Alle afleveringen van The History Podcast – pagina 2 van 3

The House at Number 48: 3. The Eisners

17 oktober 2025 · 15 min

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Antony Easton begins to investigate his family's history. What he finds astonishes him: his relatives were owners of a huge steel empire worth billions today. But what has happened to this family fortune? Lees meer

The House at Number 48 is presented by Charlie Northcott.
The series producer is Jim Frank.
Sound design and mixing by Tom Brignell.
The Editor is Matt Willis.

The House at Number 48: 2. The Secret Suitcase

17 oktober 2025 · 15 min

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After the death of his enigmatic and distant father, Antony Easton finally gets to go through his Dad's secret suitcase: "This was his life," Antony says. As he forensically trawls through its contents, Antony discovers a series of clues which are about to change his life forever. And, after decades, a woman from Antony's childhood gets in touch. For her, time is running out. She says she must see him one last time... Lees meer

The House at Number 48 is presented by Charlie Northcott.
The series producer is Jim Frank.
Sound design and mixing by Tom Brignell.
The Editor is Matt Willis.

The House at Number 48: 1. Made in Britain

17 oktober 2025 · 15 min

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When Antony Easton’s enigmatic father passes away, he goes through his Dad's suitcase, filled with cryptic clues: neatly stacked German money, a family tree he doesn’t recognise, and books filled with sprawling notes. He also finds his father’s birth certificate, but bearing a different name. Confronting his dad’s double identity, Antony begins a ten-year quest to uncover the truth. Piece-by-piece he comes to understand his family’s dark history as he attempts to reclaim his grandfather’s property and art empire, and expose the historic robbery and murder of his relatives. Lees meer

Antony is determined to find the descendants of those who looted his family’s assets, and continue to live off their wealth today. He wants to meet them face to face.

The House at Number 48 is presented by Charlie Northcott.
The series producer is Jim Frank.
Sound design and mixing by Tom Brignell.
Music by Anna Papadimitriou.
The Editor is Matt Willis.

The House at Number 48: Trailer

15 oktober 2025 · 4 min

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When Antony Easton’s enigmatic and distant father passes away, he begins sorting through suitcase filled with cryptic clues. Lees meer

Neatly stacked German money, a family tree he doesn’t recognise, and books filled with sprawling notes. He also finds his father’s birth certificate, but bearing a different name.

Confronting his dad’s double identity, Antony begins a ten-year quest to uncover the truth.

Piece-by-piece he comes to understand his family’s dark history.

Large numbers of his relatives were murdered by the Nazis and a vast fortune was stolen from his grandparents - factories, property and art – which now lie scattered across Germany.

Antony is determined to find the descendants of those who looted his family’s assets and continue to live off their wealth today. He sets out to meet them face to face.

The Magnificent O'Connors: 6. Undermine, Explain or Accept

15 oktober 2025 · 30 min

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Ragnar and the family try to understand what the confession from the basement means. Is it the truth? Or was it just another story that Jimmy spun? Determined to find something to disprove the statement, they head to the National Archive in search of answers. Lees meer

While the family have been grappling with the confession and what it means for them, Louise Shorter has been going through the evidence around the case with an experienced Kings Council. And what they have to say could put new life in a story that’s over 80 years old. The question is, do the O’Connors have one more fight in them?

Presenter: Ragnar O’Connor
Producer: Emily Esson, Victoria McArthur
Research: Elizabeth Ann Duffy, Louise Yeoman
Script Assistant and Additional Research: Marisha Currie
Script Writers: Emily Esson, Jack Kibble-White
Original Music: Lomond Campbell
Theme Music: Barry Jackson
Addition mixing and sound effects: Charlie McPhee, Kayleigh Raphel
Story Consultant: Jack Kibble-White
Script Editor: Graham Russell
Executive Editor: Gillian Wheelan
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Thanks to Cheryl Field, Richard Field and Kirsty Williams

The Magnificent O'Connors: 5. Shame the Devil

15 oktober 2025 · 28 min

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In 1995, a mysterious man phones the O’Connors. He wants to get something off his chest. Sensing something potentially huge, Nemone secretly records their meeting. What happened next could have change everything. The secret the mysterious man wants to share? He knows who killed Donk Ambridge. Lees meer

Meanwhile Ragnar is forced to confront everything he thought he knew about this case and his father. Hidden in the family archive is an account of the night Donk Ambridge was murdered that could turn everything upside down.

Presenter: Ragnar O’Connor
Producer: Emily Esson, Victoria McArthur
Research: Elizabeth Ann Duffy, Louise Yeoman
Script Assistant and Additional Research: Marisha Currie
Actors: Cameron Jack, Irene Macdougall
Script Writers: Emily Esson, Jack Kibble-White
Original Music: Lomond Campbell
Theme Music: Barry Jackson
Addition mixing and sound effects: Charlie McPhee, Kayleigh Raphel
Story Consultant: Jack Kibble-White
Script Editor: Graham Russell
Executive Editor: Gillian Wheelan
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Thanks to Cheryl Field, Richard Field and Kirsty Williams

The Magnificent O'Connors: 4. The Rise and Fall of Jimmy O'Connor

10 oktober 2025 · 28 min

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The fortunes of the O’Connors flip almost overnight. Nemone is no longer allowed to practice law, even after appealing to the highest authority, the Lord Chancellor. Meanwhile Jimmy’s confrontational style of writing attracts the attention of the BBC, landing him several prime-time TV plays. All the while Jimmy’s conviction is a constant shadow in their marriage. Lees meer

Meanwhile, in the present, the family continue to investigate the case. They uncover brand new documents that have never been seen before. Could these hold the key to getting Jimmy’s conviction overturned?

