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
76
The massacre that shattered the old Ottoman world
Eugene Rogan discusses a watershed moment in the modern history of the Middle East
37 min
77
Underwear history: everything you wanted to know
Dr Serena Dyer briefs us on the history of underwear – from bras and knickers, to G-strings, bloomers and codpieces
34 min
78
Medieval relic hunters: the quest for Notre-Dam...
From intrepid friars to glorious processions, Emily Guerry explores the story of how the crown of thorns ended up in Notre Dame in the Middle Ages
34 min
79
Tudor England | 3. Culture and innovation
Tracy Borman checks out the fashion, food, theatre and festivals of Tudor England
46 min
80
Tempting treats & festive feats: christmas shop...
Annie Gray journeys through the history of christmas shopping in Britain, from department store stunts to the must-have items for the dinner table
33 min
81
Robert the Bruce: life of the week
Fiona Watson explores the shadowy rise to power of a national hero
48 min
82
Germany's postwar reinvention
Frank Trentmann discusses Germany's astonishing 80-year transformation in the era following the Second World War
40 min
83
Robot history: everything you wanted to know
Kerry McInerney answers your questions on the history of robots – from ancient Greece to the age of AI
31 min
84
Britain's wild republican decade
Alice Hunt explores the extraordinary period when the monarchy was abolished - and replaced by a republic
33 min
85
Tudor England | 2. Daily life
Tracy Borman takes a closer look at daily life on the streets of Tudor England – from home and hearth to health and medicine
36 min
86
Kublai Khan: ruler of the waves
Jack Weatherford explains how the Mongol leader became the emperor of China – and dominated the sea in the process
40 min
87
Princes in the Tower: could this new discovery ...
Professor Tim Thornton and Tracy Borman discuss a brand new discovery in the longstanding mystery of what happened to the princes in the Tower
30 min
88
The murders at Rillington Place: postwar London...
Kate Summerscale revisits the Rillington Place murders, to explore what these horrendous crimes can reveal about life in postwar London
30 min
89
Tudor explorers: everything you wanted to know
Jerry Brotton guides us through the turbulent waters of Tudor exploration
45 min
90
Nelson & Winnie: inside the Mandelas' marriage
Jonny Steinberg chronicles the powerful yet tragic relationship between two of the key figures in the fight against apartheid
34 min
91
Tudor England | 1. Power and politics
Tracy Borman steps into the vibrant – and dangerous – world of the Tudor court, and considers what it took to maintain law and order over the turbulent 16th century
42 min
92
Tudor England: the big questions | Trailer
0 min
93
A Victorian cult: inside the strange world of t...
Stuart Flinders takes listeners inside the Agapemone – a Victorian Christian cult presided over by rogue Anglican priests
32 min
94
History behind the headlines: Trump's win – par...
Rana Mitter and Hannah Skoda discuss Donald Trump's recent US election win, and consider which historical parallels are most apt
39 min
95
Sport's strangest tales
James Harkin and Anna Ptaszynski delve into strange but true stories from the world of sport, covering Tudor football, Soviet fencing scandals and much more
40 min
96
Ancient Egyptian warfare: everything you wanted...
Nicky Nielsen dives into the 3,000-year history of ancient Egyptian warfare – from the earliest skirmishes to the campaigns of Ramesses II
42 min
97
The bloody road to Rome: liberating Italy from ...
James Holland describes "five months of hell" where Allied forces battled the Nazis in Italy
33 min
98
The invisible tracks that have shaped the world
Sara Caputo explains how the lines drawn across oceans throughout history can reveal stories of power, exploration and conquest
27 min
99
Should we stop talking about the crusades?
William Purkis explains how looking at the crusades from a different perspective might give us a truer insight into the medieval mindset
39 min
100
Æthelred the Unready: life of the week
Levi Roach considers the life of the ill-favoured Anglo-Saxon king who ruled England at the start of the 11th century, and is famously remembered as 'the Unready'
40 min