Recalling a past that wasn’t
Published on Saturday, 17th May 2025.
The history and evolution of airports, from military airstrips to luxury shopping outlets
Published on Saturday, 19th April 2025.
What is the role of libraries in the 21st century?
Published on Saturday, 15th March 2025.
The story of the world’s pre-eminent currency
Published on Saturday, 15th February 2025.
How magnetic personalities cast their spell
Published on Saturday, 18th January 2025.
Iszi Lawrence and guests discuss the history and inexorable rise of fandom
Published on Saturday, 21st December 2024.
How precious ornaments have held us spellbound for centuries
Published on Saturday, 16th November 2024.
Insomnia in science and the arts
Published on Saturday, 19th October 2024.
Celebrating six decades of very fast railways
Published on Saturday, 21st September 2024.
The centuries-old practice of keeping a personal journal
Published on Saturday, 24th August 2024.
Tracing our fascination with the high peaks
Published on Saturday, 20th July 2024.
A short history of portable audio devices
Published on Saturday, 15th June 2024.
Empowering women through schooling
Published on Saturday, 18th May 2024.
Turning points in arable farming
Published on Saturday, 20th April 2024.
Manners in the modern world and in the past
Published on Saturday, 16th March 2024.
How supermarkets came to dominate food retail
Published on Saturday, 17th February 2024.
The reality of international diplomacy
Published on Saturday, 20th January 2024.
How disposable and single-use items conquered the world
Published on Saturday, 16th December 2023.
How well do political parties serve their voters?
Published on Saturday, 18th November 2023.
An exploration of how we can get the best out of people in the workplace.
Published on Saturday, 21st October 2023.
Dirt tracks to expressways: how roadbuilding changed the world
Published on Saturday, 16th September 2023.
A scamper through the social history of our best friends
Published on Saturday, 19th August 2023.
Why do humans have such a prolonged adolescence?
Published on Saturday, 15th July 2023.
Has tourism lost its way?
Published on Saturday, 17th June 2023.
Misinformation spread by faked images is almost as old as film itself
Published on Saturday, 20th May 2023.
Charting the seismic transformation of our lives caused by mobile communications
Published on Saturday, 15th April 2023.
Exploring the silent and secretive world of underwater vessels
Published on Thursday, 13th April 2023.
An exceptionally talented musician who always stood her ground
Published on Thursday, 6th April 2023.
The history of cacao in the Americas, from the Maya to the Aztecs
Published on Thursday, 30th March 2023.
The politics, power and engineering behind monumental dams
Published on Thursday, 23rd March 2023.
One of the world’s most astonishing military leaders, but was he brilliant or brutal?
Published on Thursday, 16th March 2023.
Why rituals and ceremonies enthral us and endure through the ages
Published on Thursday, 9th March 2023.
The story of Brazil’s counter-cultural push of the late 1960s
Published on Thursday, 2nd March 2023.
How standardising the humble shipping container revolutionised world trade
Published on Thursday, 23rd February 2023.
Recent scientific breakthroughs have overturned received wisdom about our ancient cousins
Published on Thursday, 16th February 2023.
Little-known conflict that shaped Eastern Europe in the aftermath of the First World War
Published on Thursday, 9th February 2023.
The concept of the office is being reimagined. What can we learn from its history?
Published on Thursday, 2nd February 2023.
Hungary, 1946, where prices doubled every 15 hours
Published on Thursday, 26th January 2023.
How Silent Spring, a book about DDT use, changed the way we think about the environment
Published on Thursday, 19th January 2023.
How this unnatural cycle came to organise our lives
Published on Thursday, 12th January 2023.
How the courage and audacity of an Iranian writer continues to inspire
Published on Thursday, 5th January 2023.
Itinerant philosophers who advocated leading radically simplified lives.
Published on Thursday, 29th December 2022.
The invisible force that shapes the way we feed ourselves
Published on Thursday, 22nd December 2022.
History of Belarus from the Middle Ages to Lukashenka
Published on Thursday, 15th December 2022.
The controversial campaigner who founded Planned Parenthood and helped develop the pill
Published on Thursday, 8th December 2022.
The pioneer of early cinema who was overlooked by history
Published on Thursday, 1st December 2022.
One of the oldest works of literature can speak to us even today
Published on Thursday, 24th November 2022.
How FIFA's global sporting spectacle began
Published on Thursday, 17th November 2022.
The much maligned moth – pest or saviour?
Published on Thursday, 10th November 2022.
One of the earliest examples of globalisation, and why it came crashing down
Published on Thursday, 3rd November 2022.
Exploring the past, present and future of opinion polling
Published on Thursday, 27th October 2022.