Presenter: Ragnar O’Connor
Producer: Emily Esson, Victoria McArthur
Research: Elizabeth Ann Duffy, Louise Yeoman
Script Assistant and Additional Research: Marisha Currie
Script Writers: Emily Esson, Jack Kibble-White
Original Music: Lomond Campbell
Theme Music: Barry Jackson
Addition mixing and sound effects: Charlie McPhee, Kayleigh Raphel
Story Consultant: Jack Kibble-White
Script Editor: Graham Russell
Executive Editor: Gillian Wheelan
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Thanks to Cheryl Field, Richard Field and Kirsty Williams

The Magnificent O'Connors: 3. The Murderer and the Silk

8 oktober 2025 · 29 min

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Jimmy is saved from the hangman’s noose with just hours to spare. With his sentenced commuted to life in penal servitude, he sets out to pass the time by learning how to write dramas. After ten years of moving from prison to prison, he’s finally released. But freedom doesn’t cut it for Jimmy. He wants to clear his name. He still maintains that he didn’t kill Donk Ambridge, and he’s determined to show it. Lees meer

He meets and woos the young Nemone Lethbridge, in a whirlwind romance that will have devastating effects for Nemone and the path she’s carved for herself.

Meanwhile Ragnar enlists an expert in miscarriages of justice, Louise Shorter, to see what she thinks about the case and the potential for a new appeal.

Presenter: Ragnar O’Connor
Producer: Emily Esson, Victoria McArthur
Research: Elizabeth Ann Duffy, Louise Yeoman
Script Assistant and Additional Research: Marisha Currie
Script Writers: Emily Esson, Jack Kibble-White
Original Music: Lomond Campbell
Theme Music: Barry Jackson
Addition mixing and sound effects: Charlie McPhee, Kayleigh Raphel
Story Consultant: Jack Kibble-White
Script Editor: Graham Russell
Executive Editor: Gillian Wheelan
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Archive: The Russell Harty Show, ITV, April 1976

Thanks to Cheryl Field, Richard Field and Kirsty Williams

The Magnificent O'Connors: 2. The Murder of Donk Ambridge

3 oktober 2025 · 29 min

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Jimmy O’Connor was a small-time thief, making the most of the opportunities war torn London presented to him. How did he end up in a condemned cell at Pentonville? Lees meer

On the Easter weekend 1941, a man is murdered in a London suburb. The police have little evidence to go on, and the usual suspects are pulled in for questioning. Among them is 23-year-old Jimmy O’Connor. He’s eventually charged and tried for the crime, though he maintains his innocence. Sentenced to death, the outlook is bleak as Jimmy awaits his final appointment with hangman Albert Pierrepoint.

Presenter: Ragnar O’Connor
Producer: Emily Esson, Victoria McArthur
Research: Elizabeth Ann Duffy, Louise Yeoman
Script Assistant and Additional Research: Marisha Currie
Script Writers: Emily Esson, Jack Kibble-White
Original Music: Lomond Campbell
Theme Music: Barry Jackson
Addition mixing and sound effects: Charlie McPhee, Kayleigh Raphel
Story Consultant: Jack Kibble-White
Script Editor: Graham Russell
Executive Editor: Gillian Wheelan
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Archive: The Russell Harty Show, ITV, April 1976

Thanks to Cheryl Field, Richard Field and Kirsty Williams

The Magnificent O'Connors: 1. The Saturday Girl

1 oktober 2025 · 29 min

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In order to unspool a family saga that has lasted over 80 years, Ragnar heads back to where it all began. He starts with the story of his mum, Nemone Lethbridge. Lees meer

Her younger years were spent watching The Battle of Britain over the skies of Kent, and visiting the bunker where Hitler took his own life. This extraordinary childhood gave way to an extraordinary career as Nemone is one of the UK’s first female barristers. From defending the Kray Twins, to Winston Silcott, she’s made an incredible name for herself in her legal career.

And yet it was a chance meeting in a London pub in 1958 that changed the course of her life forever.

Presenter: Ragnar O’Connor
Producer: Emily Esson, Victoria McArthur
Research: Elizabeth Ann Duffy, Louise Yeoman
Script Assistant and Additional Research: Marisha Currie
Script Writers: Emily Esson, Jack Kibble-White
Original Music: Lomond Campbell
Theme Music: Barry Jackson
Addition mixing and sound effects: Charlie McPhee, Kayleigh Raphel
Story Consultant: Jack Kibble-White
Script Editor: Graham Russell
Executive Editor: Gillian Wheelan
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Archive: The Russell Harty Show, ITV, April 1976

Thanks to Cheryl Field, Richard Field and Kirsty Williams

The Magnificent O'Connors: Trailer

26 september 2025 · 3 min

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For 80 years, the O'Connors have battled what they believe to be a miscarriage of justice. Small time criminal Jimmy O'Connor was arrested for the murder of 'Donk' Ambridge and narrowly escaped the noose. Lees meer

Fast-forward 25 years and Jimmy is living a wonderful life on the Greek island of Mykonos. Now a sought after TV scriptwriter, he rubs shoulders with The Rolling Stones and Jackie Onassis and entertains the great and the good with his wife Nemone Lethbridge, one of the UK's first female barristers who defended the Kray twins.

