Jesse Owens' victories at the 1936 Berlin Olympics made him an international sports hero, and a symbol of the civil rights movement. His friendship with the German long jumper Carl 'Luz' Long also stood as an outward act of defiance against Adolf Hitler, and fuelled condemnation of the racial ideology of the Third Reich. However, his life away from the Olympics is less widely understood, as are the challenges that he faced back in the United States.

Today we're joined by David Lee Morgan Jr., a sportswriter and author of the children's book series 'Black Trailblazers in Sports'. Dan and David outline the context of Owens' storied Olympic wins and ask why a man received as a hero abroad was treated like a second-class citizen at home.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Have you ever wondered what it would take to live in Viking Britain? When they arrived and settled in the British Isles, Viking settlers didn't just face a violent death at the hands of disgruntled locals. They had to contend with vicious weather, famine and disease, as well as simply navigating a new and unfamiliar world.

Today we're joined by Eleanor Barraclough, a cultural historian and broadcaster. She explains exactly what it would have been like to survive and thrive in Viking Britain.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and James Hickmann, and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Sir Walter Raleigh's life was a turbulent one, to say the least. The Elizabethan statesman and explorer climbed to the top rung of Queen Elizabeth's court; he founded the ill-fated Roanoke colony in North America; he was imprisoned in the Tower of London for various offences against the crown - not once, but three times. Ultimately, he was beheaded outside the Palace of Westminster. But perhaps his most outlandish exploits were two failed expeditions to find the legendary city of gold, El Dorado.

Mathew Lyons joins us to tell us about what Raleigh was like, and why he undertook these expeditions to find a lost city in the jungles of South America. Mathew is the author of 'The Favourite: Ralegh and His Queen'.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

You can take part in our listener survey here.