In Our Time

history

<p>Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Misha Glenny and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world. History fans can learn about pivotal wars and societal upheavals, such as the rise and fall of Napoleon, the …

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Episodes

Margaret Beaufort

<p>Misha Glenny and guests discuss the woman who, as a child bride, became mother to the boy who would eventually become the first king in the Tudor dynasty. Lady Margaret …

Apr 02, 2026 · 54m

The Columbian Exchange

<p>Misha Glenny and guests discuss the exchange of cultures and biology across the Atlantic and Pacific after 1492. That was when Columbus reached the Bahamas, a time when Europe had …

Mar 26, 2026 · 52m

John Keats

<p>Misha Glenny and guests discuss the short life and lasting works of Keats (1795-1821), who in one year wrote some of the most loved poems in English. Among these are …

Mar 19, 2026 · 48m

The Code of Hammurabi

<p>Misha Glenny and guests discuss the laws that Hammurabi (c1810 - c1750 BC), King of Babylon, had carved into a black basalt pillar in present day Iraq and which, since …

Mar 12, 2026 · 49m

Henry IV Part 1

<p>Misha Glenny and guests discuss one of the most successful of Shakespeare's plays in his own time. Written with no Part 2 in mind as 'Henry the Fourth', the play …

Mar 05, 2026 · 51m

The Roman Arena

<p>Misha Glenny and guests discuss the countless venues across the Roman Empire which for over five hundred years drew the biggest crowds both in the Republic and under the Emperors. …

Feb 26, 2026 · 50m

The Mariana Trench

<p>Misha Glenny and guests discuss one of the wonders of the natural world. In 1875 in the western Pacific, the crew of HMS Challenger discovered the Mariana Trench which turned …

Feb 19, 2026 · 58m

On Liberty

<p>Journalist, author and historian Misha Glenny presents his first edition of In Our Time, succeeding Melvyn Bragg who retired from this role last summer. Misha and his guests discuss the …

Feb 12, 2026 · 49m

Welcoming Misha Glenny

<p>Misha Glenny introduces himself to you ahead of his first episode on 15th January, answering some questions from producer Simon Tillotson and sharing what's coming up in the first few …

Feb 05, 2026 · 6m

Melvyn Bragg meets Misha Glenny

<p>Before Misha Glenny's first edition on 15th January, BBC Radio 4's flagship news programme Today has brought Melvyn Bragg and Misha Glenny together so they can share their ideas about …

Jan 22, 2026 · 16m

Civility

<p>Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the idea that Civility, in one of its meanings, is among the most valuable social virtues: the skill to discuss topics that really matter to …

Jul 31, 2025 · 51m

Dragons

<p>Melvyn Bragg and guests explore dragons, literally and symbolically potent creatures that have appeared in many different guises in countries and cultures around the world. </p><p>Sometimes compared to snakes, alligators, …

Jul 24, 2025 · 46m

Barbour's 'Brus'

<p>Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss John Barbour's epic poem The Brus, or Bruce, which he wrote c1375. The Brus is the earliest surviving poem in Older Scots and the only …

Jul 17, 2025 · 49m

The Evolution of Lungs

<p>Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the evolution of lungs and of the first breaths, which can be traced back 400 million years to when animal life spread from rock pools …

Jul 10, 2025 · 48m

The Vienna Secession

<p>In 1897, Gustav Klimt led a group of radical artists to break free from the cultural establishment of Vienna and found a movement that became known as the Vienna Secession. …

Jul 03, 2025 · 54m

Hypnosis

<p>Ever since Franz Anton Mesmer induced trance-like states in his Parisian subjects in the late eighteenth century, dressed in long purple robes, hypnosis has been associated with performance, power and …

Jun 26, 2025 · 45m

Paul von Hindenburg

<p>Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and role of one of the most significant figures in early 20th Century German history. Paul von Hindenburg (1847-1934) had been famous since …

Jun 19, 2025 · 52m

Copyright

<p>In 1710, the British Parliament passed a piece of legislation entitled An Act for the Encouragement of Learning. It became known as the Statute of Anne, and it was the …

Jun 12, 2025 · 1h 0m

Lise Meitner

<p>Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the decisive role of one of the great 20th Century physicists in solving the question of nuclear fission. It is said that Meitner (1878-1968) made …

Jun 05, 2025 · 57m

The Korean Empire

<p>Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Korea's brief but significant period as an empire as it moved from the 500-year-old dynastic Joseon monarchy towards modernity. It was in October 1897 that …

May 29, 2025 · 47m

Molière

<p>Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the great figures in world literature. The French playwright Molière (1622-1673) began as an actor, aiming to be a tragedian, but he was …

May 22, 2025 · 51m