Yet the shadow of his conviction looms large over them both. His son, Ragnar O'Connor, along with his brother Milo and their 93-year-old mother are intent upon trying one last time to finally get to the truth.

The Fort: 10. Mathew

19 september 2025 · 23 min

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A gruelling, emotional mission draws to a close. Lees meer

In the aftermath of the operation and recovery at Jugroom Fort, the risks and rewards are analysed, but some costs are incalculable.

The Fort was told solely by current and former members of the Armed Forces, many speaking for the first time.

Produced by Kev Core
Edited by Sue Roberts
Sound by Sharon Hughes
Commissioning Executive Tracy Williams
Commissioned by Dan Clarke

The Fort: 9. Warrior

18 september 2025 · 15 min

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Under pressure and under fire, the team are faced with the task of returning Lance Corporal Mathew Ford to base. Lees meer

As exhaustion sets in and the clock ticks, Ed the pilot leaves the Apache to help with the recovery.

Back at the Zulu Company lines, Mathew's colleauges await his return.

The Fort is told solely by current and former members of the Armed Forces.

Produced by Kev Core

The Fort: 8. Bullet Magnet

17 september 2025 · 14 min

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The bomber has created an enormous dust storm at The Fort. Lees meer

Disorientated and under enemy fire, the team rush headlong from the grounded Apaches which have now become sitting duck targets for the Taliban.

Tom, alone and effectively stuck inside his aircraft spots Taliban activity ahead.

But the objective is clear: Find the stricken Lance Corporal Mathew Ford.

But the men on the ground are confronted with the difficult reality of that task.

Produced by Kev Core

The Fort: 7. In the Zone

16 september 2025 · 14 min

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Precariously positioned on the side of two Apache attack helicopters Dave, Chris, Colin and Gary are flying straight into danger. Lees meer

Apaches are absolutely not supposed to land in the conflict zone, and as the helicopters take off, more helicopters provide crucial "top cover".

We meet Charlotte Madison, a woman with a unique place in UK military history.

A heavy bomber is tasked with creating a massive diversionary explosion for the crews of Ugly 50 and Ugly 51 - and the pilots and their passengers fly back to the Taliban stronghold under cover of a thick dust storm.

Charlotte Madison spoke to the BBC in 2010.

The Fort is told solely by current and former members of the Armed Forces.

Produced by Kev Core

The Fort: 6. Call Sign: Ugly

15 september 2025 · 15 min

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For Apache helicopter pilots Tom O'Malley and Ed Macy - the mission has changed. Lees meer

Their new objective is to prevent the stricken Lance Corporal Mathew Ford from becoming a prisoner of The Taliban. So they take the fight to them.

But Tom is growing increasingly frustrated. With fuel and ammunition limited - how long can they sustain their airborne protection of the fallen marine?

He devises a new plan. Only ever conceived as a last-dtich emergency escape plan for downed pilots, Tom wants to land, pick up four volunteers from HQ, and fly them into the battlezone on the side of their helicopters. They will rush to Mathew, secure him to the helicopter - and they will fly him out.

The volunteers have been chosen. Royal Marines Chris, Gary and Colin and Royal Engineer Dave are now tasked with what their commander Rob Magowan calls - the most dangerous mission these men would ever embark upon.

The Fort is told solely by current and former members of the Armed Forces.

Produced by Kev Core

The Fort: 5. The Dirty Dash

12 september 2025 · 15 min

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Overwhelmed by enemy fire, Zulu Company have marshalled their casualties from the "killing ground" and staged a hurried withdrawal. Lees meer

Last to leave, Company Sergeant Major Shep Shepherd describes desperate efforts to account for their missing man.

Senior Marine, Lance Corporal Mathew Ford cannot be found.

Back at base - the decision is instant. A "no-brainer".

"We're going back to get him."

A small, mobile group of volunteers is assembled for the "dirty dash" - a race back to the scene of the battle in the Viking vehicles. Captain Chris Witts gives an insight into the nature of decision-making under pressure.

But it's a plan that the enemy may see coming. An alternative option comes from a pilot high above them.

The Fort is told solely by current and former members of the Armed Forces.

Produced by Kev Core.

The Fort: 4. The Break-in

11 september 2025 · 14 min

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The Royal Marines Commandos have launched their ground assault on Jugroom Fort. Lees meer

A jagged, v-shaped hole has been blasted into its side, and fresh from a nerve-wracking river crossing, the men of Zulu Company surge from their Viking vehicles to take up positions and press home their assault.

This will be the location for "the break-in", the moment of any attack on an enemy encampment when the defences are breached.

5 Troop are the tip of the spear. Commanded by Al Weldon, Rifleman Marine Mike Cleary is "point man" - leading the way.

Speaking for the first time about their experiences, Al and Mike describe the moment the eerie quiet of a seemingly deserted stronghold is shattered.

