On the Wall

The soldiers who garrisoned Hadrian's Wall were all men, but what of the many women of diverse backgrounds who lived on and around the frontier? Bronwen Riley selects six objects that offer precious insights into women's lives at the edge of the empire

FRONTIER TOURISTS

Since its earliest days, the great barrier at the Roman empire's north-western edge has been a source of wonder. Rob Collins traces the history of tourism and souvenirs at Hadrian's Wall

THE ROAD TO HADRIAN'S WALL

From Caesar's first invasion in 55 BC to the construction of the famous barrier some 175 years later, Rome engaged in multiple battles to subdue the peoples of Britain. Archaeologist Richard Hingley talks to Rob Attar about how the Romans sought to take control of this distant province

Britain's Century of Boom and Bust

From the 1920s to the Winter of Discontent, inflation has haunted several British governments over the past 100 years. So, asks Phil Tinline, how does the current cost of living crisis compare with previous periods of soaring prices?

'This was a time when losing a limb made you a hero, but losing a face made you a monster'

Lindsey Fitzharris talks to Rhiannon Davies about her book on a pioneering plastic surgeon who rebuilt men's shattered faces during the First World War

RUSSIA'S DOOMED REVOLUTION

With the world's attention fixed firmly on the invasion of Ukraine, Antony Beevor's new history of Russia's 1917 revolutions and subsequent civil war is especially timely. He explains to Rob Attar how the fall of the last tsar launched a chain of events leading to millions of deaths and one of history's most brutal dictatorships

Snuffers, scrapers and murder-holes

From medieval portcullises to the Regency craze for "Wellington" knockers, the evolution of the front door offers a unique entry point to British history. Rachel Hurdley looks at six ways in which doors reflect our desire to avert danger, and impress our neighbours

NORMAN ADVENTURES IN AFRICA

Less than a century after William the Conqueror's invasion of England, his compatriots embarked on another ambitious military assault - on the southern shores of the Mediterranean. Levi Roach tells the story of the Norman kingdom of north Africa

THE MAKING OF AN AMERICAN SCANDAL

Fifty years ago, the US government was embroiled in a conspiracy that became a constitutional crisis - eventually toppling a president. Clifford Williamson charts the fallout from the 1972 Watergate affair

New light on the Dark Ages

The past 40 years have witnessed a revolution in our understanding of early English history, which has inspired Michael Wood to update his landmark book In Search of the Dark Ages. Here, Michael chronicles the great leaps forward that have lit up this thrilling era

Accessorising the past

We've added accoutrements to our outfits for centuries, from buckles to buttons - but they aren't just important for fashion's sake. Cordula van Wyhe and Susan Vincent reveal what six accessories can tell us about historical attitudes to gender, empire and more

Into the wild

From its earliest days, the BBC set out to chronicle the natural world - an ambition that, as DAVID HENDY explores, reached new heights from the late 1970s with David Attenborough's string of wildlife blockbusters

A yearning process

HELEN CARR applauds a timely examination of the great British obsession with venerating the past, and its impact on our understanding of the challenges we face in the present

WAR WITHOUT END

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 is widely viewed through the prism of the great Cold War confrontation between east and west. Yet, writes Elisabeth Leake, the occupation also ignited a tinderbox of local grievances that continue to torment the country to this day

When the Black Death arrived in Europe, it was like striking a match in tinder

The medievalist and historian of medicine Monica H Green tells Ellie Cawthorne how scientific advances have changed our thinking on what caused the Black Death - and why it was so devastating

The survivor, the "incurable" and the scapegoat

History is too often presented as tales of "great men" - yet the experiences of ordinary women speak eloquently about the reality of lives past. Lucy Worsley introduces three outwardly unremarkable people caught up in pivotal events

THE SIEGE

When some 6,000 parliamentarians tried to prise a few hundred royalists out of Basing House in 1643, they began a brutal siege that would drag on for years - and see thousands slaughtered. Jessie Childs tells the story of a desperate struggle that became a defining episode of the Civil War

The strike has links to a far longer story of female south Asian protest

KAVITA PURI explores lesser-known stories from our past

All at sea

Maritime

A journey into the Elizabethan mind

The Elizabethans were desperate to untangle the mystery of their "inward selves". Helen Hackett reveals how they used ancient teachings, Christian doctrine and new scientific discoveries to make sense of the mind

Grave insights

BRENNA HASSETT recommends an account of life and individual deaths - in Britain during the first millennium AD

Raised by wolves

Feral children have fascinated and frightened people for centuries, raising questions about what it means to be human. Richard Sugg shares the stories of some of these wild children - and explains why their return to society was not always a happy one

Medieval Christians were capable of imagining goddess-like beings that looked thoroughly pagan

RONALD HUTTON talks to Rhiannon Davies about his new book exploring four female deities who straddled the pagan and Christian worlds in the Middle Ages

The final slog

TAYLOR DOWNING salutes an account of the often overlooked last days of the Second World War in Europe, when Allied troops faced stubborn resistance from German forces

Generating fear

STEPHEN WALKER gives a nervous welcome to a history of nuclear power, which focuses on the accidents and the disasters that have plagued the sector

First letters

LANGUAGE

A cultural institution

Mixing music with drama and the ancient with the cutting-edge, the BBC's Third Programme set out to scale the shining peaks of "high culture". But, says DAVID HENDY, its lofty aims alienated as much as they allured

A congregation of voices

SARAH FOOT enjoys a new history of the Church of England, a book that finds space for the reflections of ordinary parishioners as well charting the deeds of the great and the good

Black Communities Have Had to Pay for the Failures of Emancipation

Kris Manjapra speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about his new book, which explores how emancipations of enslaved people have left troubled legacies that still endure today

Sounds of the Sixties

Facing fleets of pirate radio stations and teenagers hungry to hear the latest hits, the BBC had to change its tune. David Hendy explores how the corporation attempted to reach new audiences in the 1960s