Power, Lust and Glory: The Story of Gold

Educator, author and broadcaster Alvin Hall explores why we humans love gold and what we'll do to obtain it. It covers:

Ep. 1: Conquistadors and the Lust for Gold. Alvin explores the Spanish conquest of South America and the pillaging of a people for gold.
Ep. 2: Extracting Ore. Alvin looks at some of the different methods for extracting gold including mining and panning but also the impact it has on the people and the environment.
Ep. 3: Criminal Gold. The lust for gold drives people to commit criminal acts. Alvin investigates gold heists, smuggling, theft from mines and historical sites.
Ep. 4: Buried Treasure. The discovery of buried treasure makes headlines - we are reminded of fairy stories and tales of ancient heroes but what more do we learn?
Ep. 5: I Wanna Be Adorned (with gold). Throughout history the wearing of gold has reflected status, but why? Alvin explores the status of gold in different cultures.
Ep. 6: Wealth. We associate gold with riches but how much is it actually worth? Alvin looks into gold as an investment and its role in the financial markets.

It's all very enjoyable. We learn why our ancestors – from Egypt to Anglo Saxon England – buried gold in the ground; ask why we adorn ourselves with the sparkly stuff; see how the Spanish Conquistadors asset-stripped South America and, via a trip to the Bank of England's vault, explore gold's connection to money and ask “what is it really worth”? Worth your time; recommended.