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
926
Cathedrals: from bishops' seats to tourist hots...
Nicholas Orme traces the story of English cathedrals, from their early medieval roots to their role in modern day communities
42 min
927
The Restoration: everything you wanted to know
Dr Clare Jackson tackles listener questions on the reestablishment of the monarchy in 1660, after 11 years of Republican rule
54 min
928
HistoryExtra Plus: get early access to our podc...
<p><br></p><p>Enjoying our new Black Death series? Listen to the next three episodes right now on our new subscription podcast channel HistoryExtra Plus, along with early access to our new series on the end of Roman Britain. Follow the link below to sign up now:&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://apple.co/3w0aaXz" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://apple.co/3w0aaXz</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><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>
0 min
929
Eurovision: a political history
Dean Vuletic speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about the history of the Eurovision Song Contest – and what it tells us about the changing face of Europe
37 min
930
The Black Death | 3. living through the plague
<p>What would it have been like to live through a Black Death outbreak? In this episode, Ellie Cawthorne speaks to Professor Samuel Cohn about the experiences of medieval people in communities ravaged by the deadly disease. He reveals what the chroniclers tell us about the range of responses to the crisis in the late 1340s, and the lengths people went to to survive.</p><br><p>The primary sources quoted in this series are taken from:</p><p>The Black Death, translated and edited by Rosemary Horrox (1994) </p><p>The Black Death, The Great Mortality of 1348-1350: A Brief History with Documents, John Arberth (2005) </p><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>
28 min
931
Free speech: a brief, contentious history
Jacob Mchangama delves into the global history of free speech, from ancient times right up to the modern day
40 min
932
Disabled people in Tudor times
Phillipa Vincent-Connolly explores the lives of disabled people in the Tudor era, from community care to the royal court
21 min
933
Magellan: daring explorer or doomed failure?
Felipe Fernández-Armesto reexamines the story of famed explorer Ferdinand Magellan, uncovering more failure than success
37 min
934
War in the air: everything you wanted to know
Paul Beaver answers listeners questions on military aviation – from early innovations to flying aces and dogfights
64 min
935
The Dudleys: power behind the Tudor throne
Joanne Paul reveals how the might of the Tudor dynasty was built on the blood and sweat of three generations of another family – the Dudleys
34 min
936
The Black Death | 2. origins & spread
<p>Over recent years, our understanding of the Black Death has been radically transformed by new scientific developments. In this episode, Ellie Cawthorne speaks to Professor Monica Green about what the latest research can tell us about where the plague originated, and how it spread to eventually engulf vast swathes of the globe.</p><br><p>The primary sources quoted in this series are taken from:</p><p>The Black Death, translated and edited by Rosemary Horrox (1994) </p><p>The Black Death, The Great Mortality of 1348-1350: A Brief History with Documents, John Arberth (2005) </p><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>
37 min
937
Spain’s tumultuous story
Giles Tremlett explores the turbulent history of Spain, a country shaped by influences from across the world
35 min
938
Despatches on dictators: US reporters in 1930s ...
Deborah Cohen talks about the American foreign correspondents who reported on the tumult of interwar Europe
38 min
939
Britain’s lost towns and villages
Matthew Green surveys Britain’s deserted settlements, and considers how they became part of our past
32 min
940
Medieval childhood: everything you wanted to know
Emily Joan Ward answers your questions about growing up in the Middle Ages
58 min
941
The failings of emancipation
Kris Manjapra reveals how the end of slavery helped perpetuate systems of oppression, rather than disrupt them
39 min
942
The Black Death | 1. Introduction
<p>In the late 1340s, people in cities, towns and villages across the medieval world began to fall ill from a mysterious pestilence. This six part series looks at the how the Black Death shook the Middle Ages, killing millions and transforming societies. Speaking to expert historians, we'll track the spread of this devastating disease, reveal what it was like to live through the pandemic and consider its dramatic, long-lasting impact. </p><br><p><br></p><p>The primary sources quoted in this series are taken from:</p><p>The Black Death, translated and edited by Rosemary Horrox (1994) </p><p>The Black Death, The Great Mortality of 1348-1350: A Brief History with Documents, John Arberth (2005) </p><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>
17 min
943
Video games at 50: a cultural history
Fifty years on from the launch of the first commercial home video game console, John Wills discusses the history of the gaming industry
43 min
944
Libraries: a book lover’s history
Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen explore the history of book collecting, uncovering stories of libraries great and small
44 min
945
The BBC at 100: TV takes off in the 1950s
In the latest instalment of our series marking the BBC’s centenary, David Hendy explores the rise of television in the 1950s
33 min
946
The Falklands War: everything you wanted to know
Helen Parr answers listener questions on the conflict that erupted between Britain and Argentina 40 years ago
45 min
947
Introducing: HistoryExtra Plus
Would you like ad-free versions of our podcasts, early access to series and exclusive bonus content? Then check out our subscription podcast feed HistoryExtra Plus. Follow the link below to sign up now: https://apple.co/3xNlgAM
0 min
948
Rebel ramblers of the Kinder Trespass
Ninety years on from the Kinder Mass Trespass, Ben Anderson explores this much-mythologised moment of popular protest
26 min
949
Catherine the Great: inoculation pioneer
Lucy Ward recounts the story of a Quaker doctor who took up the risky challenge of inoculating an empress against smallpox
37 min
950
Trailblazers of black British theatre
Stephen Bourne chronicles the rise of black theatre in Britain, from 19th-century Shakespearean actors to ground-breaking playwrights
30 min