Cloaked in secrecy, discussed by even the most hardened criminals as a place of terror, US Penitentiary Alcatraz is the most feared institution in the American penal system. From 1934 to 1963 more than 1500 prisoners pass through its gates, including Machine-Gun Kelly and Scarface himself, Alphonse Capone. But how did this island rock capture the public imag ... Show More
Mar 2
The European Middle Ages (Part 1 of 2)
The period known as the Middle Ages was defined by more than knights and warfare. It began centuries before the First Crusade was called, in the confusion that followed the end of Roman rule in western Europe. And it persisted for a thousand years, until the Renaissance, the Prot ... Show More
58m 10s
Feb 23
The Silk Roads
From the deserts of Central Asia to the gates of ancient China, from the bazaars of Persia to the harbours of the Mediterranean, the Silk Roads were never just one route. A living network of paths, mountain passes, and caravan trails, they carried not only silk and spices, but st ... Show More
57m 32s
Feb 2023
The Escape from Alcatraz Prison
Locked cells, surrounded by an impenetrable concrete fortress, surrounded by high barbed wire fences, surrounded by water, on an island in San Francisco Bay. Alcatraz was considered the most 'inescapable' prison in the world. The worst of the worst were sent there. So how, in 196 ... Show More
52m 14s
Oct 2023
The Great Escape: The True Story of Three Alcatraz Inmates
Though the prison has been closed for decades, Alcatraz has earned its place in infamy. In its heyday, “The Rock” was considered impenetrable. At least 36 prisoners attempted to escape the island – all were captured, shot, or swallowed by the sea. All of that changed one fateful ... Show More
34m 11s
Jul 2021
Colonel Gaddafi Part 6: The Lockerbie Bombing
In 1988, Gaddafi takes his terror to the skies, bringing down a passenger flight over Lockerbie, Scotland. Staffers at the Pentagon team up with Hollywood executives to shore up public opinion against the tyrant. Meanwhile, the Colonel himself looks south - across the Sahara - an ... Show More
43m 55s
May 2023
The Clutter Family Murders
It’s one of the most famous cases in True Crime history, thanks to Truman Capote’s classic
book In Cold Blood. The story begins one night in November 1959 when something dark and
dangerous drifts into the small village of Holcomb, Kansas, killing four members of the same
family. ... Show More
51m 16s