The 16th century Ottoman sultan who shaped a vast empire across three continents
Published on Thursday, 20th October 2022.
William Cobbett: Industrialization and its impact on England’s rural population
Published on Tuesday, 11th October 2022.
Why 1950s Rome was the birthplace of the paparazzi
Published on Thursday, 6th October 2022.
Understanding the star that makes all life on Earth possible
Published on Thursday, 29th September 2022.
The first person to link CO2 with global warming, and why she vanished from history
Published on Wednesday, 21st September 2022.
How our sleeping visions have wielded great influence throughout history.
Published on Wednesday, 14th September 2022.
Bridget Kendall and guests on the glamorous world of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent
Published on Thursday, 8th September 2022.
An inspirational settlement of people seeking freedom from slavery
Published on Thursday, 1st September 2022.
The rich history of music from America's rural south
Published on Thursday, 25th August 2022.
A manual for achieving success on the battlefield, and in life
Published on Wednesday, 17th August 2022.
How a shy, mediocre schoolboy went on to shake the British Empire and inspire the world
Published on Wednesday, 10th August 2022.
How fine fragrance became what it is today
Published on Thursday, 4th August 2022.
The early feminist icon who challenged theatrical convention
Published on Thursday, 28th July 2022.
The indigenous slave girl who helped the Spanish conquer the Aztecs
Published on Wednesday, 20th July 2022.
The life and work of Ukraine's national bard
Published on Thursday, 14th July 2022.
The golden fruit that became a symbol of love and wealth
Published on Thursday, 7th July 2022.
How physics and biology entwined in JC Bose's search for the unity of all life on Earth
Published on Thursday, 30th June 2022.
The changing image of Japan’s fabled fighters over the centuries
Published on Thursday, 23rd June 2022.
How snow and ice were transformed into one of the world’s most popular desserts
Published on Wednesday, 15th June 2022.
One of the most mind-bending mythological sagas ever written
Published on Thursday, 9th June 2022.
Progressive, pluralistic and united – the remarkable era of the Koryo Kingdom
Published on Thursday, 2nd June 2022.
Tracing the discovery of a hormone that has helped millions manage diabetes
Published on Thursday, 26th May 2022.
The painful route to power for some young boys and men
Published on Thursday, 19th May 2022.
How Viking trade and raids transformed medieval economy and society
Published on Thursday, 12th May 2022.
The scientist who helped feed billions, and unleashed a new kind of death
Published on Wednesday, 4th May 2022.
Historical accounts of the notorious Roman emperor skew our interpretation of his legacy
Published on Thursday, 28th April 2022.
The magical role of the mirror that's revealing ground-breaking secrets of the universe
Published on Thursday, 21st April 2022.
Assessing the complex legacy of a man who campaigned for a United States of Africa
Published on Thursday, 14th April 2022.
The speech that committed the USA to a 40-year struggle with the Soviet Union
Published on Wednesday, 6th April 2022.
A brilliant American journalist determined to live her life to the full
Published on Thursday, 31st March 2022.
The origins of coins, paper money, shares and other financial instruments
Published on Sunday, 20th March 2022.
The original Italian novel about the wooden puppet with the growing nose
Published on Thursday, 17th March 2022.
How numbers and counting shaped our world
Published on Thursday, 10th March 2022.
Charting the highs and lows of the influential Dutch post-Impressionist painter
Published on Thursday, 3rd March 2022.
A charismatic musician who transformed classical concerts
Published on Thursday, 24th February 2022.
Bridget Kendall explores a novel that gave rise to a new term in the English language
Published on Thursday, 17th February 2022.
A brilliant Russian whose scientific discoveries helped to reshape European universities
Published on Thursday, 10th February 2022.
The enigma of the Inca mountain retreat
Published on Thursday, 3rd February 2022.
The radical ideas of the 18th-century legal reformer Jeremy Bentham
Published on Thursday, 27th January 2022.
The shiny red metal our lives depend on that has powered human development
Published on Thursday, 20th January 2022.
How the queen of crime achieved her extraordinary success
Published on Thursday, 13th January 2022.
The Iron Age English warrior queen who led a rebellion against the Romans
Published on Thursday, 6th January 2022.
Pulling back the curtain on the master of illusion
Published on Thursday, 30th December 2021.
Safeguarding peace and wilderness with the Antarctic Treaty
Published on Thursday, 23rd December 2021.
The multi-layered masterpiece by Miguel de Cervantes
Published on Thursday, 16th December 2021.
The evolution of life’s original alchemists
Published on Thursday, 9th December 2021.
How did a Germanic tribe come to inspire an architectural style and a global subculture?
Published on Thursday, 2nd December 2021.
