Today

The Nazis’ crimes laid bare

When the Nazi leaders went on trial in Nuremberg from November 1945, the true horrors of their regime were exposed to the world. In the second episode of our four-part series on the trials, the lawyer and author Philippe Sands chronicles the dramatic days when the likes of Herman ... Show More

46m 30s

Yesterday

What does Hitler’s DNA really tell us?

A recent documentary drawing conclusions from new analysis of Adolf Hitler’s DNA has sparked headlines around the world. But how did the programme’s researchers get hold of the key evidence? And what issues – and implications – are prompted by linking the Nazi leader with a range ... Show More

48m 17s

Nov 21

Mutilated corpses and undead mothers-in-law: vampire epidemics through history

Fears of the undead rising from their graves to cause trouble have recurred in societies around the globe throughout the centuries. But why was your mother-in-law especially likely to become a vampire? What makes Count Dracula a highly unusual bloodsucker? And how would you best ... Show More

38m 49s

Apr 2023

Massacre on the Slave Ship Zong

Please note, this episode contains descriptions of racial violence that some listeners may find disturbing. In November 1781, a British slave ship carrying hundreds of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic began to run out of water. The ship was call ... Show More

19m 1s

Feb 2024

The Lost Stories of the Last Captives of the Atlantic Slave Trade

Hannah Durkin is a historian whose new book, Survivors: The Lost Stories of the Last Captives of the Atlantic Slave Trade, shines a light on the final years of a pivotal yet deeply troubling period in US and global history. The Clotilda, the subject of Durkin's book, was the last ... Show More

37m 2s

Sep 2023

History of everything: The Grand Ashanti Empire of Africa

The Ashanti were a kingdom that developed in what is now central Ghana around the 13th century. By the 17th century, they had become powerful and wealthy from both the slave trade and gold trade. After Britain colonized what they called the Gold Coast, the Ashanti were incorporat ... Show More

1h 53m

Nov 2024

The Mayflower: What Was Life Like At Sea?

A cargo hold, just 5 feet tall and divided up with canvas - this is what served as the living quarters for the 102 passengers of the Mayflower on their 66 day crossing to North America. Don is joined by guest Anna Scott, a researcher from the University of Lincoln, t ... Show More

38m 9s

Sep 30

Inside The 18th Century Brothel Ship

Why did a British ship carry over 200 women to Australia in the late 18th century? In this episode, we are going inside the Lady Juliana, a convict transportation ship.What crimes were these women being punished for? What was life like on the ship? And why was it called a 'floati ... Show More

37m 33s

Jan 2025

The Mystery of The Confederate Sub

Submarines are the silent hunters of the deep. From the large nuclear-powered boats of today’s navies, to the German U-Boats of the First and Second World Wars, these machines hidden beneath the waves can change the course of history. In the United States, the first submersible w ... Show More

35m 18s

Oct 2024

Steven T. Katz, "The Holocaust and New World Slavery: A Comparative History, Volume 2" (Cambridge UP, 2019)

The Holocaust and New World Slavery: Volume 2 (Cambridge UP, 2019) second volume of the first, in-depth comparison of the Holocaust and new world slavery. Providing a reliable view of the relevant issues, and based on a broad and comprehensive set of data and evidence, Steven T. ... Show More

52m 28s

Feb 2025

539. Horror in the Congo: The Crimes of Empire (Part 2)

“A secret society of murderers with a king for a ringleader”. In 1885 King Leopold of Belgium; an awkward, ruthless, selfish man, was recognised as the sovereign of the Congo. Long determined to carve out his very own private colonial domain, he had alighted upon the Congo - Afr ... Show More

58m 59s

Clotilda: the last slave ship to America