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
526
Rome vs Persia: an unwinnable fight
Adrian Goldsworthy discusses the evolving relationship between two superpowers of the ancient world, and explains why neither was ever able to vanquish the other
39 min
527
British seaside holidays: everything you wanted...
Dr Kathryn Ferry answers listener questions on the history of the British seaside holiday – from Victorian bathing machines to Punch and Judy
30 min
528
Surviving Hitler and Stalin
Daniel Finkelstein shares the remarkable stories of his parents’ survival when targeted by Nazism and Soviet communism during the Second World War
41 min
529
US Civil Rights: the Montgomery bus boycott
Why did Rosa Parks refuse to give up her bus seat? Historians Jeanne Theoharis and Mia Bay unpick that question as they explore the protest that captivated the nation
41 min
530
Renaissance beauty regimes
Professor Jill Burke explores the intimate history of Renaissance beauty culture – from hair removal and poisonous makeup to homemade cosmetics
27 min
531
AI: An ancient nightmare?
Artificial intelligence has been hitting the headlines in recent months but, as Michael Wooldridge explores, our fascination with – and fear of – AI has a long history
28 min
532
A jujitsu-trained suffragette bodyguard
Emelyne Godfrey speaks about the unorthodox life of Kitty Marshall – a cricket-ball-wielding, martial-arts-trained suffragette ready to go fist-to-fist with the police for votes for women
26 min
533
The NHS: everything you wanted to know
Andrew Seaton tackles listener questions about the UK’s National Health Service as it marks its 75th anniversary
41 min
534
Life in a WW2 tank regiment
Peter Hart tracks one tank regiment’s experience of the Second World War – from life in an inflammable vehicle to camaraderie amid the threat of German shells
30 min
535
US Civil Rights: Fighting for freedom
2 min
536
US Civil Rights: the lynching of Emmett Till
The brutal murder of black teenager Emmett Till appalled America, and added fuel to the fledgling civil rights movement. Experts Devery Anderson and Adriane Lentz-Smith revisit the event
39 min
537
A ring of poisoners: Hungary’s most notorious m...
Journalist Patti McCracken discusses the “Angel Makers of Nagyrév” – the all-female murder ring whose poisonings shocked early 20th-century Hungary
25 min
538
RAF Coastal Command: unsung heroes of WW2
Leo McKinstry discusses the forgotten RAF force that helped neutralise the ‘U-boat menace’ in WW2
28 min
539
UFO sightings: an otherworldly history
David Clarke explores how recent interest in UFOs and visitors from above fits into a longer history of our fascination with aliens
33 min
540
Dog history: everything you wanted to know
Professor Julie-Marie Strange answers listener questions on the history of man’s best friend in Britain – from their very first domestication to Victorian dognappings
43 min
541
History's greatest cities | Season 2 Trailer
1 min
542
Oppenheimer: “destroyer of worlds”
To mark the release of new blockbuster Oppenheimer, biographer Kai Bird discusses the life of the genius physicist who invented the atom bomb
34 min
543
How Barbie changed the world
Robin Gerber explores what the changing image of the iconic doll can reveal about societal shifts since her creation in 1959
24 min
544
Britain’s love affair with Edward VII
Martin Williams reveals why Britain was thrown into a frenzy of mourning following the death of Edward VII in 1910
31 min
545
The WAAF: the many behind the few
Sarah-Louise Miller delves into the roles played by the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force during WW2, from courageous secret agents to the unflappable women behind the Dambusters raid
40 min
546
Eastern Europe: a personal journey through the ...
Jacob Mikanowski contemplates the tumultuous history of Eastern Europe through the eyes of his ancestors, and considers if the cultural identity of the region is at risk of disappearing entirely
42 min
547
Roman gods & goddesses: everything you wanted t...
From Mars to Minerva, Philip Freeman answers listener questions on the Roman pantheon of gods and goddesses
39 min
548
Blindness: a cultural history
Selina Mills explores the forces that have affected the lives of blind people through the centuries – from religious ideas and mythical tropes, to Braille and schools for blind children
25 min
549
Big questions of the Crimean War: aftermath and...
Professor Andrew Lambert considers the legacy of the Crimean War, as well as some of the key innovations and technological advancements that came out of it
40 min
550
Kate Mosse on pirate women & Huguenot refugees
Writer Kate Mosse shares the historical inspirations behind her latest novel, The Ghost Ship, which takes readers across the 17th-century high seas
26 min