Frederick Barbarossa: life of the week
Frederick Barbarossa has gone down in history as one of medieval Europe's most formidable rulers. He waged ruthless wars in Italy, clashed with the papacy, and came to an ignominious end on crusade. S...
25 Feb 202547min
Sexuality on trial in colonial America
In 1774, as Britain’s colonies in America teetered on the brink of revolution, one regiment was torn apart by the trials of a British army chaplain – Robert Newburgh – who was accused of having sex wi...
24 Feb 202530min
Mining history: everything you wanted to know
Historically, how much would a British miner have earned for a hard day's work? Did women and children also work underground? And why were canaries taken down the pits? In conversation with Lauren Goo...
23 Feb 202534min
Bruisers and bare knuckles: the brutal world of Victorian boxing
Men fighting pumas. Brutal prize-fights in sacred chapels. A pair of sisters who could pack a punch. In Victorian Britain, boxing offered up edge-of-your-seat entertainment to all levels of society. A...
21 Feb 202536min
Did Britain really rule the waves?
It's often proclaimed that British sea power was at its pinnacle in the years following the French and Napoleonic wars. But was this really a time when Britain 'ruled the waves'? And how did the rise ...
19 Feb 202546min
Jane Austen: life of the week
Jane Austen remains one of the most influential novelists in English literature. Her sharp social commentary, wit, and exploration of love, class, and gender continue to captivate readers. This year m...
18 Feb 202538min
The princess who fled Romanov Russia
Born in 1781, Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld grew up in a world convulsed by the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. And her life proved to be as tempestuous as the age she inhabited. Wed...
17 Feb 202531min
The Opium Wars: everything you wanted to know
Why did Britain go to war with China in the 19th century to protect the interests of drug dealers? Speaking with Elinor Evans, Stephen R Platt discusses the web of economics, addiction, and imperial a...
16 Feb 20251h 1min
