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
26
From dodos to 'lost' tribes: a history of extin...
Sadiah Qureshi explains why the history of extinction is a much murkier story that it initially seems
31 min
27
Europe's last pagans
Francis Young shares the surprisingly long story of the non-Christian parts of Europe 
37 min
28
VJ Day and the story of women's football: histo...
Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter discuss the historical context behind recent news stories
41 min
29
The tangled legacies of two Americas
Greg Grandin unpacks the tangled legacies of North and Latin America – and the name they share
34 min
30
The Paris Commune: everything you wanted to know
David A Shafer discusses the extraordinary eight weeks in 1871 when Paris embarked on a radical – and ultimately doomed – experiment in municipal self-governance
52 min
31
VJ Day: why don't we talk about WW2 in Asia?
Eighty years on from the end of the Second World War, Kavita Puri considers why stories from the war against Japan remain overlooked and under-told
35 min
32
Zoot suits, mashers & New Romantics: the evolut...
Peter Andersson delves into various dandy subcultures that saw men dressing immaculately, from the early 19th century to the 1980s
25 min
33
Mary of Modena: life of the week
Breeze Barrington explores the extraordinary story of Mary of Modena – the Italian-born queen consort to James VII and II – and considers how her controversial childbirth in 1688 paved the way for the Glorious Revolution
42 min
34
Arson, murder and goddesses: secrets of a Seven...
Bettany Hughes uncovers the secrets of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
30 min
35
Frontier life: everything you wanted to know
Karen Jones unpacks the myths and realities of 19th-century American frontier life – from the Oregon trail to barbed wire and bison
49 min
36
Forgotten stories from South Asian history
38 min
37
Was the atomic bomb necessary to end war with J...
Eighty years on from the end of the Second World War, Richard Overy questions the logic and legacy of the US's aerial assault on Japan that culminated in the use of atomic bombs in August 1945
33 min
38
JMW Turner: life of the week
34 min
39
Hiroshima: in the shadow of the bomb
Iain MacGregor shares personal stories of individuals involved in race to build the atomic bomb – and those affected by its terrible aftermath
39 min
40
WW2 evacuees: everything you wanted to know
30 min
41
Queen Victoria's secret love affair
Did Queen Victoria have a romantic relationship – perhaps even involving a secret marriage and a child – with her servant John Brown? Fern Riddell investigates 
37 min
42
The 300-year battle over free speech
33 min
43
Erik the Red: life of the week
Eleanor Barraclough examines the life and legacy of Erik the Red, the outlaw Viking who settled Greenland and birthed a famous – and infamous – dynasty
40 min
44
Power & terror: a history of the nuclear age
48 min
45
The Minoans: everything you wanted to know
Dr Ellen Adams answers all the key questions about the ancient civilisation best known for the legend of the Minotaur
45 min
46
Fun, fear and flatbread: childhood in ancient Rome
16 min
47
Iron Mountain: the conspiracy that duped America
Journalist Phil Tinline unpacks the impact and influence of The Report From Iron Mountain – a satirical document that unintentionally put rocket fuel under the conspiracies and paranoia of the 1960s
30 min
48
Bayeux Tapestry politics & natural disasters: h...
48 min
49
Deadly bellringing and fatal bacon: grisly acci...
Steven Gunn reveals what accidental deaths in Tudor England can reveal about everyday life in the era
31 min
50
Beer history: everything you wanted to know
Phil Withington answers questions about the evolution of the ancient drink still enjoyed by millions around the world
37 min