HistoryExtra podcast

The HistoryExtra podcast brings you gripping stories from the past and fascinating historical conversations with the world's leading historical experts.


HistoryExtra 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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The Blitz: everything you wanted to know
Dan Todman answers listener questions on the bombing raids that hit Britain during the Second World War
41 min
502
The gunpowder plot: everything you wanted to know
John Cooper tackles listener questions on the infamous plot to blow up parliament on 5 November 1605
34 min
503
Telling the story of modern Jerusalem
Simon Sebag Montefiore tells us about the updated version of his book Jerusalem: The Biography, which charts one of the most turbulent, divisive periods of world history
39 min
504
The Tyrant, the usurper and the hero | Henry IV...
Dan Jones and Helen Castor delve into the dramatic life and reign of Henry Bolingbroke, and explore how he became the usurper Henry IV
48 min
505
Satan & the sabbath: witchhunting in the Basque...
Jan Machielsen reveals why supernatural stories of witchcraft convulsed the Basque Country in the early 17th century
28 min
506
Florence Nightingale: life of the week
Melissa Pritchard explores the life, legacy and extraordinary achievements of the English nurse and statistician known as the 'lady with the lamp'
35 min
507
Introducing History's Greatest Conspiracy Theories
1 min
508
Cocaine: a Victorian sensation
Douglas Small reveals how cocaine was widely used in all manner of 19th-century products, and explores why it became a fixture of society, sport, culture and literature
31 min
509
Medieval science: everything you wanted to know
Seb Falk challenges the notion that the medieval period was a scientific 'dark age'
50 min
510
Halloween traditions: everything you wanted to ...
Owen Davies answers listener questions on the haunted historical festivities surrounding 31 October
26 min
511
Medieval women: friendship, wanderlust and the ...
Hetta Howes highlights what four extraordinary female writers can reveal about the lives of women in the Middle Ages
40 min
512
The Tyrant, the usurper and the hero | Richard ...
Dan Jones and Helen Castor chart the turbulent reign of one of England's most unpopular kings - Richard II
46 min
513
Chris Packham & Peter Frankopan: can history he...
Historian Peter Frankopan and broadcaster and activist Chris Packham discuss the history of climate change – and how looking to the past could help humanity's future
40 min
514
History Behind the Headlines: political memoirs...
Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter discuss the history behind political memoirs, Britain's energy supplies and access to the countryside
40 min
515
Tudor spymaster: the secret machinations of Rob...
Stephen Alford reveals how Robert Cecil played a vital role in steering late-16th century England through some particularly perilous waters
40 min
516
The Korean War: everything you wanted to know
Owen Miller answers listener questions on a bloody Cold War conflict in Asia
34 min
517
Roman slavery: a brutal life in the ancient empire
Guy de la Bédoyère reveals why the Roman empire simply couldn't have functioned without the labour (and the suffering) of its captive population
24 min
518
1066: the battle for England | 4. the long and ...
Marc Morris discusses the long and bloody conquest of England that followed William's victory at the Battle of Hastings
47 min
519
Imperial spectacle: inside Britain's 1924 'Empi...
Matthew Parker takes listeners inside the 1924 British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Park in London
27 min
520
John Milton: life of the week
Islam Issa charts the extraordinary life and work of the 17th-century poet, polemicist and political operator John Milton
33 min
521
Why did people kill for Hitler?
Professor Richard J Evans explores the motivations of those who governed and supported the Third Reich
29 min
522
The Cathars: everything you wanted to know
Claire Taylor answers listener questions on the Christian movement which emerged in southern Europe during the 12th century
46 min
523
Black British History: everything you wanted to...
Hannah Cusworth answers listener questions on the history of black people in Britain
35 min
524
Shopping and snacking: a social history of the ...
Annie Gray takes listeners on a shopping trip through the history of Britain's high streets
32 min
525
1066: the battle for England | 3. Three kings a...
Marc Morris charts the events of 1066 and the fates of the key contenders in the fight for England's throne
46 min