CATEGORIES

CINEMA ROYALTY

Chris Hallam remembers the acting talents of Sylvia Syms, one of the UK's finest screen performers considered by some to be the \"grand dame of British cinema\"

THE SMILE OF VICTORY

Sports artist Paul Trevillion recounts meeting Sir Winston Churchill nearly 70 years ago, after sending the former prime minister a pen and ink portrait

Just Williams

Chris Hallam remembers a true genius of the comedy world

SAX IN THE CITY

Jon Askew pays tribute to the iconic saxophone solo in Gerry Rafferty's international smash-hit Baker Street and busts an urban myth

A World in Miniature

Esther Chilton fulfils a lifelong ambition by making the trip across the Solent to visit Godshill Model Village

No Stopping Sam

Peter Robertson catches up with the singer-songwriter of the classic hit Stop!

THE REGENT'S RETURN

Steve Richards chronicles the history and restoration of a \"piano-front\" bus which was found in a field more than 20 years after being taken out of service

Magic Piper

Simon Stabler speaks to Jacki Piper about her career, which includes appearing in four Carry On films

OPERATION MINCEMEAT

John Greeves reveals the detailed planning of World War Two's greatest deception

POSTCARD FROM WARWICK

A swirling mist adds to a moody atmosphere to a day trip on which Bob Barton is king of the castle, encounters a bear and visits several centuries-old buildings

The Chinese Exclusion Act

In the late 19th century, rising anti-Chinese prejudice paved the way for one of the most controversial laws in US history. Danny Bird explains how the legislation was passed and why its legacy is still felt today

WOMEN BEHIND 'THE FEW' WAAF

The Women's Auxiliary Air Force and British Air Intelligence during the Second World War

SEEING THINGS

_ A picture tells a thousand words, so they say. But it doesn’t always follow that those words speak the truth, as the stories _ behind these remarkable hoax photographs demonstrate

CONQUEST AND CONVERSION

A bloody civil war, deadly new diseases and cunning Spanish tactics resulted in the end of the once-mighty Inca empire

LINDISFARNE ENGLAND'S BLOODIEST VIKING RAID

The tidal island of Lindisfarne can claim to be the single most important sacred site in England, but it was here that the first significant Viking raid on Britain took place

BATTLE OF MONTE CASSINO X CORPS ASSAULT

The three divisions suffered 4,000 casualties in the early days of this ill-fated advance

MILVIAN BRIDGE

Rival emperors Constantine and Maxentius fought to establish their supremacy in a battle that would have momentous consequences for the Roman Empire

PROFESSOR BILL SILLAR ON THE LEGACY OF THE INCA EMPIRE

The empire harnessed an extraordinary diversity of cultures, languages and environments

THE EARLY PIONEER PEOPLES OF PERU

The Inca were certainly not the only civilisation to leave a lasting impression on the Andes

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE INCA EMPIRE

Professor Bill Sillar answers key questions about the rapid rise and fall of the South American civilisation

EVERYDAY LIFE IN AN EXTRAORDINARY EMPIRE

Professor Bill Sillar reveals how technology and textiles were among the many triumphs of the Inca

INTO THE JAWS OF HELL

In the final days of World War II, a US Navy crew endured unimaginable horrors when they were left stranded in the waters of the Pacific, facing hypothermia, madness and sharks. Jonny Wilkes tells the story of USS Indianapolis, and reveals how its sinking inspired a speech in a Spielberg masterpiece

'Princess Caraboo' appears in Almondsbury

In 1817, a Gloucestershire village was dazzled by the arrival of a mysterious royal visitor. But, as Danny Bird reveals, not all was what it seemed in this strange tale of a woman who duped high society

Bessie Coleman: boundary-breaking pilot

Jonny Wilkes delves into the life of the fearless female aviator who refused to be held back by discrimination, and who did her utmost to ensure that other people of colour could follow in her footsteps

DID ANCIENT ROME FIELD 'SPECIAL FORCES'?

While the organisation, training and equipment of Rome's legions were Key to their dominance, there were also specialists at work in the shadows who were offen critical to victory. Were they the ancient equivalent of today’s elite military?

STRUGGLE FOR THE GOLAN

The IDF thought it held the perfect buffer against the Syrians, but on 6 October its men were outgunned and outnumbered in a brutal tank battle

EGYPT STRIKES BACK

To avenge its humiliation in 1967 the Egyptian military assaulted the Israeli-occupied Sinai Peninsula during the Yom Kippur holiday

NICKEL GRASS THE GREAT AIRLIFT

With the IDF suffering multiple setbacks in the first week of the war, Israel’s leadership faced a terrifying possibility. Was this the last great struggle in their country’s brief existence?

CAMP DAVID ACCORDS

Efforts to officially end the Yom Kippur War and wider conflict between Egypt and Israel finally concluded with an historic summit in the US

OH! WHAT A LOVELY WAR

Eleanor Dickens, curator at the British Library, reveals how 60 years ago a radical Stage musical changed perceptions of the First World War