Lu Xun: Writing the story of New China

Life and works of the man who transformed Chinese literature.

• 40 mins

Robinson Crusoe: The man and his island

Daniel Defoe’s classic adventure story

• 40 mins

Calouste Gulbenkian: The architect of Middle East oil

The secretive Armenian financier who shaped petroleum production for decades

• 40 mins

Anaesthesia: Unwrapping oblivion

Getting under the skin of the discovery which made pain-free operations possible

• 40 mins

Moomin Creator Tove Jansson

Tove Jansson was the Finnish-Swedish author and illustrator best known for the Moomins.

• 40 mins

The spice trade: Selling the scents of luxury

The unique allure of spices that preyed on emotion and taste, and powered whole Empires

• 40 mins

Napoleon: From empire to exile

Exploring the life and legacy of France’s revolutionary emperor

• 40 mins

Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas

Jules Verne's classic adventure novel

• 40 mins

Chess: a chequered history

A war on the board - one of the oldest strategy games in the world

• 40 mins

Inside the mind of Leonardo da Vinci

The Italian artist’s unique understanding of science and the natural world

• 40 mins

Queen Njinga of Angola: Fearless fighter

The remarkable 17th Century leader who defied European oppression

• 39 mins

Fado: Portuguese soul music

Nostalgic song from Portugal, a small country with a big heart

• 40 mins

Thoreau: the writer who went to the woods

The author of the American classic ‘Walden’

• 40 mins

Pearls: Treasures of the sea

The social history of pearls as a fashion and status symbol over the centuries

• 44 mins

The Moon from Earth

The science, culture and mythology of the Moon

• 44 mins

Rasputin: The Siberian mystic who charmed the Tsar

Untangling the web of contradictions of the spiritual guide to the Romanov dynasty

• 44 mins

How Afghanistan won its freedom from Britain

1919 and the creation of independent Afghanistan

• 44 mins

Cnut: England's Viking king

King Cnut the Great ruled much of northern Europe a millennium ago

• 44 mins

The Bhagavad Gita: A guide to spiritual wisdom

The metaphysical and philosophical manual for Hindus and non-Hindus alike

• 44 mins

James Watt: The power of steam

How the Scottish engineer's ingenuity transformed industry

• 44 mins

Hugh Masekela: The iconic South African musician

Looking back at the life and career of the South African musician and activist

• 44 mins

Kafka's The Metamorphosis: A man turns into a monstrous bug

A man transforms into a kind of huge vermin overnight – Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis

• 44 mins

Leeuwenhoek: The fabric seller who discovered bacteria

The life and work of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, the Dutch pioneer of microscopy

• 44 mins

The Spartans: Ancient Greece’s fighting machine

The warriors famed for their discipline, fearless self-sacrifice and brutality

• 44 mins

Nineteen Eighty-Four: Orwell's dystopian classic

Why George Orwell's novel remains topical 70 years after publication

• 44 mins

Coco Chanel: French style icon

Exploring the rags to riches life story of the French fashion designer

• 44 mins

Andy Warhol: The prince of Pop Art

Exploring the life and work of artist Andy Warhol

• 44 mins

Imhotep: The man behind The Mummy

Uncovering the identity of the bandaged villain of Hollywood legend

• 44 mins

Einstein: Revolution in time and space

How one man defined the role of science and scientists in the modern age

• 44 mins

Fernando Pessoa: The man who multiplied himself

The great Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa who invented dozens of alter egos

• 44 mins