HistoryExtra podcast

The HistoryExtra podcast brings you gripping stories from the past and fascinating historical conversations with the world's leading historical experts.


HistoryExtra is a free history podcast, with episodes released six times a week. Subscribe now for the real stories behind your favourite films, TV shows and period dramas, as well as compelling insights into lesser-known aspects of the past. 

 

We delve into global history stories spanning the ancient world right up to the modern day. You’ll hear deep dives into the lives of famous historical figures like Cleopatra, Anne Boleyn and Winston Churchill, and explorations of intriguing events from the past, such as the Salem witch trials, the battle of Waterloo and D-Day. 

 

Expect fresh takes on history, helping you get to grips with the latest research, as we explore everything from ancient Roman archaeology and Viking mythology to Renaissance royals and Tudor kings and queens. 

 

Our episodes touch on a wide range of historical eras – from the Normans and Saxons to the Stuarts, Victorians and the Regency period. We cover the most popular historical subjects, from the medieval world to the Second World War, but you’ll also hear conversations on lesser-known parts of our past, including black history and women’s history. 

 

Looking at the history behind today’s headlines, we consider the forces that have shaped today’s world, from the imposing empires that dominated continents, to the revolutions that brought them crashing down. We also examine the impact of conflict across the centuries, from the crusades of the Middle Ages and the battles of the ancient Egyptians to World War One, World War Two and the Cold War.  

 

Plus, we uncover the real history behind myths, legends and conspiracy theories, from the medieval murder mystery of the Princes in the Tower, to the assassination of JFK.  

 

Featuring interviews with notable historians including Mary Beard, Tracy Borman, James Holland and Dan Jones, we cover a range of social, political and military history, with the aim to start conversations about some of the most fascinating areas of the past. 

Unlock full access to HistoryExtra.com for 6 months for just 99p https://www.historyextra.com/join/

History
1
From plague 'searchers' to strawberry birthmark...
30 min
2
The country house at war
23 min
3
The pioneering surgeon who stood up to Rasputin
44 min
4
The stolen Native Americans who shaped US history
44 min
5
Being disabled in the medieval era
41 min
6
Vanilla: a far from ordinary history
33 min
7
Ancient explosives and the philosopher's stone:...
32 min
8
North Korea's religious dictators
42 min
9
Inside Venice’s Jewish ghetto
43 min
10
WW2's bloody battle for Arakan
33 min
11
The Bayeux Tapestry: secrets of the stitchers
28 min
12
How Henry VII seized – and kept – the crown
45 min
13
The Soviet spy who couldn't love
38 min
14
The slave ship that changed history
44 min
15
Have we overlooked England’s local histories?
37 min
16
The making of the modern Middle East
43 min
17
Joan of Arc: inspirational leader or flawed fai...
39 min
18
The forgotten slave traders who shaped Britain
32 min
19
What is ‘Europe’, anyway?
33 min
20
Christianity, conflict and catastrophe: the lif...
36 min
21
Was Napoleon III the world's first populist lea...
51 min
22
The Bayeux Tapestry blockbuster at the British ...
41 min
23
The secrets of our DNA
34 min
24
What's it like to live in a royal palace?
32 min
25
Roman kings: myth, memory and the making of power
37 min