History of the World podcast

1099 - The climax of the First Crusade sees the remainder of the Crusader armies attempt to take control of the Holy City from its newest owners, the Isma'ili Shia Islamic Fatimid Caliphate, with devastating consequences.

1095 - 1098 - The Crusade to the Holy Land was an ambitious undertaking when considering the distance to travel to fight enemies on their own soil.  We look at the motivating factors and the politics of the age to discover why so many people decided to make this dangerous pilgrimage.

768 - 1453 - Unpacking the true meaning of feudalism by examining the different relationships between classes of people living in Western Europe during the medieval period.

739 - 1392 - After an introduction to the Papacy, we concentrate on the period from when the Pope approached the Franks for protection, through to the battles between the peoples of northern Italy who traditionally either supported the Pope or the Holy Roman Emperor.

251 - 1221 - From the isolated hermit lifestyle of Saint Anthony in Egypt through to the medicant style of monasticism of Saint Dominic, we explore the diverse and ever changing fortunes and faces of the first millennium of Christian monasticism.

500 - 1500 - Attackers and defenders evolved in parallel to each other, so we can examine the relationship of archers against armour, and siege engines against defensive walls, as well as the melee weapons of the age and the differences around the world.

300000 BCE - 1492 CE - To understand how communication was possible over long distances in medieval times, we delve into the history of travel from the ancient age, right through to the eve of the Age of Exploration.

1607 - 1674 - The turbulent story of the 17th Century Dutch colony in North America which signified the birth of the modern city of New York, and saw the difficulties faced between European nations and Native American peoples.

5330000 BCE - today - We condense the history of the Mediterranean island of Crete into one episode, plotting the ages of the Minoans, Mycenaeans, Etocretans, Romans, Aghlabids, Venetians, Ottomans and Nazi Germans, as well as the ultimate mother culture of Greece itself.

150000 BCE - today - Who are the Khoisan people and why are they so different to all other human life on the planet?  How has their lifestyle been affected by the many waves of migrations into their lands?  What traditions of their culture have they carried into today's world and where do they fit into today's society?