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
726
Women & the crusades: patronage, propaganda & p...
Helen Nicholson traces women’s involvement in the crusades, from noble patrons and pious pilgrims to those willing to risk their lives on the battlefield
38 min
727
Science & religion: a story of war or harmony?
Nicholas Spencer chronicles the complex relationship between science and Christianity – and explores moments when tensions between the two have bubbled over
35 min
728
The North: from Bede to Lowry
Brian Groom shares some notable moments in the history of northern England, from the “Harrying of the North” to the Industrial Revolution
26 min
729
Paganism: everything you wanted to know
Ronald Hutton answers listener questions on the long history of paganism
38 min
730
Eat for victory: WW2’s “British Restaurants”
Bryce Evans takes listeners back to the aspirational canteens of Second World War Britain, which became bastions of good food, good prices and good company
25 min
731
Madame Restell: the abortionist who shocked and...
Jennifer Wright discusses the dramatic life of Madame Restell, a New York businesswoman who made millions – and horrified many – by selling abortions and birth control in the 19th century
32 min
732
Medieval manuscripts: an enduring obsession
Christopher de Hamel introduces an extraordinary cast of historical characters, all of whom shared a burning passion for manuscripts
33 min
733
Njinga: queen, warrior, diplomat
Luke Pepera tells Kev Lochun about the dramatic life and reign of Queen Njinga, the formidable 17th-century ruler of Ndongo and Matamba, in modern-day Angola
33 min
734
Sirens, succubi & sex symbols: a history of fem...
Sarah Clegg explores how and why historical myths have portrayed women as monstrous beings – from seductive, child-killing monsters to mermaids, sirens and vampires
35 min
735
Britain’s WW2 home front: everything you wanted...
Dan Todman answers your top questions surrounding Britain’s Second World War home front, from evacuees and black market deals to sheltering from bombs in the London underground
36 min
736
Treasure, heritage & returning artefacts
Government minister Lord Parkinson discusses proposed changes to which historical artefacts might be considered “treasure” – and other issues facing heritage in the UK
24 min
737
Satire & scandal: the printmakers who mocked Ge...
Alice Loxton tells Ellie Cawthorne about the biting satire of Georgian printmakers, whose work pricked the pomposity of politicians and mocked the extravagance of the aristocracy
37 min
738
Elizabethan witchcraft: a trial that divided a ...
Marion Gibson explores what a 1580s witchcraft trial can reveal about poverty, social tensions and ordinary life in early modern England
25 min
739
The Iraq War, 20 years on
Gordon Corera discusses the causes and consequences of the Iraq War, and how we should reflect on it two decades later
15 min
740
Volcanoes & nuclear armageddon: humanity’s long...
Peter Frankopan unpicks humanity’s complex relationship with climate across the millennia
35 min
741
Meeting the Mughals: England’s disastrous first...
The first English ambassador arrived in Mughal India in 1616, desperate to establish a trade treaty. But, as Nandini Das reveals, England’s hopes would soon be shattered
31 min
742
Medieval women: everything you wanted to know
Eleanor Janega busts popular myths surrounding women in the Middle Ages, revealing how society was more open-minded than we might initially expect
60 min
743
History’s greatest cities: Prague Trailer
4 min
744
Adventure, betrayal & beetles: the quest for th...
Candice Millard recounts the trials and tribulations of a gruelling Victorian expedition to locate the source of the River Nile, from deadly diseases to bitter rivalries
30 min
745
The Tudor who hiked North America
Dean Snow tells the story of an Englishman who embarked on an extraordinary 3,600-mile trek across North America in the 1560s
29 min
746
Dick Whittington: from medieval merchant to pan...
Michael McCarthy tells the story of the real-life Lord Mayor of London who inspired the famous pantomime character
35 min
747
Pirate flags & wedding gowns: a patchwork of a ...
Fashion historian Kate Strasdin reveals what an extraordinary collection of fabric scraps can reveal about style, culture and ordinary women’s lives in the Victorian era
26 min
748
Oscar Wilde on trial
Joseph Bristow explores the court case against Oscar Wilde for “gross indecency”, and the dangers of living in a society where homosexuality was illegal
27 min
749
Medieval peasants: everything you wanted to know
Professor Christopher Dyer answers listener questions about the daily life of medieval peasants, from diets and dentistry to leisure and life expectancy
46 min
750
History's greatest cities | Berlin
This week we are featuring episode one from our brand new series, History's greatest cities.
43 min