Chalke Talk

1918: One Hundred Days to VictoryThe stunning series of victories that brought the First World War to a close are regarded as some of the most important battles the British have ever fought. Yet today they are largely forgotten. Dan Snow tells the story of The Hundred Days Offensive and how a hastily assembled army of civilians was forged into the finest force in British history that decisively defeated Germany. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Napoleon: The Man Behind the Myth‘What a novel my life has been!' exclaimed Napoleon – but he wrote much of it himself. A masterful and shameless manipulator of myths, he created a narrative that still inspires passionate and conflicting responses. Was he a god-like genius, Romantic avatar, megalomaniac monster or just a nasty little dictator? Adam Zamoyski argues that he was none of these and presents a more human, more understandable and far more interesting Napoleon. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Personal History of Musicals: How to Succeed, By Mistake, in the World of Musical TheatreMulti-award-winning lyricist Sir Tim Rice is responsible for some of the most successful musicals of all time both on stage and on screen. In this talk, he discusses his own journey from his partnership with Andrew Lloyd-Webber in the 1960s through to collaborating with Elton John, winning Oscars, Golden Globes, Grammys, Ivor Novellos and having his own place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

All Out War: The Full Story of How Brexit Sank Britain's Political ClassThis is political history that rivals the very best thrillers: a behind the scenes account of what really happened before, during and immediately after the Brexit referendum. Tim Shipman had unrivalled access to many of the key players and, in this discussion with Guy Walters, offers a ringside view of the decision that will change the UK forever. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bread for All: The Origins of the Welfare StateFrom the Victorian workhouse to the National Insurance and National Health Service Acts that came into effect in 1948, Chris Renwick exploreS the welfare state's evolution, one of the greatest transformations in British intellectual, social and political life. He challenges common assumptions about what the welfare state was originally for and in doing so aska what the idea continues to mean for us today. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Constant Heart: The War Diaries of Maud Russell 1939-1945Mottisfont Abbey was home to Maud Russell, an active figure in British political and artistic life. Maud's granddaughter, Emily Russell, has edited her private diaries and tells tales of Maud's encounters with celebrated artists and writers such as Matisse, Rex Whistler and Ian Fleming, her wartime life on a country estate, and her struggle to help her Jewish relations flee Nazi Germany. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How Ideas Change: The Evolution of EverythingBest-selling author Matt Ridley's fascinating argument for evolution definitively dispels a dangerous myth: that we can command and control our world. Taught that the world is shaped by those in charge, his perspective revolutionises the way we think. Drawing from science, economics, history and philosophy, he proves that it is actually ‘bottom-up' trends which shape the world. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How to Remain Sane in the Age of PopulismIn recent years, a wave of populism has swept the world, fuelled by fear, anger and resentment. Internationally award-winning author and TED Global speaker Elif Shafak asks how we remain sane in the age of populism. Should we retreat into tribes of our own; should we create new tribes, or should we, and can we, find a way beyond tribalism? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kenneth Clark: Life, Art and CivilisationJames Stourton, former Chairman of Sotheby's UK, and official biographer of the great British art historian Kenneth Clark, draws on previously unseen archives to reveal the astonishing life of this formidable intellect who wielded enormous influence over all aspects of the arts despite deep emotional and intellectual contradictions and a very complicated private life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kings of the Yukon: The History of the Salmon RunThe Yukon river is over 2,000 miles long, flowing northwest from Canada through Alaska to the Bering Sea. Every summer, hundreds of thousands of King salmon migrate the longest salmon run in the world. Adam Weymouth traces the profound interconnectedness of the local people and the fish to offer a powerful glimpse into the erosion of indigenous culture, and into our ever-complicated relationship with the natural world. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lancaster Bomber PilotRusty Waughman DFC is a former Lancaster pilot flying with RAF Bomber Command in the Second World War. He has incredible recall, and talks of those times with great frankness, detail and consideration for all he and his crew went through. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Les Parisiennes 1939-49How did the women of Paris live, love and die in the 1940s? Why did some Parisians collaborate while others resisted? From saving other people's children, to embracing Nazi philosophy to retreating to the Ritz with a lover, acclaimed writer, Anne Sebba, examines the many different choices made by the Parisiennes in order to survive the war. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lotharingia: A Personal History of Europe's Lost CountryIn 843 AD the territory of Emperor Charlemagne was divided between his three surviving grandsons. One inherited the area now known as France, another Germany and the third received the piece in between: Lotharingia, a huge swath of land that stretched from the mouth of the Rhine to the Alps. Simon Winder explains how the dynamic between these three great zones has dictated much of our subsequent fate. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Masters of the Seas: Naval Power and the First World WarSo much of our understanding of the First World War focuses on the conflict on land and yet the nation who controlled the seas also controlled the flow of resources, so critical in such a long and attritional war. In this lecture, one of our most eminent historians Professor Sir Hew Strachan shows why naval power was so critical to the outcome. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

