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
476
Alexandria: the first modern city
Islam Issa tells the colourful story of ancient Alexandria, a multicultural city dreamt up by Alexander the Great
26 min
477
Conspiracy | 3. Who killed JFK?
66 min
478
Masters of the Air: the real history behind the...
41 min
479
Life of the week: Spartacus
Alison Futrell shares the story of the Roman rebel – from his early enslavement and brutal gladiatorial career to his extraordinary uprising
47 min
480
The West's enduring fascination with Asia
Christopher Harding journeys through centuries of history to understand the West's long-lasting interest in China, Japan and India
46 min
481
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: everything ...
From the hanging gardens of Babylon to the lighthouse of Alexandria, Bettany Hughes answers listener questions on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
39 min
482
Nicholas Winton: the 'British Schindler'
Edward Abel Smith discusses the story of Nicholas Winton, who helped save hundreds of Jewish children from the Nazis by transporting them to safety in Britain
29 min
483
Conspiracy | 2. Was Pearl Harbor an inside job?
32 min
484
Ireland's tangled relationship with empire
Historian Jane Ohlmeyer reflects on Ireland's difficult relationship with imperialism in the early modern period
31 min
485
Life of the Week: Harold Godwinson (Harold II)
Caitlin Ellis explores the biography of the short-lived medieval king best known for getting an arrow to the eye at the battle of Hastings
27 min
486
Britain's long love affair with sport
From the brutality of medieval jousts to the mega-bucks of the Premier League, David Horspool reveals how sport has embedded itself in the fabric of British life
27 min
487
The Silk Road: everything you wanted to know
Sam Willis answers listener questions about the famous Silk Road, which revolutionised global trade hundreds of years ago
28 min
488
The Renaissance: an explosion of creativity
Art critic and writer Jonathan Jones revisits the artistic and intellectual curiosity that characterised the Renaissance
26 min
489
Conspiracy | 1. Was Elizabeth I a man?
22 min
490
Conspiracy | Series 2 Trailer
1 min
491
From the Mongols to the Huns: the nomads who do...
Kenneth Harl explains how the nomadic empires of the Eurasian steppes played a decisive role in world history
30 min
492
Life of the Week: Frederick Douglass
Clare Elliott discusses the life of the 19th-century abolitionist, orator and writer, who ran away from a life of slavery to join the fight for freedom
30 min
493
The hidden history of women in intelligence
Helen Fry introduces the women who secretly worked in wartime intelligence centres and behind enemy lines in the world wars
26 min
494
The Bloomsbury Group: everything you wanted to ...
Frances Spalding answers listener questions on the daring set of artists, writers and thinkers who shook up British culture in the early 20th century
32 min
495
'Madness' and the supernatural
Professor Owen Davies reveals why believing in the supernatural saw scores of patients admitted to asylums in the 19th century
27 min
496
Boston Tea Party | 5. A complex legacy
28 min
497
Why were the Romantics obsessed with Mount Vesu...
John Brewer investigates the Romantics' complex relationship with Mount Vesuvius, from being a prized travel destination to using the volcano as a political metaphor
24 min
498
Life of the Week: Stalin
Robert Service discusses Josef Stalin, from his humble origins as a would-be priest in a province of the Russian empire to his rise to the paranoid, murderous tyrant of the Soviet Union
42 min
499
James Longstreet: Confederate Judas
Elizabeth R Varon explores the remarkable story of James Longstreet, the Confederate general who embraced the Reconstruction era
38 min
500
Medieval popes: everything you wanted to know
Brett Whalen answers popular questions on the medieval papacy, from the exploits of anti-popes to an infamous trial of a pope's corpse
49 min