Overwhelmed by enemy fire, Zulu Company regroup and attempt to marshal their casualties from the "killing ground".

Last to leave, Company Sergeant Major Shep Shepherd describes last-ditch efforts to account for their missing man.

Senior Marine, Lance Corporal Mathew Ford cannot be found. And as the enemy fire continues around them difficult decisions are made to ensure the safety of the rest of the company.

The Fort is told solely by current and former members of the Armed Forces.

Produced by Kev Core

The Fort: 3. Killing Ground

10 september 2025 · 15 min

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The story of Jugroom Fort takes a step back in time to the eve of battle. Lees meer

January 2007. The battle-hardened Royal Marines of Zulu Company assemble ahead of a massive air bombardment of the target, a notorious Taliban stronghold. Their orders include the possibility of crossing the Helmand River and attacking on foot. At 5am - that order is given. They're going in.

Captain Chris Witts commands the amphibious Viking vehicles. As the treacherous crossing is made, the marines ready themselves.

As they launch their attack, they discover that despite a night of heavy bomging - Jugroom Fort is far from deserted.

Lance Corporal Glyn Sadler and Company Sergeant Major Shep Shepherd describe the switch from eerie silence - to an intense firefight.

The Fort is told solely by current and former members of the Armed Forces. Many are speaking for the first time.

Produced by Kev Core

The Fort: 2. Everyone Volunteered

9 september 2025 · 14 min

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The Fort is told solely by current and former members of the Armed Forces. Many are speaking for the first time. Lees meer

A Royal Marines raid on a Taliban stronghold has been met with fierce resistance - leaving Lance Corporal Mathew Ford missing behind enemy lines.

Commander of the Information Exploitation Battlegroup Lieutenant Colonel Rob Magowan is presented with a live drone feed revealing the location of the Royal Marine. And he's warm. But a ground rescue attempt heading straight back into the hornets' nest presents formidable danger.

Attack helicopter pilot Tom O'Malley has a plan - to fly in at speed with four armed volunteers on the sides of two Apaches. They will quickly grab Mathew and deliver him to safety from under the noses of the Taliban. But fuel is low and the clock is ticking.

They need an answer now.

And Lieutenant Colonel Rob Magowan says: "Do it."

But who will go? Former Royal Engineer Captain Dave Rigg and serving Royal Marine Captain Chris Fraser-Perry take up the story.

Produced by Kev Core

The Fort: 1. The Plan

8 september 2025 · 14 min

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Afghanistan, January 2007. Lees meer

It's a piece of military daring that went down in history: Three Royal Marines and a Royal Engineer hold on to the side of Apache attack helicopters, heading into battle to recover a fallen comrade.

Those involved in a gripping, almost unbelievable day, tell their story, many speaking for the first time.

It begins with British forces, tasked with bringing security to Helmand Province in the South of Afghanistan.

But Lieutenant Colonel Rob Magowan commanding the IX Battlegroup has a problem.

Jugroom Fort.

The Taliban command and control centre is a crucial route for enemy fighters making their way in from Pakistan. They train there. They rearm there. Jugroom Fort is the launchpad for attacks on British troops.

But a bold plan to occupy the ancient stronghold with the battle-hardened Royal Marines of Zulu Company is about to meet intense resistance.

And amid a gruelling firefight, a man is left behind.

The Fort is told solely by current and former members of the Armed Forces.

Produced by Kev Core

The Fort: Trailer

5 september 2025 · 3 min

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For the first time, commanders, soldiers and pilots who served in Afghanistan tell their story of the gruelling assault on Jugroom Fort - and an astonishing rescue mission.

The Second Map: 3. The Battered Suitcase

5 september 2025 · 44 min

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As people back home partied in the streets, celebrating victory in Europe in May 1945, war wasn’t over for the many thousands of soldiers and civilians on the Asian front. For those in Japanese prison camps, or fighting in distant jungles, it wasn’t always over on the day Japan announced its unconditional surrender on August 15th. Lees meer

Episode 3 of The Second Map traces the complex remembrance of the war on the Asian Front in Britain, India, and Japan, 80 years after it ended. We hear of the trauma of those who lived as prisoners and how they coped with life once back in Britain. And we learn how the horrors of war returned to veterans in their nightmares, and speak to descendants across Britain who are making new discoveries today about what their family members did in the war on the Asian Front.

Creator, Writer and Presenter: Kavita Puri
Series Producer: Ellie House
Script Editor: Ant Adeane
Sound Designer: James Beard
Series Editor: Matt Willis
Production Coordinators: Sabine Scherek, Maria Ogundele
Commissioners for Radio 4 and The World Service: Dan Clarke, Jon Zilkha

Original music: Felix Taylor
Archive Curator: Tariq Hussain
Voice actor: Bhasker Patel

With thanks to Dr Diya Gupta, Dr Vikki Hawkins, Dr Peter Johnston, Professor Rana Mitter and Tejpal Singh Ralmill.

