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Nothing beats a well-loaded cheeseboard. But while so many of us enjoy a stinky stilton and ripe brie, or chuck a reliable old cheddar into our basket at the supermarket each week, what do we actually...
· 38 min 16 sec
As 17th-century Britain edged ever closer to civil war, two friends, Bulstrode Whitelock and Ned Hyde, found their relationship under increasing strain. Minoo Dinshaw tells Ellie Cawthorne about how t...
· 29 min 12 sec
The stories of ancient Rome are littered with despicable women, and those of the Julio-Claudian dynasty are especially infamous. But where do these stories come from? And why have they endured for cen...
· 35 min 9 sec
Beijing’s history stretches back many centuries, so how has it survived and become the rapidly changing capital of one of the world's fastest-growing economies? Travel writer and history buff Paul Blo...
· 28 min 21 sec
Few 19th-century leaders have a CV quite like Otto von Bismarck's. This formidable statesman's cunning, charisma and eye for an opportunity helped him drive the unification of Germany and engineer a s...
· 41 min 33 sec
In the summer of 1944, as the German forces were retreating in northern Italy, a small group of soldiers made a detour to a remote villa in search of Albert Einstein's cousin. Robert Einstein posed no...
· 37 min 2 sec
Today she’s widely remembered as a risqué entertainer – yet she was also involved in many of the earth-shaking events of her era. As 2025 sees the 50th anniversary of Josephine Baker’s death, this Lon...
· 22 min 2 sec
Who were the Beaker People? What was their contribution to the building of Stonehenge? And did their arrival in Britain really lead to the obliteration of the indigenous population? Here, in conversat...
· 37 min 58 sec
In the seventh century BC, the ancient Assyrian king Ashurbanipal created a gigantic library in his capital city – one that contained centuries of wisdom. And this vast wealth of ancient knowledge can...
· 38 min 57 sec
What has prompted humans throughout history to risk life and limb to conquer some of the world's highest mountains? Author and climber Daniel Light talks to Rachel Dinning about why humans have always...
· 35 min 36 sec
From early Taino inhabitants to Spanish colonisation and capture by the British, through the era of the transatlantic slave trade up to independence and the growth of the modern city, Kingston is a ci...
· 39 min 30 sec
Showbusiness, spying and civil rights - the extraordinary life of Josephine Baker had it all. From difficult beginnings, Baker transformed herself into the world's first black superstar, before turnin...
· 45 min 17 sec
The reviled king was condemned to death as a “Tyrant, Traitor, Murderer and Public Enemy”. But, as 2025 marks the 400th anniversary of his accession, how fair does that judgment seem today? This Long...
· 22 min 12 sec
From rainmaking queens to dogged isolationists, the lives and reigns of Africa’s female rulers have long been shrouded in mystery, misunderstanding and misogyny. Over the centuries and throughout the...
· 39 min 58 sec
It's considered to be the bloodiest civil war in history, but there's a fair chance you've never heard of it. The Taiping Rebellion convulsed China from 1850 to 1864, leading to over 20 million deaths...
· 56 min 4 sec
All eyes have been on the Vatican in recent days, as the conclave have decided who will be the next pope. But how does the process today compare to that of past centuries? What have been some of the m...
· 38 min 57 sec
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 t...
· 27 min 7 sec
Nikola Tesla is remembered as an enigmatic, eccentric genius who harnessed the power of electricity. But if we strip away some of this myth, what can we really say about the inventor's life and legacy...
· 38 min 44 sec
Buenos Aires is a diverse and multinational city with a short but vibrant history. In this episode, academic Jason Wilson leads travel writer and history buff Paul Bloomfield through the barrios of th...
· 38 min 47 sec
In the 1840s, famine hit Ireland with devastating consequences. But what were the circumstances that turned a potato blight into a catastrophe that shattered societal structures and caused around a mi...
· 42 min 57 sec