Murder in the Cathedral: The Killing of Thomas Becket
The horrific murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in his own cathedral shocked Europe and immediately created one of the most famous martyrs in English history. The story begins with Thomas Becket in exile in France, fleeing the anger of...
Becket Episode 1 – Vengeful King
King Henry II was a man with a terrible temper. He was determined to have absolute control of his subjects, but one unlikely man stood up to him. In this episode women are seized from convents and forcibly married,...
Eleanor of Aquitaine Ep 4: A Tale of Rival Kings
This is the story of how one woman changed the balance of power in Western Europe, by divorcing one man and marrying another. Eleanor of Aquitaine is the Queen of France, but has been alienated from her husband. Her...
Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Second Crusade Ep 3: A Scandal for the Ages
The dwindling army of the Second Crusade arrives in Antioch, where a quarrel over military strategy is influenced by rumours of a sex scandal involving the Queen of France. The Crusaders make some very bad decisions, leading to a...
Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Second Crusade Ep 2: A Total Debacle
The Second Crusade leaves Europe under the command of two kings, fielding the largest number of men in a generation. Eleanor of Aquitaine rides with her husband, King Louis VII of France, while Conrad Hohenstaufen leads forces from the...
The Second Crusade Ep 1: Eleanor of Aquitaine, the medieval queen who went to war
The Second Crusade would be a disaster, but why did it happen and how did it get started? The call to arms was preached by a closet dwelling ascetic who happened to be the leading churchman of his generation–...
Templars Ep 2: The Fiery End
The Templars began as warrior monks, but have been linked to everything from demon worship to forbidden sexual practices. What happened? This episode follows the history of the spectacular fall of a knightly order. A power struggle between a...
Templars Ep 1: The Rise of the Knights Templar
The Knights Templar are surrounded by legends and conspiracy theories. Who were they actually? This episode tracks the Templars from their inception as an order of warrior monks in the Crusader state of Jerusalem, to their astonishing expansion into...
The First Crusade Ep 4: Rise of the Crusader Kings
The Crusaders have taken Jerusalem but they face one final battle. When the men start to head home, the legend of the First Crusade is born, and a massive new wave of Crusaders heads east. Not everyone wants to...
The First Crusade Ep 3: Jerusalem in Flames
The Crusaders narrowly escape annihilation when they attempt to fight their way out of Antioch. Some men credit the miracle of the Holy Lance for their amazing escape. Divisions emerge amongst the nobles, while the army starves. Some Crusaders...
The First Crusade Ep 2: Siege of Antioch
As Western knights and nobles ride toward Jerusalem, there are many other cities they must take along the way. Their first battlefield encounter with the Turks leaves a lasting impression on both sides, but they are soon occupied with...
The First Crusade: Call to Arms
The First Crusade became the stuff of legend soon after it finished. Western knights headed to Constantinople and ultimately to Jerusalem, to rescue pilgrimage sites from the control of Muslim invaders. The crusade involved close to 100,000 people from...
Knights, Jousts, and Courtly Love
The image of the knight in shining armour has had a very long shadow in Western culture, from King Arthur to Monty Python. The reality of life for medieval knights, obsessed with honour and reputation is the subject of this...
Camino de Santiago and Medieval Pilgrimage
The Camino de Santiago pilgrimage is exploding in popularity these days, but the modern travellers are part of a tradition that is over 1000 years old. How did the Camino begin? Why did medieval people go on pilgrimages anyway? ...
Empire of the Franks Ep 2: The Vikings Attack
The grandsons of Charlemagne slide into civil war, with thousands of Franks killing each other over the division of the empire. Though the Treaty of Verdun ends the bloodletting, Frankish troubles are far from over. Vikings sail up the...
Empire of the Franks Ep 1: Grit and Steel
Both the Germans and the French trace their origins to Charlemagne and the Franks. But who were the Franks, and how did they have such a powerful effect on the shape of Western Europe? This episode is a family...
Normans in Italy EP 3: King of Sicily
Roger II has played a high stakes game to secure his crown. Now a king, he must face the consequences of backing the wrong Pope. Rebellious barons, treacherous in-laws, and the loss of his beloved wife burden him as...
Normans in Sicily EP 2: Roger II
Roger II inherits his father’s position as ruler of Sicily and begins to take over parts of Southern Italy as well. Along the way a daring plan leads Norman knights out of a desperate situation, and a Crusader king...
Norman Sicily EP 1: When the Vikings Invaded Italy
The Vikings terrorised coastal Europe in their longboats, plundering and killing as they went. Some of them were offered a deal: they could accept land and settle in France, in exchange for defending the area from other raiders. These...
History of the Sword
The sword is more than just a weapon. It has been used to dub knights and legitimise kings, determine guilt and settle matters of honour. From the ancient Romans and the Song of Roland to dueling culture and German...