History's Heroes
BBC
History's Heroes: the BBC's breathtaking, high stakes, story-led history podcast feed that shines a light on extraordinary people from across history. Series include 'History's Heroes' with narration from Historian Alex von Tunzelmann, 'History's Toughest Heroes' with narration from Ray Winstone, 'History's Youngest Heroes' with narration from Nicola Coughlan and 'History's Secret Heroes' with narration from Helena Bonham Carter. In History's Heroes, Historian Alex von Tunzelmann (Radio 4's The History Podcast: The Lucan Obsession/writer of all the History's Heroes series) shines a light on the inspiring and unusual stories of courage, pioneering and people who used their voice to spark change. Heroes covered include groundbreaking surgeon Harold Gillies, composers Rodgers and Hammerstein and swimming champion Gertrude Ederle. Join Alex for stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone.
In History's Toughest Heroes, Ray Winstone reveals wild, true stories of adventurers, rebels and survivors. Heroes covered include arctic explorer Peter Freuchen, Hollywood stunt woman Kitty O'Neil and medieval knight William Marshal. Join Ray for tales of fearsome heroes who lived life on the edge. In History's Youngest Heroes, actress Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton, Derry Girls) tells twelve true stories of rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth. Before she became a Hollywood star, how did the young Audrey Hepburn take on the Nazis during World War Two? As a young activist, how did Nelson Mandela attempt to overthrow the South African government to end apartheid? Did Queen of England, Lady Jane Grey give up her faith or face the executioner's axe? Why did Terry Fox, a young man with a prosthetic leg, set out to run the length of Canada? Join Nicola to hear inspiring tales of young heroes both famous and forgotten, whose bravery demonstrates how young people can change history. In History's Secret Heroes, Helena Bonham Carter recounts untold stories of heroes from World War Two whose acts of resistance, deception and courage helped defeat fascism. In each episode, Helena shines a light on the spies, Royal Air Force pilots, army officers, prisoners of war and double agents who risked their lives to save others. Learn all about forgotten stories of survival, bravery and espionage - from the opera singers who helped dozens of Jewish people escape Nazi Germany, to the woman that Winston Churchill would go on to call his favourite spy. Previous episodes have looked at the story of the American actor George Takei (Star Trek), who was imprisoned without trial along with 12,000 other Japanese Americans, and Bela Hazan, a young Jewish woman who went undercover at the Gestapo headquarters to fight against the Nazis. From secret missions behind enemy lines in occupied Europe, to underground resistance movements across Germany, France, Poland, Great Britain and beyond, History's Secret Heroes reveals how ordinary people can make an extraordinary impact. Join Alex, Ray, Nicola and Helena for tales of deception, rebellion, risk and courage.
Location:
United Kingdom
Networks:
BBC
Description:
History's Heroes: the BBC's breathtaking, high stakes, story-led history podcast feed that shines a light on extraordinary people from across history. Series include 'History's Heroes' with narration from Historian Alex von Tunzelmann, 'History's Toughest Heroes' with narration from Ray Winstone, 'History's Youngest Heroes' with narration from Nicola Coughlan and 'History's Secret Heroes' with narration from Helena Bonham Carter. In History's Heroes, Historian Alex von Tunzelmann (Radio 4's The History Podcast: The Lucan Obsession/writer of all the History's Heroes series) shines a light on the inspiring and unusual stories of courage, pioneering and people who used their voice to spark change. Heroes covered include groundbreaking surgeon Harold Gillies, composers Rodgers and Hammerstein and swimming champion Gertrude Ederle. Join Alex for stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone. In History's Toughest Heroes, Ray Winstone reveals wild, true stories of adventurers, rebels and survivors. Heroes covered include arctic explorer Peter Freuchen, Hollywood stunt woman Kitty O'Neil and medieval knight William Marshal. Join Ray for tales of fearsome heroes who lived life on the edge. In History's Youngest Heroes, actress Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton, Derry Girls) tells twelve true stories of rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth. Before she became a Hollywood star, how did the young Audrey Hepburn take on the Nazis during World War Two? As a young activist, how did Nelson Mandela attempt to overthrow the South African government to end apartheid? Did Queen of England, Lady Jane Grey give up her faith or face the executioner's axe? Why did Terry Fox, a young man with a prosthetic leg, set out to run the length of Canada? Join Nicola to hear inspiring tales of young heroes both famous and forgotten, whose bravery demonstrates how young people can change history. In History's Secret Heroes, Helena Bonham Carter recounts untold stories of heroes from World War Two whose acts of resistance, deception and courage helped defeat fascism. In each episode, Helena shines a light on the spies, Royal Air Force pilots, army officers, prisoners of war and double agents who risked their lives to save others. Learn all about forgotten stories of survival, bravery and espionage - from the opera singers who helped dozens of Jewish people escape Nazi Germany, to the woman that Winston Churchill would go on to call his favourite spy. Previous episodes have looked at the story of the American actor George Takei (Star Trek), who was imprisoned without trial along with 12,000 other Japanese Americans, and Bela Hazan, a young Jewish woman who went undercover at the Gestapo headquarters to fight against the Nazis. From secret missions behind enemy lines in occupied Europe, to underground resistance movements across Germany, France, Poland, Great Britain and beyond, History's Secret Heroes reveals how ordinary people can make an extraordinary impact. Join Alex, Ray, Nicola and Helena for tales of deception, rebellion, risk and courage.