The Second Map: 2. The Secrets in the Safe

29 augustus 2025 · 44 min

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In Episode 2 of The Second Map, the war against Japan enters a new phase. Some of the most significant battles of the Second World War were fought on the Asian front - including by the 14th Army, which was known as ‘The Forgotten Army’, even at the time. It was formed after a string of defeats to Japan and was made up of nearly a million men, the majority from India and across the British empire. Their main aim: to win Burma back. Assisting them was a remarkable British woman from North London who became known as “The Jungle Queen,” and the tribal group she was living with. Their intervention would be critical. And we hear rare voices from Japanese forces, as the war shifts against them. Lees meer

Creator, Writer and Presenter: Kavita Puri
Series Producer: Ellie House
Script Editor: Ant Adeane
Sound Designer: James Beard
Series Editor: Matt Willis
Production Coordinators: Sabine Scherek, Maria Ogundele
Commissioners for Radio 4 and The World Service: Dan Clarke, Jon Zilkha

Original music: Felix Taylor
Archive Curator: Tariq Hussain
Voice actor: Dai Tabuchi
Translators: Hannah Kilcoyne, Sumire Hori

With thanks to Dr Diya Gupta, Dr Vikki Hawkins, Dr Peter Johnston, Professor Rana Mitter and Tejpal Singh Ralmill.

The Second Map: 1. Bonnie Laddie

22 augustus 2025 · 43 min

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We all know the heroic story of Britain fighting the Nazis in World War Two. But what’s less well-known in popular memory is the war on the Asian front, against Japan. Yet it touched many families across Britain. Their descendants are still uncovering stories today. Lees meer

On the same day as Japan’s attack on the US Naval bases at Pearl Harbor there were simultaneous strikes on British territories in South East Asia.

Episode 1 of The Second Map charts the humiliating defeats that the British suffered by Japanese forces as they rapidly took key colonies in South East Asia. We hear from eyewitnesses who were in Singapore when it fell, and were then later captured and held prisoner. We hear from a 104-year-old veteran, who desperately wanted independence for India, but decided to fight alongside the British against Japan. And we explore why this part of the war is not as well known as the one against the Nazis.

This is the other story of the Second World War.

Creator, Writer and Presenter: Kavita Puri
Series Producer: Ellie House
Script Editor: Ant Adeane
Sound designer: James Beard
Series Editor: Matt Willis
Production Coordinators: Sabine Scherek, Maria Ogundele
Commissioners for Radio 4 and The World Service: Dan Clarke, Jon Zilkha

Original music: Felix Taylor
Archive Curator: Tariq Hussain
Voice actor: Dai Tabuchi
Translators: Hannah Kilcoyne, Sumire Hori

With thanks to Dr Diya Gupta, Dr Vikki Hawkins, Dr Peter Johnston, Professor Rana Mitter and Tejpal Singh Ralmill.

Includes archive material from ‘Singapore 1942: End of Empire’ (2012), Electric Pictures.

The Second Map: Trailer

28 juli 2025 · 4 min

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We may know about Pearl Harbor and how the war against Japan ended with the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But in popular memory, what happened in between is less well-known. Marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, we hear of how defeat turned to victory, from epic battles in jungles, to one that played out on a tennis court and saved the British Empire, through remarkable testimonies from British, Indian, and Japanese soldiers who were there, as well as former prisoners of war and civilian internees. Plus we speak to descendants across Britain who are uncovering a family member's story of heroism, imprisonment, and survival. Lees meer

Half-Life: 8. A Fracture

14 mei 2025 · 30 min

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In this final episode, Joe follows the opening of a public memorial and engages with a private reckoning. Lees meer

Written and presented by Joe Dunthorne (based on his book Children of Radium: A Buried Inheritance)
Produced by Eleanor McDowall
Music by Jeremy Warmsley
Mixing engineer, Mike Woolley
Translator in Berlin: Francesca Schweiger
Recordings of the memorial unveiling: Phoebe McIndoe
Story consultant, Sarah Geis
Executive producer, Alan Hall
Commissioning editor, Daniel Clarke
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Half-Life: 7. The City Forgets

14 mei 2025 · 29 min

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In Munich, Joe traces a very different side to his family history, events that were left out of his great-grandfather’s memoir. Lees meer

Written and presented by Joe Dunthorne
Produced by Eleanor McDowall
Music by Jeremy Warmsley
Mixing engineer, Mike Woolley
Story consultant, Sarah Geis
Executive producer, Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Half-Life: 6. Tranquility

14 mei 2025 · 29 min

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After the war, Joe's great-grandfather attempts to build a new life in the United States where his mental health begins to deteriorate. Lees meer

Written and presented by Joe Dunthorne
Produced by Eleanor McDowall
Music by Jeremy Warmsley
Mixing engineer, Mike Woolley
Story consultant, Sarah Geis
Executive producer, Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Half-Life: 5. The Road Through the Mountains

14 mei 2025 · 28 min

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A letter from Joe’s great-grandfather, leads him to the east of Turkey and the story of a massacre, kept silent for many years Lees meer

Written and presented by Joe Dunthorne
Produced by Eleanor McDowall
Music by Jeremy Warmsley
Mixing engineer, Mike Woolley
With thanks to Jaclynn Ashly and David McDowall
Story consultant, Sarah Geis
Executive producer, Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Half-Life: 4. Young Republic

7 mei 2025 · 29 min

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Joe follows in his great-grandfather's footsteps to Turkey where he was employed, it seems, making gas masks. Lees meer

Written and presented by Joe Dunthorne
Produced by Eleanor McDowall
Music by Jeremy Warmsley
Mixing engineer, Mike Woolley
With thanks to David McDowall
Story consultant, Sarah Geis
Executive producer, Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Half-Life: 3. Lost

