The impact of the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt | Chivalry and Betrayal: The Hundred Years War

The Reality of the First Crusade | The Crusades

Thomas Asbridge investigates the experiences of the crusaders and visits Constantinople.

3: Whose Renaissance? | A Very British Renaissance

Dr James Fox explores how tension between two cultures - one courtly and European, one home-grown and vital - helped bring...

Hokusai: Old Man Crazy to Paint

Biography of the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), most famous for his print The Great Wave. It focuses on Hokusai's work, life...

1: Medicine and Religion | History File

Programme begins with looking at Ancient Greece, then the Roman Empire then looking at Muslim and Christian links.

1: The Renaissance Arrives | A Very British Renaissance

Dr James Fox traces the story of how the arrival of a few foreign artists in the 16th century sparked a cultural revo...

Episode 1 | The Ottomans: Europe's Muslim Emperors

Rageh Omaar examines the history of the Ottoman empire. He starts by looking at the unlikely roots of the Ottomans, as nom...

S2E6: Reach for the Stars: Trials of Galileo | Days That Shook the World

Galileo's ideas challenging views of the world.

The Crusades

Dr Thomas Asbridge re-examines the story of the Crusades. He traces the epic journey of the first crusaders as they marched from Europe to recapture the city of...

1: Medicine, Religion and Natural Causes | History File

This programme looks at ancient Egypt, Hippocrates, Christianity and Islam.

1: Pilgrims in Arms | Crusades

Terry Jones explores the history of the Crusades, to discover exactly what happened when the Pope instigated a popular campaign to conquer Jer...

1: The Age of Discovery | Howard Goodall's Story of Music

Composer Howard Goodall traces the development of music from the religious 'Gregorian' chant to the growth of instr...

2: Cortes | Heroes and Villains

The Spanish adventurer Hernan Cortes is supposed to have taken the Aztec empire with a few soldiers and 16 horses. Can that be true?

2: The Elizabethan Code | A Very British Renaissance

Dr James Fox examines the Elizabethans' love of codes and complexity, and the cultural revolution sparked by an age of e...

5: Age of Plunder | Andrew Marr's History of the World

Andrew tells the story of Europe's rise from piracy to private enterprise, starting with Columbus's discovery of America.

Episode 1 | The Silk Road

Sam Willis traces the story of the famous trade route. He explores Venice's Renaissance architecture and art before travelling to the beginning of ...

Islamic Medicine | Science and Islam

Jim Al-Khalili explains the importance of medical knowledge to medieval Islam.

Medieval Islamic Compassion | Science and Islam

Jim Al-Khalili talks about the enduring legacies of medieval Islamic medicine.

Pilgrimage to Jerusalem | The Crusades

Thomas Asbridge discusses the first crusade to Jerusalem.

S1E4: West Africa | Lost Kingdoms of Africa

Gus Casely-Hayford travels to Nigeria and Mali to explore the story behind a series of magnificent 16th-century bronzes made in t...

S2E1: The Kingdom of Asante | Lost Kingdoms of Africa

Asante in West Africa was a kingdom that was built on gold and slaves, which ensured its important place in an economy ...