Free History Documentaries

Two years after their international smash MONDO CANE became the most controversial documentary of its time, Directors Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi again ignited a firestorm of outrage and acclaim as they traveled the globe to film an all-new exploration of primitives, penitents and perversions in a world gone mad.

Was Andrew Jackson a great leader, or someone that represented one of the most lamentable moments in American history? In this documentary hosted by PBS, various historians grapple with the mixed legacy of America's 7th president.

Despite overwhelming obstacles, life on Earth has evolved from the most humble of beginnings to a level of diversity that challenges human comprehension.

The eminent art historian Sir Kenneth Clark was commissioned to write and present an epic examination of Western European culture, defining what he considered to be the crucial phases of its development. Civilisation: A Personal View by Lord Clark would be more than two years in the making, with filming in over 100 locations across 13 countries.

In this documentary, the origins, themes, and history of Greek Mythology are explored by a group of experts, leading the viewer on a tour of ancient Greece, the Gods, and the development of their stories.

The First World War (2003) is a ten-part Channel 4 documentary television series surveying the history of World War I (1914-1918). It is based on the 2003 book of the same name by Oxford history professor Hew Strachan.

Watch this entertaining documentary from 1972 which is hosted and narrated by Orson Welles. Adapted from Alvin Toffler's book of the same name, the film defines "future shock" as "too much change in too short a period of time".

Seeing Red is a 1983 American documentary film directed by Jim Klein and Julia Reichert. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

End of Empire chronicles the last days of British rule around the globe, through the remarkably candid reminiscences of both colonisers and the colonised. The series, a Granada Television production, uses old newsreel film and interviews with former British and colonial officials.

This hour-long audio documentary from American RadioWorks is an excellent introduction to great African American speakers of the last century.