The real women behind Europe's greatest legends
National icons aren’t born – they’re engineered. But how were historical figures such as Joan of Arc and Isabella of Castile transformed into political symbols, their real lives lost beneath centuries...
25 Feb 36min
Thomas Edison: life of the week
Widely remembered as the ultimate American inventor, Edison’s greatest talent may have been for self-promotion. In this episode, historian Iwan Morus speaks to Elinor Evans about how Edison built a br...
24 Feb 34min
Following the footsteps of a WW2 prisoner of war
Captured in Libya, imprisoned in Italy, and twice an escapee: historian Malcolm Gaskill's great-uncle Ralph's experiences of the Second World War were certainly dramatic. Yet he left behind little mor...
23 Feb 43min
Magna Carta: why didn't King John keep his word?
As King John was poised to press his seal into the wax of a document whose impact would reverberate for centuries, did he understand the ramifications it would have? And what were the chances he would...
22 Feb 36min
How to be a Victorian
The Victorian period was a time of great economic, cultural and technological change. But what was it like to actually live through it? Speaking to Isabel King, author Jamie Camplin – whose latest boo...
20 Feb 34min
"The streets will run with blood!": the uprising that shook Victorian Britain
In 1838, a 6ft Cornishman going by the name of Sir William Courtenay led an insurrection in rural Kent. Courtenay claimed he was Jesus Christ – and a lot of people believed him. And when those support...
18 Feb 32min
Pocahontas: life of the week
Pocahontas's life is shrouded in myth – but how much of that lore is true? Speaking to Emily Briffett, historian Camilla Townsend brings us face to face with the real Pocahontas, revealing how she act...
17 Feb 42min
The ruthless revolution that made Britain great
The spinning jenny and steam power may be the textbook markers of the Industrial Revolution – but Edmond Smith argues the story starts earlier, and runs much deeper. In this conversation with Elinor E...
16 Feb 37min
