A fantastical history of fairies
When picturing a fairy, you might imagine a childlike creature with wings. But this is a far more modern image than we might think. In this episode, Matthias Egeler tells Lauren Good about the ways in...
14 Apr 29min
Aud the Deep-Minded: life of the week
It was the Vikings of northern Europe who first settled the harsh landscapes of Iceland in the ninth century. Most of the figures leading this movement were men – powerful chieftains who claimed vast ...
13 Apr 43min
How Tudor London inspired literary genius
In the bustling streets of Elizabethan London, a vibrant community of writers helped shape the future of the English language and literature. From poets seeking noble patronage to playwrights hustling...
12 Apr 40min
The rise of Alfred the Great
As the Viking Great Heathen Army refused to leave Anglo-Saxon England, the pressure mounted on the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to respond, placing the future of the land in the hands of Alfred the Great. In ...
11 Apr 44min
Stalin's murderous vendetta against Trotsky
Mexico City, August 1940: a study door closes, an ice axe is raised and the Bolshevik Revolution’s greatest exile meets his grisly end. But what led to this dramatic moment? Danny Bird speaks to Josh ...
9 Apr 38min
A new take on the battle of Hastings
It's long been assumed that King Harold's English army arrived tired and in disarray at the battle of Hastings, having had to march over 200 miles from fighting the battle of Stamford Bridge. Tom Lice...
7 Apr 33min
Mrs Beeton: life of the week
Mrs Beeton is a name synonymous with 19th-century domesticity – most notably in connection with the iconic Book of Household Management. But who was the real woman behind the name? Emily Briffett is j...
6 Apr 37min
The battle of the Arctic: the overlooked crucible of WW2
The US and UK supplied the USSR with vast amounts of military materiel during the Second World War via the Arctic convoys. In this episode, Hugh Sebag-Montefiore speaks to David Musgrove about the imp...
5 Apr 37min
