Dan is interviewed in this month’s BBC History Magazine podcast.
This month Dan Snow gives his opinions on the momentous battle of Quebec that took place 250 years ago. Plus we speak to Tracy Borman about how Elizabeth I grew envious of the other women at her court.
The podcast can be downloaded here.
Montezuma
Saturday, 20:00 on BBC Two (except Northern Ireland (Analogue), Wales (Analogue))
Synopsis
Dan Snow travels to Mexico to investigate the history, character and legacy of Montezuma, the last great ruler of the Aztecs of central America.
He uncovers the extraordinary story of the Aztecs themselves, a cultured and civilised people whose lives were governed by eleborate ceremony and blood-curdling ritual.
Dan Snow also discovers how, in a titanic clash of cultures, their leader Montezuma faced up to a mortal threat from another world – the weaponry, gold-lust and greed of 16th century Spanish conquistadors.
From BBC History Magazine:
How the mighty fall
History hasn’t been kind to Montezuma (also known as Moctezuma). Unfortunate enough to lead his people as the conquistadors eyed the riches of the New World, Montezuma is most often seen as a hapless traitor. But is this fair? Should we instead see him as a tragic figure, a man who played a game of psychological chess against his enemies but lost? As a new exhibition on the emperor opens at the British Museum, these questions are considerd by Dan Snow.
Yesterday was the 250th anniversary of the battle of Quebec, fought on 13 September 1759, on the Plains of Abraham outside the town of Quebec, the capital of France’s vast North American empire. It was a strange day – a large re-enactment had recently been cancelled due to protests made by French Canadian- Quebecois- Separatists.
via A flutter of protest, and some dog-walkers | BBC History Magazine.
Dan Snow, military historian and son of veteran broadcaster Sir Peter, is the last to take the stage, on Sunday. “History is the most exciting thing that has happened to anyone on this planet,†he says, and he has certainly experienced its thrills.
His hands-on approach to the past has seen him gassed, piloting Second World War aircraft, training as a sniper, and shovelling muck in London’s sewers. His visit to the literary festival takes him to the more elegant setting of Henley’s Town Hall where he describes the hardships faced by troops in the battle for North America 250 years ago, outlined in his book, Death or Victory.
via Henley on Thames – The history girls and boys prepare for festival.