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
Royal sisters: the tragic lives of Queen Victor...
Frances Welch introduces four princesses of Hesse – granddaughters of Queen Victoria – whose lives and marriages changed the face of early 20th-century Europe
33 min
2
Calamity Jane: life of the week
Karen Jones takes a fresh look at the rootin’ tootin’ frontierswoman of the American West
40 min
3
Spiritual showmen: the 1920s occult
Raphael Cormack explores the lives of mystics Tahra Bey and Dr Dahesh, whose occult performances reflected the anxieties of the 1920s
30 min
4
Cheese history: everything you wanted to know
Ned Palmer answers listener questions on the history of cheese, from the origins of blue varieties to Wallace and Gromit's impact on sales of Wensleydale
34 min
5
Taking sides: how the Civil War turned friends ...
Minoo Dinshaw charts the story of Bulstrode Whitelock and Ned Hyde – two friends who found themselves on opposite sides of a growing conflict during the 1640s
25 min
6
Were Roman women done dirty by modern translati...
Joan Smith unpicks the reputations of the women in ancient Rome's Julio-Claudian dynasty, considering why so many of them have been branded villains, nags and nymphomaniacs
31 min
7
Otto von Bismarck: life of the week
Katja Hoyer discusses the remarkable life of the 'Iron Chancellor' who masterminded the unification of Germany
37 min
8
The Einstein murders
Thomas Harding reveals how the Nazis hunted down Albert Einstein's relatives – and explores the long quest for justice that followed
33 min
9
The Beaker People: everything you wanted to know
Mike Parker-Pearson answers listener questions on the prehistoric people famed for their brilliant metal ornaments – and credited with transforming Britain 4,500 years ago
34 min
10
Gods, demons, witches and exorcists: inside an ...
Dr Selena Wisnom transports us back to the library of the ancient Assyrian king Ashurbanipal and reveals what it can tell us about gods, ghosts and religious beliefs
35 min
11
Peaks, perils, and pioneers: the deadly history...
Author and climber Daniel Light explores the inspirational – and risky – history of mountaineering, from its roots in religious rituals and scientific endeavours to its rise as a daring and dangerous sport
31 min
12
Josephine Baker: life of the week
From showbusiness to spying and civil rights, Hanna Diamond shares the extraordinary story of Josephine Baker
41 min
13
Women who ruled over Africa
Paula Akpan charts the rise and fall of 12 African women rulers and warriors, spanning more than 1,000 years of history
36 min
14
The Taiping Rebellion: everything you wanted to...
Stephen R Platt explores the history of the catastrophic 19th-century Chinese civil war and explains why it deserves to be better known
52 min
15
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
16
VE Day: a people's history
John Willis tells the inside story of the day that Britain toasted victory over Nazi Germany
23 min
17
Nikola Tesla: life of the week
Iwan Morus revisits the life – and myth – of the enigmatic pioneer of electrical power
34 min
18
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
19
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
20
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
21
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
22
Papal elections and tariff troubles: history be...
Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter discuss the historical context behind recent news stories
41 min
23
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
24
Troubadours: everything you wanted to know
Linda Paterson answers your questions on the innovative poets and composers of the Middle Ages
35 min
25
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