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
Fatherhood: a short history
Augustine Sedgwick considers how the concept of fatherhood has evolved over the centuries
34 min
77
CIA book smugglers of the Cold War
Charlie English explores how the CIA used literature as a secret weapon during the Cold War, by smuggling books into the Eastern Bloc
30 min
78
The Renaissance: not such a golden age?
Ada Palmer argues that viewing the Renaissance as a 'golden age' obscures its messy and violent reality
43 min
79
Archimedes: life of the week
Professor Michael Scott explores the life and legacy of Archimedes, one of antiquity’s most brilliant minds 
28 min
80
The Third Reich's first genocide
Dagmar Herzog explores how years of eugenic theorising and propaganda against people with disabilities culminated in mass murder in Nazi Germany
34 min
81
English folklore: everything you wanted to know
Francis Young takes us on a journey through England's folklore – from malicious mermaids on the moors to dangerous demon dogs that stalk the streets 
42 min
82
What happened in Shakespeare's "lost years"?
Daniel Swift discusses Shakespeare's arrival on the London theatre scene as a young man, and reconstructs the story of a long-lost Shoreditch playhouse
31 min
83
Plague, famine and chivalry: a human history of...
Helen Carr explores the tumultuous 14th century through the lives of three different kings
48 min
84
WW2 legacies and Magna Carta: history behind th...
Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter discuss the present-day parallels of the Second World War, 80 years on – and look at medieval manuscripts hitting the headlines
41 min
85
Drink, dance, death: wine in ancient Egypt
Islam Issa explores the cultural significance of this alcoholic beverage to the long-standing ancient superpower
31 min
86
The Scottish Enlightenment: everything you want...
Craig Smith outlines some of the key ideas, innovations and individuals of the Scottish Enlightenment
34 min
87
Deadly skies: the WW2 mission to fly over the H...
Caroline Alexander discusses the dramatic story of the young American pilots who braved the world’s most dangerous skies to keep China supplied during the Second World War
41 min
88
Royal sisters: the tragic lives of Queen Victor...
Frances Welch introduces four princesses of Hesse – granddaughters of Queen Victoria – whose lives and marriages changed the face of early 20th-century Europe
33 min
89
Calamity Jane: life of the week
Karen Jones takes a fresh look at the rootin’ tootin’ frontierswoman of the American West
40 min
90
Spiritual showmen: the 1920s occult
Raphael Cormack explores the lives of mystics Tahra Bey and Dr Dahesh, whose occult performances reflected the anxieties of the 1920s
30 min
91
Cheese history: everything you wanted to know
Ned Palmer answers listener questions on the history of cheese, from the origins of blue varieties to Wallace and Gromit's impact on sales of Wensleydale
34 min
92
Taking sides: how the Civil War turned friends ...
Minoo Dinshaw charts the story of Bulstrode Whitelock and Ned Hyde – two friends who found themselves on opposite sides of a growing conflict during the 1640s
25 min
93
Were Roman women done dirty by modern translati...
Joan Smith unpicks the reputations of the women in ancient Rome's Julio-Claudian dynasty, considering why so many of them have been branded villains, nags and nymphomaniacs
31 min
94
Otto von Bismarck: life of the week
Katja Hoyer discusses the remarkable life of the 'Iron Chancellor' who masterminded the unification of Germany
37 min
95
The Einstein murders
Thomas Harding reveals how the Nazis hunted down Albert Einstein's relatives – and explores the long quest for justice that followed
33 min
96
The Beaker People: everything you wanted to know
Mike Parker-Pearson answers listener questions on the prehistoric people famed for their brilliant metal ornaments – and credited with transforming Britain 4,500 years ago
34 min
97
Gods, demons, witches and exorcists: inside an ...
Dr Selena Wisnom transports us back to the library of the ancient Assyrian king Ashurbanipal and reveals what it can tell us about gods, ghosts and religious beliefs
35 min
98
Peaks, perils, and pioneers: the deadly history...
Author and climber Daniel Light explores the inspirational – and risky – history of mountaineering, from its roots in religious rituals and scientific endeavours to its rise as a daring and dangerous sport
31 min
99
Josephine Baker: life of the week
From showbusiness to spying and civil rights, Hanna Diamond shares the extraordinary story of Josephine Baker
41 min
100
Women who ruled over Africa
Paula Akpan charts the rise and fall of 12 African women rulers and warriors, spanning more than 1,000 years of history
36 min