SOE: everything you wanted to know
From parachuting into Nazi-occupied France to silent assassinations and exploding rats, many of the missions undertaken by the Special Operations Executive during the Second World War sound like the e...
28 Jun 202549min
Sisi & Eugénie: the empresses who redefined royalty
In the latter half of the 19th century, Europe was dazzled by the beauty, charm and sensibility of two empresses: Eugénie, Empress of the French via her marriage to Napoleon III; and Elisabeth (or 'Si...
26 Jun 202543min
Ghosts, vampires & Abba holograms: an uncanny history of London
Millions of tourists flock to London each year, eager to snap a selfie in front of Buckingham Palace or Big Ben. But beyond the crowds lies a darker – and distinctly stranger – side to the city: a got...
24 Jun 202527min
International security & rough sleeping: history behind the headlines
In the latest episode of our monthly series charting the historical background of current news events, regular panellists Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter look back at centuries of challenges to internati...
23 Jun 202538min
Make Mercia Great Again
The Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Mercia played an important role in the development of England. Although it was sandwiched between the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Northumbria and Wessex, unlike those two ...
22 Jun 202541min
The Merovingians: everything you wanted to know
Professor James Palmer guides us through the 300-year reign of the Merovingians, the Frankish dynasty whose legacy helped birth the very idea of France. Speaking to Kev Lochun, he explores how they us...
21 Jun 202537min
How the Allies won WW2
This summer it's 80 years since the greatest conflict in human history came to an end. To mark the anniversary, the military historian, author and broadcaster James Holland has co-written a book that ...
19 Jun 202534min
Ancient tips for health and happiness
The science of health and wellbeing is a hot topic of modern life, and it was no different for the ancient civilisations of Greece and Rome. From what you should eat, to how you should exercise, and w...
17 Jun 202537min
