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
Captured by Barbary corsairs: an Englishwoman's...
29 min
2
Was Elizabeth I's reign really a 'golden age'?
25 min
3
Spy, hero, rebel, traitor: the story of Roger C...
36 min
4
The relentless rise of the mafia
39 min
5
Harriet Martineau: life of the week
36 min
6
Sores, sweat and secretions: the pox in early m...
35 min
7
Elizabeth’s enemies: plots, rivals and the Span...
28 min
8
Britain and the looted African gold
35 min
9
The devastating Jewish revolt against the Roman...
43 min
10
Culture and conflict: a historical tour of Dublin
62 min
11
How Rasputin helped doom the Romanovs
40 min
12
Elizabeth I: a woman in a man’s world
31 min
13
Life on the mean streets of 19th-century London
32 min
14
Trailblazers and troublemakers: women who made ...
31 min
15
Vladimir Lenin: life of the week
57 min
16
Why Britons rejected fascism in the 1930s
27 min
17
Young Elizabeth I: the making of a queen
31 min
18
A poetic history of England
36 min
19
The hidden history behind Mount Rushmore
36 min
20
Juana Inés de la Cruz: life of the week
26 min
21
The forgotten wars that redefined Europe
38 min
22
Does Magna Carta matter today?
34 min
23
Slavery in the Islamic world
46 min
24
The real women behind Europe's greatest legends
32 min
25
Thomas Edison: life of the week
30 min