No Cunning PlanTony Robinson has spent much of his professional life immersed in the past, whether as Blackadder's servant through the centuries or with Maid Marion and her Merry Men, or as the presenter of the pioneering archaeology show, Time Team. In this event, he discusses with Tom Holland his history highs, from Baldrick's cunning plans to some of the most important finds unearthed in over twenty years of archaeological digs. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Salisbury Cathedral: A Medieval MasterpieceOver 800 years ago, work started on the new Salisbury Cathedral. Tim Tatton-Brown describes how one of Britain's greatest cathedrals was built, from digging the foundations in 1219 to the completion of Britain's tallest spire. Drawing on history, geology and his expertise in architecture, he will show the wider context of the building, situating its development against the background of English politics of successive ages. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Anglo-Saxon Conquest of England, Wessex and the Chalke ValleyWe speak English today; not Celtic, Latin, nor Norman French. England is England because of the Anglo-Saxon conquest. Yet we know very little about how it happened. This talk describes astonishing new evidence, hidden in plain sight, spread across the whole length and breadth of England. Some of it in the Chalke Valley near Salisbury. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Collector Earls of Pembroke: Wilton's History Told Through its Art CollectionEvery picture tells a story and nowhere more so than in a private collection, still hanging in the house for which it was bought. The collection at Wilton is one of the oldest in Britain, dating back to the seventeenth century, when the Earl of Pembroke was among Van Dyck's earliest English patrons. Art historian and broadcaster Helen Rosslyn looks at works by artists as diverse as Raphael, Rembrandt and Reynolds and explores how they came to be at Wilton. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Final Taboo: A History of GriefDeath is the last taboo in our society, and grief is still profoundly misunderstood. In conversation with Dan Snow, Julia Samuel, a grief psychologist and Founder of Child Bereavement UK, explores past attitudes to grief and the historical context of death and dying in this country, from the Victorians to the present day, with particular emphasis on the consequences of the two World Wars. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Imperial Tea Party: Family, Politics and BetrayalBefore King George infamously denied his Romanov cousins asylum when the Bolsheviks were closing in, there were three extraordinary encounters between the British and Russian royal families. Although well intentioned and generally hailed as successes, Frances Welch shows that these meetings, beset by misunderstandings and misfortunes, were to have far-reaching consequences for twentieth century Europe and beyond. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Poetry Pharmacy: Tried-and-True Prescriptions for the Mind, Heart and SoulIn the years since he first had the idea of prescribing short, powerful poems for all manner of spiritual ailments, William Sieghart, founder of National Poetry Day, has taken his Poetry Pharmacy around the length and breadth of Britain. Here he speaks about the most essential poems in his dispensary: those which have repeatedly shown themselves to work. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The QueenRenowned biographer A. N. Wilson celebrates the life of the Queen in this vibrant examination of Britain's most iconic figure. He paints a vivid portrait of “Lilibet” the woman, and of her unfaltering reign during the tumultuous twentieth century, while asking candidly whether Britain can remain a constitutional monarchy after her reign ends. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Write Fantastic: Terry PratchettSir Terry Pratchett is one of the most popular authors to have ever lived. His Discworld novels have sold tens of millions all over the world. In this talk his right-hand man and collaborator, Rob Wilkins, discusses his life, his work, his inspiration and his profound love of the Chalke Valley. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Victoria: Queen, Matriarch, EmpressQueen Victoria inherited the throne aged 18 and, in an unprecedented reign of 63 years, she oversaw intense industrial, cultural, political, scientific and military change within the United Kingdom, and great imperial expansion outside it. In the bicentenary of her birth, Professor Jane Ridley overturns the established picture of the dour old lady to create a fresh and engaging portrait of this redoubtable monarch. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Viking Britain: An ExplorationTo many, the word ‘Viking' brings to mind scenes of violence and pillage, of marauders from beyond the sea rampaging around the British coastline in the last gloomy centuries before the Norman Conquest. Thomas Williams, however, offers a vital evocation of a forgotten world, its echoes in later history and its implications for the present, revealing how much Britain today owes to its Viking past. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why the Anglo-Saxons MatterAcclaimed historian and broadcaster Michael Wood tells fascinating tales from our early history: Augustine of Canterbury and the coming of Christianity, Theodore of Tarsus, the golden age of Northumbria, the Lady of the Mercians, Alfred, Athelstan, and the Norman Conquest; stories of men and women, kings and peasants, of the beginning of English literature and art, and the origins of England. