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
551
US Civil Rights: Malcolm X’s assassination
In 1965 Malcolm X was shot dead in New York. Dr Clarence Lang and Dr Ashley Farmer explore the activist’s assassination, and his influence on Black Power
37 min
552
The miners’ strike: a view from the ground
Robert Gildea revisits the miners’ strike of 1984-85 from the perspective of the strikers and their supporters
31 min
553
California’s hidden history of slavery
Jean Pfaelzer reveals the various forms that slavery has taken in California over time, from Native Americans forced into indentured labour to girls trafficked into caged brothels
29 min
554
Letters from medieval England
Karen Smyth delves into the rich archive of the Paston family to reveal what the story of one aristocratic dynasty can tell us about love, life and death between the 14th and 18th centuries
40 min
555
New Zealand: everything you wanted to know
Professor James Belich answers listener questions on the history of New Zealand
54 min
556
Indian experiences in WW2
Diya Gupta explores the emotional responses of Indian soldiers and civilians to the Second World War
29 min
557
US Civil Rights: the 1964 Civil Rights Act
How successful was the 1964 Civil Rights Act? Dr Tomiko Nagin-Brown and Dr Rebecca Brueckmann explore the landmark legislation, as well as the case of the Little Rock Nine
35 min
558
Learning disabilities: an overlooked history
Lucy Delap explores the overlooked, often surprising, story of how people with learning disabilities found work in the first half of the 20th century
33 min
559
Secrets of ancient Chinese tombs
Professor Jessica Rawson delves into the story of ancient Chinese civilisation through an unusual avenue – its tombs
37 min
560
How forgers helped rescue Holocaust victims
Roger Moorhouse shares the story of the Lados Group, who forged and issued false documents to help thousands of Jews escape the Holocaust during the Second World War
34 min
561
Ancient Egyptian religion: everything you wante...
From animal-headed gods to the afterlife, Joyce Tyldesley answers listener questions about religion in ancient Egypt
52 min
562
Introducing HistoryExtra Long Reads
5 min
563
Did our ancestors really think the world was fl...
From Chinese cosmology to Victorian flat-earthers, James Hannam discusses humanity’s quest to determine the shape of our planet
26 min
564
US Civil Rights: the March on Washington
“I have a dream”, Martin Luther King Jr told the 250,000 protestors gathered before him in the nation’s capital. Experts Jonathan Eig and Clayborne Carson consider the 1963 march that made history
34 min
565
Roger Mortimer: medieval rebel
Paul Dryburgh tells the story of the man who broke out of the Tower of London, and masterminded Edward II’s downfall
29 min
566
Emotional revolution in postwar Britain
Teri Chettiar reveals why psychologists and social reformers focussed on the importance of intimacy in postwar Britain – and why it was believed that a mother’s love would make you a great citizen
25 min
567
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
568
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
569
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
570
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
571
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
572
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
573
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
574
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
575
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