Raleigh: Religious warrior in France Slaughterer of prisoners in Ireland Coloniser Failed explorer in the Atlantic Privateer Builder of Ark Royal MP Failed hunter of El Dorado Favourite of Elizabeth Imprisoned by Elizabeth Historian Poet Smoker Traitor ‘Stupid Git’ John Lennon

Really proud of this documentary. Beautifully made by Joe Greenway and the team. Brought to us by the ideas factory: Rob Schaefer Please watch the show here: 📺: access.historyhit.com/videos/staling…

New Podcast: 🎧: podfollow.com/dan-snows-hist… With Dr Eleanor Barraclough

Today in 1916 John Duesbury took part in an attack during the Battle of the Somme. He was severely injured and trapped in a shell hole, where he wrote this letter that was later found on his corpse.

After days of bombardment today in 1837 Spanish conservative or Carlist troops assaulted liberal held trench lines outside San Sebastian. A force of British volunteers, the 'British Auxiliary Legion' was destroyed and played no further role in the civil war

If Henry VIII had been lucky enough to have a diplomat of this calibre in Rome in the 1530s none of us would be in this mess.