An intrepid sea captain who commanded daring naval attacks with her own fleet of ships
Published on Thursday, 25th November 2021.
The 19th-Century polymath who popularised science for generations of readers
Published on Thursday, 18th November 2021.
One of the earliest Cold War conflicts in Asia
Published on Thursday, 11th November 2021.
Dostoevsky’s study of terrorism and poisoned ideals in pre-revolutionary Russia
Published on Thursday, 4th November 2021.
Looking at the history of an invention many of us take for granted
Published on Thursday, 28th October 2021.
The 19th Century French actress who defined modern celebrity
Published on Thursday, 21st October 2021.
The complex and sometimes shocking story of the diamond industry throughout history
Published on Thursday, 14th October 2021.
The life, work and remarkable afterlife of Eva Peron
Published on Thursday, 7th October 2021.
Sushi originally started in East Asia as a means of preserving fish
Published on Thursday, 30th September 2021.
How her influence as a writer extends across the globe
Published on Thursday, 23rd September 2021.
The 4,000-year history of the mathematical operations that now govern our daily lives.
Published on Thursday, 16th September 2021.
The origins and early years of making the guitar electric
Published on Thursday, 9th September 2021.
The radical, convention-breaking plays of an architect of modern 20th century theatre
Published on Thursday, 2nd September 2021.
When might we send humans to one of our closest neighbours in our solar system?
Published on Thursday, 26th August 2021.
The romantic works and tragic life of a noble writer from Sumatra
Published on Thursday, 19th August 2021.
One man's intrepid quest to revive ancient navigation
Published on Thursday, 12th August 2021.
A 20th century master of the psychological thriller
Published on Thursday, 5th August 2021.
Best known for his Canon of Medicine, Avicenna helped shape modern science
Published on Monday, 2nd August 2021.
The Canal that joined up the Atlantic and Pacific oceans but how did it impact Panama?
Published on Thursday, 29th July 2021.
The eccentric traveller and collector who circumnavigated the globe twice
Published on Thursday, 22nd July 2021.
A century and a half of scientific meteorology
Published on Thursday, 15th July 2021.
How mass-produced audio discs transformed our sound world
Published on Thursday, 8th July 2021.
What can we learn from the oldest trees on earth?
Published on Thursday, 1st July 2021.
The magical story of Dorothy, a plucky American heroine who follows the yellow brick road
Published on Thursday, 24th June 2021.
From nomads to nobles, the working relationship between humans and raptors
Published on Thursday, 17th June 2021.
A history of one of the oldest living languages in the world
Published on Thursday, 10th June 2021.
The discovery of X-rays in 1895 and how it transformed our world
Published on Thursday, 3rd June 2021.
The life and reputation of Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince
Published on Thursday, 27th May 2021.
Design milestones in the early history of motor vehicles
Published on Thursday, 20th May 2021.
The mini guitar that came to symbolise Hawaiian culture
Published on Thursday, 13th May 2021.
The engineer who championed freedom on two continents
Published on Thursday, 6th May 2021.
Charting the history of counting and classifying people the world over
Published on Thursday, 29th April 2021.
What are the origins of knitting and how did it spread to different parts of the world?
Published on Thursday, 22nd April 2021.
Gabriel García Márquez’s modern classic that fuses the magical with real life
Published on Thursday, 15th April 2021.
A portrait of the prolific writer who was an environmental thinker before his time
Published on Thursday, 8th April 2021.
The Franco-Spanish singer and composer who charmed European society on and off stage
Published on Thursday, 1st April 2021.
The ancient magical tales whose origins stretch from India to Persia to Arabia
Published on Thursday, 25th March 2021.
The painful early roots of a profession we all rely on
Published on Thursday, 18th March 2021.
The life of perhaps the greatest social reformer in 20th-century India
Published on Thursday, 11th March 2021.
Different strokes for different folks, embracing the story of swimming around the world
Published on Thursday, 4th March 2021.
An influential 20th-century thinker who identified what motivates us
Published on Thursday, 25th February 2021.
The collection of folk songs and poetry that articulated Finnish independence
Published on Thursday, 18th February 2021.
An outspoken nun who was also a daring poet
Published on Thursday, 11th February 2021.
A history of sea creature folklore from around the world
Published on Thursday, 4th February 2021.
The enigma at the centre of ancient Greek religion
Published on Thursday, 28th January 2021.
The charismatic freed slave who was the true embodiment of French Revolutionary ideals
Published on Thursday, 21st January 2021.
The French social activist, feminist and playwright who was executed at the guillotine
Published on Thursday, 14th January 2021.
The life and work of a pioneering Swiss microbiologist
Published on Thursday, 7th January 2021.
