The Battle of Jutland was the decisive naval clash of the First World War, pitting the German High Seas Fleet against the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet in an all or nothing battle for supremacy and survival. At the end of the war, the defeated German fleet was scuttled at Scapa Flow. Or so we thought. New evidence suggests that wrecks in Portsmouth harbour, previously thought to be nondescript vessels, are in fact German veterans of the Battle of Jutland, scrapped at Portsmouth rather than Scotland. Dan Snow joins a team of marine archaeologists to explore these wrecks. But will he make it across the treacherous mud to reach them?

© Vic Verlinden

On 9 November 1989, the commander of a Berlin Wall border crossing yielded to demands and allowed guards to open the checkpoints. By the end of the day parts of the wall were being chipped off as souvenirs. In this episode, Helena Merriman takes us through the surprise overnight building of the wall which cut neighbourhoods, streets and families in half. She then takes us through the many methods of escape attempted by East Berliners. In particular, we are introduced to Joachim Rudolph who, very unusually, tunnelled back to the East after his escape in order to help others. Helena is the award-winning creator of the acclaimed BBC Radio 4 podcast, Tunnel 29, and the author of a book of the same title.

© GeorgeLouis

September 1868, 3 years after the Civil War, saw an outnumbered United States Army patrol against six hundred Native warriors on the American Frontier. In this episode, we explore the heroism displayed by the soldiers on both sides of the fight. James is joined by author Terry Mort, as he explains in great detail the Battle of Beecher Island, otherwise known as the Battle of Arikaree Fork.

Terry Mort is the author of "Cheyenne Summer: The Battle of Beecher Island: A History", published by Pegasus Books.

In this archive episode, Vince Houghton joins Dan Snow to talk about some of the weirdest and craziest ideas put forward during the twentieth century. They talk exploding bats, sonic cats, aircraft carriers made of icebergs and detonating a nuclear missile on the moon just to show that you could do it! Vince Houghton is the historian and curator of the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. He also is the host and creative director of the Museum's podcast, SpyCast.

©Shutterstock

‘Brain-fog’, dizziness, ringing in the ears, fatigue: everyday symptoms of attacks by a possibly extraordinary weapon. In 2016, a number of CIA agents began to report these symptoms, alongside a possible cause of an unusual sound. Now over 200 Americans and Canadians have reported symptoms, and Kamala Harris, America’s vice president, this August delayed a flight to Vietnam because of suspected cases in Hanoi. But what causes Havana Syndrome? Is it the result of attacks by microwave weapons, or is it something more banal? Robert Bartholomew is on the podcast today to talk to James about reports of Havana Syndrome, and the veracity of the microwave weapon and Frey effect theories. Robert discusses the results of experimentation over the years, and the support for a theory of Mass Psychogenic Illness. Alongside Robert Baloh, Robert Bartholomew is a co-author of ‘Havana Syndrome: Mass Psychogenic Illness and the Real Story Behind the Embassy Mystery and Hysteria’.

The half century between 1870 and 1920 was one of conflict between British colonialism and the people of the Middle East and North Africa. In this episode, James is joined by archeologist and author Neil Faulkner to examine the clashes of armies, ideologies and forms of oppression, clashes which would prove fatal. Neil explains this revolutionary history, exploring British imperialism in northeast Africa which has repercussions rippling into the 21st century. Can this war be considered the first modern Jihad?

Neil Faulkner is the author of 'Empire and Jihad: The Anglo-Arab Wars of 1870-1920', Published by Yale University Press.