Language:
English
Episodes
BONUS: The Sisters Who Took On A Dictator Part 2
1/20/2026
Alex von Tunzelmann talks to Dominican American writer Julia Alvarez. Her 1994 novel In The Time of the Butterflies, tells the fictionalised account of the Mirabal Sisters, who lost their lives in standing up to the dictator Rafael Trujillo.
Alvarez, who was awarded The National Medal of the Arts, spent her childhood years in the Dominican Republic and describes the Mirabals as her “shadow sisters.” In 2001, the novel was adapted into a feature film of the same name, starring Salma Hayek as Minerva Mirabal and Edward James Olmos as Rafael Trujillo.
Stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone. Historian Alex von Tunzelmann shines a light on remarkable people from across history.
A BBC Studios production.
Presented by Alex von Tunzelmann Executive Producer: Paul Smith Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Duration:00:25:02
Introducing The History Bureau - Putin and the Apartment Bombs
1/16/2026
In September 1999, just weeks after a 46-year-old Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister, four bombs blew up four apartment buildings across Russia, killing hundreds of people while they slept. The attacks plunged the country into panic. Families fled their homes. Residents patrolled their blocks around the clock. An entire nation paralyzed by fear.
But who did it? It's a mystery that has fuelled some chilling theories.
The government blamed Chechen militants. Many reporters agreed. But then the whispers started. Was something even more sinister going on?
Over 25 years later, journalists who covered the bombings still can’t agree on who planted the explosives or why.
Presenter Helena Merriman returns to the story with the reporters who were there on the ground. What did they get right first time around? And, in the chaos and confusion of unfolding events, what did they miss?
Duration:00:03:39
The Sisters Who Took On A Dictator
1/13/2026
At the height of a vicious regime in the Dominican Republic, Minerva Mirabal and her sisters risk everything to liberate their nation. How would their actions help topple the dictator Rafael Trujillo?
Stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone. Historian Alex von Tunzelmann shines a light on remarkable people from across history.
A BBC Studios production.
Producer: Michael LaPointe Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann Executive Producer: Paul Smith Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Duration:00:29:13
Charles Dickens and the Train Crash
1/6/2026
In June 1865, the writer Charles Dickens was sitting in the first-class carriage of a train when it crashed outside of Kent. The horrific accident would require all his courage and threaten to reveal his most closely guarded secret.
Stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone. Historian Alex von Tunzelmann shines a light on remarkable people from across history.
A BBC Studios production.
Producer: Michael LaPointe Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann Executive Producer: Paul Smith Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Duration:00:28:32
History's Heroes Trailer
12/23/2025
Stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone. Historian Alex von Tunzelmann shines a light on remarkable people from across history.
Duration:00:02:25
History's Toughest Heroes: William Marshal: The Greatest Medieval Knight
12/16/2025
At the age of 70, does England’s greatest knight still have what it takes to save the realm from invasion?
In History's Toughest Heroes, Ray Winstone tells ten true stories of adventurers, rebels and survivors who lived life on the edge.
The young Sir William Marshal was handsome, charming, captain of the England Tourney team a sporting hero and right-hand man to many a king of England including Henry the Young King, Henry II, Richard the Lionheart and Bad King John. He was a brilliant rider and very good at jousting. He was even famed for having a ‘large crotch’. But towards the end of his life, in his 70s, when he might have wanted to wind down, the realm was in trouble facing the threat of a French invasion. William Marshal was called upon to fight the ultimate battle and save the day in the Battle of Lincoln. A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Producer: Suniti Somaiya Development Producer: Georgina Leslie Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Imogen Robertson Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Duration:00:29:41
History's Toughest Heroes: Ida B. Wells and the Red Recorder
12/9/2025
With lynchings of Black Americans on the rise, a reporter begins documenting the crimes, sending her on a dangerous journey through the violence of the Jim Crow South.
In History's Toughest Heroes, Ray Winstone tells ten true stories of adventurers, rebels and survivors who lived life on the edge.
