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
451
Horror films: a chilling cultural history
Roger Luckhurst explores the ways in which horror movies have reflected social changes and cultural anxieties through the 20th and 21st centuries
46 min
452
The history of Jamaica: everything you wanted t...
Audra A Diptee charts the complex history of Jamaica, from the fate of its indigenous peoples through to the country’s pivotal role in the slave trade and beyond
40 min
453
Killers of the Flower Moon: The real history
In this 2017 conversation, David Grann reveals the real story behind Killers of the Flower Moon, the murder case described as the "bloodiest chapter in American crime history"
26 min
454
The First Crusade | 3. Crossing into the unknown
In episode three of our series on the First Crusade, we witness the moment the crusaders first come into contact with the diverse populations of Asia Minor and the Levant
40 min
455
Disease killers: the black nurses who conquered TB
Maria Smilios recounts the remarkable story of the black nurses of Staten Island who were on the frontlines of finding a cure for tuberculosis
31 min
456
Who moulded Winston Churchill?
David Reynolds reveals how the likes of Stalin, Mussolini and Gandhi left their mark on Britain’s wartime leader
47 min
457
The Second Barons’ War: everything you wanted t...
Nicholas Vincent responds to your questions on the revolt against Henry III, led by the formidable Simon de Montfort
36 min
458
Renaissance eugenics
Mackenzie Cooley reveals how Renaissance animal husbandry prompted people to think about whether humankind could also be improved by selective breeding
24 min
459
The First Crusade | 2. On the road
In episode two of our series on the First Crusade, we join the crusaders as they prepare to take their first steps into the unknown
40 min
460
1960s Britain: smashing the status quo?
David Kynaston charts the radical changes that transformed Britain in the early 1960s
26 min
461
Life of the week Trailer
0 min
462
Disney at 100
As the House of Mouse marks its centenary, John Wills talks through a hundred years of animated highs and lows
37 min
463
Weimar Germany: everything you wanted to know
Professor Frank McDonough tackles some of the big questions about the brief experiment in democracy that preceded Germany’s Nazi era
52 min
464
Slave traders: the men who built a brutal empire
Nicholas Radburn examines the ruthless practices of the men who made the 18th-century trans-Atlantic slave trade possible
34 min
465
The First Crusade | 1. The call to arms
47 min
466
The First Crusade Trailer
2 min
467
Re-examining women in the Roman empire
Kate Cooper reveals how St Augustine’s Confessions offers a unique window into the lives of women in the late Roman empire
41 min
468
History Behind the Headlines Trailer
0 min
469
Is black history still being overlooked?
As the UK marks Black History Month, three expert historians discuss whether the focus on black history sparked by 2020's global protests has been maintained
36 min
470
Cat history: everything you wanted to know
From cats that were sent to the frontline to the creatures’ connections with witchcraft, Dr Andrew Flack answers listener questions about the history of our feline friends
30 min
471
The Huxleys: how one family shaped our view of ...
Alison Bashford discusses the Huxley family – a dynasty of pioneering natural scientists and thinkers
32 min
472
Great Reputations: Gandhi
In the latest in our series charting the contested reputations of key historical figures, Vikram Visana and Jad Adams discuss the life and legacy of Indian politician and activist Mahatma Gandhi
63 min
473
The Cultural Revolution: a Chinese catastrophe
Tania Branigan discusses the devastating impact of Mao’s Cultural Revolution, and its resonances in China today
35 min
474
The brutal WW2 battle for Italy
James Holland discusses the bloody 1943 Italian campaign that saw the Allies take on Nazi Germany in one of the most ferocious fights of the war
39 min
475
David Mitchell on a new history of England’s mo...
Comedian, actor and writer David Mitchell discusses his new book on England’s monarchy, offering a fresh take on centuries of kings and queens
37 min