James Gillray: life of the week

The Allied invasion of Normandy saw troops coming ashore across five landing beaches and dropping behind enemy lines by parachute and glider. But what happened to the men after they had arrived in Fra...

5 Juni 202432min

To poet, playwright and writer Aphra Behn, the tale of a runaway aristocrat's daughter Lady Henrietta Berkeley, her scandalous affair and equally dramatic subsequent trial was rich material for some o...

4 Juni 202431min

Ancient Greece produced some of the most celebrated philosophers in history. Yet in terms of fame and enduring influence, none rival Plato. This Athenian's theories on everything from the nature of th...

3 Juni 202435min

Breastfeeding has been part of raising children since the dawn of time. However, studying its history also highlights stories of grief, community support and enforced labour. Speaking to Emily Briffet...

2 Juni 202436min

Why did people start cremating bodies? When did black become the colour of mourning? And who are the 'invisible dead'? Speaking to Charlotte Hodgman, historian Douglas Davies answers your top question...

1 Juni 202452min

It's one of the great what-ifs of ancient history. After Constantine the Great had converted Rome to Christianity it seemed that the faith's progress was inevitable, but just a few decades later a new...

30 Maj 202429min

During the early hours of 6 June 1944, a huge armada of Allied ships crossed the Channel, poised to deliver the largest seaborne invasion the world had ever seen. But sailors didn’t just ferry troops ...

29 Maj 202445min

After years of suspicion and hostility, relations between the Soviet Union and the United States had improved by the 1930s. In this episode, Lisa Kirschenbaum tells Danny Bird about how two Soviet sat...

28 Maj 202440min