Dan Snow joins After Dark to reveal the brutal reality of life of sailors during the golden age of sail. From the cat o' nine tails, to the pressgang, from scurvy to mutineers. How did people survive the most extreme conditions imaginable?

Dan explains everything you need to know about 1066! When the armies of William, the Duke of Normandy, and the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson clashed near Hastings in one of the most famous battles in history and one that would decide the fate of the English throne. We all know the outcome, bu...

The life of Anne Boleyn has intrigued audiences for centuries, making her story a cornerstone of Tudor and English history. Everyone knows something about her time as Queen of England, her marriage to King Henry VIII, and of course, her betrayal and execution. But her formative years in France re...

Today, we unravel the dramatic North African campaign of World War II. Discover how the Allies turned the tide against Rommel, why Tunisia’s fall was as pivotal as Stalingrad, and how these battles shaped the fate of Europe.

We're joined by Saul David, broadcaster, historian and author of 'Tunis...

The Ancient Egyptians had a very different idea about death than most people do today.

And the idea of mummification is (excuse the pun) wrapped up in so many modern ideas, that we can lose its real purpose.

Joining Anthony and Maddy today to take us through the gory details of mummifying a b...

Join Dan Snow and Helen Carr in this full episode about the definitive story of the Wars of Scottish Independence, from the rebellion of William Wallace to the rise of Robert the Bruce. Discover how Scotland fought for its freedom against England's King Edward I, culminating in the crushing Scott...

Watch this full episode of After Dark with Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling where they chat with historian Alex Medings about the dark side of Rome's famous gladiators.

Discover the truth about the gladiators – from their low social status as slaves and criminals to their surprising sex appeal...

Today we tackle the Punic Wars - three epic clashes between Rome and Carthage for control of the Mediterranean. From naval battles to Hannibal’s daring Alpine crossing and Carthage’s final destruction, we uncover how these wars reshaped the ancient world.

Joining us is Eve MacDonald, ancient his...

Was Nero really Rome’s worst emperor, or just history’s favourite villain?

From the Great Fire of Rome to deadly scandal and intrigue, Dr Shushma Malik from the University of Cambridge joins us to dig into the truth behind the legend.

Pompeii is a city frozen in time and shows us exactly how the Romans really lived. Buried by volcanic ash and debris from the catastrophic eruption of Versuvius in 79AD, visitors to the Roman town can still see eerily preserved homes, bathhouses, the notorious brothel and plaster casts of victims...

Watch this full episode about the Bermondsey Horror, the shocking Victorian murder by Marie Manning. Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling delve into the grisly 1849 killing of Patrick O'Conor, a wealthy moneylender lured to a house in a notorious London slum. The married couple, Frederick and Marie ...

What really tipped the scales in the Allies’ favour during World War II? In this episode, we break down five critical reasons behind the Allied victory - from strategic coordination to Hitler’s own catastrophic mistakes.

Joining us to dig into this is James Holland, historian of the Second World...

Watch this full episode of After Dark with Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling where they chat about the horrendous Batavia shipwreck, the violent mutiny led by Jeronimus Cornelisz, and Anthony's new favourite fact.

The Batavia shipwreck of 1629, a tale of Dutch East India Company mutiny and terr...

Join Dan Snow and acclaimed military historian Sir Antony Beevor for a gripping account of the Battle of Berlin, the final, bloody chapter of WWII in Europe. Beevor, author of 'Berlin: The Downfall 1945', reveals Joseph Stalin's secret plan to seize the city and its nuclear secrets while deceivin...

Today we’re going behind the foreboding doors of the Victorian workhouse to ask - ‘Could we survive it?’. From Oliver Twist's gruel to songs about flogging, from lice-ridden clothing to soul destroying isolation. Our guest is Oskar Jensen, author of "Vagabonds: Life on the Streets of Nineteenth C...

We dive into the reign of the first Stuart monarch of England - his political savvy, and the controversies that shaped his rule. From the Gunpowder Plot to the King James Bible, we ask whether history has judged him too harshly - or not harshly enough.

Historian, author and broadcaster Anna Whit...

Watch this full episode of After Dark with Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling where they chat about Napoleon's final days and the wild myths that surround his death.

Conspiracy theories swirl about the final days of Napoleon. Was he poisoned by a friend? By the British? By his wallpaper? Did he c...

Why does King Arthur loom so large in British history? And what do we really know about him?

In this episode, Dan explores the man behind the legend - a leader who emerged from the ruins of Roman Britain, and unified the Britons against Anglo-Saxon invaders. Dan looks through the Ruin Of Britain...

Watch this full episode of After Dark with Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling, where they chat about Ned Ludd, the fires, and the violence exerted during the Industrial Revolution in England.

Would you have joined the OG Luddites? In 1811 and 1812 across the midlands and north of England which w...

Boudicca, the warrior queen of the Iceni tribe, has become a symbol of resistance and British defiance. But what do we really know about her, and her bloody revolt against Roman rule?

Dr Shushma Malik from the University of Cambridge joins us to untangle this mystery, and explore the lasting leg...

In this episode of Ater Dark with Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling, they chat about 19-year-old Mary Shelley who wrote Frankenstein in a Swiss villa surrounded by other brilliant young minds.

During a time of radical change, a gothic masterpiece was written by the teenage Mary Shelley. Publishe...

Sparta was ancient Greece's most formidable warrior society. Their rigorous militaristic culture and battlefield feats have become the stuff of legend - but what are the cold, hard facts behind the six-packs and leather loincloths of the popular imagination?

Dr Andrew Bayliss of the University o...

Watch this full episode of After Dark with Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling where they chat about Anna Anderson, the impostor who claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia.

In the aftermath of the bloody Russian revolution, the Romanovs went from being a glittering royal family to vulnera...

More than 1,500 people perished in the icy North Atlantic after the RMS Titanic sank beneath the waters on 15 April 1912. In this new video, Titanic expert Tim Maltin takes Dan Snow through the details of that fateful night as it happened. Could the disaster have been avoided? Is it like the movi...