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
Roman kings: myth, memory and the making of power
37 min
2
Philip Augustus: the Plantagenets’ greatest rival
46 min
3
Laura Ingalls Wilder: life of the week
42 min
4
How bullies shaped 19th-century America
39 min
5
Is there a royal sex scandal hidden in plain si...
40 min
6
Did Britain really 'keep calm and carry on' in ...
42 min
7
Did the Catholic Church support Hitler?
49 min
8
Frida Kahlo: life of the week
49 min
9
How the Americas transformed Tudor England
31 min
10
Preview: Master the medieval art of knowing you...
11 min
11
Have we got ancient women's sexuality all wrong?
31 min
12
Adultery, assassination and Agatha Christie: th...
31 min
13
Hedy Lamarr: life of the week
46 min
14
How WW2 transformed Asia
33 min
15
Preview: Was Jack the Ripper Queen Victoria's g...
10 min
16
How opium became a powerful global commodity
40 min
17
A wild history of partying
36 min
18
Yuri Gagarin: life of the week
43 min
19
How Christianity conquered the Roman empire
29 min
20
The Odyssey’s forgotten epilogue
40 min
21
Why did witches confess?
43 min
22
Inside the Maya storyworld
40 min
23
Zheng Yi Sao: life of the week
44 min
24
The Fifth Crusade: triumph, disaster and the ba...
41 min
25
Is the Odyssey myth or memory?
39 min