Long History
Long History
Long History
History is food for the brain. On Long History we split historic source documents into chunks of around ten minutes so you hear about historic events from the people who took part. Our previous series have included first-hand accounts of journeys by Magellan, Drake, Columbus and more. Treat yourself to something nourishing, and listen to real history while you’re doing it.
Random UK Prime Minister of the Week. 1990-1997: John Major
How major was Major? Find out about John Major, prime minister in the 1990s and the PM to have gained the most election-winning votes in a single general election ever.
Mar 15, 2025
18 min
Random UK Prime Minister of the Week. 2016-2019: Theresa May
Theresa May was the second female prime minister who entered office after the Brexit referendum. How did she deal with the impossible fallout from that momentous event in UK politics?
Mar 7, 2025
20 min
Random UK Prime Minister of the Week. 1885-1886; 1886-1892; 1895-1902: Robert Gascoyne-Cecil
The Marquess of Salisbury, Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, was the last prime minister of the Victorian era. How was he the epitome of a conservative prime minister?
Feb 28, 2025
22 min
Random UK Prime Minister of the Week. 1997-2007: Tony Blair
Tony Blair was prime minister for an impressive ten years. His premiership can be divided into two: before and after a certain date in 2001. Here, we look at how Blair's reputation has been affected by the decisions he made after that date.
Feb 21, 2025
20 min
Random UK Prime Minister of the Week. 1963-1964: Alec Douglas-Home
He was prime minister for just under a year in the early 1960s, yet he harked back to prime ministers from a different era. How did Douglas-Home shine a light on the attitude of UK voters towards its prime ministers?
Feb 14, 2025
18 min
Random UK Prime Minister of the Week. 1812-1827: Robert Banks Jenkinson
The third longest-serving prime minister was in office at the time of the Battle of Waterloo and the Peterloo Massacre. How did this PM hold back the tide of change?
Feb 7, 2025
19 min
Random UK Prime Minister of the Week. 1852; 1858-1859; 1866-1868: Edward Smith-Stanley
He was the longest serving Conservative Party leader, and became prime minister three times in the 1850s and 1860s, yet Edward Smith-Stanley's time in the top job barely added up to four years in total. Why were all his premierships so brief?
Jan 31, 2025
19 min
Random UK Prime Minister of the Week. 1922-1923: Andrew Bonar Law
The only Canadian ever to be UK prime minister, Andrew Bonar Law was in the top job for only seven months. However, he was central to politics in the early 20th century.
Jan 24, 2025
19 min
Virginia 1606–1609. 3: A Monster amongst the Devils
What happened to John Smith while he was captive amongst the local people? How does Pocahontas save his life?
Jun 10, 2024
13 min
Random UK Prime Minister of the Week. 1964-1970; 1974-1976: Harold Wilson
How did Harold Wilson respond to the swinging 60s? The prime minister during the late 1960s and mid 1970s headed a government responsible for significant reform and economic muddle.
Jun 7, 2024
19 min
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