France

The commandos head off in José Ferrer’s Cockleshell Heroes (1955)

Second World War

Cockleshell Heroes: the real story of WW2’s Operation Frankton

A painting of Marie Antoinette in 1775

How Marie Antoinette waged a battle for survival

A portrait of Marie Antoinette dated 1783 and painted by Vigée-Le Brun. (Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

The life and death of Marie Antoinette: everything you need to know about the last queen of France

The cover of Le Petit Journal, 13 January 1895, showing the

The Dreyfus Affair: how France was divided over a miscarriage of justice

Premium

Pod JP Doughton WL

The Congo-Océan railroad’s deadly history . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Flames and smoke are seen billowing from the roof at Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, 15 April 2019. Yet despite the devastation, the fire is “not the worst chapter in its 850-year history”, argues Dr Emily Guerry. (Patrick Anidjar/AFP/Getty Images)

Notre-Dame fire "It's extraordinary what has survived"

Notre-Dame cathedral, which dates back to 1163. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images)

Notre-Dame 10 facts about Paris's famous cathedral

Premium

Pod Christopher Gosche WL

The first Vietnam War . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Premium

Pod Catherine Hanley WL

Royal rivals? Medieval England and France’s tempestuous relationship . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Woman wearing a bikini

Why we should remember The launch of the swimsuit that scandalised the world

Marguerite de Navarre

15 minutes of fame Suzannah Lipscomb chooses Marguerite de Navarre

Diane de Poitiers. As the mistress of Henry II of France, she had incredible and indescribable influence over the French king.

The French royal mistresses who made it about more than sex

British Army tanks are unloaded on to Gold Beach on D-Day

Second World War

D-Day quiz Test your knowledge of the Normandy Landings

A painting of Jean Thurel, a French soldier whose life spanned three centuries

Jean Thurel: the oldest soldier in history?

A drawing depicting a German monoplane dropping bombs on Paris during the First World War

First World War

Creating fake Paris: how one man built a mock city to fool WW1 German bombers