George VI’s Nazi dilemma
As the Second World War raged, King George VI faced not only a battle for the nation’s survival, but also for the royal family’s reputation. And that reputation came under threat from close quarters, ...
26 Mar 202336min
The Seven Years’ War: everything you wanted to know
The Indian subcontinent, North America, south-east Asia and continental Europe all saw vicious fighting in the 1750 and 1760s as part of a major conflict now known as the Seven Years’ War. But did it ...
26 Mar 202340min
Six Wives Trailer
The story of Henry VIII’s six wives is a tale of political crisis and personal tragedy, sacrifice and survival, sex and death, scandal, love and betrayal. But, after centuries of myth have built up ar...
25 Mar 20234min
Patriarchy’s long roots
Throughout history, have societies always been dominated by men? And how have patriarchal values shaped lives across centuries and continents? Historian June Purvis and writer and broadcaster Angela S...
24 Mar 202332min
Disciplining the “scum of the Earth”
How did the British army keep order among troops and officers during the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century? And were the rank and file really as rough and ready as you might imagine? Speaking ...
23 Mar 202349min
Women & the crusades: patronage, propaganda & prayer
You might think that the crusades were a largely male enterprise. But while that may have been the case on the battlefield, it certainly wasn’t elsewhere. Speaking with Emily Briffett, medieval histor...
22 Mar 202342min
Science & religion: a story of war or harmony?
Although 19th-century thinkers promoted the narrative that Christianity and science have always been at each other’s throats, in reality, argues Nicholas Spencer, the two have existed for centuries in...
21 Mar 202339min
The North: from Bede to Lowry
From the glories of early medieval Northumbria to the urban powerhouses of the industrial revolution, northern England has long had an identity of its own. In his book Northerners, Brian Groom traces ...
20 Mar 202330min
