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
Weimar's descent from democracy to barbarism
35 min
2
Alan Turing: life of the week
41 min
3
The self-made Marilyn Monroe
45 min
4
Cleopatra’s bloody rise to power
25 min
5
Gullible Georgians: hoaxes in the Enlightenment...
46 min
6
Spies, radicals and deportees: one hotel in war...
37 min
7
Timur: life of the week
33 min
8
How Orkney became the centre of Viking Age viol...
38 min
9
Young Cleopatra: the making of a queen
25 min
10
A history of Christian sacrifice
32 min
11
Redefining historical mothers
42 min
12
Lady Jane Grey: life of the week
45 min
13
The peacemakers of WW2
37 min
14
The long shadow of the Black Death
34 min
15
The secret plot to end Scottish independence
30 min
16
How did communism conquer China?
41 min
17
Olaf Tryggvason: life of the week
42 min
18
The death of Adolf Hitler
31 min
19
Fear and faith: coping with the Black Death
41 min
20
Attenborough: a life on screen
42 min
21
A worker's eye-view of ancient Rome
34 min
22
Niccolò Machiavelli: life of the week
46 min
23
How to pull off a Georgian dinner party
30 min
24
The Black Death: a global contagion
30 min
25
George Orwell's final chapter
36 min