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
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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
502
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
503
1960s Britain: smashing the status quo?
David Kynaston charts the radical changes that transformed Britain in the early 1960s
26 min
504
Life of the week Trailer
0 min
505
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
506
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
507
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
508
The First Crusade | 1. The call to arms
47 min
509
The First Crusade Trailer
2 min
510
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
511
History Behind the Headlines Trailer
0 min
512
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
513
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
514
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
515
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
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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
517
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
518
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
519
Archaeology’s golden age: everything you wanted...
Hélène Maloigne answers listener questions about one of most exciting periods in the history of archaeology, from glittering discoveries to colonialism and the ethics of excavation
32 min
520
One day in the British empire
Matthew Parker charts what was happening across the British empire at its territorial height on 29 September 1923
24 min
521
Great Reputations: Emmeline Pankhurst
In the latest in our series charting the reputations of key historical figures, June Purvis and Lyndsey Jenkins discuss the contested legacy of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst
40 min
522
Radio Times: a century of British broadcasting
As Radio Times magazine marks its centenary, we assemble a panel of experts to discuss what it can tell us about 100 years of British broadcasting
48 min
523
How to live like a Roman emperor
Popular historian Mary Beard tackles some of the biggest questions about life as a Roman emperor, from what they actually did all day to whether they were really as bloodthirsty as legend suggests
41 min
524
How has fear shaped history?
According to historian Robert Peckham, human society has always been shaped by fear – and not always in the ways you might expect.
22 min
525
The Battle of Britain: everything you wanted to...
Victoria Taylor answers listener questions surrounding the iconic WW2 aerial battle, busting some of the most commonly-held misconceptions along the way
55 min