Shows
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 32. Belisarius: The Last of the Great Roman GeneralsWho was Belisarius—the man who nearly rebuilt the Roman Empire under Justinian I? From the deserts of North Africa to the ruins of Gothic Italy, Belisarius led brilliant campaigns that stunned both enemies and emperors. In this episode, we trace his rise from obscure origins to his legendary victories in the Vandalic and Gothic Wars, and explore why he remains one of history’s greatest, yet most underappreciated, generals.Discover the battles, betrayals, and Byzantine court intrigues that defined the 6th century—and how Belisarius became a symbol of loyalty, brilliance, and tragic imperial politics.🔔...2025-06-212h 00Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 31. Barbarossa: Scourge of the MediterraneanThe Legendary Barbarossa Brothers: Masters of the Mediterranean ⚓In this deep dive into the Barbarossa brothers, we explore the incredible journey of Aruj and Hayreddin Barbarossa, two of the most formidable naval commanders of the 16th century. From their origins as privateers in the Mediterranean to becoming the architects of Ottoman naval supremacy, their story is one of ambition, strategy, and geopolitical transformation.🚢 Origins & Rise to PowerBorn on the island of Lesbos, the Barbarossa brothers started their maritime careers as privateers, navigating the dangerous waters of the Mediterranean, where rival empires and merchant states vied...2025-03-241h 40
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 30. Russia's Legendary Queens from Olga the Viking to Catherine the GreatCatherine the Great’s reign marked an era of splendour, military triumphs, and political transformation. Standing on the shoulders of the formidable women who preceded her, she wielded propaganda masterfully, cultivating an image of power, and was both loved and feared, domestically and abroad. Her rule saw Russia expand its territories and influence, but it came at the cost of vanity, paranoia, and ruthless pragmatism that were the hallmarks of her predecessors Olga, Anna and Elizabeth who also forged their paths through sheer will in a male dominated society. Despite her Enlightenment ideals, Catherine, like the matriarchs before her, ru...2024-11-203h 38
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 29. Nikola Tesla: Tragic Hero and Forgotten ProphetMost people today have heard of Tesla, the electric car company, and its controversial CEO, Elon Musk. Some might even know a bit about the company’s namesake: Nikola Tesla, the enigmatic genius who was responsible for promoting the electrical system that made our modern world possible. But the story of his rise to fame, incredible discoveries, his continuous battles with rivals and financiers; the conspiracies surrounding his suppressed technologies and ongoing legacy are less well-known. Nikola Tesla’s victory over Thomas Edison for the future of American Power has been virtually forgotten, yet is a fascinating story from an e...2024-06-222h 22
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 28. Mughals, Merchants, Marauders & Henry Every's Heist of the CenturyEverybody loves a good heist story – especially a successful one. Chuck in corrupt politicians, corporate gangsters and billionaire warlords and you’ve got yourself a winning formula. Set your story in the 17th century, make your protagonist a handsome, mutinous pirate on the run and you’re looking at a sure-fire Hollywood blockbuster. Except that in this case, there isn’t one.Henry Every pulled off the heist of the century, when in 1694 he seized his ship in a mutiny, sailed half way around the globe and bailed up a treasure fleet owned by the mighty Mughal Emperor...2024-03-252h 13
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 27 Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Adventurer Gertrude BellMost people have heard of Lawrence of Arabia, and the romantic tale of his involvement in the revolution that liberated the middle East from Ottoman rule during World war One. But few people are aware that behind TE Lawrence there stood an even greater champion in the cause for freedom. And no, it wasn’t some moustached army general or cigar chomping politician. It was a woman. The first ever to graduate with first class honours from Oxford. One who spoke 6 languages, had climbed the highest mountains in Europe (in her underwear); was an accomplished archaeologist, surveyor and photographer. A...2024-01-223h 17
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 26. Kingdom of Kongo: Slaver Kings, Amazon Queens & the Brazilian SpartacusWhen many people think of Africa, they visualise wide open spaces, incredible wildlife and colourful friendly people with vibrant cultures, costumes and music. We might also contemplate the tragedy of the African slave trade and the consequences of colonialism. But what if I told you there was one powerful African kingdom in particular, that, when they first came into contact with Europeans, voluntarily and enthusiastically transformed their entire civilisation almost overnight– adopting the language, religion, fashion and even feudal aristocratic customs of the Portuguese, establishing diplomatic embassies in Lisbon, Madrid and even the Vatican, training their own clergy and co...2023-10-281h 45
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 25. Voltaire: The Rascal PhilosopherFew enlightenment thinkers are as famous as the French writer Voltaire. Born into a modest though socially ambitious family, he found his talent for writing early and by his late teens was punching way above his weight as a playwright and poet earning accolades and raising eyebrows for his witty use of satire to make not-so-subtle criticisms of church and state. Indeed he would spend his entire adult life dodging the authorities, often writing under multiple pseudonyms and denying authorship of most of his scandalous books, for which there was no shortage of interest among the literate class of...2023-09-162h 08
