The lives and deaths of the heroes and villains who have shaped our world. History is peppered with men and women who changed the world, only to become more controversial in death than they were in life. ʻThe Last Days of...ʼ examines six giants of history who suffered bloody and brutal deaths, retelling their stories, which are packed with unexpected twists and turns. Each episode features a panel of writers, thinkers and historians who set about exploring the downfall and legacy of these characters. This is history as it should be - compelling, dramatic and highly contested. It makes us question everything we thought we knew about the lives and deaths of the heroes and villains who have shaped our world.
Seasons & Episode
John Guy, Kate Williams and Robert Hutchinson are among those debating the legacy of one of Britain's most tragic monarchs as they examine whether Mary, Queen of Scots, was a victim of her cousin Elizabeth I's treachery or the author of her own destruction. They look at her claim to the English throne and the events that led to Mary being kept under house arrest for nearly 20 years before she was executed in 1587.
Was Jesus crucified because it was ordained, or because he was a threat to Roman rule? Retired Anglican bishop Tom Wright and writer Naomi Alderman are among the authors and historians considering the evidence and offering their interpretations of the man behind one of history's most powerful stories.