logo
episode-header-image
May 2025
27m 7s

VE Day: a people's history

IMMEDIATE MEDIA
About this episode
Nazi Germany had finally been defeated. And, for 24 hours, Britons could let their hair down and celebrate. But not everyone was in the mood to party. As 2025 marks the 80th anniversary, John Willis tells the story of VE Day via the experiences of ordinary Britons who lived through it. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, he discusses what these testimo ... Show More
Up next
Yesterday
Elizabeth II: life of the week
This April marks the centenary of the birth of Elizabeth II. In this special episode of our Life of the Week series, historian Kate Williams guides Charlotte Vosper through the late Queen’s life, picking a key moment from each decade that illuminates the monarch's personality, pu ... Show More
49m 44s
Apr 19
Retracing Eleanor of Castile's final journey
At the end of the 13th century, England was gripped by grief as news of the queen's death shook the nation. Eleanor of Castile's funeral procession from Lincoln to London would become one of the most remarkable journeys in medieval English history – and would also be immortalised ... Show More
39m 9s
Apr 18
How Alfred the Great saved the Anglo-Saxons from the Vikings
As the Viking Great Heathen Army advanced to the borders of Wessex, the conquest of Anglo-Saxon England appeared all but complete. In the third episode of our Sunday Series on the Viking invasion of Anglo-Saxon England in the ninth century, James Osborne is joined by historian Dr ... Show More
33m 15s
Recommended Episodes
May 2025
VE Day
<p>When the Second World War finally ended 80 years ago, there was a mixed reaction in Britain. Today, we hear about these varying responses, from elation and celebration to reticence and restraint.</p><br><p>For the final episode of our 'D-Day to Berlin' series, we're joined by ... Show More
33m 58s
Nov 2023
The Gettysburg Address
<p>What makes the Gettysburg Address one of the most famous speeches in history? Did&nbsp;Lincoln really write it on the train? How did the audience in the Soldiers' National Cemetery respond?</p><br><p>In this episode, Don is joined once again by Glenn LaFantasie to examine the ... Show More
31m 53s
Dec 2022
1st Parachute Regiment of WW2 with Mark Urban
2022 marks 80 years since the Red Devils first remarkable campaign in North Africa. In Britain, they were known as the parachute regiment, but after their daring feats in the Second World War the name Red Devils quickly stuck.In this episode, James is joined by BBC journalist and ... Show More
35m 25s
Nov 2024
The Unknown Warrior
<p>In the western nave of Westminster Abbey, nestled between illustrious tombs and beneath a slab of black Belgian marble, lies the body of an unidentified soldier of the First World War. He is remembered as the Unknown Warrior, a symbol of the half a million Commonwealth service ... Show More
38m 42s
Aug 2024
Medieval Life During Plague & War
<p>When so much of history is written by men, Margaret Paston's letters offer us a rare insight into the life of a woman and the world around her in 15th century England.</p><br><p>How did she cope with waves of plague wiping out her town? What did she do when the War of the Rose ... Show More
40m 42s
Oct 2025
The Germans Who Rebelled Against the Nazis
Today, we journey back to Berlin in the summer of 1943, where a clandestine gathering of Germany’s elite quietly plots to resist Hitler’s regime. But there is a traitor in their midst...We're joined by acclaimed journalist and author Jonathan Freedland, author of 'The Traitors Ci ... Show More
38m 17s
Jan 2025
The Rise of Napoleon
<p>Napoleon Bonaparte is a household name; a rare example of someone who is as well remembered by his supporters as by his enemies. His life is rich with dramatic irony. He was a key figure in the creation of the First French Republic, yet became a self-appointed Emperor. Surroun ... Show More
42m 5s
Nov 2025
The Ancients Recommends: History Daily
Today in this bonus episode Tristan introduces us to History Daily podcast, where host Lindsay Graham takes us back in time to explore a momentous event that happened ‘on this day’ in history.Whether it’s to remember the tragedy of December 7th, 1941, the day “that will live in i ... Show More
32m 48s
Sep 2025
597. The First World War: The Massacre of the Innocents (Part 4)
What happened at the crucial, bloody, Battle of Ypres in October 1914? How did the battle come about? Why did the Germans and the British fight each other so brutally and for so long to take Ypres? What made the fighting so particularly violent? How were the British able to repel ... Show More
55m 15s
Sep 2025
The Chindits
During World War Two, an unconventional special force was formed. Known as the Chindits, they fought behind enemy lines in Burma, now Myanmar during 1943 and 1944 in the war against Japan.Their leader was the charismatic Orde Wingate, a British Army officer. This programme is mad ... Show More
10m 19s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami