Joseph Heller's Catch-22: A novel of twisted logic and absurd bureaucracy

Bridget Kendall explores a novel that gave rise to a new term in the English language

• 39 mins

Franz Liszt: Hungarian pianist and painter in sound

A charismatic musician who transformed classical concerts

• 40 mins

Vincent van Gogh: The struggling artist

Charting the highs and lows of the influential Dutch post-Impressionist painter

• 39 mins

The invention of numbers

How numbers and counting shaped our world

• 39 mins

Pinocchio: The real story of the mischievous wooden puppet

The original Italian novel about the wooden puppet with the growing nose

• 39 mins

Money: From coin to cryptocurrency

The origins of coins, paper money, shares and other financial instruments

• 39 mins

Margaret Fuller: Early feminist and war correspondent

A brilliant American journalist determined to live her life to the full

• 39 mins

The Truman Doctrine: Beginnings of the Cold War

The speech that committed the USA to a 40-year struggle with the Soviet Union

• 40 mins

Kwame Nkrumah: Ghana’s Pan-African idealist

Assessing the complex legacy of a man who campaigned for a United States of Africa

• 39 mins

Mirror Mirror on the wall: The history of the looking glass

The magical role of the mirror that's revealing ground-breaking secrets of the universe

• 39 mins

Emperor Nero: Bad boy of Ancient Rome

Historical accounts of the notorious Roman emperor skew our interpretation of his legacy

• 39 mins

Fertiliser and poison gas: The legacy of chemist Fritz Haber

The scientist who helped feed billions, and unleashed a new kind of death

• 40 mins

Vikings and their quest for silver

How Viking trade and raids transformed medieval economy and society

• 39 mins

Eunuchs and empires

The painful route to power for some young boys and men

• 39 mins

Insulin: The discovery that transformed diabetic care

Tracing the discovery of a hormone that has helped millions manage diabetes

• 39 mins

The Koryo Kingdom: Medieval dynasty that united Korea

Progressive, pluralistic and united – the remarkable era of the Koryo Kingdom

• 39 mins

The Popol Vuh: Central American epic that survived Spanish conquest

One of the most mind-bending mythological sagas ever written

• 39 mins

Ice cream: A cool history

How snow and ice were transformed into one of the world’s most popular desserts

• 43 mins

Samurai: Japan’s elite warrior class

The changing image of Japan’s fabled fighters over the centuries

• 39 mins

Radio waves and plants: The life of JC Bose

How physics and biology entwined in JC Bose's search for the unity of all life on Earth

• 39 mins

The unstoppable orange

The golden fruit that became a symbol of love and wealth

• 39 mins

Taras Shevchenko: The slave who became a symbol of Ukrainian independence

The life and work of Ukraine's national bard

• 39 mins

La Malinche: Mexico's great 'traitor'

The indigenous slave girl who helped the Spanish conquer the Aztecs

• 43 mins

Eleonora Duse: The first great modern actress

The early feminist icon who challenged theatrical convention

• 39 mins

Making scents: The story of perfume

How fine fragrance became what it is today

• 39 mins

Gandhi: Architect of Indian independence

How a shy, mediocre schoolboy went on to shake the British Empire and inspire the world

• 46 mins

The Art of War: Ancient Chinese guide to victory

A manual for achieving success on the battlefield, and in life

• 39 mins

Bluegrass: Virtuoso music of Appalachia

The rich history of music from America's rural south

• 42 mins

Brazil's Palmares: A beacon of freedom

An inspirational settlement of people seeking freedom from slavery

• 39 mins

Yves Saint Laurent: Fashion revolutionary

Bridget Kendall and guests on the glamorous world of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent

• 39 mins