Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

22/07/2007

Author and historian Jerry Brotton uncovers the complex history of relations between England and the Islamic world dating back to Shakespeare.

Author and historian Jerry Brotton uncovers the complex history of relations between England and the Islamic world. They can seem constantly embroiled in animosity and misunderstanding, yet the records of the court of Elizabeth I tell a very different story, with a web of intrigue and alliance between the Ottomans, the Moroccans and the English Queen that leads all the way to Shakespeare's Othello.

45 minutes

What was really wrong with Beethoven?

What was really wrong with Beethoven?

Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh explore the puzzle of Beethoven’s poor health.

Classical music in a strongman's Russia – has anything changed since Stalin's day?

What composer Gabriel Prokofiev and I found in Putin's Moscow...

Six Secret Smuggled Books

Six classic works of literature we wouldn't have read if they hadn't been smuggled...

Grid

Seven images inspired by the grid

World Music collector, Sir David Attenborough

The field recordings Attenborough of music performances around the world.