history

The Empire State Story

The Empire State Story

History / 3 minutes of reading / / By

This programme chronicles the construction of the Empire State Building in New York, which was the world’s tallest skyscraper when opened in 1931. The programme investigates the building’s history through interviews with the people who contributed to the construction of this iconic building.      The Empire State Story Packed with personal anecdotes and great storytelling, this programme creates a compelling blend of archive and oral history. The Empire State Building took one year and 45 days to build and was completed not only on time, but also under budget. The anticipated cost had been 43 million dollars, but […]

The Empire State Story Read More »



Greek Myths - Tales of Travelling Heroes

Greek Myths – Tales of Travelling Heroes

History / 1 minute of reading / / By

Eminent classical historian Robin Lane Fox embarks on a journey in search of the origins of the Greek myths. He firmly believes that these fantastical stories lie at the root of western culture, and yet little is known about where the myths of the Greek gods came from, and how they grew. Now, after 35 years of travelling, excavation and interpretation, he is confident he has uncovered answers.     Greek Myths – Tales of Travelling Heroes   From the ancient lost city of Hattusas in modern Turkey to the smouldering summit of the Sicilian volcano Mount Etna, the documentary

Greek Myths – Tales of Travelling Heroes Read More »

100 Days to Victory - The Fightback

100 Days to Victory – The Fightback episode 2

History / 2 minutes of reading / / By

The Allies win a great victory at Amiens. The tide is turning, but the victors are under no illusions. The German Army remains a daunting fighting force and it has an ace up the sleeve: the Hindenburg Line – the most formidable defensive system in military history. If the Allies are to have any hope for victory, they need to find a way to punch through Germany’s wall of steel.     The generals formulate an ambitious plan incorporating newly minted ‘combined arms’ tactics on a massive scale. They commit artillery, tanks, aircraft and troops in careful concert, to attack

100 Days to Victory – The Fightback episode 2 Read More »



Mediterranean with Simon Reeve episode 4

Mediterranean with Simon Reeve episode 4

Travel / 2 minutes of reading / / By

In Mediterranean with Simon Reeve episode 4: Simon Reeve embarks on the fourth and final leg of his epic four-part journey around the Mediterranean. Taking a ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar, Simon’s first stop is Ceuta, a Spanish exclave surrounded by Morocco. This is one of the few land borders between Africa and the European Union. Simon joins the Spanish border police who check engines and even dashboards for stowaways trying to reach Europe.     Migrant and refugees attempting to cross Ceuta’s fortress border have quadrupled in the last year. Undaunted by Morocco’s failure to issue a filming

Mediterranean with Simon Reeve episode 4 Read More »

100 Days to Victory - The Spring Offensive

100 Days to Victory – The Spring Offensive episode 1

History / 2 minutes of reading / / By

100 Days to Victory – Series charting how the Allies won WWI. This episode examines the lead up to the ‘combined arms’ coordination of artillery, tanks, aircraft and infantry.     We meet the commanders and men in early 1918, at the moment of maximum jeopardy. The Germans have launched a mighty ‘shock and awe’ attack, advancing more than 60 kilometres in only three days. Standing in their path are British, Australian, Canadian and French forces, while the Americans are still arriving to join the fight.   100 Days to Victory – The Spring Offensive episode 1   The onslaught

100 Days to Victory – The Spring Offensive episode 1 Read More »



Mediterranean with Simon Reeve episode 3

Mediterranean with Simon Reeve episode 3

Travel / 2 minutes of reading / / By

Mediterranean with Simon Reeve episode 3: Simon Reeve embarks on the third leg of his epic four-part journey around the Mediterranean. He begins in Libya – a country well off the tourist trail and torn apart by revolution, insurgents from the so-called Islamic State and western air strikes. Simon visits the Mediterranean city of Sirte, which has been the scene of heavy fighting.     Here Simon witnesses some of the worst destruction he has ever seen, with entire neighbourhoods of the city completely flattened. He also visits the remains of Leptis Magna – one of the world’s best-preserved Roman

Mediterranean with Simon Reeve episode 3 Read More »

Captain Cook with Sam Neill ep. 6

The Pacific In The Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill ep. 6

History, Travel / 2 minutes of reading / / By

In a bid to find the not yet existent North West passage Cook encountered vast ice ranges and saw the impact of colonisation first hand when entering part of Alaska already overtaken by the Russians. Forced back by the ice shelf Cook retreats to Hawaii for R&R before returning to the Arctic the following summer. But that was not to be. After nearly eleven years of voyaging from the Antarctic to the Arctic Circles trading, observing, befriending chiefs and villagers alike, even participating in local culture Cook is clubbed and stabbed and drowned in a quintessentially tropical paradise?   

The Pacific In The Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill ep. 6 Read More »



Captain Cook with Sam Neill ep. 5

The Pacific In The Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill ep. 5

History, Travel / 2 minutes of reading / / By

Swapping a potentially easy life of retirement for a third voyage around the Pacific, the relationship between Captain and crew is severely tested as Cook leads his men on an expedition that if successful would dwarf everything he had so far achieved – discover and navigate the Northwest Passage.     Sam Neill continues to follow the path of the Resolution, again via through New Zealand and Tonga onto Canada and Alaska, experiencing the Pacific as never before.   The Pacific In The Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill ep. 5   250 YEARS AFTER Captain James Cook began

The Pacific In The Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill ep. 5 Read More »

Captain Cook with Sam Neill ep. 4

The Pacific In The Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill ep. 4

History, Travel / 2 minutes of reading / / By

This episode deals with Cook’s second voyage aboard the Resolution in search of the Great Southern Continent. He circumnavigates the Antarctic, without ever sighting land – an extraordinary achievement in a flimsy ship at such latitudes. During this feat he begins the painstaking process of filling in vast unknown areas on the Pacific map.     Sam visits New Zealand, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Norfolk Island before completing one of Cook’s unfinished ambitions by touching down on Antarctica. For Sam this episode, in a much more intimate way, mirrors what many consider Cook’s greatest achievement, the breadth and extent of the

The Pacific In The Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill ep. 4 Read More »

Captain Cook with Sam Neill

The Pacific In The Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill ep. 3

History, Travel / 9 minutes of reading / / By

The Pacific: In the Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill – Episode 3 In the third episode of “The Pacific: In the Wake of Captain Cook,” Sam Neill takes us on an evocative journey back in time, uncovering the layered history of Captain Cook’s voyages. This episode focuses on Cook’s expedition along the eastern coast of Australia—a route he decided to take as a long detour on his way back to Britain after completing his Admiralty mission. Instead of heading directly home, Cook’s curiosity compelled him to explore further, leading to a fateful encounter with the mysterious land we

The Pacific In The Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill ep. 3 Read More »

The Pacific In The Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill ep. 2

The Pacific In The Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill ep. 2

History, Travel / 2 minutes of reading / / By

The second of six episodes following Sam Neill travelling in the wake of Captain Cook around the Pacific, 250 years on from when Cook made his first voyage. This episode sees Sam in New Zealand, a country he calls home. Sam considers not only the cultural ramifications of Cook’s first interactions with the Maori people but also the continuous social and political impact Western settlers had on the land and people.     Speaking with historians, activists, artists and locals, Sam delves into a deep history of trade, tradition and turbulent conflict. To his surprise Maori oral memories of Tupaia

The Pacific In The Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill ep. 2 Read More »

Scroll to Top