
Explore the universal drama of war: why leaders and soldiers pick up arms to fight, the technologies that have determined outcomes, the tragedies and triumphs of history’s great battles.

Gerry Cooper restores two historic pre-war biplanes at a wartime bomber base.

The detailed plan that could have led to the assassination of Adolf Hitler and why it failed.

Roman legion recruits sought adventure, but in peace, defended borders or cities; Vindolanda and Lugdunum unveil their daily lives through ancient artifacts.

In Roman legions, camaraderie in contubernium sustained soldiers; Lyon excavations reveal their humanity and piety, hinting at hopes for retirement after 25 years.

Skilled engineers and pilots return historic warplanes to the air; pilot and engineer Richard Grace and his team restore a survivor of the Spitfire's rare mark from 75-year-old wreckage, salvaged from a Belgian scrapyard.

Pilot Shona Bowman is determined to get the battered Cessna Bird Dog, a Vietnam War mainstay, that she bought for £10,000 back in the sky; featuring recently rediscovered tapes of combat missions over Vietnam recorded by the pilots themselves.

Dutch pilots fought Hitler's Luftwaffe downing hundreds of aircraft; many joined the RAF but their outdated fighter vanishes; a family of restorers is recreating the Fokker D.XXI featuring rare color footage from a Dutch pilot.

Pilot Taff Smith rescues the wreckage of a Bucker Jungmeister, a relic from Franco's fascist air force; rebuilding it requires long hours and big bills and its resurrection could spark controversy in Spain.