Author Thomas Penn takes an extraordinary journey into the dark and chilling world of the first Tudor, Henry VII. From his victory over Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth, to his secret death and the succession of his son Henry VIII, this programme reveals the ruthless tactics Henry VII used to win - and cling on to - the ultimate prize, the throne of England. Exploring magnificent buildings an
Did Hannibal carelessly squander the power of Carthage? Were the ingenious strategist's legendary victories paradoxically the reason for the downfall of this incredibly rich trading empire? Why did Hannibal, at the very height of his triumphant campaign, refrain from attacking the city of Rome? Why was the military genius of Hannibal not enough the defeat the rising power of Rome?This documena
The 3rd Century B.C. Hannibal the Carthaginian attempts the impossible, crossing the Alps with his mercenary army, elephants and all. His target and nemesis is the Romain Republic. Driven by honour and glory, obsessed by his duty to his homeland and his father, Hannibal's deeply personal struggle will transform the Western world. An inspirational leader and genius on the battlefield, Hannibal inte
Based on Jared Diamond’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name, Guns, Germs and Steel traces humanity’s journey over the last 13,000 years – from the dawn of farming at the end of the last Ice Age to the realities of life in the twenty-first century. Inspired by a question put to him on the island of Papua New Guinea more than thirty years ago, Diamond embarks on a world-wide quest to under
Great Military Blunders is a six part documentary series which was originally aired in 2000, the series itself provides a fascinating examination of the key factors which lead to some of the greatest military disasters in history.In war we typically find that defeat stems from mistakes which include making bad plans or not seeing good ones through, a lack of understanding with regards to your
Whenever there have been sea traders, there have been sea thieves. Pirates have been sailing the seas throughout history stealing from weak and solitary ships, easily taken in the vast and un-defendable sea. Piracy reached it’s peak in the 16th century, and remained big well into the 17th and 18th centuries. One well known pirate was Blackbeard. He was feared by many and enjoyed lighting matches b
Seven years ago, on his third trip to the Black Sea, Dr. Robert Ballard discovered a miraculously well-preserved Byzantine shipwreck, but his team could only take pictures. Now, Ballard returns with state-of-the-art technology and a revolutionary $1.5 million robot known as "Hercules" to excavate two shipwrecks for the first time ever, including one of the most pristine ancient vessels ever found.
July of 1863 saw one of the most devastating battles of the American Civil War take place in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Comprising of Union and Confederate forces the battle of Gettysburg, a minor skirmish that started by accident quickly exploded into the deadliest battle ever fought on US soil and resulted in the largest number of casualties seen throughout the entire war.
In the year 1162 deep in the heart of Asia a child was born, he was clutching a blood clot, a so called sign from heaven that he was destined to be a great warrior. His life was to become a legend, his name was Genghis Khan. Many believe his story is a simple one, that being he was the incarnation of evil, a brutal barbarian that butchered millions of people. The real character of Genghis however