The Congo, 1890s: Two competing empires are gearing up for war to decide who will control the vast swathe of territory in the heart of Africa known as the Congo, the Congo Free State forces from the west under the control of Belgian king Leopold and the slave and ivory traders from the east, known as the Arabs by the Belgians.

Dr Mario Draper returns to the show to talk about this little-known conflict between these two competing powers and how this war highlights certain general principles adopted by many countries on colonial campaigns and counterinsurgencies.

Cover artwork: "Comfort of a Bed of Roses" by James Gillray, courtesy of Look and Learn History Picture Archive.

Music by Lexin Music from Pixabay.

Professor John Wills joins me to talk about the Red Dead Redemption video game series. Set during the American West in a virtual world in which players can rob a stagecoach or go fishing, how true are the Red Dead games to what life was like on the frontier and how do they fit into the culture of the "Wild West"?

To learn more about Red Dead's relationship with the American West, please do purchase the book "Red Dead Redemption: History, Myth and Violence in the Video Game West", edited by Professor Wills and Esther Wright.

Cover artwork: "Comfort of a Bed of Roses" by James Gillray, courtesy of Look and Learn History Picture Archive.

Music by Lexin Music from Pixabay.

When it was launched in 1861, HMS Warrior was the most powerful warship in the world and the pride of the Royal Navy. Why and how did this vessel come to be built?

HMS Warrior remains in existence today and can be visited at the brilliant Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Cover artwork: "Comfort of a Bed of Roses" by James Gillray, courtesy of Look and Learn History Picture Archive.
Music by Lexin Music from Pixabay.