The dark side of Dickens

It was under the rule of the infamous emperor Nero that the Great Revolt, the first of the Jewish-Roman wars, began, sparking many decades of continuous conflict. Speaking to James Osborne, historian and author Barry Strauss traces the story, following the the fate of the Jewish ...  Show more

Ireland's capital may be famous today for its nightlife and literature, but it has experienced more than its fair share of conflict and oppression alongside periods of great cultural and religious flourishing. To mark St Patrick's Day, we're revisiting an episode of our History’s ...  Show more

Charles Dickens is considered one of the greatest novelists of the Victorian Age. His works shone a light on prevalent issues of his era, such as poverty, disease, and inequality, and called for widespread social change. Since Dickens’ time, his books have been translated into 15 ...  Show more

We all know he wrote the original Muppet Christmas Carol, but what else is there to know about Charles Dickens? From a childhood working in the factories of Victorian London, to becoming a literary superstar with books such as Oliver Twist and Great Expectations, join Greg Jenner ...  Show more

In this episode, Jacke takes a look at two topics. First, the story of Charles and Mary Lamb, whose children's book Tales from Shakespeare (1807) was published more than two hundred years ago and has never been out of print. Part of the literary circle that included Romantic-era ...  Show more

Charles Dickens is best known for chronicling life in London, but he also wrote about the United States - and not in a flattering light. When touring the U.S. and Canada with his wife, Dickens found many American customs repugnant. Tune in to learn more.