“Here was a program to wet the ambitions of warlords as well as scholars, and to send men into battle beneath the fluttering of banners, the hiss of arrows, and the shadow of carrion crows…”
The year is 777 and Charles the Great - Charlemagne - has ruled as joint king of the Franks alongside his brother, Carloman, for nine years. Now though his brother and ... Show More
May 31
675. The First World War: Slaughter at Gallipoli (Part 5)
Why was the Battle of Gallipoli, starting in February 1915, in Turkey, so disastrous for the Allies, and in particular, Winston Churchill? How has it become such a foundational moment in the national identity of New Zealand and Australia? And, how did it transform the destiny of ... Show More
1h 16m
May 27
674. The First World War: The Spy Who Took on the Germans (Part 4)
Why did the British nurse, Edith Cavell, become a key player in the Belgian Resistance to German occupation? How did she carry out her mission? And, why was she ultimately executed, so controversially? Join Dominic and Tom as they unfold the life of the remarkable Edith Cavell, h ... Show More
1h 7m
Apr 2025
Attila the Hun, Part 1 of 2
We’re in south-eastern Europe in the 400s AD. The once mighty Roman Empire is riven in two. And on the Great Hungarian Plain a fearsome enemy is rising. The Huns’ king, Attila, will become a terrifying, iconic figure. A byword for plundering and pillaging. The archetypal warlord. ... Show More
57m 10s
Sep 2025
Who Was Muhammad II Fatih?
<p>The fall of Constantinople in 1453 marked the end of the Roman Empire after more than 2,000 years and the rise of the Ottomans as a dominant global power. Dr. Roy explores the centuries of turmoil that led to this moment: Mongol invasions, the Black Death, fractured kingdoms, ... Show More
59m 10s
Mar 2020
Episode T17 – The Sons of Grypus
Synopsis: With Rome encroaching from the north and south, the sons of Grypus battle Parthians, usurpers and local powers to keep their hold on Syria.
“As he lingered on the banks of the Euphrates, (Sulla) received a visit from Orobazus, a Parthian, who came as an ambassador ... Show More
30m 53s
Aug 2025
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 116 "Clovis, King of the Franks"
<p>By the year AD 719, the Arab/Berber army had conquered Iberia and was invading Gaul or what is modern France. They seemed unstoppable. Would western Europe fall to Islam? And would the Qu’ran be taught in the schools of Oxford, as Edward Gibbon rather mischievously speculated. ... Show More
26m 28s
Nov 2022
Episode C16 – Kar Shalmaneser
Synopsis: Shalmaneser’s Syrian invasions were countered by a coalition forged by King Ahuni of Bit-Adini. But repeated campaigns wore down his rivals and ended in Assyrian dominance.
“Ahuni, terrified by my terrible, awe-inspiring weapons and my grim warfare, crossed over the Eup ... Show More
26m 24s