History's Heroes

Helena Bonham Carter and Nicola Coughlan shine a light on extraordinary people in history.

Radio 4,46 episodes

Episodes

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History's Secret Heroes: Series 3
Trailer
Helena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War Two
25 Feb 2025,2 mins
History's Secret Heroes: Series 3
Noor Khan: The Operator
In occupied France, can Agent Madeleine escape from the Nazis?
04 Mar 2025,29 mins
History's Secret Heroes: Series 3
Curt Bloch and the Underwater Cabaret
A German refugee risks his life to ridicule Hitler.
04 Mar 2025,28 mins
History's Secret Heroes: Series 3
Witold Pilecki: The Infiltrator
Why did Witold Pilecki volunteer to be sent to Auschwitz?
04 Mar 2025,29 mins
History's Secret Heroes: Series 3
The Salon Albahari
A fashion boutique in Sarajevo houses an enormous secret.
04 Mar 2025,28 mins
History's Secret Heroes: Series 3
Operation Anthropoid
Two men set out to assassinate one of Hitler’s most high-ranking officers.
04 Mar 2025,28 mins
History's Secret Heroes: Series 3
The Night Witches
A group of Soviet women take to the skies to become night bombers.
04 Mar 2025,28 mins
History's Secret Heroes: Series 3
Leif Larsen and the Shetland Bus
Will the Nazis uncover the secret of the Shetland Bus?
04 Mar 2025,28 mins
History's Secret Heroes: Series 3
Dudley Clarke: The Great Deceiver
How did a British army officer use magic tricks to fool the Nazis?
04 Mar 2025,28 mins
History's Secret Heroes: Series 3
Agent Zo's Leap of Faith
Can Agent Zo save the lives of thousands of women in Nazi-occupied Poland?
04 Mar 2025,28 mins
History's Secret Heroes: Series 3
Ita Ekpenyon and the Blitz
Can a Nigerian warden stop a riot from breaking out in a London air raid shelter?
04 Mar 2025,29 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
Trailer
Nicola Coughlan shines a light on extraordinary young people from across history.
02 Dec 2024,3 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
Nelson Mandela and the Defiance Campaign
A young activist attempts to overthrow apartheid in South Africa.
09 Dec 2024,29 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
The Brief Reign of Lady Jane
Trapped in the Tower of London, Lady Jane Grey must choose between life or death.
16 Dec 2024,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
Grace Darling: Maiden of the Sea
A reclusive young woman embarks on a perilous rescue mission
23 Dec 2024,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
Audrey Hepburn’s Teenage Resistance
How did the young Audrey Hepburn take on the Nazis?
30 Dec 2024,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
St Francis of Assisi: Teen Rebel
A wealthy young man severs ties with his family and embarks on a drastic new life.
06 Jan 2025,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
Louis Braille: Code Maker
A young Frenchman invents a tool that will change the lives of blind people.
13 Jan 2025,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
The Visionary Julian of Norwich
A young woman locks herself in a cell for years and becomes a literary trailblazer.
20 Jan 2025,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
Rani Lakshmi Bai: The Warrior Queen
A 22-year-old Indian woman takes on the British Empire.
27 Jan 2025,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
The Grisly World of Andreas Vesalius
A young man becomes a sensation when he starts dissecting corpses in front of crowds.
03 Feb 2025,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
Vasily Arkhipov and the End of Days
A young naval officer must choose whether to save the world or trigger its destruction.
10 Feb 2025,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
Hans and Sophie Scholl and the White Rose
A brother and sister mount a daring campaign against the Nazis.
17 Feb 2025,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope
Terry Fox sets out to run the length of Canada on a prosthetic leg.
24 Feb 2025,30 mins
History's Secret Heroes: Series 2
Trailer
Helena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War Two.
25 Mar 2024,2 mins
History's Secret Heroes: Series 2
The Extraordinary Cook Sisters
How did two English opera-loving sisters help dozens of Jews escape Nazi Germany?
01 Apr 2024,29 mins
History's Secret Heroes: Series 2
Flying High with Johnny Smythe
Johnny Smythe, one of the first West African RAF airmen, navigates a terrifying flight.
01 Apr 2024,29 mins
History's Secret Heroes: Series 2
Christine Granville: The Spy Who Skied In From The Cold
Thrill-seeker Christine Granville becomes Britain’s first female spy during the war.
01 Apr 2024,28 mins
History's Secret Heroes: Series 2
The Unbreakable Navajo Code
A group of Native American soldiers devise a secret code for the Allies.
01 Apr 2024,29 mins
History's Secret Heroes: Series 2
Josefina Guerrero: The Maid of Manila
How did Josefina Guerrero’s leprosy lead her to become a brilliant spy?
01 Apr 2024,28 mins