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43:21 | Recommended

Eight Days That Made Rome

Rome's First Emperor

Historian Bettany Hughes focuses on the day in 32 BC when Octavian stole the secret will of his most dangerous political rival, Mark Antony. It is a moment that casts a light on what it took to win in Roman politics, as the cunning, brilliant subterfuge required paved Octavian's path to power by undermining Antony's popularity and giving Octavian the crucial support of Rome's Senate and people in the civil war that followed.

Ancient history

22:56 | Recommended

Anzac Stories

Examine the personal experiences of six of the men and women whose stories are featured at the National Anzac Centre. We follow their remarkable journeys; from recruitment, departure by convoy from Albany, on to the battlefields and life post-war. Family members appear in newly filmed interviews, providing a lasting testament and deeply personal connection to the tumultuous events of a century ago.

History

59:02 | Recommended

Back in Time for Dinner

Guided by Annabel Crabb, an Aussie family goes on a time-travelling adventure to discover how the food we eat transformed the way we live, the fabric of the nation and defined family roles - starting in post-war 1950s.

History

Latest

58:30 | Published 2 days ago

Empires of Silver

China has become rich through tax reform and trade. Underpinned by silver, its economy is booming. But the 19th Century is fast approaching and a new Empire, Great Britain, is emerging to challenge China. For now these 'foreign barbarians', as the Chinese call them, are under control, but for one Emperor there will be war and humiliation in the century ahead.

History

58:10 | Published 3 days ago

Who Do You Think You Are?

Fearne Cotton

Fearne Cotton learns about her Welsh great-grandfather who worked down a coal mine at 13.

History

58:51 | Published 6 days ago

Britain and the Sea

Invasion and Defence

David Dimbleby continues his voyage around Britain, sailing his yacht Rocket along coastal regions of the South East, the first point of attack for enemy forces and therefore essential to the nation's defence throughout history. Along the way, he takes a tour of HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship vessel from the Battle of Trafalgar, lovingly preserved in dry dock in Portsmouth. He also meets a carpenter who still makes wooden figureheads, discovers how a chamber pot acted as propaganda in the battle against Napoleon and reveals the way abstract art was used to deceive German submarine pilots.

History

25:01 | Published 6 days ago

Kids of Courage

Vera

While her home city, Stalingrad, is under attack, Vera arrives at an orphanage in Kazakhstan. Everything is strange and she misses her family. When she gets offered the opportunity to be adopted by new parents, she hesitates.

History

14:35 | Published 6 days ago

Desperate Measures

China Doll with Pam Hegarty

Pam Hegarty, Aboriginal archaeologist, takes us for a tour around country to visit some of the culturally significant sites which are on Juru country.

History

13:58 | Published 6 days ago

Desperate Measures

Strait Borders

This episode investigates the current state of water rights, border security and piracy in the Torres Strait.

History

47:55 | Published 6 days ago

Australia in Colour

Sport and comedy offer some relief from the hunger and hopelessness of the Great Depression - at least until war breaks out. Australia sends troops to Europe to fight beside Britain, but when Japan invades Pearl Harbor, the nation turns to America for protection and pulls troops out of the Middle East. Fighting reaches Darwin.

Modern history

42:22 | Published 6 days ago

Canada: The Story of Us

Hunting Treasure (1777 to 1793)

The extraordinary tale of some of the people, places and events that shaped Canada - stories of change makers and rule breakers, dreamers and visionaries, scientists and entrepreneurs who forged a nation in a vast and harsh land. With ground-breaking CGI and a cast of celebrity interviews that take us inside Canada's biggest stories, this series is truly a celebration of a nation that has transformed its differences into understanding and created an identity that is uniquely diverse. This episode, a new generation of rebels and entrepreneurs compete for the key to this land's prosperity - its natural resources - while others fight to protect them. It's an epic quest for treasure that shapes the country to this day.

History

58:13 | Published 1 week ago

Who Do You Think You Are?

Sunetra Sarker

Actor Sunetra Sarker sets out to explore the Bengali heritage she ignored when she was growing up in Liverpool.

History

44:13 | Published 1 week ago

Lost Treasures of Egypt

Tomb Raiders

Egyptologist Don Ryan works against the clock to examine the contents of Tomb 49 - and makes a dramatic discovery.

Ancient history

41:27 | Published 1 week ago

American Dynasties: The Kennedys

Brothers in Arms

A confident and popular John F Kennedy is sworn in as the youngest ever elected American president, but he will have to rely on his brother, attorney-general Robert F Kennedy, to help him navigate the disasters of 1961.

Modern history

42:23 | Published 1 week ago

Blood and Fury: America's Civil War

Weapons of War

The Civil War, one of the most defining moments in American history, tore a nation apart, pitting North against South - brother against brother. Over the course of four years, more than 750,000 military and civilian lives were sacrificed to make the United States a more perfect union, where the human rights of every person are guaranteed. With unprecedented access to government and private archives and using state-of-the-art technology, over 500 rare and compelling black and white photographs have been painstakingly colourised to illustrate the story of the Civil War in breathtaking detail. This episode examines the cultural and political tensions that ultimately explode into the most storied and bloodied war ever to be fought on US soil.

History

1:26:27 | Published 1 week ago

Blood Diamonds

In the '90s, the small West African countries of Angola and Sierra Leone disintegrated into bloodbaths of torture, murder and civil war; the carnage fuelled by the illicit trade of gems that adorn the fingers of millions around the world.

Modern history

57:30 | Published 1 week ago

The Crown and Us: The Story of the Royals in Australia

A look at the relationship between Australia and the Crown, from 1974 until now. We expose the royal secrets and scandals of the '80s and explore the impact of Princess Diana. Do we need a British monarch as our head of state?

History

58:03 | Published 1 week ago

Who Do You Think You Are?

Lulu

Pop star Lulu travels to Glasgow to get to the bottom of a family mystery.

History

1:50:53 | Published 1 week ago

The Childhood of a Leader

This chilling fable about the rise of authoritarianism in the 20th century tells the story of a young boy living in France in 1918, whose father is working for Woodrow Wilson's US government on the creation of the Treaty of Versailles. What he witnesses helps to mould his beliefs - and we witness the birth of a terrifying ego.

Modern history

58:52 | Published 1 week ago

Britain and the Sea

Adventure and Exploration

Broadcaster David Dimbleby sails his yacht Rocket around the British coastline, exploring different aspects of the nation's maritime history, art and architecture along the way. He begins by sailing the south-west coast of Devon and Cornwall, where he tells the story of Sir Francis Drake and an array of adventurers, explorers, pirates and smugglers. He also welcomes record-breaking solo yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur on board and learns about one of the oldest maritime art forms of all - the tattoo. But will he agree to have one himself?

History

25:06 | Published 1 week ago

Kids of Courage

Romek

Romek and his parents live in a Jewish ghetto. He is a smuggler boy. From his last run, he brings not only a few potatoes, but also disturbing news: the ghetto is to be closed and the inhabitants deported to a labour camp.

History

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