Roundup

Uncovering a Mayan Massacre [8min]

Researchers in Guatemala have found evidence of a 1,200-year-old massacre in an ancient city called Cancuén, the capital of one of the richest kingdoms of Maya civilization. The discovery, deep in the jungle of highland Guatemala, provides a snapshot of the Maya civilization as it began to collapse. A team led by Arthur Demarest, a professor of anthropology at Vanderbilt University, has uncovered dozens of skeletons buried in an old reservoir in the ruins of a royal palace located in Cancuén. Pr

Kazakhstan Not Laughing at TV's 'Ali G' [3min]

Kazakh officials have threatened to sue British comedian Sasha Baron Cohen, a.ka. "Ali G," and his fictional alter ego, Kazakh television journalist Borat. Kazakhs say the Borat character promotes an inaccurate portrayal of them as backwards, illiterate and anti-semitic.

California Town Still Scarred by 1964 Tsunami [8min]

On Good Friday in 1964, the largest earthquake ever recorded in North America struck Anchorage, Alaska. Shifting tectonic plates displaced billions of tons of ocean water and sent tsunami waves rushing at the speed of a jetliner down the coast of the Pacific Northwest. The tsunami struck several coastal communities on that March 27, but its biggest punch was saved for Crescent City, Calif., a small lumber and fishing town of about 3,000 residents just south of the Oregon border. It came by the l

Holinshed's Macbeth [15min]

Shakespeare found the bloody story of Macbeth in Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland and Wales. Shakespeare scholar Dr Carol Rutter introduces the source that inspired Shakespeare play. Abridged by Gordon House, read by Stephen Boxer.

Kipling and France, 2nd of 2: Their Name Liveth For Evermore [30min]

The writers Julian Barnes and Hermione Lee visit the battlefields of France in Kipling's footsteps. Rudyard Kipling's words are read by David Haig.

Isabella: The She-Wolf of France, Queen of England, 4th of 5 [15min]

Isabella and her lover Mortimer are now ruling the country on behalf of her son Edward III. The deposed Edward II remains in captivity, but with various plots to free him and put him back on the throne, can Isabella and Mortimer afford to keep him prisoner indefinitely?. Alison Weir's biography is abridged by Miranda Davies and read by Janet McTeer.

Daughters of Britannia, 3rd of 20 [15min]

A woman talks about being locked up in a cabin because it is feared that their ship is about to be attacked by the Turks, in Katie Hickman's Daughters of Britannia: The Lives and Times of Diplomatic Wives.

Daughters of Britannia, 2nd of 20 [15min]

Two women leave Vienna for Hungary two hundred years apart, but they will be lucky to survive the gruelling journey, in Katie Hickman's Daughters of Britannia: The Lives and Times of Diplomatic Wives.

Daughters of Britannia, 1st of 20 [15min]

The life of a diplomat's wife is far from exciting or idyllic, as this personal perspective proves. In Daughters of Britannia: The Lives and Times of Diplomatic Wives, Katie Hickman, the daughter of a British diplomat, draws on letters and diaries of diplomats' wives and daughters to explore the private side behind the public glamour of 300 years of British diplomacy.

The Enduring Mystery of JFK's Death [3min]

Senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that each year, close to the November 22 anniversary of President Kennedy's assassination, a new conspiracy theory emerges about the circumstances of his death.

'This Is Your Life' Host Ralph Edwards Dies [3min]

The broadcasting pioneer who hosted the Emmy-winning 1950s show This Is Your Life has died of heart failure at age 92. Ralph Edwards also hosted Truth or Consequences and People's Court. During his long career, Edwards hosted, produced or wrote thousands of hours of radio and TV programming, much of it live.

Sen. John McCain: 'Character Is Destiny' [52min]

The Arizona senator joins Diane Rehm to share some of the 34 stories in his latest book, which celebrates great historical figures and lesser-known heroes whose values exemplify the best of the human spirit. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, was first elected to the Senate in 1986.

Getty Curator in Italian Court over Artifacts [6min]

Proceedings resume Wednesday in Italy against the former curator of antiquities at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Marion True is charged with knowingly trafficking in artifacts looted from archaeological sites. Many archaeologists say this trial is just one example of a larger problem.

FBI Releases Most-Wanted Art Criminals [1min]

The Federal Bureau of Investigations has unveiled its top 10 art crimes list. Heading the list are thousands of Iraqi antiquities stolen from the Iraq National Museum and archaeological sites after the U.S. invasion in 2003. Art thefts cost an estimated $6 billion a year.

50th Birthday of EU Flag [7min]

The flag of the European Union -- a blue background with 12 gold stars -- is 50 years old today. But what does the flag actually mean today? Our Brussels correspondent Oana Lungescu investigates.

Rembering Lennon [16min @ 11:47]

Laurie Taylor discusses how The Beatles kick-started the trend for fans to identify with particular band members and the way in which cultural role models have developed since then. Is there such a thing as a good role model and can they help to build our sense of self? Part of the run up to Radio 4's season marking the 25th anniversary of John Lennon's death.

Isabella: The She-Wolf of France, Queen of England, 3rd of 5 [15min]

Isabella assembles an army in France and prepares to free England from the tyrannical reign of her husband, Edward II. Alison Weir's biography is abridged by Miranda Davies and read by Janet McTeer.

'The Gospel According to Oprah' [7min]

Over the past two decades years, Oprah Winfrey has become her own brand -- and the richest woman in entertainment. Farai Chideya talks with journalist Marcia Nelson, author of a new book about the media maven, about Winfrey's appeal and impact on popular culture.

Author Vine Deloria Dies [2min]

Prominent Native American author Vine Deloria, Jr., who wrote Custer Died for Your Sins and many other books, died Sunday. Deloria's works are credited with galvanizing a generation of American Indian activists and rallying non-Indians to native causes.

Sexual Advice: 2000 Years of the Serious and Bizarre [12min]

In his book, The Science of a New Life published in 1888, Dr John Cowan said that tight hair buns and corsets caused women unnatural excitement. At the same time, women were beginning to criticize the existing sexual arrangements within society as being for the benefit of men only. Jenni Murray is joined by Dr Lesley Hall, who has edited an anthology of women's writing on sex, Outspoken Women: An Anthology of Women’s Writing on Sex 1870-1969 (Routledge), and John Naish, author of