The uses and meanings of headwear from prehistory to today
Published on Thursday, 31st December 2020.
Transcendental music from the Caucasus
Published on Thursday, 24th December 2020.
An ancient state in the Horn of Africa that is famed for its monumental stelae structures
Published on Thursday, 17th December 2020.
Exploring the life of a woman whose voice still captivates people across the Middle East
Published on Thursday, 10th December 2020.
The adventurous life of the much-loved French novelist
Published on Thursday, 3rd December 2020.
We explore the system of writing that developed 5,000 years ago in Ancient Mesopotamia
Published on Thursday, 26th November 2020.
How the machine pioneered by 15th Century entrepreneur Johannes Gutenberg changed history
Published on Thursday, 19th November 2020.
The story of Henrietta Lacks who unwittingly left behind an extraordinary medical legacy
Published on Thursday, 12th November 2020.
The life and work of the father of modern education
Published on Thursday, 5th November 2020.
What makes the legend of Dido so appealing to the arts and beyond?
Published on Thursday, 29th October 2020.
Exploring the life of a man who campaigned for disenfranchised people around the world
Published on Thursday, 22nd October 2020.
A brief history of how we tell the time
Published on Thursday, 15th October 2020.
Teasing and thought provoking: the works of the Argentinian master of pithy stories
Published on Thursday, 8th October 2020.
How a nineteenth century Quaker philanthropist shook up the prison system
Published on Thursday, 1st October 2020.
Investigating how a thriving African American community was razed to the ground
Published on Thursday, 24th September 2020.
Georgia’s most iconic female sovereign
Published on Thursday, 17th September 2020.
The myths and mysteries surrounding French protestant refugees
Published on Thursday, 10th September 2020.
Exploring the 200 year campaign to wipe out a killer disease
Published on Thursday, 3rd September 2020.
A free-spirited woman whose pithy words challenged social norms
Published on Thursday, 27th August 2020.
Exploring the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt
Published on Thursday, 20th August 2020.
Celebrating the author of Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles
Published on Thursday, 13th August 2020.
Why did the once mighty Rome crumble and fall to invaders in 476AD?
Published on Thursday, 6th August 2020.
How an artist changed our way of seeing
Published on Thursday, 30th July 2020.
An epic sweep of war and love and family life set in 19th century Russia
Published on Thursday, 23rd July 2020.
The man who in the 14th Century made English a language fit for literature
Published on Thursday, 16th July 2020.
The dance that seduced the world
Published on Thursday, 9th July 2020.
Choosing dead heroes from the battlefield, to fight with Odin in the apocalyptic Ragnarok
Published on Thursday, 2nd July 2020.
Luxuries and everyday goods that travelled West and East
Published on Thursday, 25th June 2020.
The writer who became the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize
Published on Thursday, 18th June 2020.
How a teenager fought to save France
Published on Thursday, 11th June 2020.
From The Tower of Babel and the Hanging Gardens to why there are 60 minutes in an hour
Published on Thursday, 4th June 2020.
A black slave wrote 700 animal tales in Ancient Greece. Why are they still best sellers?
Published on Thursday, 28th May 2020.
How colour affects our mood and thoughts
Published on Thursday, 21st May 2020.
Who made a fortune and who was crushed in the rush for gold in California in 1849?
Published on Thursday, 14th May 2020.
The last global pandemic and what it can tell us about tackling Covid-19 .
Published on Thursday, 30th April 2020.
The mapmaker who defined the modern world
Published on Thursday, 23rd April 2020.
A pianist and activist who fought for women’s votes and better lives
Published on Thursday, 16th April 2020.
The Japanese literary giant of the early 20th Century
Published on Thursday, 9th April 2020.
Exploring how an Ancient Greek school of thought has resonated through the ages
Published on Thursday, 2nd April 2020.
The Italian Baroque artist who's become a hero for modern-day feminists
Published on Thursday, 26th March 2020.
How did the idea of systematically training dogs for the blind originate?
Published on Thursday, 19th March 2020.
Brazil's visionary architect and leading pioneer of modernism
Published on Thursday, 12th March 2020.
The life and legacy of the man who became ‘the Father of Africa’
Published on Thursday, 5th March 2020.
The life and work of a remarkable 18th-century polymath
Published on Thursday, 27th February 2020.
How humans have waged war against the mosquito for thousands of years
Published on Thursday, 20th February 2020.
The stories behind some of the world's greatest masterpieces in bronze
Published on Thursday, 13th February 2020.
The prodigious talent and restless life of Tang dynasty's literary rebel
Published on Thursday, 6th February 2020.
The story behind the beautiful bust and the powerful woman it represents
Published on Thursday, 30th January 2020.
