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
276
Invisible ink & toad poison: tools of Elizabeth...
Nadine Akkerman and Pete Langman discuss the tricks and tools of spies in the early modern period
30 min
277
Chocolate history: everything you wanted to know
Food historian Emma Kay ranges across the centuries and the globe to explore the backstory of one of the world's favourite treats
30 min
278
Work-life balance: how our ancestors fought for...
Gary S Cross discusses how access to free time has changed through history, and delves into what our ancestors did with their leisure time
26 min
279
Deeds not words | 2. Pankhurst family portrait
We explore the Pankhurst family’s pivotal role in the suffragette movement, uncovering a story of inspirational leadership, self-sacrifice and sibling rivalry
25 min
280
Anne Boleyn: a modern woman?
Estelle Paranque charts the biography – and betrayal – of Anne Boleyn, to offer a new perspective on the Tudor queen
28 min
281
Historical apologies & female leaders: History ...
Rana Mitter and Hannah Skoda explore the historical undercurrents to recent news stories
49 min
282
Has WW2 become a national religion?
Following the recent D-Day commemorations, Professor Alec Ryrie considers why the 20th-century conflict continues to hold such weight in the national psyche
31 min
283
Beowulf: everything you wanted to know
Heather O'Donoghue answers the key questions about the most famous Old English epic poem and the world it depicts
35 min
284
Inside Bridgerton's ballrooms
Bridgerton choreographer Jack Murphy shares the secrets of Regency dancing – and reveals how it was recreated for the hit period drama
23 min
285
Deeds not words | 1. Battlelines are drawn
We explore how calls for women’s suffrage reached boiling point in Edwardian Britain – and a dynamic new movement emerged to fight for the cause
27 min
286
Deeds not words | Trailer
1 min
287
War, peace & cherry trees: finding hope after WW2
Naoko Abe introduces three remarkable men who took a stand against some of the worst atrocities of the Second World War
30 min
288
Dwight D Eisenhower: life of the week
Iwan Morgan discusses the remarkable life of a titan of the 20th century
36 min
289
Forging first editions: a 1930s crime caper
Joseph Hone transports listeners back to the eccentric world of 1930s book collecting, to explore the audacious crimes of an ingenious forger
27 min
290
The pilgrim fathers: everything you wanted to know
Nick Bunker answers listener questions about the pioneering English settlers who travelled to America on the Mayflower
40 min
291
Beastly Victorians: preventing animal cruelty i...
Helen Cowie explains how the 19th century saw a shift in attitudes toward animals, as early campaigners began to legislate against cruel treatment
32 min
292
D-Day: was Churchill really against the operation?
Richard Dannatt and Allen Packwood discuss the prime minister's role in one of the major moments of the Second World War
45 min
293
D-Day: Land
In the final episode of the series, Giles Milton reveals what happened to Allied troops after they landed in Normandy and pushed deeper into the French countryside
29 min
294
A 17th-century scandal & a writer's secret life
Lisa Hilton delves into the case of the scandalous 17th-century affair of Lady Henrietta Berkeley – and reveals how its dramatic twists and turns proved a source inspiration for the writer Aphra Behn
28 min
295
Plato: life of the week
Paul Cartledge delves into the life of one of the towering figures of western philosophy
31 min
296
Breastfeeding in the Middle Ages
Historian Hannah Skoda explores what it was like to breastfeed a baby in medieval Europe
32 min
297
Death and mourning in Britain: everything you w...
Professor Douglas Davies answers listener questions about treatment of the dead through British history – from burial traditions to funeral practices
48 min
298
Julian: the Roman emperor who (almost) changed ...
Philip Freeman explains how the pagan Roman emperor Julian almost reversed the rise of Christianity
26 min
299
D-Day: Sea
Nick Hewitt examines the contributions of the Allied navies on D-Day and during the difficult months that lay ahead
41 min
300
A Soviet road trip through 1930s America
Lisa Kirschenbaum retraces the route of Soviet satirists Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov on their eye-opening road trip across 1930s America
36 min