Before the volcano: life in ancient Pompeii
In AD 79, Pompeii and Herculaneum were subsumed by the eruption of Vesuvius, buried and preserved under metres of volcanic ash. Today, they are among the most famous ruins of the ancient world – and i...
11 Jan 41min
How do you solve a problem like Napoleon?
In the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, it fell to Britain to maintain the balance of power in continental Europe – but how could a small island manage such a task? How could it prevent the rise of a...
9 Jan 44min
What does history teach us about protest?
The past 12 months have seen protests around the world make headlines and dominate social media feeds. But how have such popular demonstrations changed the course of history? In this episode, historia...
7 Jan 38min
Hatshepsut: life of the week
Hatshepsut is one of ancient Egypt’s most extraordinary figures: a pharaoh who deftly asserted her right to the throne, reigned over an era of prosperity, and commissioned some of the most iconic monu...
6 Jan 42min
Tragedy and triumph: a 500-year history of Mexico
The chaos of the Spanish conquest, the humiliation of military defeat to the United States, the disruption of the revolution… Mexican history is often viewed through the lens of trauma and violence. Y...
5 Jan 34min
Jane Austen’s final chapter – and lasting legacy
What does Austen’s later writing tell us about her changing ideas? And what factors contributed to her death? In this fourth and final episode of our series chronicling the novelist’s life and work, D...
4 Jan 33min
Prophetesses & she-preachers of the 17th century
A prophetess who warned Oliver Cromwell against killing the king. A Yorkshire maidservant who gained an audience with the Ottoman Sultan. The religious tumult of the 17th century gave ordinary women o...
2 Jan 34min
New Year's Eve, newts and Nessie: a history of British folklore
Why should you be careful about who's first through your door on New Year's Day? What led people to believe that newts and earwigs were responsible for their ailments? And why do sticks play such a ke...
31 Dec 202541min