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lawrence of ArabiaT.E. Lawrence is famous for Seven Pillars of Wisdom, his personal account of the Arab revolt during World War I. What is less known is that he burnt the first, more intimate, version of his memoire. Highly acclaimed author Anthony Sattin uncovers the story of Lawrence's pre-war adventures and the personal reasons that led to his prominent role in the Middle East. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Victorians: Twelve Titans Who Forged BritainMany associate the Victorian era with austere social attitudes and filthy factories. Jacob Rees-Mogg discusses a very different picture of the age, one of bright ambition, bold self- belief and determined industriousness. Whether through Peel's commitment to building free trade, Palmerston's deft diplomacy in international affairs, or Brunel's incredible engineering feats, the Victorians transformed the nation and established Britain as a preeminent global force. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Into the Cannon's Mouth: The Archaeology of Infantry Charges at Culloden and IsandlwanaIn this talk, the brilliant conflict archaeologist Professor Tony Pollard adopts a forensic approach to dissect the Jacobite charge at Culloden (1746) and that by the Zulus at Isandlwana (1879). Using the results of archaeological investigations the two are compared and contrasted and the factors that influenced Jacobite defeat and Zulu victory examined. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Life and Legend of the Sultan SaladinFew of history's heroes can rival Saladin in his enduring attraction. In the Muslim world he is revered for reclaiming Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187. In the West he is famed for his chivalric virtue, despite fighting off the armies of the Third Crusade. Professor Jonathan Phillips brings alive this extraordinary man's legacy, offering a unique prism through which to view the complex world of holy war and the centuries- long struggle for Jerusalem. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

First ConfessionLord Patten, one of the most distinguished Tory ‘Wets' of the 1980s and 1990s, talks about his time in office in the Conservative Party, as the last Governor of Hong Kong, European Commissioner, Chairman of the BBC and Chancellor of Oxford University. From Northern Ireland to Asia, he shows us unexpected sides of many of the great figures of the day. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

George Osborne: Politics and HistoryThe former Chancellor looks at politics historically and divulges the historical antecedents which inspired him and his close friend David Cameron during their six years in government together. In conversation with Tim Bouverie, this is a rare insight into politics at the very highest level from the man Andrew Marr once called the smartest politician he had ever met. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Last Hope Island: Britain, Occupied Europe and the Brotherhood that Helped Turn the Tide of WarIn the early days of World War II, London became the base of operations for the exiled leaders of occupied Europe. In their struggles against the mightiest military force in history, Britain become known as “Last Hope Island'. Acclaimed historian Lynne Olson describes how the British and their European guests joined forces to restore order to a broken continent. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hidden Histories: A Spotter's Guide to the British LandscapeFrom pathways, bridges and old houses, to hedges, churches, graveyards and field patterns left behind by medieval ploughmen, Mary-Ann Ochota helps decipher the story of our environment through the features we see around us and arms the amateur explorer with the crucial information needed to ‘read' the landscape and spot the human activities that have shaped our green and pleasant land. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Four Princes: Henry VIII, Francis I, Charles V, Suleiman the Magnificent and the Obsession Which Forged Modern EuropeThe late lamented John Julius Norwich weaves a colourful story of four great princes who were born within a single decade. Henry VIII, Francis I of France, Charles V of Spain and Suleiman the Magnificent were sometimes friends, but more often enemies. From the Field of the Cloth of Gold, Francis and Henry's extravagant pageant, to Suleiman's celebratory pyramid of 2000 human heads, this is history at its most vivid. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Women Who Flew for Hitler: The True Story of Hitler's ValkyriesHanna Reitsch and Melitta von Stauffenberg were talented and courageous women who fought convention to make their names in the male dominated world of flight and both were awarded the Iron Cross for service to the Third Reich. Acclaimed biographer Clare Mulley gives an exciting – and as yet largely unknown - account of Nazi Germany's most highly decorated women test pilots. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Map of Knowledge: How Classical Ideas Were Lost and FoundViolet Moller traces the journey taken by the ideas of three of the greatest scientists of antiquity – Euclid, Galen and Ptolemy – through seven cities and over a thousand years. In tracing these fragile strands of knowledge, Moller reveals the web of connections between the Islamic world and Christendom, connections that would both preserve and transform astronomy, mathematics and medicine from the early Middle Ages to the Renaissance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Robert Graves: From Great War Poet to Good-bye to All ThatRobert Graves as war poet, and the poems he suppressed in an effort to put the war behind him, have been largely neglected – until now. Jean Moorcroft Wilson traces not only Graves's compelling life, but also the development of his poetry during the First World War, his thinking about the conflict and his talents as a master prose writer and author of the revealing memoir Good-bye to All That. