Vol 4 Ep 27 - The Normans

For decades, Ottoman expansion had transformed the Mediterranean. Venice was threatened, Cyprus was under attack, and old European rivals faced a difficult choice: cooperate or confront the Ottomans alone. Into this crisis stepped two very different commanders, one an ambitious y ... Show More

1566 - 1737 - The Ottoman Empire stands at the height of its power, yet a new reign brings fresh ambitions, dangerous rivalries and growing challenges. As the Mediterranean becomes the centre of an epic struggle, the balance of power begins to shift. Join me as we explore the per ... Show More

1565 - A tiny island stood between one of history’s greatest empires and its ambitions in the Mediterranean. Outnumbered, isolated, and facing seemingly impossible odds, a brotherhood of warrior monks prepared for a confrontation that would test courage, endurance, and faith to t ... Show More

<p>Because of William the Conqueror’s victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the Normans have remained a familiar and important name in British history.&nbsp;But who were they?&nbsp;And how did they come to change culture across the European continent?</p><br><p>In this expla ... Show More

Ask any British school child for a significant date in history, and they’ll likely offer 1066 - the year of William the Conqueror’s Norman invasion of England. But William was just one prominent Norman figure, and 1066 was a single chapter in a much larger story. Settling in nort ... Show More

<p>Part XX sees us enter the 1190s and the Norman Invasion enters what might be called end game. In this decade they begin to advance in to the far west of the island. The Gaelic Irish response is at times baffling. Old internal feuds only intensify as the ruling families cannot ... Show More

<p>This shows looks at the arrival of one of the most fearsome and notorious warriors in Irish history – the Vikings. These Scandinavians have been caricatured throughout the centuries as marauding maniacs a somewhat undeserved reputation. However in this episode they don’t exact ... Show More

King AEthelbald of Wessex, Queen Judith, Bjorn Ironsides, Prince Alfred, King Charles the Bald, Pope Nicholas I, Baldwin Iron Arm, Ivar the Boneless… this episode has it all! (History of Britain, History of England, History of Wessex, French History, Vikings, Roman History) NOTE ... Show More

What happened in the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings? What horrors did William the Conqueror have to inflict upon his Anglo Saxon subjects in order to consolidate his new realm? And, what role did castles, the Harrowing of the North, and the Doomsday Book play in the creation ... Show More

William of Normandy sailed across the Channel and swiftly conquered England in 1066 – or at least that’s how the story goes. But, in this Long Read written by Sophie Thérèse Ambler and James Morris, we reveal how the northern stronghold of Cumbria remained untouched for another 2 ... Show More

This episode covers the years 670 to 685. The main characters are: King Ecgfrith of Northumbria – son of Oswiu, former hostage of the Mercians, and generally tough dude. King Wulfhere of Mercia – son of Penda, veteran warrior, and leader of a growing southern Hegemony. Queen AEth ... Show More

In today’s episode, Tom and Dominic are joined by Dr Eleanor Barraclough as they sail across the Atlantic in a dragon-ship, bound for the epic world of the Norse sagas. What society did the Vikings set up in Iceland? How did they get to America? Why were they always so violent? ... Show More

It is perhaps the best known year in English history. But why has it endured in the national consciousness? Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook talk the Battle of Hastings, the end of the Anglo-Saxons and wonder if King Harold really was killed by an arrow in the eye. Learn more ab ... Show More