Ray’s History Radio & TV Picks / Links. No.22. 03 July 2015.

The Stuarts: 1 /4. William III and Mary II: To Have and To Hold
BBC Radio 4: Sat 4 July 2015, 21.00 – 22.00.
Mike Walker’s epic chronicle considers the early years of William of Orange and his marriage to James II’s daughter, Mary Stuart. By marrying his English cousin, Dutch William looks to cement an alliance between the two countries and halt Louis XIV’s land-grabbing march across Europe. Neither partnership gets off to an auspicious start: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0606vv7

The Stuarts: 2 /4. Queen Anne: Myself Alone
BBC Radio 4: Sun 5 June 2015, 15.00 – 16.00. Rpt Sat 11 July 21.00 – 22.00.
Queen Anne, the last Stuart monarch, must abandon long-held and cherished allegiances if she is to command the loyalty of rebellious Whigs and Tories and rule with authority.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b060yk4y

Book of the Week: Queen of the Desert.
BBC Radio 4 Extra: Sun 5 July 2015, 20.00 – 21.10. This is the omnibus edition of previous Book of the Week.
The story of Gertrude Bell and her crucial role in the foundation of the state of Iraq:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06165cp

Antoine de Saint-Exupery – Wind, Sand and Stars.
BBC Radio 4 Extra: Mon 6 July 2015, 11.15 – 12.00, rptd 21.15 – 22.00.
The autobiographical tale, dramatised by Rod Wooden, of Antoine de Exupery’s plane crash in the Libyan desert in 1935 and his miraculous survival. Exiled to America after the French surrender in 1940 he wrote the classic children’s tale The Little Prince and the novel Flight to Arras, the latter charting his war experiences as a reconnaissance pilot and which headed the US best seller list for 6 months in 1942.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vcn9q

Scotland’s War at Sea. 2 / 2: The Battle of the U-Boats
BBC 4: Mon 6 July 2015, 21.00 – 22.00.
In the second of this two-part series, David Hayman explores Germany’s World War One U-Boat threat, and the ploys Britain used against the submarines: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05rbnrk

Tales of Irish Castles.
Yesterday: Thu 9 & Fri 10 July 2015, 21.00-22.00. Episode 6:
Simon Delaney presents a profile of Irish castles during the 19th & 20th Centuries:
http://yesterday.uktv.co.uk/tales-irish-castles/article/about-tales-irish-castles/

Excellent BBC links to explore:

bbc.co.uk/history

bbc.co.uk/iwonder