314 Drake goes Bowling

On 5th November 1688 William landed, claiming to be here to force James to restore Scots and English liberties. His army of 15,000 faced a much larger royal force of 25,000 gathering at Salisbury. But as James waited for William falter in a struggle towards London though the mud ...  Show more

Paul Greengrass' The Uprising covers the Peasant's Revolt in 1381 from start to bloody finish. Did you see it? What did you think? This is a few minutes from me about how I found it, and an invitation tio come along to post your views with other listeners on the History of Englan ...  Show more

In July 1588 the Spanish Armada set sail to conquer England. Three weeks later a fierce naval battle foiled the planned invasion. Many myths surround these events. The "genius" of Sir Francis Drake is exalted, while Spain’s efforts are belittled. But what really happened du ...

The defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English navy is often recounted as a ‘David and Goliath’ tale in which one tiny country overcame a huge and formidable empire. It secured the continuance of Protestant rule in England and was a defining moment in the reign of Queen Elizabet ...  Show more

Dan tells swashbuckling tales of Francis Drake on the Spanish Main. Francis Drake was England's first imperial warrior forged in the crucible of the 16th-century naval engagements against Spain. This episode covers Drake's early life, his transformation from a passionate Prote ...