The historic town of Mostar, spanning a deep valley of the Neretva River, developed in the 15th and 16th centuries as an Ottoman frontier town and during the Austro-Hungarian period in the 19th and 20th centuries. Mostar has long been known for its old Turkish houses and Old Bridge, Stari Most, after which it is named. In the 1990 conflict, however, most of the historic town and the Old Bridge, designed by the renowned architect Sinan, were destroyed....

Drabness and shortages marked the years after World War II, until Dior's New Look arrived. And then a parade of innovations: artificial fibers, separates, casual clothes, stiletto heels and witches' toes, Teddy boys and zoot suits-an example of fashion coming from below and not above. It took 15 years from the introduction of the lady's pantsuit until a woman wearing pants was admitted to a tony London restaurant; meanwhile, Mary Quant arrived with...

The eruption of the Vesuvio froze the town of Pompei forever. The catastrophe led to a vast interdisciplinary project: volcanology reveals the force of the eruption, archeology and the study of texts uncover new objects of daily life found in the remains of buildings and roadways, including graffiti on the walls… But can one be sure that all of these discoveries date back to the eruption?

Located well above the Arctic Circle, the site includes the mountainous Wrangel Island (2,937 square miles), Herald Island (4 square miles) and surrounding waters. Wrangel was not glaciated during the Quaternary Ice Age, resulting in exceptionally high levels of biodiversity for this region. The island boasts the world’s largest population of Pacific walrus and the highest density of ancestral polar bear dens. It is a major feeding ground for the...

In this program, Michael Wood uncovers the story of Shakespeare's life in the "new age" of King James I. It is a riveting exploration of the circumstances that led to the penning of Macbeth and The Tempest - a play often seen as his farewell to the stage. However, we discover his true final play, King Henry VIII, is inspired by his own times, the story of the split that shook up his parents' lives and shaped his own. Even in his death, Shakespeare...

At a time when revolutionary France was assailed from all sides, there emerged a young military officer whose genius and ambition assured him of great fame-and notoriety. In this program, Dr. David Chandler-world-renowned authority on the Emperor Napoleon and author of The Campaigns of Napoleon-provides full commentary on the strategies and tactics of the Napoleonic Wars. Large-scale reenactments bring to life the military campaigns that so strongly...

The award-winning Horrible Histories returns for a special episode about Mary, Queen of Scots, starring Jessica Ransom. We follow Mary as she stumbles from young girl in Scotland, to queen in France, back to queen in Scotland, and finally to Elizabeth I's public enemy no. 1—with a bit of Queenian Rhapsody thrown in for good measure! Meanwhile across the world we meet silver-nosed Danish scientist Tycho Brahe, and Mr. H gives us his unique take on...

Part 1 of this series explores how the movement grew out of the Church-dominated period of the Middle Ages and how various complex forces gave rise to new scientific discovery. During the Middle Ages, society believed the classical teachings of Aristotle and Plato. The Earth-centered solar system, as described by Ptolemy, was considered fact. The notion that our solar system was actually Sun-centered and that the Earth and other planets moved about...

After successful trading missions to the Spice Islands (Indonesia) the Dutch established the East India Company (VOC) which was to grow into the world’s largest multi-national corporation in the 17th century. The VOC developed a near monopoly of the Asian spice trade and its huge maritime fleet became the world’s most powerful and profitable shipping company. Far from celebrating their so called “Golden Age”, the Dutch today are actively debating...

Spain's Golden Age is recognized as the most fertile and glorious era in Spanish arts and letters. Miguel de Cervantes, Francisco de Quevedo, Calderon de la Barca, Diego Velazquez, and many others created works of enduring renown.even as their country fell into ruin. This program contrasts the marvels of the Siglo de Oro through dramatizations, film clips, artwork, and visits to important locales with the ineffectiveness of Kings Philip III and IV-a...