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The original Goths
The ancient tribe which shaped Europe's history
Herman Melville: Moby Dick
The 19th Century epic novel on a vengeful sailor鈥檚 battle with the great 鈥榳hite whale鈥
Yves Saint Laurent: Fashion revolutionary
Bridget Kendall and guests on the glamorous world of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.
Lawrence of Arabia
The life of T.E Lawrence renowned for his involvement with the Arab Revolt during WW1
From Straw Poll to Opinion Poll
With us since the 1930s, polls help forecast elections and conduct market research
Votes for Women: the Global Story
The extraordinary stories of the women around the world who won the right to vote
What is Zoroastrianism?
The history of a venerable religion
Sugar: A Sweet Menace
How sugar travelled across the world and seduced all on its path
Plastic: How it Changed the World
Experts from the world of science discuss the story of plastic with presenter Rajan Datar
Machu Picchu: The secrets of a forgotten city
The enigma of the Inca mountain retreat
Material World: Making the Modern Factory
The global factory story
Catherine the Great of Russia
A woman and a foreigner who usurped her way to the throne in 18th century Russia
Simone de Beauvoir: Feminist thinker for modern times
How a philosophical thinker radically changed the way we see women
The piano: Hitting the right keys
Bridget Kendall and guests lift the lid on 300 years of the piano
The tales of Timbuktu
How a remote desert town in Mali became world famous
J. William Fulbright: Scholarships and Soft Power
The man behind the renowned scholarship programme
The life and works of William Blake
Radical visionary, artist and poet
The invention of numbers
How numbers and counting shaped our world
Pioneers of surgical hygiene
The painful route to cleanliness in 19th century hospitals
Mark Twain: The 'father of American literature'
Bridget Kendall and guests discuss the life, work and legacy of Mark Twain
Vincent van Gogh: The struggling artist
Charting the highs and lows of the influential Dutch post-Impressionist painter
Christina of Sweden: Queen of surprises
The rebellious monarch who scandalised 17th-century Europe
Waiting for Godot: The play that changed the rules of theatre
How a play in which nothing happens created a revolution in contemporary theatre
Empress Nur Jahan: Leader of the Mughals
The woman who wielded unparalleled power over the Mughal Empire in 17th century India
Friedrich Engels: The Man Behind Karl Marx
The eventful life of Engels and his pivotal contribution to Marxism
The Acropolis: Cradle of democracy
How the Acropolis of Athens provided the West with its foundations of politics and drama
The American author James Baldwin
A giant of twentieth century American culture
The Making of Modern Japan
Rajan Datar and guests discuss the astonishing transformation of Japan over 150 years
Edgar Allan Poe: Master of horror
The dark, tumultuous life of America鈥檚 great gothic writer
The Jet Engine
The trailblazing technology which made the air age soar
Frida Kahlo: A life in colour
The life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, known for her ground-breaking self-portraits