7 mei 2025 · 29 min

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Joe's research into his great-grandfather's work takes him to Ammendorf, south of Berlin - one of the key sites of Nazi Germany's chemical weapons production. Lees meer

Written and presented by Joe Dunthorne
Produced by Eleanor McDowall
Music by Jeremy Warmsley
Mixing engineer, Mike Woolley
Story consultant, Sarah Geis
Executive producer, Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Half-Life: 2. The Quiet Town by the River

7 mei 2025 · 28 min

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Dangers lurk beneath the soil, in the town where Joe's great-grandfather worked. Lees meer

Written and presented by Joe Dunthorne
Produced by Eleanor McDowall
Music by Jeremy Warmsley
Mixing engineer, Mike Woolley
Story consultant, Sarah Geis
Executive producer, Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Half-Life: 1. Daughter of Radium

7 mei 2025 · 29 min

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Drawn to a family legend about his German-Jewish family’s dramatic escape from Nazi Germany in 1936, the writer Joe Dunthorne accidentally discovers a far more disturbing history. Lees meer

A conversation with his granny, who spent her childhood brushing her teeth with the radioactive toothpaste her father Siegfried manufactured, leads Joe to finally read his great-grandfather's nearly 2,000-page long unpublished memoir. Hidden on page 1692 he finds an unsettling confession.

Written and presented by Joe Dunthorne, (based on his book Children of Radium: A Buried Inheritance)
Produced by Eleanor McDowall
Music by Jeremy Warmsley
Mixing engineer, Mike Woolley
Story consultant, Sarah Geis
Executive producer, Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Half-Life: Trailer

1 mei 2025 · 2 min

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Drawn to a family legend about his German-Jewish family’s dramatic escape from Nazi Germany in 1936, the writer Joe Dunthorne accidentally discovers a far more unsettling history. Lees meer

A confession hidden on page 1692 of his great-grandfather Siegfried’s unpublished memoir leads Joe into a story of radioactive toothpaste, unexploded bombs and erased histories, exploring the many ways the past continues to haunt the present - even when we try to ignore it.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Invisible Hands: 6. There Is No Alternative

30 april 2025 · 29 min

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In 2006 an Australian investment bank bought Thames Water – Britain’s biggest water company. Everything went well for a bit. And then people started noticing something strange. Sewage in the water. Leaking pipes. Hosepipe bans. Now in 2025 Thames Water is on the brink of financial collapse and looking for new owners. There is even talk about doing something shocking. Nationalisation. Lees meer

So what went wrong? Why did this water company which makes healthy profits year on year fail so badly. And what can that tell us about how the dream of free market capitalism has turned out, not just here but also in Donald Trump’s America.

David Dimbleby traces the history of an idea that charts his lifespan. It started on a chicken farm in Sussex, gained traction in the shadows of post-war London and rose to heights of excess in the new champagne bars of the City.

But who are the little-known people behind it? What did they want? And is the free market here to stay? Or are we entering a new era?

Presenter: David Dimbleby
Producer: Jo Barratt
Sound Design: Peregrine Andrews
Executive Producers: Joe Sykes and Dasha Lisitsina
Story Editors: Joe Sykes and Dasha Lisitsina
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

A Samizdat Audio production for BBC Radio 4

Invisible Hands: 5. The Lucky Gambler

23 april 2025 · 29 min

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James Goldsmith was a billionaire tycoon who thrived in the free-market revolution. He was a corporate raider who conquered both the City of London and Wall Street. He was a playboy – four wives, a host of mistresses and a reputation as outsized as a Bond villain. Then in 1987 he predicted a stock market crash and disappeared from the world stage. Lees meer

A few years later he turned up again, ready to tell the world something shocking. That everything he had believed about the free market was wrong. That a global elite had rigged the system and global capitalism was now stifling the very freedoms it promised to protect. That global free trade had led to a hollowing out of manufacturing towns and communities. That the nation state itself was being undermined.

Then in 1997 he saw there was an election coming up in Britain. An election where he could spread his message that globalisation and global free trade had failed. An election that perhaps, more than any other, set the stage for Donald Trump.

David Dimbleby traces the history of an idea that charts his lifespan. It started on a chicken farm in Sussex, gained traction in the shadows of post-war London and rose to heights of excess in the new champagne bars of the City.

But who are the little-known people behind it? What did they want? And is the free market here to stay? Or are we entering a new era?

Presenter: David Dimbleby
Producer: Jo Barratt
Sound Design: Peregrine Andrews
Executive Producers: Joe Sykes and Dasha Lisitsina
Story Editors: Joe Sykes and Dasha Lisitsina
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

A Samizdat Audio production for BBC Radio 4

Invisible Hands: 4. The Big Bang

16 april 2025 · 29 min

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Thatcher and her capitalist dreamers' next big gamble was a radical shake-up of London’s financial sector. They called it Big Bang. Seemingly overnight, the stuffy old City of London was replaced by a fast-paced world of risk-takers, rule-breakers, and yuppies brandishing mobile phones the size of their head. It was a golden age of capitalism, where fortunes were made at lightning speed and the stakes were just as high. Lees meer

Nick Leeson was a working-class kid from Watford who arrived at just the right time. By 1995 he was a superstar trader. He was a poster boy for Thatcher’s Britain. Poor kid gets rich. But then something happened that turned him from a hero to a criminal on the run.

