History's Secret Heroes

BBC Radio 4

Helena Bonham Carter shines light on extraordinary stories from World War Two.

  • 28 minutes 56 seconds
    History's Secret Heroes: Series 3: Curt Bloch and the Underwater Cabaret

    Hiding in an attic in the Netherlands, a German Jewish refugee risks his life to create The Underwater Cabaret, a secret, satirical magazine that seeks to ridicule the Nazis.

    Helena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War Two. Join her for incredible tales of deception, acts of resistance and courage.

    A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

    Producer: James Shield Assistant Producer: Rachel Oakes Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Alex von Tunzelmann Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts

    11 March 2025, 5:00 am
  • 29 minutes 20 seconds
    History's Secret Heroes: Series 3: Noor Khan: The Operator

    A female agent, codename Madeleine, is sent to the heart of occupied France to transmit messages back to the Allies. Will the Nazis detect her?

    Helena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War Two. Join her for incredible tales of deception, acts of resistance and courage.

    A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

    Producers: Emma Weatherill and Suniti Somaiya Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Alex von Tunzelmann Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts

    4 March 2025, 5:00 am
  • 2 minutes 35 seconds
    History's Secret Heroes: Series 3: Trailer

    Helena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War Two. Join her for tales of deception, resistance and courage in History's Secret Heroes Series 3.

    25 February 2025, 5:00 am
  • 30 minutes 5 seconds
    History's Youngest Heroes: Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope

    Can 21 year-old Terry Fox, a cancer survivor with a prosthetic leg, run the length of Canada?

    Nicola Coughlan shines a light on extraordinary young people from across history. Join her for 12 stories of rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth.

    A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

    Producer: Suniti Somaiya Assistant Producer: Lorna Reader Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Alex von Tunzelmann Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts

    24 February 2025, 5:00 am
  • 28 minutes 34 seconds
    History's Youngest Heroes: Hans and Sophie Scholl and the White Rose

    With the power of the written word as their weapon, a brother and sister mount a daring campaign against the Nazis.

    Nicola Coughlan shines a light on extraordinary young people from across history. Join her for 12 stories of rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth.

    A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

    Producer: Suniti Somaiya Edit Producer: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Producer: Lorna Reader Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Alex von Tunzelmann Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts

    17 February 2025, 5:00 am
  • 28 minutes 31 seconds
    History's Youngest Heroes: Vasily Arkhipov and the End of Days

    Deep in the waters of the Caribbean Sea, a young Soviet Naval must make a decision that could either save the world or trigger its destruction.

    Nicola Coughlan shines a light on extraordinary young people from across history. Join her for 12 stories of rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth.

    A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

    Producer: Suniti Somaiya Assistant Producer: Lorna Reader Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Alex von Tunzelmann Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts

    10 February 2025, 5:00 am
  • 28 minutes 31 seconds
    History's Youngest Heroes: The Grisly World of Andreas Vesalius

    An arrogant young man with a passion for dissecting corpses challenges his teachers and changes the course of modern medicine.

    Nicola Coughlan shines a light on extraordinary young people from across history. Join her for 12 stories of rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth.

    A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

    Producer: Suniti Somaiya Edit Producer: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Producer: Lorna Reader Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Alex von Tunzelmann Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts

    3 February 2025, 5:00 am
  • 28 minutes 35 seconds
    History's Youngest Heroes: Rani Lakshmi Bai: The Warrior Queen

    When her kingdom is threatened, a 22-year-old Indian woman takes on the British Empire on horseback, with a sword in each hand.

    Nicola Coughlan shines a light on extraordinary young people from across history. Join her for 12 stories of rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth.

    A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

    Producer: Suniti Somaiya Edit Producer: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Producer: Lorna Reader Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Alex von Tunzelmann Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts

    27 January 2025, 5:00 am
  • 28 minutes 46 seconds
    History's Youngest Heroes: The Visionary Julian of Norwich

    In Norwich, a woman locks herself in a tiny cell for years. Despite limited contact with the outside world, she becomes one of the first women to write in the English language.

    Nicola Coughlan shines a light on extraordinary young people from across history. Join her for 12 stories of rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth.

    A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

    Producer: Suniti Somaiya Assistant Producer: Lorna Reader Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Alex von Tunzelmann Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts

    20 January 2025, 5:00 am
  • 28 minutes 22 seconds
    History's Youngest Heroes: Louis Braille: Code Maker

    After losing his sight in a childhood accident, a young Frenchman invents a tool that will change the lives of blind people around the world.

    Nicola Coughlan shines a light on extraordinary young people from across history. Join her for 12 stories of rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth.

    This programme has been edited since first publication to remove the inaccurate suggestion that Charles Barbier’s raised dot code system was first developed for military use.

    A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

    Producer: Elaina Boateng Series Producer: Suniti Somaiya Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Alex von Tunzelmann Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts

    13 January 2025, 5:00 am
  • 28 minutes 26 seconds
    History's Youngest Heroes: St Francis of Assisi: Teen Rebel

    A charismatic young man attracts a band of followers after denouncing his family fortune and devoting his life to the poor.

    Nicola Coughlan shines a light on extraordinary young people from across history. Join her for 12 stories of rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth.

    A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

    Series Producer: Suniti Somaiya Producer: Lorna Reader Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Alex von Tunzelmann Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts

    6 January 2025, 5:00 am
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