4. Napoleon: The Myth

In the early hours of September 2, 1666, a small fire broke out on the ground floor of a baker's house in Pudding Lane. In five days, that small fire would devastate the third-largest city in the Western world.Adrian Tinniswood is a historian, teacher and writer. Adrian joins Dan ...  Show more

Today, we uncover a forgotten SAS mission straight out of a war thriller: an elite unit jumps the chain of command and hijacks a 'pirate train', turning it into a weapon against fascist Italy. Their goal? To launch a surprise attack deep behind enemy lines on an Italian concentra ...  Show more

Napoleon Bonaparte has been described in many way throughout history. Conquerer. Lover. Legend. Shrivelled Eel?

Perhaps you haven't heard the last description before, but that's how a journalist described Napoleon's 'penis' when it went up for auction in 1977.

December 2nd is a special date for those fascinated by Napoleon Bonaparte. Not only is this the date he crowned himself Emperor of France in 1804, but also the date of his greatest victory a year later, the Battle of Austerlitz. James Rogers is joined by world-leading historian A ...  Show more

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Napoleon Bonaparte's temporary return to power in France in 1815, following his escape from exile on Elba . He arrived with fewer than a thousand men, yet three weeks later he had displaced Louis XVIII and taken charge of an army as large as any th ...  Show more

How exactly was Napoleon able to accomplish so much in such a short period of time? On this episode, I review the book Napoleon: How He Did It. It was written by Baron Fain, a private secretary of Napoleon's. He explains Napoleon's systems and work habits in minute detail. On thi ...  Show more