Columbus

The true story of Christopher Columbus was not only one of victorious discovery; it was also marked by disaster, accusation, and betrayal. Ten short years after his discovery of the New World, Columbus languished in a Caribbean prison. There, awaiting the gallows, he plotted what he called his most treacherous voyage–one that ended with the loss of all four of his ships and left Columbus and his crew shipwrecked with little hope of survival.

National Geographic embarks on an expedition into the mysterious world of ancient American history to shed a different light on the history of the Americas. History books traditionally depict the pre-Columbus Americas as a pristine wilderness where small native villages lived in harmony with nature. But scientific evidence tells a very different story: When Columbus stepped ashore in 1492, millions of people were already living there. America wasn't exactly a "New World," but a very old one whose inhabitants had built a vast infrastructure of cities, orchards, canals and causeways.

The New World and the Old knew nothing about one an other until they met in 1492. After their encounter, they would never be the same again…

1421 - The Year China Discovered America, investigates a theory that could turn the conventional view of world history on its head: the startling possibility that a daring Chinese admiral, commanding the largest wooden armada ever built, reached America 71 years before Columbus.

After Columbus came conquest. From all corners of the world, explorers reached the shores of the New World to reap untold riches, seek new routes to the Far East, and gain the most elusive glory of all - a place in history. A sweeping saga of bravery, cruelty and pure folly, these are the stories of adventurers who stopped at nothing to conquer an unknown land and its people.

Dr Jago Cooper explores the rise and fall of the forgotten civilisations of Central America. His quest takes him from from the crystal blue seas of the Caribbean to the New World's most impressive pyramids, flying over the smoking volcanoes of Costa Rica and travelling deep underground in the caves of central Mexico. He travels in the footsteps of these peoples to reveal their secrets and unearth the astonishing cultures that flourished amongst some of the most dramatic landscapes in the world.

Vikings! They came from the North and soon the legends would say that they did not know fear. For hundreds of years they were another name for terror. They sailed icy oceans and narrow rivers striking far inland without warning without mercy. However the truth about the Vikings is far more complex. Much of Europe s traditions technology and institutions come to us from these fierce men of the North. England Germany Russia along with their homeland of Scandinavia all bear the Viking s mark today.

Andrew Marr sets off on an epic journey through 70,000 years of human history. Using dramatic reconstructions, documentary filming around the world and cutting-edge computer graphics, he reveals the decisive moments that shaped the world we live in today, telling stories we thought we knew and others we were never told.

Michael Portillo crosses the Atlantic once more to ride the railroads of North America with his faithful Appleton's Guide to the United States. Amid breathtaking scenery, he encounters magnificent beasts, joins intrepid explorers and witnesses unique customs on an awesome 1,500-mile journey to recapture the excitement and promise of the 19th-century American Frontier.