History Extra podcast

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


Produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine, History Extra 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. 

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History
1
Frontier life: everything you wanted to know
Karen Jones unpacks the myths and realities of 19th-century American frontier life – from the Oregon trail to barbed wire and bison
49 min
2
Forgotten stories from South Asian history
38 min
3
Was the atomic bomb necessary to end war with J...
Eighty years on from the end of the Second World War, Richard Overy questions the logic and legacy of the US's aerial assault on Japan that culminated in the use of atomic bombs in August 1945
33 min
4
JMW Turner: life of the week
34 min
5
Hiroshima: in the shadow of the bomb
Iain MacGregor shares personal stories of individuals involved in race to build the atomic bomb – and those affected by its terrible aftermath
39 min
6
WW2 evacuees: everything you wanted to know
30 min
7
Queen Victoria's secret love affair
Did Queen Victoria have a romantic relationship – perhaps even involving a secret marriage and a child – with her servant John Brown? Fern Riddell investigates 
37 min
8
The 300-year battle over free speech
33 min
9
Erik the Red: life of the week
Eleanor Barraclough examines the life and legacy of Erik the Red, the outlaw Viking who settled Greenland and birthed a famous – and infamous – dynasty
40 min
10
Power & terror: a history of the nuclear age
48 min
11
The Minoans: everything you wanted to know
Dr Ellen Adams answers all the key questions about the ancient civilisation best known for the legend of the Minotaur
45 min
12
Fun, fear and flatbread: childhood in ancient Rome
16 min
13
Iron Mountain: the conspiracy that duped America
Journalist Phil Tinline unpacks the impact and influence of The Report From Iron Mountain – a satirical document that unintentionally put rocket fuel under the conspiracies and paranoia of the 1960s
30 min
14
Bayeux Tapestry politics & natural disasters: h...
48 min
15
Deadly bellringing and fatal bacon: grisly acci...
Steven Gunn reveals what accidental deaths in Tudor England can reveal about everyday life in the era
31 min
16
Beer history: everything you wanted to know
Phil Withington answers questions about the evolution of the ancient drink still enjoyed by millions around the world
37 min
17
Mein Kampf: Hitler's dark vision for the future
In the centenary year of its publication, Lisa Pine explores the origins, content and legacy of Adolf Hitler's notorious political manifesto
21 min
18
King vs parliament: the moment that sparked civ...
Jonathan Healey reveals how the relationship between king and parliament broke down over the winter of 1641-2, leading England towards civil war
37 min
19
The Mitford sisters | 2 : life of the week
In the second of two episodes, Mary S Lovell unpacks the extraordinary and outrageous lives of the six aristocratic sisters in the decades that followed the Second World War
27 min
20
Slavery on the medieval Silk Road
Claire Taylor explores the realities of slavery along the Silk Road during the Middle Ages, revealing its scale, diversity and cultural significance
40 min
21
The history of women's football: everything you...
From 17th-century invasion games to the Euros-winning Lionesses, Jean Williams traces female footballers' long battle for recognition
40 min
22
Live Aid: pop's Big Bang moment
David Hepworth reveals what it was like to present the BBC's coverage of a music extravaganza that ushered in a new age of entertainment
28 min
23
Exploring the medieval world with Marco Polo
Sharon Kinoshita explores the the remarkable journeys of the medieval merchant who travelled to the court of Kublai Khan and beyond
39 min
24
The Mitford Sisters | 1 : life of the week
In the first of two episodes, Mary S Lovell unpacks the extraordinary and outrageous lives of the six aristocratic sisters who scandalised society and reflected the extremes of the 20th century
43 min
25
Beyond the trenches: a new take on WW1
Historian Alex Churchill explores lesser-known dimensions of the opening weeks of the First World War, from untold global stories to the myths and misconceptions we have about the conflict
38 min