logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2023
28m 23s

The Asante Empire (Radio Edit)

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

Greg Jenner is joined by historian Dr Augustus Casely-Hayford OBE and comedian Sophie Duker to explore the incredible Asante Empire. We learn the roots of Ghanian heritage - from storytelling, fabric, food, music and rhythm as communication, to how centuries of traditions across the empire came together to protect the most sacred symbol of power in the Asante Kingdom from the hands of the British during the War of the Golden Stool.

For the full-length version of this episode, please look further back in the feed.

Produced by Cornelius Mendez Script by Greg Jenner and Emma Nagouse Research by Lloyd Roberts

A production by The Athletic for BBC Radio 4.

Up next
Nov 21
Kellogg Brothers (Radio Edit)
<p>Greg Jenner is joined in 19th-century America by historian Dr Vanessa Heggie and comedian Ed Byrne to learn all about the feuding Kellogg Brothers.</p><p>John and Will Kellogg were born into a large family in Battle Creek, Michigan, in the middle of the 1800s. Following a chil ... Show More
28 m
Nov 14
Alexandre Dumas (Radio Edit)
Greg Jenner is joined in 19th-century France by historian Professor Olivette Otele and comedian Celya AB to learn about acclaimed novelist Alexandre Dumas.Alexandre was born to an innkeeper’s daughter and a legendary Black general who fought for Napoleon. After his father’s death ... Show More
27m 56s
Nov 7
Empress Matilda (Radio Edit)
Greg Jenner is joined in twelfth-century England by Dr Gabrielle Storey and comedian Cariad Lloyd to learn all about Empress Matilda and the medieval civil war known as the Anarchy.A granddaughter of William the Conqueror, Matilda was born into England’s new Norman royal family. ... Show More
28m 14s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2023
The British Empire
<p>The British Empire was one of the most influential and far-reaching empires in history. Dan and his guest journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera remember school lessons on the small island that rose to global dominance. From the 16th century to the 20th century, the British Em ... Show More
25m 2s
Mar 2023
The Real-Life King Arthur May Have Been a Roman Equestrian Who Served Marcus Aurelius
King Arthur. The search for the historical figure behind what is arguably the most famous cycle of legends ever has been relentless over the centuries. Many think he was a Romano-British military commander in the 5th/6th centuries who fought the Anglo-Saxons and saved Britain in ... Show More
47m 4s
Sep 2023
Rise of the Tudors
<p>Join Dan as he rollicks through the tumultuous life and rise to power of Henry Tudor, the man who would ultimately become King Henry VII of England. Step back to the late 15th century, a period marked by conflict, political manoeuvring and alliances as a young Henry Tudor, hav ... Show More
50m 39s
Feb 2024
The Real King Arthur
<p>If King Arthur never existed, why does he loom so large in England's history? Dan traces the real-life figures who could have been the legendary King Arthur- the medieval king who pulled the sword from the stone and led the English against the Anglo-Saxons who arrived in Engla ... Show More
1h 18m
Jan 2024
William the Conqueror
<p>When his cousin King Edward the Confessor died childless, Duke William of Normandy saw the throne of England as his birthright. But one man stood in his way, Harold Godwinson, whom Edward had named as king on his deathbed.</p><br><p>In the third episode of our special series e ... Show More
42m 8s
Feb 2024
Justinian: Greatest Byzantine Emperor?
<p>The Eastern Roman Emperor from 527 to 565, Justinian was a ruler who infused even the most mundane tasks with spiritual and religious significance.&nbsp;The challenges he faced - climate change, battles over culture and identity, the first recorded global pandemic - and many o ... Show More
40m 4s
Mar 2023
Katherine of Aragon: England's First Renaissance Queen
<p>In preparation for International Women's Day this Wednesday, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb takes a look at a Queen whose reputation has largely been shaped by her husband's midlife crisis. History does not see much further than Katherine of Aragon's so-called failure to provide ... Show More
34m 9s
Sep 2023
The Legacy of Rome
<p>Rome has attracted aspiring conquerors and leaders for millennia, not just as a great metropolis, but as an idea. It has long been a symbol of military might and universal power, defined by political and religious authority as well as great feats of engineering that would leav ... Show More
23m 24s
Jun 2024
The Parthians
<p>The Parthians were heavyweights of ancient Mesopotamia. Hailing from what is now modern day Iran, they charged onto the scene by destroying the Seleucid Empire and became one of Rome’s most formidable enemies. They are perhaps most famous for capturing Crassus - Rome’s spider- ... Show More
54m 58s
Feb 2023
Birth of Cornwall
<p>In the fifth century, Western Europe began remaking itself in the turmoil that followed the collapse of the Roman Empire.&nbsp;In south-west Britain, old tribal authorities and identities reasserted themselves and a ruling elite led a vibrant and outward-looking kingdom - toda ... Show More
35m 33s