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
851
Is Queen Henrietta Maria’s rotten reputation de...
Leanda de Lisle traces the life of Stuart queen Henrietta Maria, interrogating the myth that she was a rotten royal consort
41 min
852
Measurement: an unexpected history
James Vincent uncovers the long and surprisingly fascinating history of measuring things
45 min
853
15 minutes of fame: Alice Kinloch, Pan-African ...
Hakim Adi describes how Pan-African activist Alice Kinloch travelled across Britain, revealing the brutality of the South African diamond mining industry
15 min
854
First World War poets: everything you wanted to...
Professor Catriona Pennell answers listener questions on the poetry of the First World War
38 min
855
Stalingrad: a soldier’s testimony
Iain MacGregor reveals how the unpublished memoirs of a German officer shed fascinating new light on the battle of Stalingrad
49 min
856
Medieval monks: a day in the life
Danièle Cybulskie takes a closer look at the medieval monastic lifestyle and explores whether it can offer any lessons for today
37 min
857
Gone with the Wind: how a 1936 novel explains m...
Sarah Churchwell discusses the controversial legacy of Gone With The Wind and what it can reveal about American history and culture today
43 min
858
Treason: from Anne Boleyn to Lord Haw Haw
Professor Mark Cornwell discusses the history of treason, exploring how the definition of ‘traitor’ has changed through the centuries
42 min
859
15 minutes of fame: St Wilfrid, quarrelsome chu...
Marc Morris chronicles the impressive life of the controversial medieval saint St Wilfrid
20 min
860
Gold rushes: everything you wanted to know
Stephen Tuffnell answers listener questions on the gold rushes that captivated the imaginations of hoards of prospectors in the 19th century
50 min
861
Reconstructing black lives in the Antebellum South
Dr Kimberly Welch reveals what legal records can tell us about the lives of black people in the Antebellum South
26 min
862
The end of Roman Britain | 8. ends and beginnings
In the final episode of the series, David Musgrove wraps up what we’ve learnt from our experts about how Britain moved out of the orbit of the Roman empire in the 5th century. He also considers how some modern parallels might help us get a handle on what life was like for those living at the time, and looks forward to some exciting possibilities for future research.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
29 min
863
Hannibal: Rome’s greatest nightmare
Philip Freeman discusses the life of the brilliant Carthaginian general who almost brought Rome to its knees
30 min
864
Stalin’s library: inside the mind of a dictator
Geoffrey Roberts explores the life and career of Josef Stalin through his vast book collection
38 min
865
15 minutes of fame: Queen Tiye, overshadowed an...
Joyce Tyldesley explores how ancient Egyptian Queen Tiye’s story has been neglected, despite her fundamental role within her dynasty
13 min
866
The partition of India: everything you wanted t...
Dr Anwesha Roy answers listener questions on the 1947 partition of India, which divided British-ruled India into two independent countries
30 min
867
The BBC at 100: scandals break
David Hendy discusses some of the scandals that have surrounded the BBC across the past two decades – both new and historical
48 min
868
The end of Roman Britain | 7. bones, diet and m...
In this episode, we talk to Dr Sam Leggett, an expert in archaeological bone analysis, about the latest fascinating research with stable isotopes, to find out what the bones of burials from the 5th century can tell us about how much people were moving around and what they were eating in post-roman Britain <br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
40 min
869
The first Vietnam War
Christopher Goscha explores the conflict between the French empire and Ho Chi Minh’s Vietnamese army that followed WW2
40 min
870
Powerful pages: the beguiling history of books
Emma Smith delves into the fascinating history of books, revealing how their pages can be dangerous as well as magical
30 min
871
15 minutes of fame: Marie Tharp, ground-breakin...
Jerry Brotton considers the life and legacy of geologist and cartographer Marie Tharp, uncovering her major role in mapping the ocean’s floor
18 min
872
The Inca empire: everything you wanted to know
Bill Sillar answers listener questions about the mighty South American empire
54 min
873
The vanishing inventor
In September 1890, inventor Louis Le Prince boarded a train to Paris, and disappeared without a trace. Paul Fischer shares his story
39 min
874
The end of Roman Britain | 6. cultures lost and...
In episode six of our podcast series on the end of Roman Britain, Professor Robin Fleming speaks to David Musgrove about how far the archaeological evidence and the documentary sources agree – or disagree – about what happened as Britain moved away from the influence of the Roman empire. <br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
39 min
875
Britain’s century of political nightmares
Phil Tinline reveals why he believes that fear has defined British politics for the past 100 years
36 min