The origins and cultural impact of 18th century tourism. Read more
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The Grand Tour
The origins and cultural impact of 18th century tourism.
The Soul
The history of thought on immortality, the self and the afterlife.
The American West
Melvyn Bragg explores the myths and harsh reality of the 19th century American pioneers.
Wagner
Melvyn Bragg examines the position of Richard Wagner and his music in German culture.
Cultural Imperialism
Melvyn Bragg examines how a dominant power can exert a cultural influence on its empire.
Freedom
Melvyn Bragg considers what it is to be free and how freedom became such a powerful value.
Psychoanalysis and Democracy
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the impact of politics on psychoanalysis.
Heritage
Melvyn Bragg explores the relationship between heritage culture and the study of history.
Slavery and Empire
Melvyn Bragg examines British imperialism and its captives, both slaves and Britons.
The Scientist
Melvyn Bragg explores the origin of the concept and the historical role of the scientist.
Architecture and Power
Melvyn Bragg explores the ideas architecture expresses about our past and identity.
Human Nature
Melvyn Bragg examines whether our natures are innate or defined by unbringing.
Victorian Realism
Melvyn Bragg explores Victorian realism and its focus on the ordinariness of life.
Muslim Spain
Melvyn Bragg examines Muslim Spain, from Cordoba鈥檚 golden age to the fall of Granada.
Imagination
Melvyn Bragg investigates the creatives forces of the imagination.
The Enlightenment in Scotland
Melvyn Bragg examines the emergence and impact of the Scottish Enlightenment.
Man and Disease
Melvyn Bragg examines how humans have understood and fought disease throughout history.
The Calendar
Melvyn Bragg explores the ancient origins of our Gregorian calendar.
The Epic
The history of the epic, from Homer's Odyssey to Joyce鈥檚 Ulysses.
Chance and Design
Melvyn Bragg explores the question and theories of a grand design in the universe.
The Lindisfarne Gospels
Melvyn Bragg examines the manuscripts that united Celtic and Roman cultures in England.
The Aztecs
Melvyn Bragg examines the creation, power and legacy of the Aztec Empire.
Meteorology
Melvyn Bragg explores the fascinating and mystifying science of meteorology.
Redemption
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss redemption, crucial for Judeo-Christian thought.
Originality
Melvyn Bragg and guests explore the creative force of originality.
The Life of Stars
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life cycle of stars.
The Spanish Civil War
Melvyn Bragg examines the causes, events and repercussions of the Spanish Civil War.
Proust
The life and work of the celebrated 20th century French novelist Marcel Proust.
Youth
Melvyn Bragg examines the history of concepts and ideas on youth from antiquity to today.
Roman Britain
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 400 year history of the Romans in Britain.
The Jacobite Rebellion
Melvyn Bragg examines the Stuart dynasty's final attempt to reclaim the throne of England.