Stephen Rashbrook

In November 1943, the U.S. Marines faced one of their sternest tests yet when they invaded the strongly defended Japanese-occupied island of Tarawa.

In their first attack of WWII's Pacific campaign, U.S. Marines face horrific conditions while trying to seize the Japanese-held island of Guadalcanal.

It's the story of one of antiquity's most potent forces. A story of naked human desire and how that desire transformed who we are and how we behave. Classicist Bettany Hughes embarks on a voyage of discovery, traveling across the globe to reveal the truth about the love, fertility and sex goddess Venus in this BBC history documentary. What relevance does this immortal have in the 21st century?