The book that transformed medieval England

'Keep calm and carry on' has long been held up as the defining spirit of wartime Britain. But was the nation really as united, stoic and unquestioning as popular memory suggests? In this episode, Steven Casey takes Isabel King through the often surprising reality of Britain's war ...  Show more

How did the politically neutral Catholic church come to have dealings with the fascist regimes of Mussolini and Hitler? In this episode, Ambrogio Caiani tells Charlotte Vosper why the Curia was enticed by authoritarianism, and what these deals with dictators meant for ordinary Ca ...  Show more

In this episode, Greg Jenner is joined in 15th-Century England by Dr Lydia Zeldenrust and comedian Robin Ince to learn all about the early history of book printing. 2024 marks the 550th anniversary of the first book printed in English: a history of Troy, produced in 1474 by Willi ...  Show more

In this episode, Greg Jenner is joined in 15th-Century England by Dr Lydia Zeldenrust and comedian Robin Ince to learn all about the early history of book printing.2024 marks the 550th anniversary of the first book printed in English: a history of Troy, produced in 1474 by Willia ...  Show more

How did the Bible transform from a guarded manuscript read in secret to a book accessible to millions?

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Bruce Gordon to uncover the revolutionary impact of Gutenberg's printing press and Erasmus's bold Greek New Testa ...

Geoffrey Chaucer stands as a founding father of English literature, and ‘The Canterbury Tales’ is an enthralling account of his age, holding a mirror up to the traditional hierarchies of 14th century England. Chaucer’s own life was spent navigating the rapids of a particularly tu ...  Show more