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
576
Boston Tea Party | 3. The destruction of the tea
29 min
577
Sherlock Holmes: the real history that inspired...
Andrew Lycett shares how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created his most famous character, and what the stories reveal about the author's own life and times
29 min
578
Life of the week: Queen Victoria
Tracy Borman charts the life and reign of Queen Victoria, the monarch who brought pomp and pageantry to the royal family we know today
31 min
579
Merry Christmas from the HistoryExtra podcast
1 min
580
Druids: everything you wanted to know
Ronald Hutton answers listener questions surrounding the mystical spiritual figures of ancient north western Europe
45 min
581
Bannockburn: Robert the Bruce’s greatest victory
Helen Carr tells the story of the battle of Bannockburn, a pivotal moment in the First War of Scottish Independence that had profound consequences for Scotland, England, and beyond
37 min
582
Boston Tea Party | 2. The Sons of Liberty
27 min
583
Amazing Grace: a story of salvation and slavery
Professor James Walvin tells the story of Amazing Grace, the hymn that was written by a one-time slave trader and ballooned to become a global phenomenon
30 min
584
Life of the week: Amelia Earhart
Clare Mulley charts the daring life of Amelia Earhart, the American aviator who mysteriously disappeared while trying to fly around the world in 1937
30 min
585
Nazi Germany: the myth of the innocent bystander
Mary Fulbrook explores the role of ordinary Germans in the rise of Nazism, the Second World War and the Holocaust
33 min
586
1970s Britain: everything you wanted to know
Alwyn Turner traces the history of Britain in the 1970s – from politics to the punk movement
26 min
587
Caesar | 6. The evil that men do
Rob Attar is joined by Dr Jane Draycott, Professor Philip Freeman, Professor Catherine Steel and Professor Barry Strauss to take the story to its conclusion and reflect on the legacy of the Ides of March.
27 min
588
Caesar | 1. Beware the Ides of March
Rob Attar and Professor Barry Strauss describe the assassination of Julius Caesar – a day that would transform Rome forever.
15 min
589
Caesar | 2. Was this ambition?
Rob Attar is joined by Professor Catherine Steel and Professor Philip Freeman to examine the early life and career of a man who would reach the pinnacle of Roman political power.
18 min
590
Caesar | 4. Honourable men
Rob Attar is joined by Professor Barry Strauss and Professor Philip Freeman to dissect the characters of the men who organised Caesar’s murder.
17 min
591
Caesar | 5. The dogs of war
Rob Attar is joined by Professor Philip Freeman, Professor Barry Strauss and Dr Volker Heuchert to plunge into the aftermath of Caesar’s murder.
24 min
592
Caesar | 3. Master of his fate
Rob Attar is joined by Professor Philip Freeman, Dr Jane Draycott and Dr Volker Heuchert to explore the final – and most dramatic – decade of Caesar’s life.
22 min
593
Netflix's The Crown: history and storytelling
Annie Sulzberger, head of research for Netflix's flagship historical drama 'The Crown', explains how the show's real history elements are stitched into the storylines, and offers her take on dramatising the Windsors
28 min
594
Boston Tea Party | 1. Tea and taxes
24 min
595
Boston Tea Party: Igniting a revolution | Trailer
2 min
596
Georgian grand houses: the forgotten women who ...
Amy Boyington reveals women's forgotten contributions to Georgian architecture – from Queen Charlotte's technical drawing lessons to Sarah Churchill's involvement in building Blenheim Palace
24 min
597
Introducing Life of the Week
0 min
598
Life of the Week: Mansa Musa
Hannah Cusworth shares highlights from the intriguing life of the Mali emperor Mansa Musa – from his astonishing pilgrimage to Mecca to tales of his extraordinary wealth
27 min
599
Caesar: Death of a Dictator | Trailer
1 min
600
Victoria's armpit and 'giant' bones: body parts...
Dr Suzie Edge explores a selection of history's most famous body parts – from Queen Victoria's armpit to Louis XIV's rear end
18 min