The life of Erasmus Darwin, one of the most remarkable minds in 18th Century Britain
Published on Thursday, 23rd January 2020.
Uncovering the rich cultural and medical history of the world's oldest sweet
Published on Thursday, 16th January 2020.
Exploring the background to the music which has absorbed so many cultural influences
Published on Thursday, 9th January 2020.
Regenerating Yiddish – the language and culture of the European Jews
Published on Thursday, 2nd January 2020.
From dining in Song-dynasty China to the modern open kitchen
Published on Thursday, 26th December 2019.
How the wife of US President Franklin Roosevelt became a powerful political operator
Published on Thursday, 19th December 2019.
The life and work of a pioneering social scientist and historiographer
Published on Thursday, 12th December 2019.
The swashbuckling poet of a late 19th-century French play and his real-life inspiration
Published on Thursday, 5th December 2019.
The nomadic warriors who ruled vast swathes of Asia and Europe and who knew how to party
Published on Thursday, 28th November 2019.
How the events of the Russian civil war led to Lenin’s communist dictatorship
Published on Thursday, 21st November 2019.
The polar adventures of a remarkable man whose humanitarian work saved thousands of lives
Published on Thursday, 14th November 2019.
Exploring the life of a man who pushed the boundaries of ballet.
Published on Thursday, 7th November 2019.
How the co-inventor of cornflakes inspired a healthy living revolution
Published on Thursday, 31st October 2019.
Blue Gold or Devil's Dye? The complex history of the precious blue dye
Published on Thursday, 24th October 2019.
Domesticated cats have been worshipped, vilified and revered throughout history
Published on Thursday, 17th October 2019.
The Ecuadorian woman who fought for South American independence in the 19th Century
Published on Thursday, 10th October 2019.
The Morse code messaging network that changed the world forever
Published on Thursday, 3rd October 2019.
Opium’s journey from vital medicine to dangerously addictive drug
Published on Thursday, 26th September 2019.
The Stranger and other key works of Algeria’s great humanist Albert Camus
Published on Thursday, 19th September 2019.
The great Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa who invented dozens of alter egos
Published on Thursday, 5th September 2019.
How one man defined the role of science and scientists in the modern age
Published on Thursday, 29th August 2019.
Uncovering the identity of the bandaged villain of Hollywood legend
Published on Thursday, 22nd August 2019.
Exploring the life and work of artist Andy Warhol
Published on Thursday, 15th August 2019.
Exploring the rags to riches life story of the French fashion designer
Published on Thursday, 8th August 2019.
Why George Orwell's novel remains topical 70 years after publication
Published on Thursday, 1st August 2019.
The warriors famed for their discipline, fearless self-sacrifice and brutality
Published on Thursday, 25th July 2019.
The life and work of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, the Dutch pioneer of microscopy
Published on Thursday, 18th July 2019.
A man transforms into a kind of huge vermin overnight – Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis
Published on Thursday, 11th July 2019.
Looking back at the life and career of the South African musician and activist
Published on Thursday, 4th July 2019.
How the Scottish engineer's ingenuity transformed industry
Published on Thursday, 27th June 2019.
The metaphysical and philosophical manual for Hindus and non-Hindus alike
Published on Thursday, 20th June 2019.
King Cnut the Great ruled much of northern Europe a millennium ago
Published on Thursday, 13th June 2019.
1919 and the creation of independent Afghanistan
Published on Thursday, 6th June 2019.
Untangling the web of contradictions of the spiritual guide to the Romanov dynasty
Published on Thursday, 30th May 2019.
The science, culture and mythology of the Moon
Published on Thursday, 23rd May 2019.
The social history of pearls as a fashion and status symbol over the centuries
Published on Thursday, 16th May 2019.
The author of the American classic ‘Walden’
Published on Thursday, 9th May 2019.
Nostalgic song from Portugal, a small country with a big heart
Published on Thursday, 2nd May 2019.
The remarkable 17th Century leader who defied European oppression
Published on Thursday, 25th April 2019.
The Italian artist’s unique understanding of science and the natural world
Published on Thursday, 18th April 2019.
A war on the board - one of the oldest strategy games in the world
Published on Thursday, 11th April 2019.
Jules Verne's classic adventure novel
Published on Thursday, 4th April 2019.
Exploring the life and legacy of France’s revolutionary emperor
Published on Thursday, 28th March 2019.
The unique allure of spices that preyed on emotion and taste, and powered whole Empires
Published on Thursday, 21st March 2019.
Tove Jansson was the Finnish-Swedish author and illustrator best known for the Moomins.
Published on Thursday, 14th March 2019.
Getting under the skin of the discovery which made pain-free operations possible
Published on Thursday, 7th March 2019.