After a humiliating standoff with a train conductor in the American South, the young Ida B Wells decided to make a stand. Racism was rife, and Lynchings of Black people were increasingly common. A talented writer at a time when most people were unable, or too afraid to speak out, she used journalism to expose the horrible truth of the violence and injustices being perpetrated. It put a target on her own back. A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Producer: Michael LaPointe Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Imogen Robertson Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Duration:00:28:09
History's Toughest Heroes: The Ballad of Crazy Horse
12/2/2025
When European American settlers begin displacing the indigenous Lakota from their ancestral lands, one enigmatic warrior refuses to surrender. He gathers his people for an epic standoff with the military.
In History's Toughest Heroes, Ray Winstone tells ten true stories of adventurers, rebels and survivors who lived life on the edge.
In the depths of the Wild West Crazy, when tensions between Native American tribes and the US military were running high and native people were losing their lives, their land and their heritage, Crazy Horse (along with other notable warriors like Sitting Bull) would become a legend. A stunning horseman, empowered by a vision, he led the Lakota tribe to a rousing victory at the Battle of Little Bighorn against General George Custer. A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Producer: Michael LaPointe Development Producer: Georgina Leslie Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Imogen Robertson Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Duration:00:28:46
History's Toughest Heroes: Margery Kempe: Ministry of Tears
11/25/2025
Margery Kempe always tells it like it is. But in Medieval England, such straight-talking can get a woman killed...
In History's Toughest Heroes, Ray Winstone tells ten true stories of adventurers, rebels and survivors who lived life on the edge.
Born in Kings Lynne in around 1373, Margery Kempe was destined for a typical medieval life. But after the birth of her first child, and a terrifying nine months of diabolical visons of the devil and hell which meant she was tied to the bed for her own safety, she had an altogether more soothing experience. A vision of a man with whom she’d fall deeply, passionately in love - Jesus Christ. After that, despite being full of lustful feelings, she swore off sex with her husband and forged her own path – speaking her mind and getting out of endless scrapes thanks to her indefatigable ferocity. A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Producer: Suniti Somaiya Development Producer: Georgina Leslie Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Imogen Robertson Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Duration:00:28:22
History's Toughest Heroes: Henry Johnson: Hellfighter
11/18/2025
A Black soldier from the American South makes headlines when he fights off an entire German party in World War One. But his fame comes at a price.
In History's Toughest Heroes, Ray Winstone tells ten true stories of adventurers, rebels and survivors who lived life on the edge. Growing up in as a Black man in North Carolina, where racism was enshrined in law and lynchings were horrifyingly common, Henry Johnson didn't have much hope for a bright future. He moved to Albany New York and when America joined the Great War he found himself on the front line in France, with the all-Black 369th infantry regiment. These men would come to be known as the Harlem Hellfighters and after one fateful night, in the pitch black of no-mans-land, Henry Johnson would be hailed a national hero thanks to his ferocity and extreme courage in the face of an enemy attack. A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Producer: Suniti Somaiya Development Producer: Georgina Leslie Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Imogen Robertson Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Duration:00:28:35
History's Toughest Heroes: Hugh Glass: The Real Story of The Revenant
11/11/2025
The real-life Revenant who survived a savage bear mauling and crawled hundreds of miles across the American plains to confront the scoundrels who abandoned him.
In History's Toughest Heroes, Ray Winstone tells ten true stories of adventurers, rebels and survivors who lived life on the edge. Immortalised by Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2015 blockbuster movie, the real-life Hugh Glass is still a bit of a mystery. This fur trapper and great mountain man of the Wild West became famous in his own lifetime for being absurdly tough – the legend went that he'd escaped pirates, been schooled by native tribes in survival on the often brutal American Plains. He was savaged by a bear, and crawled 200 miles to wreak bitter vengeance on the men who abandoned him.
A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Producer: Suniti Somaiya Development Producer: Georgina Leslie Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Imogen Robertson Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Duration:00:28:29
History's Toughest Heroes: Constance Bulwer-Lytton: Suffragette Rebel
11/4/2025
Constance Lytton was raised an aristocrat. But when she wakes up to women's suffrage, she goes undercover in solidarity, joining her working-class comrades in prison and staging a series of dangerous hunger strikes.
In History's Toughest Heroes, Ray Winstone tells ten true stories of adventurers, rebels and survivors who lived life on the edge.
