logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2020
55m 4s

The Battle of Salamis

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

Host Greg Jenner is joined by historian Professor Michael Scott and comedian Shappi Khorsandi to head back to 480BCE for one of history’s most notorious naval battles - The Battle of Salamis. On a journey through the events leading up to the battle and beyond we will uncover one of the most unique methods ever used to cross a body of water, one of the most spectacular deaths ever recorded and why sometimes it pays to give water a jolly good telling off.

Up next
Feb 27
Geoffrey Chaucer: the medieval father of English literature
Greg Jenner is joined in medieval England by Professor Marion Turner and comedian Mike Wozniak to learn all about Geoffrey Chaucer, author of the Canterbury Tales. Since the fifteenth century, Chaucer has been referred to as the father of English literature. He was one of the fir ... Show More
58m 50s
Feb 20
Lena Horne: racism and resilience in the Golden Age of Hollywood
Greg Jenner is joined in twentieth-century America by Dr Hannah Thuraisingam Robbins and comedian Desiree Burch to learn all about singer and Hollywood actress Lena Horne. Born into a middle class Black family in New York, a young Lena Horne soon followed in the footsteps of her ... Show More
1 h
Feb 13
Philippe, Duc d’Orléans: in the shadow of the Sun King
Greg Jenner is joined in 17th-century France by Dr Jonathan Spangler and comedian Tom Allen to learn all about Philippe, Duc d’Orléans, Louis XIV’s younger brother. King Louis XIV is one of the most famous monarchs in French history: the man who built and presided over the glitte ... Show More
57m 48s
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
The battle of Meggido: ancient Egypt at war
Nicky Nielsen traces the progress of a brutal 15th-century BC battle that saw supercharged the rise of Egypt's greatest warrior pharaoh Recovering the stories of ancient battles that happened thousands of years ago can be very difficult. But as one of the first battles to have b ... Show More
17m 14s
Oct 2022
Battle of El Alamein Explained
<p>Fought in the second half of 1942, the Battles of El Alamein were a series of climactic confrontations in Egypt between British Imperial and Commonwealth forces, and a combined German and Italian army. Intended as a last-ditch attempts by the British to halt German gains in No ... Show More
44m 45s
Apr 2024
The Battle of El-Alamein Explained
<p>Fought in the second half of 1942, the Battles of El Alamein were a series of climactic confrontations in Egypt between British Imperial and Commonwealth forces and a combined German and Italian army. Intended as a last-ditch attempt by the British to halt Axis gains in North ... Show More
41m 58s
Nov 2023
The Hundred Years' War
<p>The Hundred Years' War plunged England, France and their allies into over a century of conflict. This bleak period of history had rebellions, assassinations, open warfare and even the Black Death as the two rival dynasties went head-to-head for the French throne.</p><br><p>Dan ... Show More
51m 9s
Sep 2021
98. Thermopylae & Salamis Episode 1
In 480 BC, 300 Spartans made a famous stand at Thermopylae, as hordes of Persian soldiers, led by Xerxes, seemed set to succeed in their aim of conquering Greece. However, although Leonidas and his men were defeated, only a short while later the Greek navy, against superior Persi ... Show More
55m 34s
Dec 2022
Stalingrad
<p>The Battle of Stalingrad was the deadliest battle of the Second World War, and one of the bloodiest in the history of warfare. Infamous for its atrocious conditions and brutal house-to-house fighting, the battle raged for just over 5 months and concluded with an estimated 2 mi ... Show More
37 m
Jun 2022
The Battle of Midway
<p>On the 4th of June 1942, the US Navy took on the might of Japan's Imperial Navy in the battle of Midway. It was America's Trafalgar! At the end of the fighting devastating losses had been inflicted on the Japanese and the entire strategic position in the Pacific was upended in ... Show More
49m 25s
Sep 2023
The Battle of Midway
<p>On the 4th of June 1942, the US Navy took on the might of Japan's Imperial Navy in the battle of Midway. It was America's Trafalgar! At the end of the fighting devastating losses had been inflicted on the Japanese and the entire strategic position in the Pacific was upended in ... Show More
47m 35s
Oct 2023
The Hundred Years War
<p>For the last several decades, Jonathan, Lord Sumption - former senior judge and medieval historian - has been crafting a monumental, five-volume history of the Hundred Years War, widely considered to be the definitive account of the conflict.</p><br><p>The final volume, titled ... Show More
39m 43s
Sep 2022
The Evolution of Warfare with Sir Lawrence Freedman
<p>From the stone age to current day, from sticks and rocks to drones and artillery - the nature of warfare has changed drastically throughout history. Over the years, technology and societal organisation have transformed the battlefield. Dan talks to Professor Sir Lawrence Freed ... Show More
39m 18s