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 24. Margaret Thatcher: The Life and Times of the Lady Who Wouldn't be TurnedFew politicians have been as polarising as UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who led her country during a tumultuous time in history, between 1979 and 1990. She was the first female leader of a major political party in British History; and its longest continually serving prime minister of the 20th century. She led her country to victory in the Falklands conflict; presided over the decolonisation of a number of former dominions, successfully pressuring warring factions in Rhodesia and the Apartheid regime of South Africa to come to a peaceful transition of power. She was a major player in the struggle against...2023-07-122h 15Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 23. Codfish Heroes: Vikings, Basques and the Fishermen who Changed the WorldWe often look at history through the actions of great individuals, technological developments and natural events that initiate social, political and economic change. Sometimes animals play a role in those changes - such as the domestication of sheep, cattle and horses thousands of years ago as sources of food and burden or the ability to travel quickly and provide their riders with a battle platform. But despite those benefits, Europeans nevertheless continued to some degree to be constrained in their ability to travel long distances across oceans by the limits of nutritional deficiency- that is to say, disease borne...2023-04-181h 42Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 22 The Irish Problem, Fenian Rebels and Catalpa RescueFew people know about the broader history of Ireland, and its long and tragic relationship with England: the uprisings and repression, the famines and exodus, or the political persecution that condemned activists to rot half way round the world as convicts in the brutal penal colonies of Australia. In this video, we’ll take a brief look at Irish history, its complex historical relationship with Britain, and as an interesting aside, the little known, though extraordinarily daring breakout of Fenian political prisoners from one of colonial Australia’s toughest convict prisons. From the post-Roman period and St Patrick; the Viki...2023-02-281h 34Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 21. Roald Amundsen: Quiet Conqueror of the Polar RegionsThis is a story about a little known, yet much misunderstood hero. But more than that it is also a story about a clash of philosophies, the dawn of a new era; a young nation, and a once mighty one - both in their own way experiencing an identity crisis.In 1912, a young Norwegian explorer called Roald Amundsen reached the south Geographic Pole in a slick, clinical, sportsmanlike operation, having recently also been the first man to sail through the fabled North-West Passage on the other side of the globe. In doing so, he eclipsed a massive, lavishly...2022-12-231h 47
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 20. The Incredible story of the Magellan-Elcano Circumnavigation of 1519-1520September 2022 marks the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the globe by the expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan (Fernando de Magallanes/Fernão de Magalhães), and completed by Juan Sebastian Elcano- and it should be mentioned, a young slave boy by the name of Henry (Enrique) of Malacca. The story of how the spurned Portuguese Captain went to work for the Spanish is full of court intrigue, international espionage, daring exploits and narrow escapes; but also one of tragic blunders, mutiny and betrayal. Underscoring the fierce competition between Spain and Portugal for naval supremacy and a trade mo...2022-10-251h 42Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 19. The Incredible Journey of Medieval Adventurer Ibn BattutaWhen most people are asked to name an epic traveller from history, they usually come up with names like Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, Magellan, or any number of other well-known European explorers and adventurers that come to mind. Very few could name an explorer or traveller outside the realm of medieval and renaissance Europe, despite the obvious reality that there was at the same time, an enormous, incredibly diverse and highly interconnected parallel world outside their own relatively isolated domain, in which the Islamic faith had established networks of sultanates and empires extending from the Westernmost edge of Africa, a...2022-08-061h 57
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 18. Joan of Arc: The Girl Who Crowned a King and Saved a NationJoan of Arc; the Maid of Orleans; Jeanne D'Arc, Jehanne la Pucelle: she goes by many names. A provincial French peasant girl, barely in her teens, living in relative poverty, illiteracy and complete subordination during a time of total war and medieval brutality. Imagine this traumatised though deeply pious child having visions of angels and saints, and being commanded by them to seek out the dauphin (the French word for Crown Prince) and convince him to let her lead his demoralised army and liberate their kingdom from a powerful enemy. Most people then, as now, would have thought her...2022-06-191h 57
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 17. Thomas Paine: The Forgotten Father of Western DemocracyThomas Paine was a plain talking, big thinking common man - self educated in matters of science, philosophy, activism and political theory. His pamphlets and books inspired ordinary people throughout the colonies of America to stand up for their rights and throw off the yoke of British domination. Soon after, these books were smuggled into France, where they inspired the Third Estate to agitate for the guarantee of their natural rights. Eventually, this grass roots activism would lead to the overthrow of the French Monarchy in the French Revolution, where Paine would be granted honorary citizenship, a seat in...2022-06-191h 26