As a lady, and part of the English upper-crust, when Constance Lytton was arrested for her involvement in the women's suffrage movement, she was given special treatment in prison. Desperate to be treated like everyone else, she disguised herself as the working-class ‘Jane Warton’. But when the time came to endure the horror of force feedings, it took everything she had to hold on to the mantra ‘no surrender’. A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Producer: Michael LaPointe Development Producer: Georgina Leslie Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Imogen Robertson Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Duration:00:28:56
History's Toughest Heroes: Robert Smalls: Last Chance for Freedom
10/28/2025
For an enslaved man like Robert Smalls during the American Civil War, there was only way out of Charleston: through the harbour and past hostile Confederate forts. He just needed a ship...
In History's Toughest Heroes, Ray Winstone tells ten true stories of adventurers, rebels and survivors who lived life on the edge.
Robert Smalls was born a slave in the American South. His one chance at escape and freedom hung on a key act of bravery on a single night. He’d have to sail right under the noses and massive cannons of the Confederate ships and forts . If he hoped to survive with his fellow fleeing slaves, he’d have to be bold, be a great actor, don a cunning disguise and have nerves of steel to pull it off. A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Producer: Michael LaPointe Development Producer: Georgina Leslie Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Imogen Robertson Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Duration:00:29:11
History's Toughest Heroes: Kitty O’Neil: Hollywood's Real Wonder Woman
10/21/2025
In the macho stunt world, a deaf woman is determined to push the limits. But as her stunts break records, can she keep cheating death?
In History's Toughest Heroes, Ray Winstone tells ten true stories of adventurers, rebels and survivors who lived life on the edge.
Kitty O’Neil was the stunt-woman behind wonder-woman - in tiny hotpants and a bustier. But she was also a speed demon, a land speed world record breaker and all-round adrenaline junkie who beat all the boys. She used being deaf to her advantage. For Kitty, her disability was her superpower. A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Producer: Michael LaPointe Development Producer: Georgina Leslie Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Imogen Robertson Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Duration:00:28:58
History's Toughest Heroes: Peter Freuchen: Surviving the Arctic Wilderness
10/14/2025
An arctic explorer is trapped in a snow drift the size of a coffin. How will he survive frostbite and make it out alive?
In History's Toughest Heroes, Ray Winstone tells ten true stories of adventurers, rebels and survivors who lived life on the edge.
Danish born Peter Freuchen looked like a Viking, 6ft 7, huge beard, massive furs. His life was one non-stop adventure. He started out as well-to-do young man in Copenhagen – destined for a life as a doctor. But there was a race for the North Pole going on, and explorers would pass through the city to tell their incredible stories. Freuchen was inspired. He dropped out of medical school and joined an expedition to the extreme north. From that moment on, his life was fraught with danger, severed limbs, murderous wolves and lost dogs, extreme isolation and loneliness and very unlikely survival. He was undefeated by the frozen desert of the arctic and, as the century wore on, by Nazi oppression, even by the dazzling glare of Hollywood celebrity.
A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Producer: Suniti Somaiya Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Imogen Robertson Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Duration:00:28:49
History's Toughest Heroes: Trailer
10/7/2025
Ray Winstone tells stories of adventurers, rebels and survivors who lived life on the edge. Ten tales of fearsome heroes from across history including arctic explorers, medieval knights and Hollywood stuntwomen.
Duration:00:02:25
Miss La La and Kaira Fly Through the Air
9/30/2025
A nineteenth century circus performer and her acrobatic partner defy convention to become icons of the ring, as well as artistic muses.
Stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone. Historian Alex von Tunzelmann shines a light on remarkable people from across history.
A BBC Studios production.
Producer: Lorna Reader Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann Executive Producer: Paul Smith Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Duration:00:27:39
BONUS: The Marvels of Madam C.J. Walker Part 2
9/23/2025
How did Madam C.J. Walker transform the beauty industry with her haircare empire? And how have the politics of beauty changed since her time? Alex talks to Alka Menon, assistant professor of sociology at Yale University.
Stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone. Historian Alex von Tunzelmann shines a light on remarkable people from across history.
A BBC Studios production.
Producer: Elaina Boateng Presenter: Alex von Tunzelmann Executive Producer: Paul Smith Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Duration:00:30:15
Nellie Bly Goes Undercover
9/16/2025
A young reporter sets out to be admitted to a notorious New York asylum. He aim is to expose its horrors.
Stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone. Historian Alex von Tunzelmann shines a light on remarkable people from across history.
A BBC Studios production.
Producer: Elaina Boateng Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann Executive Producer: Paul Smith Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Duration:00:28:37
The Marvels of Madam C.J. Walker
9/9/2025
When Sarah Breedlove begins to lose her hair, she starts a business that will make her one of the wealthiest African American Women of her time.
Stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone. Historian Alex von Tunzelmann shines a light on remarkable people from across history.
A BBC Studios production.
Producer: Elaina Boateng Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann Executive Producer: Paul Smith Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Duration:00:28:09