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. 

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

History
1
How to choose a pope
Rebecca Rist discusses the history of papal elections – from the origins of the process to the times it hasn't gone quite to plan
35 min
2
VE Day: a people's history
John Willis tells the inside story of the day that Britain toasted victory over Nazi Germany
23 min
3
Nikola Tesla: life of the week
Iwan Morus revisits the life – and myth – of the enigmatic pioneer of electrical power
34 min
4
What caused the Irish Famine?
Padraic X Scanlan reexamines the causes of the Irish Famine, highlighting the damaging impact of the British empire's economic structures
39 min
5
The unification of Italy: everything you wanted...
David Laven answers your questions on the mid 19th-century unification movement that resulted in the Kingdom of Italy
40 min
6
Public vs private: history behind closed doors
Tiffany Jenkins traces the surprising history of private life – from ancient Athens to the digital age
37 min
7
The rise of James VI & I: when Britain went global
Anna Whitelock explores how the death of Elizabeth I and rise of James VI & I launched Britain onto the global stage
32 min
8
Papal elections and tariff troubles: history be...
Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter discuss the historical context behind recent news stories
41 min
9
How the English took Manhattan
Historian Russell Shorto reveals how Dutch pragmatism, English ambition, and a diverse cast of settlers shaped the foundation of Manhattan as we know it today
40 min
10
Troubadours: everything you wanted to know
Linda Paterson answers your questions on the innovative poets and composers of the Middle Ages
35 min
11
The 93 penises of the Bayeux Tapestry
The Bayeux Tapestry tells the story of the Norman Conquest, and also contains 93 embroidered penises – Professor George Garnett explains why
29 min
12
The great siege of Malta: Knights Hospitaller v...
Marcus Bull reveals how a small group of Knights Hospitaller took on the mighty Ottoman empire in the 1565 siege of Malta
32 min
13
Joanna Plantagenet: life of the week
Catherine Hanley uncovers the remarkable life of a princess and queen who proves that Richard the Lionheart wasn’t the only force to be reckoned with in the Angevin dynasty
48 min
14
Suleyman the Magnificent's bid for world domina...
Christopher de Bellaigue discusses the extraordinary life of one of the most powerful – and feared – men of the 16th century
31 min
15
The Etruscans: everything you wanted to know
Lucy Shipley uncovers the fascinating world of an under-appreciated ancient civilisation
49 min
16
Lexington and Concord: 250 years on
George Goodwin explains what went down at the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775 – and how the story was relayed across the globe
37 min
17
The botanists of besieged Leningrad
Simon Parkin reveals the remarkable story of the world's first seed bank and its extraordinary survival against the odds during the siege of Leningrad Between 1941 and 1944, the city of Leningrad was subjected to a brutal siege by Nazi Germany.
32 min
18
The Brothers Grimm: life of the week
The Brothers Grimm are best known for their collections of fairy tales but, as Ann Schmiesing reveals, that was only one of their ambitious projects
31 min
19
Could the US have won the Vietnam war?
Geoffrey Wawro considers the question of whether US firepower in Vietnam could ever have won out against their elusive enemy
51 min
20
The Teutonic Order: everything you wanted to know
Aleks Pluskowski charts the rise and fall of the mighty medieval crusading corporation
49 min
21
The women's orchestra of Auschwitz
Anne Sebba uncovers the extraordinary story of the women's orchestra in Auschwitz
32 min
22
JFK: the man behind the myths
Historian Mark White unpacks JFK’s life and presidency, from his bold leadership in foreign policy to his reckless private behaviour
38 min
23
Fulvia: life of the week
Jane Draycott introduces an extraordinary woman who played a starring role in one of the most explosive periods in ancient history
29 min
24
Simon Schama on the Holocaust
Sir Simon Schama tells the story of the Holocaust – and argues that it was a crime of complicity across Europe
38 min
25
The 'Scramble for Africa': everything you wante...
Professor Richard Reid explains what happened when European imperial powers made land grabs across the African continent between the 1870s and the First World War
37 min