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Talking Timewatch

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The previous series of Timewatch offers a diverse range of historical stories. Learn more about the individual programmes.

Stonehenge

A Bronze Age Lourdes in Wiltshire? Timewatch applies modern forensics to the mysteries of Stonehenge.

Michael Palin in a First World War trench

Too much of blood and blight

Michael Palin discovers that even an Armistice wasn't enough to avoid slaughter on the last day of World War One.

Britain's Forgotten Floods

Was the Bristol Channel flood of 1607 a British tsunami? The course of European history was changed by Britain's Forgotten Floods.

The unknown soldiers

The story of private Francis Lupo, killed during the infamous Battle of the Marne in 1918, provides a unique insight into American involvement in the First World War in France. Find out how in the unknown soldiers.

Secrets of Elizabeth's Armarda

The Boxer Rebellion

Fearing western influence, a Chinese faction resists the growing strength of foreign powers: The Boxer Rebellion.

The lady in waiting

Discover the hidden story of the Queen who brought us into the modern age: Young Victoria.

Battle of the River Plate

A deadly duel at sea and one of the best intelligence bluffs of WWII. Commodore Henry Harwood takes on Captain Hans Langsdorff and the pride of the German navy, the Graf Spee, in a battle of courage and wit. Read more in the battle of the River Plate.

Missing in action

From 1961 - 1973 American warplanes flew more than a million missions over Vietnam and more than 1,300 American pilots were reported 'missing in action'. Nearly 40 years on, a unique unit of the American military re-visits the site where Major Knapp and Lt. Austin were last seen alive. A case cannot be closed until human remains have been found. But will JPAC find the remains of Major Knapp and Lt. Austin? Discover more in missing in action.

San Francisco's great quake

On April 18th, 1906, what is now known to be the greatest ever natural disaster ever to hit America struck San Francisco. Timewatch traces the inside story and reveals the true catastrophe of San Francisco's great quake.

The bog bodies

Two ancient murder mysteries. The victims are Bog Bodies: Celts perfectly preserved by the peat bog in which they'd been buried. Find out more about who these men were, when they lived – and how they died in bog bodies.

The floating brothel

In 1789 England’s all-female transport ship set sail for a penal colony in Australia. Timewatch follows three modern Australian women as they trace their ancestry back to those on the voyage. Discover more in the floating brothel.

The mystery of the headless Romans

The discovery of 30 decapitated Roman bodies in York, sparks off an intense archaeological investigation. Timewatch brings together an expert team of archaeologists, scientists and historians. This fantastic detective story goes right to the heart of the Roman world, unearth more in the mystery of the headless Romans.

The secret history of Genghis Khan

The Secret History of the Mongols, said to have been written by the Khan’s adopted son, reveals a very different man to the brutal butcher of Western legend. Find out more in the secret history of Genghis Khan.

The Crusaders' lost fort

A Crusader fort built on the banks of the river Jordan in 1179 was proclaimed as invincible and impregnable by Christian and Muslim chroniclers. Five years later the fort had disappeared into the sands. 800 years later, historian Tom Asbridge opens up a unique time capsule as Timewatch looks into the mystery of The Crusaders' Lost Fort.

The Princess spy

In 1940 a woman calling herself 'Nora Baker', was recruited into the Special Operations Executive . She was one of only four women ever to win the George Cross. A princess from a titled Indian Muslim family, Noor-un-nisa Inayat Khan was born into the Kremlin of Rasputin's day. Silent in the face of torture and dignified at the moment of death, Timewatch unravels this fascinating story of the Princess spy.

The iron coffin

In 1862 an epic sea battle between the ironclad ships "The Monitor" and "The Merrimack" during the American Civil War, changed the face of naval warfare forever. Those on board were dependent upon the technology of the ships for the very air they breathed. Enter the world of life underseas in a vessel named by its crew 'the iron coffin'.

Battle for Warsaw

The Warsaw Uprising of 1944 was one of the most heroic and tragic military operations undertaken by any resistance movement in the Second World War. Against incredible odds, for two months the men, women and children of Warsaw took on the might of the Nazis alone. Timewatch tells how the people Britain had gone to war for were abandoned to their fate. Uncover more in the battle for Warsaw.

San Francisco's great quake

In 1906 the San Francisco earthquake struck, America's greatest natural disaster. But worse was to come - a terrible wall of fire destroying everything in its path. Timewatch marks the centenary by revealing the true extent of the catastrophe in San Francisco's great quake.