History Extra

On 30 April 1945, as Soviet troops fought their way through Berlin, Adolf Hitler’s world had contracted to a bunker beneath the Reich Chancellery, the headquarters of his government.

The dic...

In 1386, an elderly Devon landowner had a compelling reason for being excused a journey to give evidence in court. He was Sir John Sully, and according to the account highlighted by historian Dr Ian Mortimer, he was 105 years old.

“He's probably the most remarkable old age person you would come across in the 14th century,” says Mortimer,

The English king dies without a direct heir. So a powerful and popular Anglo-Saxon earl, possibly given the nod by the old monarch before he perished, immediately takes the throne – despite earlier promising to back the claim of a foreign duke. We all know what happens next: the duke invades and conquers England, seizes the crown for himself, and ushers in an enduring new dyn...

For the new film The Death of Robin Hood, Hugh Jackman has stepped into the muddy boots of the titular legendary character – one who has captured the imagination as both outlaw and hero. But as Jackman accepts, the historical roots of the character are incredibly murky. For him, this is a positive, not a negative.

Indeed, Jackman is no stranger to mythic roles....

Robin Hood has been a fixture of English folklore for centuries, most often portrayed as a green-clad outlaw stealing from the rich, giving to the poor, and outwitting the Sheriff of Nottingham with his band of Merry Men. It’s an image that’s a far cry from what audiences see in The Death of Robin Hood.

In the film from writer and director Michael Sarnoski, Hug...