Life in the trenches: everything you wanted to know

Life in the trenches: everything you wanted t...

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Who wrote the Odyssey?

The Odyssey is one of the most celebrated stories ever told, recounting the tale of Greek hero Odysseus’s 10-year journey home from the Trojan War. It is one of just two ancient Greek epic poems said to be the work of ‘Homer’. But who was Homer? And why, today, do we ask ourselve ...  Show more

1966: The World Cup that changed a nation

The England men’s football team has missed out on the opportunity to replicate the nation’s much-heralded victory back in the 1966 World Cup, still one of the most celebrated moments in its sporting history. But what did the football tournament reveal about the state of the count ...  Show more

Recommended Episodes

Surviving the Great War: Medics in the Trenches
Dan Snow's History Hit

Warning: this episode contains graphic details of injuries.


The brutal nature of the First World War presented frontline medical personnel with an array of horrific and debilitating wounds, inflicted on a previously unimaginable scale. From gas attacks and bayonet wo ...

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France: Heroism
World War One

Life in the trenches during World War One, amongst rats, mud, shelling, barbed wire and unprecedented numbers of dead, called upon new reserves of both endurance and courage. But what did the war do to the ancient idea of heroism? 

USA: We Have Ways - Fear and Loathing on the Frontline
WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk

One of the most gruelling and horrifying roles in all military history was being a grunt during the Second World War. It was so terrifying, that at least 1/5 of all soldiers admitted to losing control of their bowels on the front line. Al Murray, James Holland and John McManus di ...  Show more

WW2: Life in Tanks
Warfare

What was it actually like to operate a tank during the Second World War?In this episode, we explore the iron belly of tank warfare through the eyes of Private Arthur Ibbotson, who enlisted in the war as a young lad in 1942, first joining the Grenadier Guards in London and who end ...  Show more