The Vikings were an ambitious, daring and frightening people who left an indelible mark on the British psyche. Yet archaeology has revealed very little about their time in Britain and even less about what happened to them afterwards. Archaeologist Julian Richards finds new evidence about what really happened during the dramatic period when Vikings roamed the seas around Britain. And in a ground-breaking genetics research project designed specially...

Three manmade marvels, ancient to modern, that showcase the incredible breadth of human imagination and man’s mastery of engineering.

What happened after Jesus died on the cross? Why were his disciples not in turn persecuted by the Romans? Why did they stay in Jerusalem? Were they still waiting for the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel? Did they expect it to be imminent, i.e. would the end of time also coincide with the end of Roman rule? Did Jesus himself expect to rise from the dead? To what extent does the Christian concept of the resurrection spring from Jewish tradition?...

The union of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, two able rulers known jointly as the Catholic Monarchs, set the stage for the unification of Spain religiously as well as politically and economically. This program utilizes dramatizations, location footage of historical landmarks, and maps to illustrate their consolidation of power, including the final conquest of Granada, the expulsion of the Jews, and the establishment of the Inquisition...

In a tale of fantastic geographical sweep, Michael Wood conjures up China's first great international age, the Tang Dynasty. From picturesque old cities on the Yellow River he travels to the bazaars of the Silk Road in Central Asia, and on to India in the footsteps of the Chinese monk who brought Buddhist texts to China.

An Egyptian crocodile who catches the fancy of the esteemed Emperor Napoleon becomes an instant celebrity in a fancy fountain in Paris. But when someone in the kitchen starts singing the praises of crocodile pie, the resourceful and very hungry reptile escapes by sewer. Narrated by Tim Curry. AudioFile: "Tim Curry's narration is exemplary - a glorious example of the perfect melding of all parts of an audio recording. The musical background is...

Over the past two hundred years, names such as Frederick Douglass, Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X, permeate our national consciousness. They along with other African-Americans, fought for American independence, the abolition of slavery, civil and equal rights.

This episode of The Dictator's Playbook examines the rise and reign of North Korea's Kim Il-Sung. See howhe created an unshakeable cult of personality and a dictatorship that has spanned three generations.

In the late-19th century, with the American Civil War in full swing, millions of Americans relied on the written word, illustrations and engravings for news about the conflict; until the groundbreaking work of New York photographer Mathew Brady, brought the harsh realities of war home for the very first time.

During the Medieval period, trial by ordeal was not uncommon. The accused was tied up and tossed in the water; if they floated they were guilty, but if they drowned they were innocent. Justice was not exactly being served! However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. After the Norman invasion, Parliament was the highest court in England, and Edward the First introduced more statutes than any other Medieval king.