The secretive Armenian financier who shaped petroleum production for decades
Published on Friday, 1st March 2019.
Daniel Defoe’s classic adventure story
Published on Thursday, 21st February 2019.
Life and works of the man who transformed Chinese literature.
Published on Thursday, 14th February 2019.
A source of music, spiritual power and oral literature
Published on Thursday, 7th February 2019.
The history of the North Pole as both a place on the map and in our imaginations.
Published on Thursday, 31st January 2019.
A history of footwear
Published on Thursday, 24th January 2019.
The Spanish artist Francisco Goya, whose work explored the darker side of human nature
Published on Thursday, 17th January 2019.
The classic play from Ancient Greece about civil disobedience
Published on Thursday, 10th January 2019.
One of Russia’s favourite novels that combines magical fantasy with dark political satire
Published on Thursday, 3rd January 2019.
What's your brew? Friendly microbes making our fare tastier
Published on Thursday, 27th December 2018.
The birth of the secular republic of Turkey from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire
Published on Thursday, 20th December 2018.
The Russian writer who exposed the grim, nightmarish world of Soviet forced labour camps
Published on Thursday, 13th December 2018.
How British and US intelligence agencies helped oust Iran’s leader Mohammad Mossadeq
Published on Thursday, 6th December 2018.
The Russian impresario whose Ballet Russes company transformed 20th century dance
Published on Thursday, 29th November 2018.
The life and work of early Hollywood's most successful comedian
Published on Thursday, 22nd November 2018.
How coal created empires and wealth but also caused misery and unprecedented pollution
Published on Thursday, 15th November 2018.
An invention many rely on, but prefer not to discuss
Published on Thursday, 8th November 2018.
A philosophy for resilience and equanimity
Published on Thursday, 1st November 2018.
Builders and sculptors of South East Asia's awe-inspiring monuments
Published on Saturday, 27th October 2018.
Unpicking fact from fiction in the life of the last queen of Egypt
Published on Saturday, 20th October 2018.
The scathing critic of deceit and corruption in Vienna
Published on Saturday, 13th October 2018.
Exploring the elements of that seemingly effortless pose to which so many aspire
Published on Saturday, 6th October 2018.
The life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, known for her ground-breaking self-portraits
Published on Saturday, 29th September 2018.
The trailblazing technology which made the air age soar
Published on Saturday, 22nd September 2018.
The dark, tumultuous life of America’s great gothic writer
Published on Saturday, 15th September 2018.
Rajan Datar and guests discuss the astonishing transformation of Japan over 150 years
Published on Saturday, 8th September 2018.
A giant of twentieth century American culture
Published on Saturday, 1st September 2018.
How the Acropolis of Athens provided the West with its foundations of politics and drama
Published on Saturday, 25th August 2018.
The eventful life of Engels and his pivotal contribution to Marxism
Published on Saturday, 18th August 2018.
The woman who wielded unparalleled power over the Mughal Empire in 17th century India
Published on Saturday, 11th August 2018.
How a play in which nothing happens created a revolution in contemporary theatre
Published on Saturday, 4th August 2018.
The rebellious monarch who scandalised 17th-century Europe
Published on Saturday, 28th July 2018.
Published on Saturday, 21st July 2018.
Bridget Kendall and guests discuss the life, work and legacy of Mark Twain
Published on Saturday, 14th July 2018.
The painful route to cleanliness in 19th century hospitals
Published on Saturday, 7th July 2018.
Published on Saturday, 30th June 2018.
Radical visionary, artist and poet
Published on Saturday, 23rd June 2018.
The man behind the renowned scholarship programme
Published on Saturday, 16th June 2018.
How a remote desert town in Mali became world famous
Published on Saturday, 9th June 2018.
Bridget Kendall and guests lift the lid on 300 years of the piano
Published on Saturday, 2nd June 2018.
How a philosophical thinker radically changed the way we see women
Published on Saturday, 26th May 2018.
A woman and a foreigner who usurped her way to the throne in 18th century Russia
Published on Saturday, 19th May 2018.
The global factory story
Published on Saturday, 12th May 2018.
Published on Saturday, 5th May 2018.
Experts from the world of science discuss the story of plastic with presenter Rajan Datar
Published on Saturday, 28th April 2018.
How sugar travelled across the world and seduced all on its path
Published on Saturday, 21st April 2018.
The history of a venerable religion
Published on Saturday, 14th April 2018.
The extraordinary stories of the women around the world who won the right to vote
Published on Tuesday, 10th April 2018.
With us since the 1930s, polls help forecast elections and conduct market research
Published on Friday, 30th March 2018.
The life of T.E Lawrence renowned for his involvement with the Arab Revolt during WW1
Published on Saturday, 24th March 2018.
