History's Heroes

By BBC Radio 4Society & Culture Documentary History

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Typical duration
29 min
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History's Heroes episodes

July 05, 2023 History's Secret Heroes: Series 1: The Mystery of Garbo
His codename was Garbo. The identity of one of World War Two’s most successful double agents, a man who diverted the German Army away from the D-Day landings, is finally revealed.
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 Podcast production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
Producer: Clem Hitchcock
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Written by Alex von Tunzelmann
30 min
June 28, 2023 History's Secret Heroes: Series 1: George Takei and the American Internment Camps
In the aftermath of the Pearl Harbour attack, then five-year-old George Takei and his family join the 120,000 Japanese Americans who are removed from their homes and imprisoned without trial.
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 Podcast production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
Producer: Amie Liebowitz
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Written by Alex von Tunzelmann
29 min
June 21, 2023 History's Secret Heroes: Series 1: Claude, Marcel and the Soldier with No Name
Two eccentric French artists, Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore, risk their lives to perform an extraordinary act of resistance on the island of Jersey.
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 Podcast production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
Producer: Clem Hitchcock
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Written by Alex von Tunzelmann
30 min
June 14, 2023 History's Secret Heroes: Series 1: Ghost Army
Bernie Bluestein, Seymour Nussenbaum and George Dramis are part of a secret army unit with one job: to put on a show for an audience who wants to kill them.
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 Podcast production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
Producer: Clem Hitchcock
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Written by Alex von Tunzelmann
30 min
June 07, 2023 History's Secret Heroes: Series 1: Charity Adams and the 6888
Major Charity Adams, the first African American woman to be commissioned in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, arrives in Birmingham, England, to sort out an enormous problem.
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 Podcast production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
Producers: Clem Hitchcock and Elaina Boateng
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Written by Alex von Tunzelmann
29 min
May 31, 2023 History's Secret Heroes: Series 1: Virginia Hall’s Great Escape
How did the American spy Virginia Hall mastermind an astonishing prison break, leading her to become the Gestapo’s most wanted target?
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 Podcast production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
Producer: Amie Liebowitz
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Written by Alex von Tunzelmann
31 min
May 24, 2023 History's Secret Heroes: Series 1: Trailer
Helena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War Two. Join her for tales of deception, acts of resistance and courage.
3 min

About History's Heroes

From the publisher's feed

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 4.

History's Heroes: the BBC's breathtaking, high stakes, story-led history podcast feed that shines a light on extraordinary people from across history.

Series include 'History's Heroes' with narration from Historian Alex von Tunzelmann, 'History's Toughest Heroes' with narration from Ray Winstone, 'History's Youngest Heroes' with narration from Nicola Coughlan and 'History's Secret Heroes' with narration from Helena Bonham Carter.

In History's Heroes, Historian Alex von Tunzelmann (Radio 4's The History Podcast: The Lucan Obsession/writer of all the History's Heroes series) shines a light on the inspiring and unusual stories of courage, pioneering and people who used their voice to spark change. Heroes covered include groundbreaking surgeon Harold Gillies, composers Rodgers and Hammerstein and swimming champion Gertrude Ederle. Join Alex for stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone.

In History's Toughest Heroes, Ray Winstone reveals wild, true stories of adventurers, rebels and survivors. Heroes covered include arctic explorer Peter Freuchen, Hollywood stunt woman Kitty O'Neil and medieval knight William Marshal. Join Ray for tales of fearsome heroes who lived life on the edge.

In History's Youngest Heroes, actress Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton, Derry Girls) tells twelve true stories of rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth. Before she became a Hollywood star, how did the young Audrey Hepburn take on the Nazis during World War Two? As a young activist, how did Nelson Mandela attempt to overthrow the South African government to end apartheid? Did Queen of England, Lady Jane Grey give up her faith or face the executioner's axe? Why did Terry Fox, a young man with a prosthetic leg, set out to run the length of Canada? Join Nicola to hear inspiring tales of young heroes both famous and forgotten, whose bravery demonstrates how young people can change history.

In History's Secret Heroes, Helena Bonham Carter recounts untold stories of heroes from World War Two whose acts of resistance, deception and courage helped defeat fascism. In each episode, Helena shines a light on the spies, Royal Air Force pilots, army officers, prisoners of war and double agents who risked their lives to save others. Learn all about forgotten stories of survival, bravery and espionage - from the opera singers who helped dozens of Jewish people escape Nazi Germany, to the woman that Winston Churchill would go on to call his favourite spy.

Previous episodes have looked at the story of the American actor George Takei (Star Trek), who was imprisoned without trial along with 12,000 other Japanese Americans, and Bela Hazan, a young Jewish woman who went undercover at the Gestapo headquarters to fight against the Nazis. From secret missions behind enemy lines in occupied Europe, to underground resistance movements across Germany, France, Poland, Great Britain and beyond, History's Secret Heroes reveals how ordinary people can make an extraordinary impact.

Join Alex, Ray, Nicola and Helena for tales of deception, rebellion, risk and courage.