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History's Greatest Battles

History Extra 13 Episodes Mar 24, 2026

History’s Greatest Battles returns with a new run, focusing on that blood-soaked 15th-century struggle for the English throne: the Wars of the Roses. In the company of historian Lauren Johnson, Emily Briffett revisits five of the most gripping clashes of this dynastic showdown. Along the way, they spotlight the decisive moments and power players who flipped fate on its head, and explore what these brutal encounters reveal about power, propaganda and survival in late medieval England. How might history have twisted differently if a single charge, arrow or act of treachery had gone another way?

Episodes

The battle of Bosworth: Richard III v Henry VII Mar 24, 2026 2100 In 1485, England stood at a crossroads, scarred by decades of civil war. Against this grim backdrop, two armies headed for a fateful confrontation: one led by a battle-hardened king determined to ensure the success of a dynasty he had fought to protect for years; the other by a new challenger in an old conflict.In this final episode of our History’s Greatest Battles series charting the Wars of the

The battle of Tewkesbury: blood and brutality Mar 17, 2026 1883 Survivors desperately fleeing to the apparent safety of a nearby abbey. A young prince on the brink of death. A dynasty on the precipice. The battle of Tewkesbury, which played out during May 1471, certainly had its fair share of high drama, and high stakes, as armies clashed and the Lancastrian cause was shattered. In this fourth episode of our History’s Greatest Battles series charting the Wars

The battle of Barnet: the fog of war Mar 10, 2026 1582 April 1471: a thick, blinding fog smothered the fields near Barnet, swallowing banners, muffling orders and turning friend into foe. Opposing armies became disoriented – and then one mistake proved fatal.In this third episode of our History’s Greatest Battles series charting the Wars of the Roses, Emily Briffett joins historian and author Lauren Johnson to chronicle the clash at Barnet, in which l

The battle of Towton: frost and fury Mar 3, 2026 1504 In the bitter spring of 1461, the freezing fields of Yorkshire became a blood-soaked battlefield in which two rivals fought for the throne of a divided nation. But who would emerge victorious? In this second episode of our History’s Greatest Battles series charting the Wars of the Roses, Emily Briffett joins historian and author Lauren Johnson at the 1461 battle of Towton. ----- GO BEYOND THE PO

The First Battle of St Albans: the Wars of the Roses ignites Feb 24, 2026 1483 History’s Greatest Battles is back! This time around, Emily Briffett and historian and author Lauren Johnson will be chronicling the most momentous clashes of the Wars of the Roses. In this first episode, they explore 1455’s First Battle of St Albans, a bitter brawl that sparked a dynastic struggle and set in motion a chain of events that would redefine power in England for centuries to come. ---

History's Greatest Battles is back! Feb 17, 2026 66 This new run delves into the Wars of the Roses, exploring the blood-soaked 15th-century struggle for the English throne. Across five dramatic episodes, Emily Briffett and historian Lauren Johnson offer expert insights into the decisive moments, power players and most gripping clashes, revealing what these brutal encounters tell us about survival and supremacy in medieval England. Listen to new ep

How to wage war like a Roman Jul 5, 2025 2937 What was the Romans’ weakest link when it came to warfare? Do we underestimate the military might of other ancient civilisations in favour of Rome? And which battles from the imperial era have been overlooked? In this special bonus episode of History’s Greatest Battles, Emily Briffett is joined once again by Dr Adrian Goldsworthy to revisit the five epic clashes they explored in our first series

Battle of Adrianople Mar 25, 2025 2212 Across the 370s AD, displaced Gothic tribes had flooded into the eastern Roman empire seeking refuge and settlement – but what they found instead was hardship and desperation. Such appalling ill treatment soon ignited a furious revolt that the Romans were determined to crush swiftly. However, these attempts to dampen resistance would instead culminate in one of Rome’s most disastrous defeats, the

Siege of Amida Mar 18, 2025 2578 In 359 AD, the Roman fortress of Amida held fast against the might of the Sassanian Persian army, in a gruelling 73-day siege that saw the city’s defenders face desperation, disease… and betrayal. This was a standoff that left the honour of two formidable military opponents hanging in the balance. The question was, who would come out on top? In this first series of History’s Greatest Battles, Emil

Battle of Watling Street Mar 11, 2025 2499 In 61 AD, the fate of Britannia hung in the balance. Thousands had risen up in open rebellion against Roman rule – at their head was Iceni queen Boudica, seeking vengeance for her people’s suffering. Overwhelmingly outnumbered but unyielding, the Roman legions made their desperate last stand at Watling Street, in one of the most famous clashes of the imperial age. In this first series of History’s

Battle of the Teutoburg Forest Mar 4, 2025 2824 In the year 9 AD, three Roman legions marched headlong into the shadowy depths of the Teutoburg Forest in the troublesome province of Germania. But little did they know, they were walking into a trap. Things soon took a turn for the worse with an ambush that landed a catastrophic blow, forever halting Roman expansion into Germania. In this first series of History’s Greatest Battles, Emily Briffett

Battle of Actium Feb 25, 2025 2933 In the year 31 BC, the waters off the coast of Greece became the stage for a naval showdown that would alter the future of the ancient world. Two mighty, opposing juggernauts vied for the position of Roman top dog, and the clash of fleets would seal the fate of the republic – birthing an empire and bringing a love story for the ages to a crushing end. In this first series of History’s Greatest Bat

Introducing History's Greatest Battles Feb 4, 2025 71 Vicious civil wars. Gruelling sieges. Rebellious provinces, galling betrayals and tribes seeking revenge… Join us for the first series of History’s Greatest Battles, where we’re heading back to the Roman empire. Emily Briffett is joined by historian Dr Adrian Goldsworthy to look back at five of the most fascinating clashes of this ancient civilisation, taking in the action blow by blow and identif

History's Greatest Battles

Episodes

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