Misha Glenny and guests discuss the ideas, people and events that have shaped our world.
Radio 4,·1114 episodes
Melvyn Bragg explores the origin of the concept and the historical role of the scientist.
24 Oct 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines British imperialism and its captives, both slaves and Britons.
17 Oct 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg explores the relationship between heritage culture and the study of history.
18 Jul 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the impact of politics on psychoanalysis.
11 Jul 2002,·41 mins
Melvyn Bragg considers what it is to be free and how freedom became such a powerful value.
04 Jul 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines how a dominant power can exert a cultural influence on its empire.
27 Jun 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines the position of Richard Wagner and his music in German culture.
20 Jun 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg explores the myths and harsh reality of the 19th century American pioneers.
13 Jun 2002,·45 mins
The history of thought on immortality, the self and the afterlife.
06 Jun 2002,·28 mins
The origins and cultural impact of 18th century tourism.
30 May 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines the role of narcotics and stimulants in the history of medicine.
23 May 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines how Chaos Theory has affected our understanding of the universe.
16 May 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg investigates how our preoccupations about how to live have altered over time.
09 May 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines the attempt to reconcile Quantum Theory and classical physics.
02 May 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg explores the life and work of the 19th century Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy.
25 Apr 2002,·45 mins
The history of the ancient kingdom and its religious, national and ethnic ideologies.
11 Apr 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss our chances of ever discovering life on another planet.
04 Apr 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg explores the history and changing the status of the artist.
28 Mar 2002,·45 mins
The history of marriage from ancient Greek and Babylonian times to today.
21 Mar 2002,·45 mins
The life of Siddhartha Gautama and the legacy of his teachings.
14 Mar 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines both the literary and political careers of the poet John Milton.
07 Mar 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg explores the meaning and purpose of the philosophical concept of virtue.
28 Feb 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines what we really know about the Celts of pre-Roman Britain.
21 Feb 2002,·45 mins
The 2000 year old history of mankind's quest to understand the human body.
14 Feb 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the shape, size and topology of the universe.
07 Feb 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg explores the strange and mystical world of the Irish poet W B Yeats.
31 Jan 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg considers whether 'happiness' means living a life of pleasure or of virtue.
24 Jan 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines the Cathars, a medieval European Christian sect accused of heresy.
17 Jan 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines the 20th century development of nuclear physics as a science.
10 Jan 2002,·45 mins
Melvyn Bragg examines the ideas behind the 18th century literary cult of sensibility.
03 Jan 2002,·45 mins