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 16. Iron John (Der Eisenhans): A Brothers Grimm Fairytale Interpreted as an Initiation Manual for MenThe Grimm brothers fairy tale Iron John (or Der Eisenhans in German) was the subject of study by prize winning American poet and author Robert Bly, who was a prominent figure in the mythopoetic men's movement that began in the 1980's. In it he saw the remnants of pre-industrial male initiation, told through the story of a young prince, who goes off to live with a wild, hairy man in the forest, encounters a magical golden spring, and then later works anonymously as a servant in the castle of a great king. He eventually goes on to perform great...2022-06-181h 05
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 15. The Hero's Journey: Joseph Campbell and the MonomythThe hero’s journey is the mythological representation of the challenges we all face in life and the path that must be travelled to overcome them. But more than that, it represents what famous mythologist Joseph Campbell saw as the generic-representation of the process of personal development and maturity that each person must undergo in order to become balanced, healthy members of society. This usually means dealing with repressed emotional issues, making difficult decisions, having the courage to suffer, and accepting all the consequences. Campbell was influenced in his wide study of religion and mythology by psychologists such as Fr...2022-06-1842 min
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 14. Shakespeare: The Genius we never knewWilliam Shakespeare was arguably the greatest writer in history. His works have been translated into every living language. He’s been credited with literally inventing a tenth of the entire English language, or almost 2000 new words and phrases, many of which remain in common usage to this day. Yet, he was an aspiring tradesman’s son during a time of great civil upheaval. He apparently left school at 13 only to be forced into a murky marriage at the age of 18. Despite these challenges he somehow managed to pen works that showed an incredible breadth and depth of knowledge of law...2022-06-181h 10
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 13. Brutus: Traitor to Caesar or Liberator of Rome?Marcus Junius Brutus is a name that has come down through history as being synonymous with unexpected betrayal. Dante- in his Divine Comedy portrays Brutus as being in the lowest pit of the underworld. He was however a far more complex character, and even William Shakespeare, in his play The Death of Julius Caesar, portrays him as a man torn by his duty to his country and his duty to his friend and benefactor - Caesar. Brutus' monologues and conversations are by far the longest of all the characters - which suggests that the play was really about Brutus...2022-06-171h 12
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 12. Pemulwuy: The Aboriginal Guerrilla Warrior who almost broke the BritishPemulwuy was a member of the Bidgigal Clan, of the Eora nation that inhabit the Sydney Basin on the East Coast of Australia. When Arthur Phillip arrived in Kamay (Botany Bay) with the First Fleet in 1788, to establish a convict settlement, tensions soon arose between the British and the Aboriginal clans that inhabited the area. Under pressure from expanding settlers, the Aboriginal people found a champion in Pemulwuy, a Carradhy (Cleverman), whose hit-and-run tactics unified a number of independent tribes in the region and put serious pressure on colonial food reserves and security. His relentless campaign lasted 12 years, and...2022-06-1544 min
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 11. Bartolomé de Las Casas: The Conscience of Christian Europe and its first Social Justice WarriorIn today’s episode, we will look at the life of Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas, a Dominican Priest who, during the 1500’s at the time of Spanish conquest in the Americas, has been called the “world’s first Social Justice Warrior”. But his isn’t a cosy story of messianic devotion to a cause held firmly in his breast from the outset. He was, in the beginning, one of the bad guys, up to his elbows in it. But then something happened that would transform him into a relentless champion of human rights at a time when the phrase didn’t...2022-06-1449 min
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 10. AB Facey: The Ordinary Aussie Bloke who exemplified Old-School toughness of characterAlbert Facey, born at the desperate tail end of the Australian gold rush, suffered incredible hardship, poverty and even child slavery, only to escape and survive like so many other Huckleberry Finns of his time, purely by his wits and determination, in a harsh, unforgiving land. Illiterate, he taught himself to read and write, and was soon swept up in the fervour of the Great War. Ending up in the hell of Gallipoli, and its horrors of trench warfare, he was wounded and returned to Australia. He had barely settled into married life, when the Great depression hit; a...2022-06-1447 min
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 9. Admiral Robert FitzRoy: The troubled genius who made Charles DarwinVice Admiral Robert FitzRoy is one of the forgotten heroes of the mid eighteenth century. An aristocrat of the old school, he became an outstanding naval officer, rapidly rising through the ranks. He became most famous, as the taciturn and melancholy captain of the Beagle - taking the young and inexperienced Charles Darwin, as a mere companion, on the journey that would inspire his evolutionary theory of Natural Selection that changed the course of science, and history. But as a fundamentalist Christian, he struggled with the societal shockwaves the theory would send through Britain, and his role in motivating...2022-06-1452 min