Bridget Kendall and guests on the glamorous world of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.
Published on Saturday, 17th March 2018.
The 19th Century epic novel on a vengeful sailor’s battle with the great ‘white whale’
Published on Saturday, 10th March 2018.
The ancient tribe which shaped Europe's history
Published on Saturday, 3rd March 2018.
The imagined poetic voyage through Hell that explores the meaning of human existence
Published on Saturday, 24th February 2018.
The story of the man whose voyage accidently circumnavigated the globe
Published on Saturday, 17th February 2018.
Who was Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and how did he come to write The Little Prince?
Published on Saturday, 10th February 2018.
The life and work of the ground-breaking Nigerian author
Published on Saturday, 3rd February 2018.
Published on Monday, 29th January 2018.
The history of the Periodic Table of the elements
Published on Saturday, 20th January 2018.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge's epic is one of the most famous poems in the English language
Published on Saturday, 13th January 2018.
Eva Peron rose from poverty to become one of the most powerful figures in Latin America
Published on Saturday, 6th January 2018.
Rajan Datar and guests explore the origins and evolution of flamenco
Published on Saturday, 30th December 2017.
Thomas Sankara: why his assassination and time in power still haunts Africa to this day
Published on Saturday, 23rd December 2017.
The chequered history of the original global fabric
Published on Saturday, 16th December 2017.
The Story of The International Committee of the Red Cross
Published on Monday, 11th December 2017.
Konstantin Stanislavsky: the greatest single influence on acting today
Published on Saturday, 2nd December 2017.
A showman and a dreamer or an engineering genius well ahead of his time?
Published on Saturday, 25th November 2017.
Exploring the work of the 18th century moral philosopher and economist Adam Smith
Published on Monday, 20th November 2017.
How America reached for the skies
Published on Monday, 13th November 2017.
Published on Monday, 6th November 2017.
How Martin Luther started a revolution that would lead to the Protestant Reformation
Published on Monday, 30th October 2017.
The changing fortunes of the American city of Detroit
Published on Saturday, 21st October 2017.
The story of the men and women who defined the ‘Golden Age’ of piracy.
Published on Saturday, 14th October 2017.
The life, poetry and legacy of 13th Century Sufi poet Rumi
Published on Monday, 9th October 2017.
The history and popular rise of the guitar
Published on Monday, 2nd October 2017.
The ruler who revolutionised ancient Rome
Published on Monday, 25th September 2017.
Bridget Kendall and guests discuss the origins and the legacy of Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Published on Tuesday, 19th September 2017.
Exploring The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt
Published on Monday, 11th September 2017.
How a fifteenth century innovation changed our printed world
Published on Monday, 4th September 2017.
A race to make medical history
Published on Monday, 28th August 2017.
How Pablo Picasso changed our way of seeing
Published on Monday, 21st August 2017.
How fine fragrance became liquid luxury in a bottle
Published on Monday, 14th August 2017.
A plunge into darkness
Published on Monday, 7th August 2017.
The power of storytelling
Published on Monday, 31st July 2017.
Published on Monday, 24th July 2017.
Published on Saturday, 15th July 2017.
The botanist who created a classification system to understand the natural world
Published on Monday, 10th July 2017.
Luxuries and everyday goods that travelled East and West
Published on Saturday, 1st July 2017.
The lives of the Princes of India, their relationship with the British and legacy today
Published on Tuesday, 27th June 2017.
Exploring the Confederation of Canada in 1867
Published on Monday, 19th June 2017.
Through the ages and across the world, how have our ideas about childhood changed?
Published on Monday, 12th June 2017.
The life of doctor and literary star Arthur Conan Doyle.
Published on Monday, 5th June 2017.
Published on Tuesday, 30th May 2017.
An exploration of the island of Taiwan
Published on Monday, 15th May 2017.
The inspirational life of the celebrated American aviator
Published on Monday, 8th May 2017.
The universal unit of length that joined up the globe
Published on Monday, 1st May 2017.
The story behind this weird and wonderful literary classic
Published on Monday, 24th April 2017.
Paris in the 19th Century when permissiveness mixed with political and creative optimism
Published on Monday, 17th April 2017.
The life and reputation of Niccolò Machiavelli’s ‘The Prince’
Published on Monday, 10th April 2017.
Published on Monday, 3rd April 2017.
The story of the KGB
Published on Monday, 27th March 2017.
Discover the amazing stories behind some of the world's greatest masterpieces in bronze
Published on Monday, 20th March 2017.
The extraordinary life of the Polish scientist who changed the course of physics
Published on Monday, 13th March 2017.
