A monarch travelling in disguise on a secret mission to build an alliance and discover technology to save his empire? What is this, a fantasy novel? No This is the Grand Embassy of Peter The Great. Having already sent some young nobles abroad to study nautical matters, Peter, in 1697, went with the so-called Grand Embassy to western Europe. The embassy compr ... Show More
Jul 13
The Fall of Saddam Hussein: Butcher of Baghdad
For 24 years, Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq with an iron fist—silencing dissent through torture, execution, and the infamous Republican Guard. But in 2003, the regime that seemed untouchable came crashing down in just three weeks. Today we trace the final days of one of history's mos ... Show More
48m 20s
Jul 6
The Rise of Saddam Hussein: From Street Thug to Dictator
Saddam Hussein with nothing. Born to a poor peasant family in a mud-brick village. Abandoned by his father before he was born. Raised by an abusive uncle who beat him daily. By thirty, he was an assassin. By forty, he controlled one of the world's most oil-rich nations. By fifty, ... Show More
40m 6s
Nov 2021
A Secret Mission to Cross the Pacific
December 1, 1564. Spanish vessels left a secret port in Mexico about two weeks ago. Their goal: to sail across the Pacific and back, charting a new route for international trade, and giving Spain an edge against its chief colonial rival, Portugal. But today, when a storm hits, th ... Show More
32m 5s
May 2025
565. The Great Northern War: Revenge of the Cossacks (Part 2)
After establishing the city of St Petersburg, what was Peter the Great’s next step in his titanic struggle against Charles XII of Sweden, for mastery of northern and eastern Europe? What drastic, brutal action did he take against Poland, to slow the Swedish advance into his terri ... Show More
1h 7m