Who was the first King of England? Who invented a place called 'England' anyway? And what on earth are the 'bracelets of sincerity'?

With coronations in the air Dallas is going back in search of the origins of all things regal with his guest Matt Lewis, host of the History Hit podcast 'Gone Medi...

J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth is perhaps the most captivating fantasy world ever created. His mythology and folklore continues to influence the work of writers, film-makers, musicians and artists to this day. He first conceived of the idea during the First World War, and built his world to examin...

In August 1918, the battle of Amiens brought the German army's 'black day' and the beginning of the end of the First World War.

But what happened at Amiens? How were US troops involved in this battle? And how is the battle remembered today?

In this episode, Don is joined by Dan Snow to talk abo...

Incest. It’s not the lightest topic of conversation, we wouldn’t recommend bringing it up as an icebreaker on a date, or when you’re trying to impress new people at a party - but it’s one which has fascinated many of us for centuries nonetheless.

But has it always been taboo? How have the necess...

How’s this for a CV? 1821 - invented the Electric Motor. 1831 - invented the Electric Generator. Oh, and I also created the first Electric Transformer, discovered Benzene and liquidised Chlorine.

Michael Faraday is a giant of invention. Here to help Dallas tell the story of how he laid the foun...

Perhaps a name better known for recent appearances in horror films - Lilith is a woman who's origins go far beyond that of the Hollywood screens. Often blamed for illnesses, ailments, and male embarrassment - Lilith is force to be reckoned with. So just where does Lilith come from, and can ancien...

This year marks 30 years since the 1993 siege at Waco. Lasting 51 days, it took the lives of 76 people, including 25 children and has gone down as one of the most controversial and tragic incidents in modern American history.

James Rogers sits down with author Stephan Talty to discuss his new bo...

What made the decade between 1996 and 2006 a pop breeding ground? And what was this time like for the pop stars involved?

From the Spice Girls to Girls Aloud, and Take That to Blue, Kate is Betwixt the Sheets with journalist Michael Cragg to look at the success and scandals during the golden ag...

When Thomas Roe arrived in India in 1616 as James I's first ambassador to the Mughal Empire, the English barely had a toehold in the subcontinent. Roe was representing a kingdom that was beset by financial woes and deeply conflicted about its identity. Meanwhile, the court Roe entered was wealthy...

Nearly a thousand years ago, America's first city appeared in the Mississippi flood plain. Don finds out about a day in the life of Cahokia, what its vast mounds were used for, and why it is so poorly remembered nowadays.

Our guest is Timothy Pauketat, archaeologist and author of several major...

This is a special episode from a series we made in collaboration with Ubisoft, the makers of Assassin's Creed.

In Assassins vs Templars, we're immersing ourselves in the real history that inspired the first game. As well as exploring rise and fall of The Knights Templar and the Assassins, we cha...

When we think of democracy in the ancient Greek world, our minds often go straight to Athens, the purported birthplace of democracy. But was Athens truly the home of democracy? And if so, who's responsible for giving a voice to the people?

In this episode, Tristan chats to Professor Paul Cartled...

Fast and sleek with a satisfying rumble in the engine. What else could you want from a car?

Well, for James Bond, the answer to this question is usually a couple of hidden weapons and some form of camouflage device.

For this episode of 'Inventing Bond' - our series marking the 70th anniversary ...

Happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, disgust, fear... we all know what these emotions feel like, right?

But what is emotion? Do we all feel the same things? And do we have the same feelings as people who lived five-hundred years ago?

Today Kate is joined Betwixt the Sheets by Richard Firth-Godb...

The commandos have become a byword for elite raiding and cutting-edge military operations. They were set up during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from Winston Churchill, for special forces that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe. As Monty Halls says, they...

All this month, Gone Medieval has been your perfect companion to the forthcoming coronation of King Charles III. 

In this final special episode, Matt Lewis takes a look at the use and meaning of coronation regalia and what happens after the ceremonial aspects - the coronation banquet. He is joi...

The Book. It’s the most powerful object in history (sorry Sword fans). But how did it come to be? And what was wrong with good old scrolls in the first place?

Dallas is joined by Keith Houston, author of The Book: A Cover-to-Cover Exploration of the Most Powerful Object of Our Time to unpack the...

From spy satellites orbiting the moon, to space metals worth more than most countries' GDP, and the imminent possibility of humans inhabiting Mars within the next decade - will conflicts soon escalate beyond earth's atmosphere? And if so, how will we regulate human behaviour on a cosmic level?

I...

Horses have been a bulwark of American culture and society for centuries. Think of cowboys in the Mid-West or Native Americans riding bareback on the Great Plains. But new, ground-breaking archeological evidence has emerged to suggest horses were present in the Americas more than 10,000 years ago...

As preparations for the Coronation of King Charles III get underway, you're going to see words everywhere like 'anointing,' 'enthronement,' and 'crowning.' Despite how medical they sound, they are in fact ceremonial acts steeped in centuries of British history and tradition.

There'll be talk of...

In the 16th century, “strangers” was the name used in England for people who were born in territories not controlled by the Tudor monarchy. Thinking about Henry VIII’s armed forces, we might not expect to find “strangers” among them - but there were. 

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Prof...

The legend of the Minotaur and its labyrinth has captivated us for centuries, but is there any evidence of it really existing?

In this episode, Tristan visits the Ashmolean museum in Oxford to interview Dr. Andrew Shapland, the curator of a new exhibition exploring the Bronze Age settlement of K...

*Content Warning - This episode contains references to rape and suicide* 

The Russian Civil War was a brutal episode in the rise of Bolshevik Russia. Taking place between 1917 and 1922 (after the perhaps better known, Russian Revolution) it pitted the Communist Red Army, led by Vladimir Lenin, a...

How common was it for a pirates to walk the plank? Was there a lot of rum? And were relationships allowed on ships?

Kate is joined by Rebecca Simon, author of 'The Pirate's Code' to find out about the codes that pirates had to live by.

Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Joseph ...