Why Beethoven is so universally popular
Published on Monday, 6th March 2017.
How we tamed one of the world's deadliest diseases, and why it's coming back
Published on Monday, 27th February 2017.
The origins, themes and continuing legacy of Mary Shelley’s gothic tale Frankenstein
Published on Monday, 20th February 2017.
The early years of rap and breakdancing in New York
Published on Monday, 13th February 2017.
The global impact of Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 groundbreaking action film
Published on Saturday, 4th February 2017.
Published on Monday, 30th January 2017.
What is the truth behind the legendary WW1 spy-seductress?
Published on Monday, 23rd January 2017.
The story of the development of the silicon chip
Published on Monday, 16th January 2017.
The Constitution, Congress and the US Presidency
Published on Monday, 9th January 2017.
The life and legacy of Fela Kuti, Nigeria’s maverick musical pioneer
Published on Monday, 2nd January 2017.
Is Silicon Valley a template for our utopian future?
Published on Monday, 26th December 2016.
A celebration of Thomas More's Utopia and new short stories inspired by it.
Published on Wednesday, 21st December 2016.
Celebrating More's radical book and its political influence in the past and present
Published on Monday, 19th December 2016.
The inside story; swapped samples, state-sponsored doping and the battle for world sport
Published on Monday, 12th December 2016.
Why is Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem still so important?
Published on Monday, 5th December 2016.
Why and how the Korean Peninsula came to be divided into North and South Korea
Published on Saturday, 26th November 2016.
The history and current challenges facing the UN
Published on Monday, 21st November 2016.
The history, present and future of drones.
Published on Monday, 14th November 2016.
A close look at the remarkable set of building blocks which all cellular life shares
Published on Monday, 7th November 2016.
How the idea of curation has radically changed
Published on Tuesday, 1st November 2016.
How the relentless advance of computer logic is changing our world and the way we think
Published on Monday, 24th October 2016.
How concrete underpins the modern world
Published on Monday, 17th October 2016.
Are we generous out of kindness or self-interest?
Published on Monday, 10th October 2016.
How to ensure people in deprived areas get secondary education and adequate nutrition
Published on Monday, 3rd October 2016.
Are we sucking our worldwide supply dry?
Published on Monday, 26th September 2016.
Are shyness and introversion cultural or innate; do they help us negotiate today’s world?
Published on Monday, 19th September 2016.
Exploring turmoil in politics and society
Published on Monday, 12th September 2016.
Exploring the mysteries of the biosphere below the earth’s surface.
Published on Monday, 5th September 2016.
How do we deal with fire to protect health without compromising the environment?
Published on Monday, 29th August 2016.
How anxiety is created in the brain and how we can best help the anxious
Published on Monday, 22nd August 2016.
How do our brains cope with the visual clutter of the modern world?
Published on Monday, 15th August 2016.
The extraordinary impact of balloons on the human race.
Published on Monday, 8th August 2016.
Why do we share and how important is it for our survival?
Published on Monday, 1st August 2016.
New ideas about volcanoes, earthquakes and other geological processes
Published on Monday, 25th July 2016.
How to ensure better food transparency: to track what we eat from farm to fork.
Published on Monday, 18th July 2016.
Separating the benefits of radioactivity from its dangers
Published on Monday, 11th July 2016.
When is defiance a resistance to authority, and when is it a sign of disregard to others?
Published on Monday, 4th July 2016.
New insights into the human microbiome, the tiny organisms living in and on our bodies
Published on Monday, 27th June 2016.
How do we respond to things that are unfinished or incomplete?
Published on Monday, 20th June 2016.
Advice from a garbologist, a waste expert and a taxidermist about re-using waste
Published on Monday, 13th June 2016.
Why some people and animals adapt to hardship
Published on Monday, 6th June 2016.
What is the place of rivalry in human behaviour?
Published on Monday, 30th May 2016.
Exploring how we operate at night and our attitude to the dark
Published on Monday, 23rd May 2016.
How can we stem the brain drain from countries who need their talented people?
Published on Monday, 16th May 2016.
The technology and art of wheeled transport
Published on Monday, 9th May 2016.
Rules and how they govern us.
Published on Monday, 2nd May 2016.
Why balance in humans, machines and music are needed for effectiveness and safety
Published on Monday, 25th April 2016.
Can loss be a force for renewal, forcing us to adjust and experience things differently?
Published on Saturday, 16th April 2016.
Turkish novelist Elif Shafak, Nick Bostrom and Ann Phoenix from UCL discuss identity
Published on Monday, 11th April 2016.
Extreme life on earth and in space.
Published on Wednesday, 6th April 2016.
What lies behind our desire to improve and perfect nature
Published on Wednesday, 30th March 2016.
