Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel Podcast

Episodes

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  Ep. 35. The Odyssey: Why it was never just about getting home 16.07.2026 2h 13m

  For nearly *3,000 years**, *The Odyssey has captivated audiences with its gods, monsters and epic adventures. But what if Homer's masterpiece was never really about the journey home? In this documentary we explore *The Odyssey* through the lens of history, psychology and sociology, uncovering the deeper meaning behind Odysseus' ten-year struggle to return to Ithaca. Along the way we'll examine the world of Bronze Age Greece, the values of honour, hospitality and glory, the psychological sca...
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  Ep. 34. Eisenhower- The Right Man in the Right Place at the Right Time 25.06.2026 1h 26m

  Did Eisenhower actually prevent World War III? At several moments during the Cold War, nuclear conflict was a very real possibility — and more than once, the decision rested on one man. But those decisions didn’t happen in isolation. They were shaped by a lifetime of quiet discipline, hard lessons, and a leadership style forged long before the Cold War ever began. This is the real story of Dwight D. Eisenhower — the unlikely General who joined the army for a free education- in which his pe...
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  Ep. 33. Machiavelli: Was He Evil? The Truth History Got Wrong 11.11.2025 1h 42m

  #Machiavelli #ThePrince #HistoricalDocumentary Was Machiavelli truly the master of manipulation—or the most misunderstood political thinker in history? In this feature-length documentary, we peel back the layers of myth, propaganda, and centuries of misinterpretation to reveal the real Niccolò Machiavelli. 🔍 Based on fresh ground breaking reinterpretations of his work this film explores how Machiavelli’s exile, humour, heartbreak, and republican ideals shaped one of the most notorious books...
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  Ep. 32. Belisarius: The Last of the Great Roman Generals 22.06.2025 2h

  Who 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 d...
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  Ep. 31. Barbarossa: Scourge of the Mediterranean 24.03.2025 1h 40m

  The 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 Power Born on the island of Lesbos, the B...
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  Ep. 30. Russia's Legendary Queens from Olga the Viking to Catherine the Great 20.11.2024 3h 38m

  Catherine 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 a...
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  Ep. 29. Nikola Tesla: Tragic Hero and Forgotten Prophet 23.06.2024 2h 22m

  Most 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. Ni...
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  Ep. 28. Mughals, Merchants, Marauders & Henry Every's Heist of the Century 26.03.2024 2h 13m

  Everybody 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...
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  Ep. 27 Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Adventurer Gertrude Bell 22.01.2024 3h 17m

  Most 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 ...
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  Ep. 26. Kingdom of Kongo: Slaver Kings, Amazon Queens & the Brazilian Spartacus 29.10.2023 1h 45m

  When 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 ...
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  Ep. 25. Voltaire: The Rascal Philosopher 17.09.2023 2h 8m

  Few 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 ...
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  Ep. 24. Margaret Thatcher: The Life and Times of the Lady Who Wouldn't be Turned 12.07.2023 2h 15m

  Few 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 A...
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  Ep. 23. Codfish Heroes: Vikings, Basques and the Fishermen who Changed the World 18.04.2023 1h 42m

  We 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...
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  Ep. 22 The Irish Problem, Fenian Rebels and Catalpa Rescue 28.02.2023 1h 34m

  Few 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 F...
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  Ep. 21. Roald Amundsen: Quiet Conqueror of the Polar Regions 24.12.2022 1h 47m

  This 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 ...
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  Ep. 20. The Incredible story of the Magellan-Elcano Circumnavigation of 1519-1520 25.10.2022 1h 42m

  September 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 blun...
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  Ep. 19. The Incredible Journey of Medieval Adventurer Ibn Battuta 06.08.2022 1h 57m

  When 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 rela...
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  Ep. 18. Joan of Arc: The Girl Who Crowned a King and Saved a Nation 19.06.2022 1h 57m

  Joan 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 ...
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  Ep. 17. Thomas Paine: The Forgotten Father of Western Democracy 19.06.2022 1h 26m

  Thomas 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 ...
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  Ep. 16. Iron John (Der Eisenhans): A Brothers Grimm Fairytale Interpreted as an Initiation Manual for Men 18.06.2022 1h 5m

  The 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...