode 1806
Sixties Britain didn’t swing for all its citizens – with racism, anti-immigration rhetoric and the spectre of unemployment affecting many black and Asian Britons. But those affected were determined t…
Published on 2 years, 2 months ago
Horror films: a chilling cultural history
Episode 1804
Ever since the shadow of Count Orlok crept up the staircase in 1922’s Nosferatu, and Fay Wray emitted her iconic scream in 1933’s King Kong, horror films have captivated and scandalised audiences in …
Published on 2 years, 2 months ago
The history of Jamaica: everything you wanted to know
Episode 1803
The Caribbean island of Jamaica has a long and complex history, from its crucial role in the transatlantic slave trade to being the birthplace of Rastafari. Here, Rhiannon Davies puts listener querie…
Published on 2 years, 2 months ago
Killers of the Flower Moon: The real history
Episode 1802
Killers of the Flower Moon, the new historical epic from Martin Scorsese, dramatises a series of murders that was described by press at the time as the “bloodiest chapter in American crime history”. …
Published on 2 years, 2 months ago
The First Crusade | 3. Crossing into the unknown
Episode 1801
In the call to crusade that ignited the idea of holy war in the minds of the western European populace, Pope Urban II painted a picture of evil “infidels” torturing and massacring the Christians of t…
Published on 2 years, 2 months ago
Disease killers: the black nurses who conquered TB
Episode 1800
Tuberculosis – otherwise known as the ‘Great White Plague’ – was a scourge on society and killed countless sufferers. Rhiannon Davies spoke to Maria Smilios to find out about the little-known story o…
Published on 2 years, 2 months ago
Who moulded Winston Churchill?
Episode 1798
Winston Churchill’s remarkable career saw him interact with many of the other great figures of the age, many of whom had a profound impact on Britain’s wartime leader. Speaking to Rob Attar, Professo…
Published on 2 years, 2 months ago