Misha Glenny and guests discuss the ideas, people and events that have shaped our world.
Radio 4,·1103 episodes
Melvyn Bragg and guests examine how much the British Raj owed to the Mughal Emperors.
26 Feb 2004,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Ernest Rutherford, the father of nuclear science.
19 Feb 2004,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg explores a transcendental idea that took hold on the Age of Enlightenment.
12 Feb 2004,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines the Battle of Thermopylae, a defining clash between East and West.
05 Feb 2004,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the origins and history of codes.
29 Jan 2004,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg discusses Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, the 18th century French precursor to Darwin.
26 Dec 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg investigates how sounds turned into signs and signs became the alphabet.
18 Dec 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines how the Devil became an established figure in Christianity.
11 Dec 2003,·45 mins
The life, work and legacy of the 20th century philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein.
04 Dec 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the infamous St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in 1572.
27 Nov 2003,·41 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines the age of the Earth and its division into four great Eons.
20 Nov 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines duty, a concept that has excited philosophers through history.
13 Nov 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the novels of sensation, a Victorian literary phenomenon.
06 Nov 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the centuries old myth of the most romantic noble outlaw.
30 Oct 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the nature and existence of mathematical infinity.
23 Oct 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines events surrounding the medieval division of the Christian Church.
16 Oct 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines the 19th century Parisian philosophy of life lived for art.
09 Oct 2003,·45 mins
The work and legacy of the often overlooked 19th century scientist James Clerk Maxwell.
02 Oct 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines how a powerful narrative of judgement and retribution evolved.
17 Jul 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines the attempt to define humanity’s part in the natural world.
10 Jul 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the formation and eruption of volcanoes.
03 Jul 2003,·45 mins
The history of the private trading company that helped forge the British Empire.
26 Jun 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines the origins, power and eventual decline of the British aristocracy.
19 Jun 2003,·45 mins
The history and philosophy of warfare throughout the ages.
12 Jun 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines an 18th century group of pioneering scientists and engineers.
05 Jun 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the function and significance of memory.
29 May 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss blood, from medical progress to the link to the divine.
22 May 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines why the Holy Grail legend has fascinated writers for centuries.
15 May 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines the Stuart dynasty's final attempt to reclaim the throne of England.
08 May 2003,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 400 year history of the Romans in Britain.
01 May 2003,·45 mins
