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
951
Glass men & killer doubles: a history of delusions
Victoria Shepherd delves into the history of delusions, and what they can tell us about times of historical trauma
34 min
952
The BBC at 100: what can history tell us about ...
Media historian David Hendy explores what the corporation’s history can tell us about its future
43 min
953
15 minutes of fame: St Hadrian of Canterbury, m...
Michael Wood considers the extraordinary achievements of St Hadrian of Canterbury, an early medieval scholar
21 min
954
Robin Hood: everything you wanted to know
Sean McGlynn answers listener questions on Robin Hood, from real medieval inspirations to literary inventions and film adaptations
44 min
955
How one woman liberated a notorious US slave jail
Kristen Green delves into the story of Mary Lumpkin, an enslaved woman who became a founder of one of the first historically black colleges and universities in the US
35 min
956
Tutankhamun | 2. Egypt in the era of the boy king
<p>Tutankhamun’s reign took place during one of ancient Egypt’s most fascinating and turbulent periods – the 18th Dynasty. In episode two of our new series on the boy king, we travel back more than 3,000 years to uncover what was happening in Egypt when Tutankhamun came to the throne. Ellie Cawthorne speaks to expert historians Guy de la Bédoyère and Professor Joyce Tyldesley to uncover stories of immense power and eye-watering wealth, instability, corruption and religious revolution.</p><br><p><br></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>
42 min
957
Lost languages & travelling communities: unexpe...
Dr Kristina Richardson discusses her research into little-studied travelling communities of the medieval Middle East, uncovering lost languages and early printing methods
32 min
958
Countryside campaigners: four women who fought ...
Matthew Kelly explores the lives of four women who helped to protect the English countryside in the 19th and 20th centuries
49 min
959
15 minutes of fame: Charley Wilson, working-cla...
Fern Riddell reveals the life of Victorian-era transgender man Charley Wilson and details how his story is still relevant to us today
15 min
960
Hollywood history: everything you wanted to know
From silent movies and golden age glamour to the blockbusters of the late 20th century, film historian Mark Glancy answers your questions on Hollywood history
45 min
961
The Sahara: a green and pleasant land
Martin Williams discusses the Sahara’s surprisingly verdant history, revealing how it was once home to lakes, rivers, humans and hippos
34 min
962
Tutankhamun | 1. Unearthing the boy king’s lost...
<p>One hundred years ago, in 1922, Egyptologist Howard Carter made one of the most spectacular discoveries in the history of archaeology, when he unearthed the tomb of Tutankhamun in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. In the first episode in our new series on the life, death and legacy of the iconic pharaoh, Toby Wilkinson and Okasha El Daly tell Ellie Cawthorne about the hunt for the boy king’s tomb – which had lain undisturbed for more than 3,000 years – and the controversies sparked by the discovery.</p><br><p>https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-extra-plus-specials/id1569637306?itsct=podcast_box&amp;itscg=30200&amp;ls=1</p><br><p><br></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>
41 min
963
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
964
Measurement: an unexpected history
James Vincent uncovers the long and surprisingly fascinating history of measuring things
45 min
965
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
966
First World War poets: everything you wanted to...
Professor Catriona Pennell answers listener questions on the poetry of the First World War
38 min
967
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
968
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
969
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
970
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
971
15 minutes of fame: St Wilfrid, quarrelsome chu...
Marc Morris chronicles the impressive life of the controversial medieval saint St Wilfrid
20 min
972
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
973
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
974
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
975
Hannibal: Rome’s greatest nightmare
Philip Freeman discusses the life of the brilliant Carthaginian general who almost brought Rome to its knees
30 min