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 8. Prince Philip: Unlikely Stoic role model in a time of WokeBorn Prince Philip of Denmark and Greece; the consort of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom has often been maligned in the media for his frequent gaffes and politically incorrect comments. Yet his troubled youth, intense study and courageous actions in World War 2 marked him as a man of substance. A man's man and avid sportsman, he abandoned his promising Naval career and previous royal titles to support his wife the monarch and adopted country. Working tirelessly for the public good, he travelled extensively in his patronage of nearly 800 organisations, personally writing and delivering over 70 speeches a year...2022-06-1432 min
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 7. James Cook: The incredible true story of the worlds Greatest Navigator and CartographerCaptain James Cook, a British Navigator, Cartographer and explorer was one of the pre-eminent sailors and innovators of his age. Now a controversial figure for indigenous cultures who see him as the instigator and symbol of European colonial expansion and genocide; the real James Cook was actually quite a different man to what has been imagined. Coming from abject poverty in rural Yorkshire England; raised among the pacifist and hard working Quakers, he dreamed of sailing to far off lands in the pacific since he was a boy. Working as an apprentice aboard a grubby Whitby Cat collier, he...2022-06-141h 20
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 6. Napoleon Bonaparte: Evil Despot or Enlightenment Genius?May 2021 marks the bicentenary of the death of French Emperor and ethnic Corsican, Napoleon Bonaparte. A military and political genius and champion of the French Revolution, he has been much maligned by history as a dictator, and precursor for Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini and other modern despots by victorious British, Bourbon and other European monarchies. Napoleon's achievements both on and off the battlefield changed the course of world history and ultimately, drove the reforms and changes that were to improve the quality of life and futures of countless nameless peasants and disenfranchised people across Europe and the New W...2022-05-251h 02
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 5. The Perfect Medieval Storm: Jan Hus (John Huss)- the reformer who inspired Martin LutherThis episode explores the geopolitical situation of the late medieval period wherein an enabled papacy, thanks to its projection of spiritual authority onto temporal powers, became increasingly political and corrupt. With the advent of climate change that caused the little ice age in the early 1300's, there followed the great famine of 1315 that killed a quarter of Europe's population, as well as causing a collapse of the livestock, grain supply and local economies for decades. Just as they began to recover, Europe was then hit by the Black Death (or Bubonic Plague) in 1346, which caused the death of upwards...2022-05-2547 min
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 4. General Jose de San Martin: The Unknown Hero of South America. Part TwoLa guerra de la independencia: Arriving in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata; San Martin and his companions were faced with a colonial government in disarray. Not quite revolutionary, and not quite loyalist; attempting to form a new United Provinces; factional infighting so preoccupied them that they proved ineffective not only in subjugating outlying provinces, but barely securing their external borders. To be sure, there was much pride in the repulsion of two British invasions a couple of years earlier; which, it could be said was the primary trigger for self-determination; but beyond that...2022-05-161h 13
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 3. General Jose de San Martin: The Unknown Hero of South America. Part OneJose de San Martin, champion of the "guerra de la independencia", was an Argentine General, provincial governor and innovative commander who played a key role in the liberation of the viceroyalties and colonies of Latin America from the Spanish Crown in their post-Napoleonic struggle for independence. His youth was spent training as a professional soldier and his early career saw him first fighting with Napoleon's French forces against the Portuguese; then against them, as Napoleon revoked his alliance with the Spanish King and invaded the Iberian peninsula and installed his brother Joseph Bonaparte on the...2022-05-1649 min
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 2. The 12 Labours of Herakles (Hercules)Herakles (Hercules) was a demigod (half human, half god) within the mythological pantheon of ancient Greece (and later, Rome) and illegitimate son of Zeus.Off to a bad start, he was the target of assassination attempts by Zeus's wife Hera, who was appalled at her husband's insatiable lusting after mortal women. But Heracles' sheer strength and naïve determination saw him evade these threats and roam the countryside, ridding the local kingdom of monsters to the great celebration of both kings and peasants. Outraged by his celebrity, Hera caused him to mistake his wife and children for m...2022-05-1639 min
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel PodcastEp. 1. The Knights Hospitaller and the Great Siege of Malta 1565The siege of Malta, defended by the knights of St John, otherwise known as the Knights Hospitaller, or Knights of Malta, is one of the great military actions in history. They were a religious military order established prior to the crusades, in order to assist pilgrims on their journey to Christian holy sites across the levant. As the crusades began in earnest, they soon transformed into a military order, rivalling the knights Templar in their prowess and influence. As the crusader kingdoms slowly began to collapse, the Knights retreated to other strongholds, such as Cyprus and Rhodes, till t...2022-05-1546 min