Did the very thing that spurred on his success precipitate his downfall? And what did that mean for the Thatcherite revolution. This is a story of the boom and bust of the 80s.

David Dimbleby traces the history of an idea that spans his life. It started on a chicken farm in Sussex, gained traction in the shadows of post-war London and rose to heights of excess in the new champagne bars of the City. It's 2025 and this once radical idea now defines every aspect of life in Britain. An idea that transformed the economy, politics and, ultimately, society itself.

But how did it happen? Who are the little-known people behind it? What did they want? And - as Donald Trump threatens to overturn the global economic system - is the free market here to stay? Or are we entering a new era?

Presenter: David Dimbleby
Producer: Jo Barratt
Executive Producers and Story Editors: Joe Sykes and Dasha Lisitsina
Sound design: Peregrine Andrews
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

A Samizdat Audio production for BBC Radio 4

Invisible Hands: 3. Selling The Silver

9 april 2025 · 29 min

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A young banker sits in front of a book full of balance sheets. Boring work. But he has come to a realisation. And it’s a realisation that will, in a few short years, transform Britain. This banker - John Redwood - had realised that the best way to turn the country into a free market paradise was to sell all the big industries owned by the state to the people of Britain. To create a nation of shareholders. The only problem? No one wanted to listen to him. Lees meer

This is the story of a radical experiment in free market capitalism. One that had never been tried before. And of one man with a vision and a set of spreadsheets. To remake the country and sell capitalism to the masses.

David Dimbleby traces the history of an idea that spans his life. It started on a chicken farm in Sussex, gained traction in the shadows of post-war London and rose to heights of excess in the new champagne bars of the City. It's 2025 and this once radical idea now defines every aspect of life in Britain. An idea that transformed the economy, politics and, ultimately, society itself.

But how did it happen? Who are the little-known people behind it? What did they want? And - as Donald Trump threatens to overturn the global economic system - is the free market here to stay? Or are we entering a new era?

Presenter: David Dimbleby
Producer: Jo Barratt
Executive Producers and Story Editors: Joe Sykes and Dasha Lisitsina
Sound design: Peregrine Andrews
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

A Samizdat Audio production for BBC Radio 4

Invisible Hands: 2. The Mad Monk

2 april 2025 · 29 min

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A man throws up in a taxi on his way to an interview. He is nervous because he is about to make an argument. It’s an argument that would change politics forever. Lees meer

His name was Keith Joseph. And this would be the start of a radical journey - from conventional conservative politician to ideological warrior and guru for Margaret Thatcher. Joseph set out on a tour of the country. He had eggs thrown at him, Marxist flags waved in his face. He was spat at. Heckled. All because he was arguing for one thing - the free markets.

David Dimbleby traces the history of an idea that spans his life. It started on a chicken farm in Sussex, gained traction in the shadows of post-war London and rose to heights of excess in the new champagne bars of the City. It's 2025 and this once radical idea now defines every aspect of life in Britain. An idea that transformed the economy, politics and, ultimately, society itself.

But how did it happen? Who are the little-known people behind it? What did they want? And - as Donald Trump threatens to overturn the global economic system - is the free market here to stay? Or are we entering a new era?

Presenter: David Dimbleby
Producer: Jo Barratt
Executive Producers and Story Editors: Joe Sykes and Dasha Lisitsina
Sound design: Peregrine Andrews
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

A Samizdat Audio production for BBC Radio 4

Invisible Hands: 1. The Chicken Farmer

26 maart 2025 · 29 min

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A fighter pilot watches his brother plunge to his death in the Second World War. Grief-stricken, he vows to fight until his dying day for the cause of freedom. Lees meer

This man would return from war transformed and set out on a journey that would change Britain forever. He would dedicate his life to an idea. An idea that at the time was almost laughed at. That no one in positions of power dared talk about. That idea? Free-market capitalism.

This is the story of the war hero turned chicken farmer who set the stage for Margaret Thatcher.

In this new narrative series, David Dimbleby traces the history of the hidden force that changed Britain - the free market revolution - and the invisible hands that shaped it.

It started on a chicken farm in Sussex, gained traction in the shadows of post-war London and rose to heights of excess in the new champagne bars of the City. It's 2025 and this once radical idea now defines every aspect of life in Britain. An idea that transformed the economy, politics and, ultimately, society itself. But how did it happen? Who are the little known people behind it? What did they want?

And - as Donald Trump threatens to overturn the global economic system - is the free market here to stay? Or are we entering a new era?

Presenter: David Dimbleby
Producer: Jo Barratt
Sound Design: Peregrine Andrews
Executive Producers: Joe Sykes and Dasha Lisitsina
Story Editor: Joe Sykes and Dasha Lisitsina
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

A Samizdat Audio production for BBC Radio 4

Invisible Hands: Trailer

19 maart 2025 · 3 min

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David Dimbleby traces the history of a hidden force that changed Britain - the free market revolution - and the invisible hands that shaped it. Lees meer

It started on a chicken farm in Sussex, gained traction in the shadows of post-war London and rose to heights of excess in the new champagne bars of the City. It's 2025 and this once radical idea now defines every aspect of life in Britain. An idea that transformed the economy, politics and, ultimately, society itself.

