20th Century
Defined by a rise of nationalism, two world wars, clashing super powers, nuclear weapons and space exploration, the 20th Century is certainly not void of fascinating history. Enjoy our enormous library of documentaries on key events such as D-Day or the sinkng of the Titanic, interviews with leading experts such as Tom Holland, David Cannadine and fascinating podcasts on the history of warfare.
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The 1900 Island
1 season
Set on the wild west coast of Anglesey, in a time of hand to mouth existence - four families face the harsh realities of one of the toughest ways to make a living in 1900 Britain.
This living history series follows the fortunes of four modern day families as they head back over 100 years to the ...
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Titanic's Tragic Twin: The Britannic Disaster
This documentary explores the sinking of the Britannic during the First World War, examining how she ultimately came to suffer the same fate as her sister ship, the Titanic.
Titanic had a twin sister, Britannic, which despite being bigger and better built, sank to the bottom three times faster t...
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Tanks of World War Two: With James Holland
1 season
Historian, broadcaster and World War Two expert James Holland investigates the most iconic armoured fighting vehicles of the Second World War.
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Queen Elizabeth II: A Life in History
Queen Elizabeth II was born in a totally different world to today. Her life spanned decades of profound change, both in the United Kingdom and around the globe.
In this special programme, Dan Snow and royal historian Prof. Kate Williams reflect on the early years of Elizabeth IIβs remarkable l...
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A City At War: Chicago
At the beginning of America's involvement in World War II, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) called on the country to become "an arsenal of democracy" β to become producers of war materiel to help defeat the Axis powers β Germany, Japan and Italy. This is the story of how Chicago answered...
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The Falklands: The Last British War
1 season
On the night of the 2nd April 1982, without warning, Argentina launched the invasion of the Falklands Islands. What followed was Britainβs last solo war: the last major conflict fought over British imperial territories, the last major conflict Britain fought by itself rather than as part of a coa...
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Shackleton: The Story of Endurance, 3-Part Series
1 season
This 3-part documentary celebrates an explorer who failed in everything he set out to do, but whose toughness, courage and leadership made him a legend: Sir Ernest Shackleton.
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Uncovering the Band of Brothers
1 season
80 years ago, millions of American soldiers started arriving in Britain, a friendly invasion that was here to prepare for the liberation of Europe. Amongst them was Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment - that would become the famous Band of Brothers. Now, a team of volunteers, in...
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Philip: Prince, Husband, Father
When he died just weeks before his 100th birthday, the country celebrated Prince Philip's devotion to duty and to the Queen as friends and family paid tribute to his many accomplishments.
But, as the Queen also said, Prince Philip didnβt βtake easily to compliments.β This film, as far as possib...
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Bismarck: The Definitive Account
1 season
A definitive account of the hunt for and sinking of the flagship of the German Kriegsmarine, Bismarck. Featuring Andrew Choong, curator at the National Maritime Museum, naval historian Nick Hewitt and Angus Konstam, author of 'Hunt the Bismarck'. Presented by Dan Snow.
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Uncovering the Enigma: Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is now internationally famous as the home of the code-breakers during World War Two. But the endeavours of Alan Turing, Dilly Knox and their colleagues were so top secret that we are only now beginning to learn how they really lived day-to-day in this magnificent house, where β beh...
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π§ 12 Days That Shaped Modern Britain with Professor Andrew Hindmoor
Professor Andrew Hindmoor, head of Politics at the University of Sheffield, chats to Dan about the days that he thinks shaped Britain today. He talks about the notion of looking at specific days as a way of looking at history, and then talks about everything from Theresa May to Stephen Lawrence t...
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π§ 1918: The Decisive Year
Richard Van Emden catches up with Dan Snow to talk about the commemoration of the final year of World War One.
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π§ 1956: The World in Revolt with Simon Hall
Simon Hall is Professor of Modern History and Head of School of History at Leeds University, His new book is titled 1956: The World in Revolt.
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π§ Goose Green: A Veteran Remembers
John Geddes joined the Parachute Regiment as a teenager in the late 1970s. Within a couple of years he was plunged into the Falklands War and the bloodiest battle the British Army had fought since the Korean War. In this podcast John talks to Dan about his experience in the army, his memories of ...
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π§ 28 Years on Death Row with Anthony Ray Hinton
Anthony Ray Hinton is an Alabama was held on death row after being convicted of the murders of two restaurant managers, John Davidson and Thomas Wayne Vasona, in Birmingham, Alabama on February 25 and July 2, 1985. He was released in 2015 after winning a new trial.
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π§ A Lab of Their Own: Women Scientists in World War One with Patricia Fara
Dan is joined by Patricia Fara, a historian of science at the University of Cambridge, to talk about the women who worked as scientific researchers during the First World World War.
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π§ A People's History of Tennis
David Berry joined me on the pod to discuss a peopleβs history of tennis. From the birth of modern tennis in Victorian Britain to the present day, we talked about struggles around sexuality, gender, race and class that have transformed the nature of tennis and sport itself.
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π§ A President Incapacitated: Woodrow Wilson's Stroke
101 years ago this week, President Woodrow Wilson suffered a serious stroke which left him prone to "disorders of emotion, impaired impulse control, and defective judgment." As President Trump confronts his own health crisis, I talked to John Milton Cooper, Jr., Professor Emeritus at the Universi...
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π§ Adam Frankel on How Holocaust Trauma Still Haunts His Family 80 Years Later
Adam Frankel worked in the Obama White House administration as a speech writer. His grandparents were holocaust survivors from eastern Europe. His mother had profound mental health problems and he discovered that his father was not his father. in an effort to understand the roots of this he learn...
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π§ African Experiences in World War One with John Akomfrah
Dan talks to video artist John Akomfrah about his new work, Mimesis, produced in association with 14-18Now, the arts organisation dedicated to the commemoration of the First World War. It explores the experience of Africans in World War I, and John tells about all the surprising things he learned...
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π§ Air Power at Gallipoli with Mike Pavelec
Dan chats to Mike Pavelec on the often-overlooked use of naval air power at Gallipoli during World War One in this minisode of the podcast.
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π§ Air Power: The Past, Present and Future with Mike Pavelec
Dan and Mike Pavelec talk about Air Power: it's short history and how it will shake the future up.