Mussolini and Fascist Italy

In this episode, we discuss the rise to power of the Nazis and what it meant for ordinary Germans. Featuring Prof Nick Stargardt, Professor of Modern European History at Magdalen College, Oxford University, and Katja Hoyer, historian and journalist, Visiting Research Fellow at Ki ... Show More

In this episode, we explore the life and times of the Irishman who defeated Napoleon and went on to become the prime minister of Britain and find out his complicated relationship with this country. Featuring: Dr Síle McGuckian, historian and lawyer; Gareth Glover, military histor ... Show More

We mark the 300th anniversary of the publication of one of the most influential books ever written, Gulliver's Travels, & we find out how Jonathan Swift created one of the landmarks of world literature.Featuring Dr Jason McElligott, Director of Marsh’s Library; Prof Daniel Cook, ... Show More

Leading up to the Battle of Kadesh (c.1287 BCE) betwen Ramesses II of Egypt and Muwatalli II of Hatti, we need to understand the background. Why was this city the epicentre of such a major conflict? How did the rulers of Kadesh (Kadeshians?) persistently frustrate pharaohs dating ... Show More

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

Why is the Battle of Kadesh so famous, compared to other ancient conflicts? What can we take away from Ramesses' account in terms of "truth" vs "rhetoric." And what did it all up to, really? Prof. Peter Brand returns to discuss the battle in great detail, from the blow-by-blow mo ... Show More

Dr Thomas Mills, Senior Lecturer at Lancaster University and Director of the Centre for War and Diplomacy is joined by Patrick Salmon, Chief Historian at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development office. In his seventeen years in office, Patrick has published a number of volumes ... Show More

Nora Krug and Timothy Snyder have published On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, Graphic Edition with Ten Speed Press, 2021. The book contains the slightly updated text from Professor Snyder’s best-selling 2017 edition but now gorgeously illustrated with Profess ... Show More

Nelson is one of the most well-known historical figures from British history. His leadership of the British fleet to victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and his death in the same battle, rendered him a national hero for generations. However, Nelson was also embroiled in a ... Show More

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas and life of one of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century, Emmy Noether. Noether’s Theorem is regarded as one of the most important mathematical theorems, influencing the evolution of modern physics. Born in 1882 in Bavaria, Noet ... Show More

Why was the early life of Peter the Great - Tsar and autocrat of all the Russias, who endures to this day as an iconic symbol of Russian might - drenched in blood and violence? What amalgamation of court politics and family feuding saw him catapulted to the role of Tsar against a ... Show More

It’s August 1944: the Liberation of Paris is underway, and France appears to slowly be extricating herself from Nazi control. But, on the French western shores, in Saint-Malo, the deafening sounds of artillery fire continue to punctuate daily life, with the Germans making a last- ... Show More

<p>It's September 24th. This day in 1881 (actually, September 22nd) Vice President Chester Arthur assumes office after James Garfield dies from an assassination. </p><p>Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss how Arthur was really no one's first choice, but nevertheless rose to meet the m ... Show More