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
701
Before Windrush: Britain’s long relationship wi...
Christienna Fryar reveals the longer history of British-Caribbean relations that predates the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury docks on 22 June 1948
31 min
702
Cornwall: a brief history
Tim Hannigan charts the story of Cornwall, and explores what sets it apart from the rest of England
37 min
703
Franco’s Spain: paranoia, conspiracy & antisemi...
Paul Preston discusses how paranoia and conspiracy theories roused General Franco and his supporters into a military rebellion against the Spanish Republic
41 min
704
The myth and memory of Waterloo
Luke Reynolds considers why the 1815 battle of Waterloo remains so prominent in the British imagination several centuries on
37 min
705
Coffee history: everything you wanted to know
Jonathan Morris answers listener questions on the history of the caffeinated beverage, from when and where it was first drunk, to how coffee houses conquered the world
54 min
706
Caesar: Death of a Dictator Trailer
In the six episodes of Caesar: Death of a Dictator, Rob Attar is joined by a group of expert historians to revisit these dramatic events and reveal how the assassination helped turn Rome into an empire.
1 min
707
Economies in meltdown: lessons from past financ...
Linda Yueh discusses the history of financial crashes and what we can learn from them today
34 min
708
Living through the Troubles
Craig Murray revisits the impact of the Troubles on Northern Ireland through the eyes of those who were there at the time
27 min
709
What can we learn from the fall of Rome?
John Rapley and Peter Heather explore the parallels – and differences – between the fall of Rome and the decline of the modern west
38 min
710
Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: the overlooked bonds...
Dr Tracy Borman details the often unexplored relationship between Anne Boleyn and her daughter Elizabeth I
31 min
711
Fight like a man? Masculinity in WW2
Luke Turner explores how experiences during the Second World War shaped men’s attitudes to sexuality, masculinity and gender roles
44 min
712
Penal transportation to Australia: everything y...
From criminal sentencing to colonial settlement, Nancy Cushing answers questions on the transportation of British convicts to Australia
53 min
713
Pregnancy & childbirth in the 19th century
Jessica Cox shares stories of pregnancy and childbirth from the 19th century, and explores what they can tell us about women’s experiences of motherhood in the era
36 min
714
Historical echoes of the Ukraine war
Serhii Plokhy discusses the historical backdrop that helps make sense of the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine
42 min
715
Plato: the world’s greatest philosopher?
Robin Waterfield considers what we know really about the life of Plato of Athens, and why his work was so pioneering
39 min
716
How women helped sustain the slave trade
Stephanie E Jones-Rogers reveals how white women across the American South played crucial roles in perpetuating the system of slavery
27 min
717
The fall and rise of Henry III
David Carpenter charts a tumultuous year in the mid-13th century when one of England’s longest reigning monarchs was removed from power
48 min
718
The SAS in WW2: everything you wanted to know
Joshua Levine tackles listener questions about the origins of Britain’s most famous special forces unit
46 min
719
Plot or paranoia? The Amboyna conspiracy trial
Adam Clulow explores how fears of a sprawling conspiracy took hold in a remote Dutch East India Company fort in 1623 – with deadly consequences
35 min
720
Messalina: sex, slander & scandal in imperial Rome
Honor Cargill-Martin outlines the sexual scandals and ruthless success of the notorious Julio-Claudian empress Messalina in the first century AD
36 min
721
Amazing archaeological discoveries that trounce...
Professor Michael Scott sheds light on some of the most exciting and impressive stories of archaeological exploration
44 min
722
Living the life of luxury with the Persians & G...
From “barbaric” trousers to decadent drinking cups, Jamie Fraser and Kelly Accetta Crowe explore how ideas about luxury and power shaped the Greco-Persian world
46 min
723
Simon Schama on how inoculation changed the world
Simon Schama discusses how scientific ingenuity and the fear of contagion combined to produce life-saving vaccines
49 min
724
Mountaineering on Everest: everything you want ...
Marking the 70th anniversary of the first Everest summit, Jonathan Westaway answers listener questions on the history of expeditions on the mountain
42 min
725
The History Extra podcast – tell us what you think
Have you always wanted us to cover a certain topic, or interview your favourite expert? This is your chance to tell us, so we can give you more of what you want.
0 min