Skip to content
Watch Live
British Broadcasting Corporation
  • Home
  • News
  • Football 2026
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Health
  • Culture
  • Arts
  • Travel
  • Earth
  • Sport
  • Audio
  • Video
  • Live
  • Documentaries
Watch Live
News imageThe Documentary Podcast, The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: National International

The Documentary Podcast

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: National International


Up next

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, Generation Identity

Generation Identity

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, Model X

Model X

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, Macedonia: What’s in a Name?

Macedonia: What’s in a Name?

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, Zika Love Stories

Zika Love Stories

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, The Children of Belsen

The Children of Belsen

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, A life alone

A life alone

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, Don't Shoot, I'm Disabled

Don't Shoot, I'm Disabled

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, After suicide

After suicide

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, Africa's Big Philanthropy: Health

Africa's Big Philanthropy: Health

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, Paralympics – Gaming the System?

Paralympics – Gaming the System?

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, Africa's Big Philanthropy: Agriculture and Food Security

Africa's Big Philanthropy: Agriculture and Food Security

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, Singing for Survival in Cucuta

Singing for Survival in Cucuta

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, Africa's Big Philanthropy: Home-Grown

Africa's Big Philanthropy: Home-Grown

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, What Happened Last Night in Sweden?

What Happened Last Night in Sweden?

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, Serbia’s Femicide Crisis

Serbia’s Femicide Crisis

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, Young, Cool and Kazakhstani

Young, Cool and Kazakhstani

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, The Dark Sides of American Democracy

The Dark Sides of American Democracy

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, West Africa’s Fish Famine

West Africa’s Fish Famine

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, The Greyhound Diaries

The Greyhound Diaries

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, The Unknown Soldier

The Unknown Soldier

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, George Ellery Hale: Prince of the Sun

George Ellery Hale: Prince of the Sun

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, Saudi's Crown Prince in the spotlight

Saudi's Crown Prince in the spotlight

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, From Truman to Trump

From Truman to Trump

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, The Last Long Journey of the Herero

The Last Long Journey of the Herero

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, Everyday Americans 3: Opioids and the Next Generation

Everyday Americans 3: Opioids and the Next Generation

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, Everyday Americans 1: The Opioid ‘Demon’

Everyday Americans 1: The Opioid ‘Demon’

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, Everyday Americans 2: Law and Order and Opioids

Everyday Americans 2: Law and Order and Opioids

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, The Eternal Life of the Instant Noodle

The Eternal Life of the Instant Noodle

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, Argentina’s Feminist Tango

Argentina’s Feminist Tango

News imageThe Documentary Podcast, The Number One Ladies’ Landmine Agency

The Number One Ladies’ Landmine Agency

19 September 2018

27 minutes

Available for over a year

Editor David Cannadine delves into stories about some of the colourful figures who lurk in the holdings of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, from Archibald Stansfeld Belaney, alias Grey Owl, the impostor conservationist of the early 20th century, to Alice Lucas, the earliest female UK parliamentary candidate, and recent figures from popular culture like Amy Winehouse.

See more episodes

Programme website


British Broadcasting Corporation
  • Home
  • News
  • Football 2026
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Health
  • Culture
  • Arts
  • Travel
  • Earth
  • Sport
  • Audio
  • Video
  • Live
  • Documentaries
  • Weather
  • BBC Shop
  • BritBox

The BBC is in multiple languages

Read the BBC In your own language

BBC News Brasil
BBC News Mundo (Spanish)
BBC News မြန်မာ (Burmese)
BBC News 中文 (Chinese)
BBC News Indonesia
BBC News 코리아 (Korean)
BBC News ไทย (Thai)
BBC News Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
BBC News Azərbaycanca (Azeri)
BBC News Кыргыз Кызматы (Kyrgyz)
BBC News Polska (Polish)
BBC News Русская служба (Russian)
BBC News na srpskom (Serbian)
BBC News Україна (Ukrainian)
BBC News O'zbek (Uzbek)
BBC News عربي (Arabic)
BBC News فارسی (Persian)
BBC News Türkçe (Turkish)
BBC News বাংলা (Bengali)
BBC News دری (Dari)
BBC News ગુજરાતી (Gujarati)
BBC News हिन्दी (Hindi)
BBC News मराठी (Marathi)
BBC News नेपाली (Nepali)
BBC News සිංහල (Sinhala)
BBC News پښتو (Pashto)
BBC News ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Punjabi)
BBC News Afaan Oromoo
BBC News አማርኛ (Amharic)
BBC News Afrique (French)
BBC News Hausa
Gaelic NAIDHEACHDAN
BBC News Ìgbò
Japanese 日本語
BBC News Gahuza
Kirundi KIRUNDI
BBC News Pidgin
BBC News Somali
BBC News Swahili
BBC News தமிழ் (Tamil)
BBC News తెలుగు (Telugu)
BBC News ትግርኛ (Tigrinya)
BBC News اردو (Urdu)
BBC News Yorùbá
Follow BBC on:
  • Terms of Use
  • Subscription Terms
  • About the BBC
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Accessibility Help
  • Contact the BBC
  • Advertise with us
  • Do not share or sell my info
  • BBC.com Help & FAQs
  • Content Index
  • Set Preferred Source

Copyright 2026 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.

You might also like:

news | sport | weather | worklife | travel | future | culture | world | business | technology