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
826
Chaucer’s disputed legacy: new discoveries
Euan Roger shares new findings that could influence our perspective on the famous medieval author’s questionable legacy
33 min
827
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan: war without...
Elisabeth Leake charts the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, revealing how the ensuing occupation and internal conflict shaped the modern nation
49 min
828
The Mary Rose | 1. raising the wreck
In the first episode in our new series on the Mary Rose, we follow the extraordinary search for Henry VIII’s long-lost warship, which uncovered the wreck after almost 450 years
36 min
829
Spectacles of death: public executions in London
Beverley Cook discusses a new Museum of London Docklands exhibition on the long history of public executions in the capital
27 min
830
Berlin’s turbulent 20th century
From the wild hedonism of the Weimar years to living in the shadow of the Berlin Wall, Sinclair McKay traces the history of the German city through the lives of its inhabitants
47 min
831
A mutineer in the family
Harrison Christian explores the extraordinary life of his direct ancestor Fletcher Christian, who led the dramatic mutiny on HMS Bounty in 1789
32 min
832
The Bank of England: everything you wanted to know
As the Bank of England continues to hit the headlines in the UK, Professor Anne Murphy guides us through the 300-year history of one of Britain’s most important institutions
48 min
833
Empire: the big historical questions
Professor Toby Green, Dr Sudhir Hazareesingh and Professor Olivette Otele explore how our understanding of imperial history has been transformed in recent years
48 min
834
1066: the pope and the conqueror
On the anniversary of the battle of Hastings, Daniel Armstrong questions whether the pope really backed William of Normandy’s invasion of England in 1066
25 min
835
Why Bond and the Beatles ruled the sixties
John Higgs reveals how two cultural giants – a gentlemanly spy and a gang of guitar-wielding young men – transformed modern British history
35 min
836
Ian McEwan on writing historical novels
Ian McEwan considers the responsibility of historical novelists and explores how we collectively reflect on our past
34 min
837
The Congo-Océan railroad’s deadly history
JP Daughton shares the brutal story of the building of the Congo-Océan railroad – one of the deadliest construction projects in history
48 min
838
15 minutes of fame: rediscovering forgotten fig...
To wrap up our ‘15 minutes of fame’ series, a panel of experts discuss who gets remembered from the past and how we can highlight forgotten stories today
44 min
839
Black British history: everything you wanted to...
Hannah Cusworth answers listener questions on black British history – from Cheddar Man, to the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott
41 min
840
Richard III returns
As The Lost King arrives in UK cinemas, ten years after the remains of Richard III were unearthed, Mike Pitts reflects on the astonishing discovery of the “king in the car park”
49 min
841
Robert Harris on the manhunt for Charles I’s ki...
Historical novelist Robert Harris discusses his new book, which follows Charles II’s hunt for the men who killed his father
29 min
842
Anti-Chinese prejudice: from gold rushes to exc...
Mae Ngai explore how gold rushes helped shape racist attitudes that targeted Chinese people in the west, culminating in exclusionary immigration laws
24 min
843
WW2’s most daring raid
Giles Whittell tells the story of the 1942 St Nazaire Raid, an audacious attack by British commandos on German-occupied France
44 min
844
15 minutes of fame: Babur, dynasty founder and ...
Margaret MacMillan profiles the life and legacy of the 15th-century leader Babur, who founded the Mughal empire – and kept a renowned diary
15 min
845
The Knights Templar: everything you wanted to know
Helen Nicholson answers listener questions on the crusading medieval military order made famous by its mysterious connections to the Holy Grail and Masonic order
55 min
846
Clash of cultures: how interpreters bridged the...
Henrietta Harrison discusses her Cundill Prize-shortlisted book on the interpreters who took on the dangerous task of communicating between the British empire and Qing China
33 min
847
What can one woman reveal about Jewish life in ...
Miri Rubin, Dean Irwin and Toni Griffiths examine what the extraordinary life story of Licoricia of Winchester can reveal about the experiences of Jews in medieval England
38 min
848
The Napoleon of Fleet Street
Andrew Roberts discusses Lord Northcliffe, the early 20th-century press baron with the power to bring down prime ministers
31 min
849
Should mummies be on display?
Is it strange that we go to museums to look at dead bodies? Angela Stienne delves into the ethical debates around displaying ancient human remains
36 min
850
15 minutes of fame: Hannah Humphrey, entreprene...
Hannah Greig reveals why she believes printseller Hannah Humphrey deserves to be better remembered today
19 min