But how did it happen? Who are the little-known people behind it? What did they want? And - as Donald Trump threatens to overturn the global economic system - is the free market here to stay? Or are we entering a new era?

The Lucan Obsession: 10. The Final Act?

28 oktober 2024 · 15 min

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Alex trawls through Lord Lucan’s belongings from his speedily abandoned flat. Lees meer

She finds incriminating books where he’s torn out pages on how to kill your wife, and is taken aback by photos that make her reconsider the story.

She draws together what makes this a compelling crime, and asks what would give it the perfect ending.

And in a remarkable interview with a former Met Police Detective, she discovers that we could perhaps get an answer to one of the two mysteries tomorrow.

Presenter: Alex von Tunzelmann
Content Producer: Becca Bryers
Series Producer: Sarah Bowen

The Lucan Obsession: 9. A Race Across the World

28 oktober 2024 · 14 min

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Our interest in Lord Lucan could have petered out after the inquest. But people start to spot him all over the world. Could he really have escaped the UK? Lees meer

Alex von Tunzelmann explores what role this idea plays in our fixation with the Lucan case.

She hears how the media kept the story going, inventing sightings for copy and jollies abroad. People admit to elaborate hoaxes and blatantly fabricating stories.

But should we dismiss the idea? Alex finds one story from a closed police file that completely bowls her over.

Producer: Sarah Bowen

The Lucan Obsession: 8. Speculation and Suspicion

28 oktober 2024 · 14 min

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The nation was spellbound by the inquest into Sandra Rivett’s death. Lees meer

For the press the story was a dream. A tale of the aristocracy, gambling, debt and murder was a welcome relief in an era of shortages and strikes. They salivated over the grim details.

Alex von Tunzelmann hears how inquest became a trial, supercharging our obsession with this case.

And she wonders if we can take his guilt as fact when she hears a never before broadcast recording of an interview of Lady Lucan and an incriminating new story from a policeman.

Producer: Sarah Bowen
Content Producer: Becca Bryers

The Lucan Obsession: 7. The Investigation

28 oktober 2024 · 14 min

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Police traipsed through 46 Lower Belgrave St on the night of Sandra Rivett’s murder, but did they contaminate the evidence? Lees meer

The police files are still closed. Where there have been unanswered questions, enticing myths and conspiracies have filled the void.

Alex von Tunzelmann pieces together what we can know of the investigation, trying to separate fact from fiction.

She hears from two policemen who worked on the Lucan case and reassesses the forensics with an ex-Metropolitan Police detective.

Stories emerge about close relations between the press and police and she wonders if booze, bribes and class deference may have obscured the truth.

Producer: Sarah Bowen
Content Producer: Becca Bryers

The Lucan Obsession: 6. The Golden Hour

28 oktober 2024 · 14 min

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With Sandra Rivett lying dead in the basement, Lucan must decide whether to face the police or run. Lees meer

And so begins the second mystery that has made this case so compelling.

Where did Lucan go that night?

Was he being sheltered by his friends who the police nicknamed The Eaton Square Mafia?

Alex von Tunzelmann pieces together what we know of the hours after the murder, asking whose version should we believe.

She meets an eyewitness who says she was the last person to see Lucan alive, and crawls underground into a bunker where the police were sure he was hiding.

Producer: Sarah Bowen

The Lucan Obsession: 5. The Tinderbox House

28 oktober 2024 · 14 min

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Many relationships have tricky patches, with couples struggling for money or over the children. But there’s a spark in this story that takes us from the Lucan’s glamorous society wedding to Sandra Rivett being murdered, Lady Lucan attacked and the children swept away. And it grips us. Lees meer

Alex von Tunzleman hunts for what triggers this story, delving through a box of Lucan’s possessions not seen for decades. As she discovers cheque stubs, invoices and letters from the bank, she sees the reality of what life was like behind the Lucan’s veneer of respectability: a world of debt and alcohol, gaslighting, late night calls and stalking.

Producer: Sarah Bowen

The Lucan Obsession: 4. Searching for Lady Lucan

28 oktober 2024 · 14 min

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The press portrayed Lady Lucan as a perfect victim: a tiny, fragile woman, attacked by a cruel and vengeful man. Lord Lucan’s friends said she was a volatile, difficult snob. Lees meer

She is certainly enigmatic and intriguing.

With access to never before broadcast tapes, Alex von Tunzlemann looks for the truth behind the stories of the Countess and explores how her image emerged.

Producer: Sarah Bowen

The Lucan Obsession: 3. Lucky Lucan

28 oktober 2024 · 14 min

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Lord Lucan raced powerboats through the English Channel, drove an Aston Martin around the Grand Canyon and completed the Cresta Run at Saint-Moritz. Lees meer

Throwing himself into gambling, he was nicknamed Lucky.

With slicked back hair, charm, style and humour, he was remarkably striking.

But underneath this image there was a very different man.

Alex hears from friends, biographers and someone who lived in the Lucan household to ask who really was Lord Lucan?

Was he the vicious, violent and dangerous murderer of Sandra Rivett or was this a myth it was seductive to believe?

Producer: Sarah Bowen