S2E1: The Kingdom of Asante | Lost Kingdoms of Africa

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...

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

Galileo's ideas challenging views of the world.

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: Medicine, Religion and Natural Causes | History File

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

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...

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 ...

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: 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.

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...

05: The Enterprise of England | Elizabeth R

With the threat of war against Spain suddenly imminent, Elizabeth must place her faith in the strength of the navy, led by Sir Fr...