History's Heroes

Historian Alex von Tunzelmann, Ray Winstone, Nicola Coughlan and Helena Bonham Carter shine a light on extraordinary people in history.

Radio 4,89 episodes

Episodes

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Rose Heilbron QC and The Cameo Murder
Can the first woman to lead a murder case in England prove herself in court?
31 Mar 2026,28 mins
Washington and Emily Roebling: Superstars of Suspension
Can a married couple take on the greatest engineering feat of their day?
24 Mar 2026,28 mins
Maharani Jindan Kaur – The Last Queen of the Punjab
Will the last queen of Punjab, Maharani Jindan, break free of the British and see her son?
17 Mar 2026,28 mins
BONUS Margaret Cavendish Blazes Through the World Part 2
Alex von Tunzelmann and Professor Keith Allen discuss the life of Margaret Cavendish.
10 Mar 2026,25 mins
Margaret Cavendish Blazes Through the World
How did Margaret Cavendish invent a new genre of fiction?
03 Mar 2026,26 mins
Vuyisile Mini: The Voice That Defied Apartheid
In 1950s South Africa a powerful new song catches fire among Black communities.
24 Feb 2026,28 mins
Sophie Blanchard Takes to the Skies
How did Sophie Blanchard become a pioneer of hot air ballooning?
17 Feb 2026,28 mins
BONUS: Eleanor of Aquitaine: Medieval Queen Supreme Part 2
Alex von Tunzelmann & Dr Eleanor Janega discuss the power of Eleanor of Aquitaine.
10 Feb 2026,28 mins
Eleanor of Aquitaine: Medieval Queen Supreme
Can Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine save her son and the king, Richard the Lionheart?
03 Feb 2026,28 mins
Eileen Kampakuta Brown and the Anti‑Nuclear Campaign
A group of Aboriginal women fight for their ancient way of life.
27 Jan 2026,28 mins
Wat Tyler and the Peasants’ Revolt
How did Wat Tyler threaten the ruling order in medieval England?
20 Jan 2026,27 mins
BONUS: The Sisters Who Took On A Dictator, Part 2
The legacy of the Mirabal Sisters and their extraordinary bravery.
13 Jan 2026,25 mins
The Sisters Who Took On A Dictator
A woman and her sisters refuse to bow down to a brutal dictator.
06 Jan 2026,29 mins
Charles Dickens and the Train Crash
How did Charles Dickens rescue passengers from a railway disaster?
30 Dec 2025,28 mins
History's Heroes Trailer
Stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone.
23 Dec 2025,2 mins
History's Toughest Heroes
Trailer
Adventurers, rebels and survivors who lived life on the edge, with Ray Winstone.
30 Sep 2025,2 mins
History's Toughest Heroes
Peter Freuchen: Surviving the Arctic Wilderness
An arctic explorer is trapped in a snow drift. How will he escape?
07 Oct 2025,28 mins
History's Toughest Heroes
Kitty O’Neil: Hollywood's Real Wonder Woman
How did a deaf woman defy the odds to become a Hollywood stuntwoman?
14 Oct 2025,28 mins
History's Toughest Heroes
Robert Smalls: Last Chance for Freedom
Can an enslaved man commandeer a Confederate ship and escape to freedom?
21 Oct 2025,29 mins
History's Toughest Heroes
Constance Bulwer-Lytton: Suffragette Rebel
A suffragette, hiding a secret, goes on hunger strike.
28 Oct 2025,28 mins
History's Toughest Heroes
Hugh Glass: The Real Story of The Revenant
Attacked by a bear and left for dead, can Hugh Glass crawl hundreds of miles to safety?
04 Nov 2025,28 mins
History's Toughest Heroes
Henry Johnson: Hellfighter
How did one man from the American South fight off an entire German party in World War One?
11 Nov 2025,28 mins
History's Toughest Heroes
Margery Kempe: Ministry of Tears
A medieval woman finds superhuman strength in her tears.
18 Nov 2025,28 mins
History's Toughest Heroes
The Ballad of Crazy Horse
A mysterious Lakota warrior vows to protect his people at any cost.
25 Nov 2025,28 mins
History's Toughest Heroes
Ida B. Wells and the Red Recorder
An intrepid reporter risks her life to expose lynchings in the American South.
02 Dec 2025,28 mins
History's Toughest Heroes
William Marshal: The Greatest Medieval Knight
At the age of 70, can England’s greatest knight still save the realm from invasion?
09 Dec 2025,29 mins
Miss La La and Kaira Fly Through the Air
A circus performer and her acrobatic partner defy convention to become icons of the ring
30 Sep 2025,27 mins
BONUS: The Marvels of Madam C.J. Walker Part 2
How did Madam C.J. Walker transform the beauty industry?
23 Sep 2025,30 mins
Nellie Bly Goes Undercover
Can a young reporter expose the horrors of a New York asylum?
16 Sep 2025,28 mins
The Marvels of Madam C.J. Walker
How did Sarah Breedlove become one of the wealthiest African American Women of her time?
09 Sep 2025,28 mins