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Don McCullin: Irreconcilable TruthsLegendary photographer Don McCullin first met Max Hastings in Cambodia in 1970. Here they discuss Sir Don's long career from his time as a war photographer to his recent work in Syria, as well as some of the themes with which they are both familiar: fear, suffering and the terrible cost of war. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Hero for High Times: A Guide to the Beats, Hippies, Freaks, Punks, Ravers, New-Age Travellers and Dog-on-a-rope Brew Crew Crusties of the British Isles 1956-1994A free spirit who embraced the post-war counter-culture, Ian Marchant takes us on a splendid journey through some of his personal highs from the age of the Beats to the protests of Swampy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great BetrayalWith access to newly released MI5 files, Ben Macintyre unlocks perhaps the last great secret of the Cold War. A story of intimate duplicity, loyalty, trust and treachery about the most notorious British defector and mole in history, Kim Philby is revealed as agent, double agent, traitor and enigma, and betrayer of secret Allied operations to the Russians. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Fear and the Freedom: How the Second World War Changed UsKeith Lowe has undertaken a pioneering and vitally important exploration of the aftermath of the war, how it affected different peoples and countries, and the unprecedented geopolitical, social, psychological and economic imprint it caused. In this talk he discusses his findings and explains why the war is still both important and highly relevant to this day. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Aviation Heroes of the First World WarThe pioneering airmen of the First World War took incredible risks to perform their vital contribution to the war effort. Joshua Levine, official historian of the film Dunkirk, tells the story of the first heroes of the air, conveying the perils of early flight, the thrills of being airborne, and the horrors of war in the air at a time when pilots carried little defensive armament and no parachutes. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Horticultural Heaven: The Lives of Edith Wharton, Virginia Woolf, Willa Cather and Penelope Fitzgerald Through Their GardensAcclaimed writer, reviewer, broadcaster, and prize-winning biographer Professor Dame Hermione Lee, former President of Wolfson College, Oxford, talks about the gardens – real and imaginary – of the writers whose lives she has written including Edith Wharton, Virginia Woolf, Penelope Fitzgerald, and Willa Cather. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rome: A History in Seven SackingsNo city on earth has preserved its past as has Rome, despite being afflicted by earthquakes, floods, fires, plagues and repeated ravages by roving armies. From the Gauls to the Nazis, Matthew Kneale vividly recounts the most important of these attacks, while drawing an intense and vibrant portrait of the city and its inhabitants, both before and after being attacked. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Raj at War: A People's History of India's Second World WarThe Second World War was not fought by Britain alone. India produced the largest volunteer army in world history: over 2 million men. Yasmin Khan presents the overlooked history of India at war, and will show how mobilisation for the war unleashed seismic processes of economic, cultural and social change – decisively shaping the international war effort, the unravelling of the empire and India's own political trajectory. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Clash of Empires: Rome v GreeceRome. Greece. Two of the greatest civilisations ever to exist, yet the story of how the former came to conquer the latter just a few years after a brutal war with Carthage is little known today. The brilliant Ben Kane brings to life the characters, the political intrigue, the alliances made and broken, as well as the heroic battles. This clash of powers had it all. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Epic Continent: Adventures in the Great Stories of EuropeAward-winning travel writer Nicholas Jubber journeyed across Europe exploring it's epic poems, from the Odyssey to Beowulf, the Song of Roland to the Nibelungenlied. In these tales soaked in blood and fire, Nicholas Jubber reveals how fantasy realms of gods and emperors, dragons and water-maidens, knights and princesses shaped our world: their deep impact on European identity, and their resonance in our turbulent times. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Black PrinceIn 1346, at the age of 16, he helped defeat the French at Crécy; ten years later he captured the King of France at Poitiers. Michael Jones illuminates the dramatic story of ‘the Black Prince', the eldest son and heir of Edward III of England. Using the Prince's own letters, he paints a memorable portrait of warfare and society in the tumultuous fourteenth century. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Empires in the Sun: The Struggle for the Mastery of AfricaIn this talk about the men and ideas that radically changed the course of world history, Lawrence James investigates and analyses how, within a hundred years, Europeans persuaded and coerced Africa into becoming a subordinate part of the modern world. The continent proved to be a magnet for the high-minded, the philanthropic, the unscrupulous and the insane. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Robert Kennedy: Working for BobbyIn 1968, a year that saw America divided by the Vietnam War and shocked by the assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King, Steve Isenberg, a 27-year-old political novice, joined the presidential campaign of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. He recounts his adventures on the campaign trail and reveals the highs and lows of a campaign that was innocent and idealistic, yet full of serious purpose and determination, but that was ultimately to end in tragedy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.