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

The submarine: Stealth machine

Exploring the silent and secretive world of underwater vessels

• 39 mins

Albert Camus: Embracing life’s absurdity

The Stranger and other key works of Algeria’s great humanist Albert Camus

• 44 mins

The history of opium

Opium’s journey from vital medicine to dangerously addictive drug

• 44 mins

Electric telegraph: the first worldwide web

The Morse code messaging network that changed the world forever

• 44 mins

Manuela Sáenz: South America’s revolutionary heroine

The Ecuadorian woman who fought for South American independence in the 19th Century

• 39 mins

The Cat: In from the wild

Domesticated cats have been worshipped, vilified and revered throughout history

• 44 mins

Indigo: the bluest blue

Blue Gold or Devil's Dye? The complex history of the precious blue dye

• 44 mins

John Harvey Kellogg: The ‘wellness’ pioneer

How the co-inventor of cornflakes inspired a healthy living revolution

• 44 mins

Rudolf Nureyev: Superstar Russian dancer

Exploring the life of a man who pushed the boundaries of ballet.

• 44 mins

Fridtjof Nansen: Norway's great explorer

The polar adventures of a remarkable man whose humanitarian work saved thousands of lives

• 44 mins

The Russian civil war: How the Soviets rose to power

How the events of the Russian civil war led to Lenin’s communist dictatorship

• 44 mins

The Scythians: Masters of the steppe

The nomadic warriors who ruled vast swathes of Asia and Europe and who knew how to party

• 44 mins