Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. We hear about Althea McNish, the Trinidadian artist who designed fabric for Queen Elizabeth II.
Former Vogue editor Suzy Menkes on the success of the fashion celebration, the Met Gala.
The Guatemalan Bishop, Juan Gerardi, killed in his home, after presen ... Show More
Apr 2021
Michael Wheeler, "The Athenaeum: More Than Just Another London Club" (Yale UP, 2020)
When it was founded in 1824, the Athenæum broke the mold. Unlike in other preeminent clubs, its members were chosen on the basis of their achievements rather than on their background or political affiliation. Public rather than private life dominated the agenda. The club, with it ... Show More
53m 37s
Oct 2023
Helen Rappaport, "In Search of Mary Seacole: The Making of a Black Cultural Icon" (Pegasus Books, 2022)
Raised in Jamaica, Mary Seacole first came to England in the 1850s after working in Panama. She wanted to volunteer as a nurse and aide during the Crimean War. When her services were rejected, she financed her own expedition to Balaclava, where her reputation for her nursing—and ... Show More
1h 12m
Feb 2023
Isabella of France: A Reign of Power and Intrigue
Isabella of France and her husband Edward II's marriage was turbulent and marked by rumors of infidelity. Isabella's "affair" with Roger Mortimer, a powerful nobleman, became widely known and they plotted to overthrow Edward II. Their plot succeeded, resulting in Edward II's depo ... Show More
1h 7m
Sep 2023
Queen Elizabeth II of The United Kingdom & Commonwealth
On the anniversary of her death, let's look back at her remarkable life. Elizabeth was the longest reigning monarch in British history and lived near center of many of the significant events of the last century. Her life has spanned a world war, the end of the British Empire, 14 ... Show More
31m 20s
Jun 2023
Professor Peter Hennessy, historian
Professor Peter Hennessy is one of the UK’s leading contemporary historians. He has written acclaimed and important books about politics, the civil service, the intelligence agencies and the British constitution on which he is an expert. Peter was born in London in 1947 and read ... Show More
36m 58s