James Woods travels to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, in the winter of 1777-78, to examine the state of the Continental Army and its leader, George Washington and Baron Friedrich von Steuben, who drilled the troops. He gains insight into George Washington's Valley Forge boot camp in Pennsylvania, which revived the flagging fortunes of revolutionary forces in 1778 as they struggled against the elements and low morale.
An investigation into the history of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America, created by pioneers who had been instructed by James I to find gold and a water route to the Orient. Details the power struggle between John Smith and George Percy and the ultimate fate of the colony and its inhabitants.
Archaeologists from the University of Bristol study historical records, grave sites and DNA from a medieval body to determine whether Black Death and the bubonic plague are the same disease.
Archaeologists uncover a huge mass grave in Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, which contains the remains of the soldiers of Napoleon's army and evidence of Napoleon Bonaparte's catastrophic attempt to conquer Russia in 1812. The many bones, coins, buttons and pieces of clothing provide a new perspective on the final days of the dictator's military forces. The documentary asks who these men were and how they died and also details the strategy of Tsar Alexander I that helped to defeat the French.
Archaeologists discover letters from Roman soldiers stationed at Vindolanda, the site of a Roman garrison in the Scottish Highlands where the invading legions finally met their match. These letters reveal what daily life was like and help recreate Roman combat techniques.
Vulcanologist Haraldur Sigurdsson examines the events that led up to the volcanic eruption at Krakatoa and its devastating aftermath. On the island of Krakatau on August 17, 1883 the biggest volcanic explosion in recorded history took place. This episode examines records from survivors describing the devastation and vulcanologists also gauge the current threat of an eruption.
The legendary romance of Antony and Cleopatra is revealed, including their ill-fated alliance as they attempted to defeat Octavian in the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. Octavian mobilised his army and navy against the demoralised forces of his adversaries, launching a series of guerilla attacks that gradually wore them down, and culminated in a bloody confrontation on a promontory in western Greece.
The last battle of the Crusades in 1291 is examined as the Muslim Saracens lay siege to the town of Acre, defeating the Christians who hold it and bringing to an end Christendom's 300-year struggle to control the holy city of Jerusalem. Includes a comparison of weapons technology and defensive and offensive strategies.
Examining the great migration of Irish in 1845, and the potato famine that caused it. A team of scientists excavate a 19th-century village in an attempt to discover what life was like for farmers and residents during the great famine, when more than a million people were killed by starvation or disease.
In 1733, slaves rise up to take St. John's, an island controlled by the Danish and Dutch. This episode examines the slave revolt led by King June and Prince Aquashi.The slave trade of the era is also detailed.