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
1001
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
1002
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
1003
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
1004
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
1005
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
1006
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
1007
The Inca empire: everything you wanted to know
Bill Sillar answers listener questions about the mighty South American empire
54 min
1008
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
1009
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
1010
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
1011
Royal rivals? Medieval England and France’s tem...
Catherine Hanley traces the great conflicts, and occasional friendships, between the rulers of medieval England and France
38 min
1012
15 minutes of fame: Tsiang Ting-fu, Chinese his...
Rana Mitter explains how historian and diplomat Tsiang Tingfu was an important link between China and the west in the 20th century
20 min
1013
The Peasants’ Revolt: everything you wanted to ...
Helen Carr responds to listener questions on the major uprising that rocked medieval England in 1381
43 min
1014
Elizabeth I’s greatest rival?
Estelle Paranque untangles the complex relationship between Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici, two 16th-century queens who wielded huge power - and frequently locked horns over religion, marriage and more
38 min
1015
The end of Roman Britain | 5. an identity crisis?
In the fifth episode of our podcast series on the end of Roman Britain, David Musgrove talks to Dr James Gerrard about how society changed as Britain slipped out of Roman control in the fifth century. They also discuss what the latest research can tell us about how people might have reimagined their identities in the face of a changing world.<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>
48 min
1016
David Stirling: SAS hero or fraud?
Special forces historian Gavin Mortimer casts a critical eye over David Stirling, who is renowned as the founder of the SAS in World War Two
38 min
1017
The Norman kings of Africa
Levi Roach explains how the Normans conquered and held regions of Africa during the 12th century
32 min
1018
15 minutes of fame: Hildegard of Bingen, mediev...
Janina Ramirez explains why medieval polymath Hildegard of Bingen deserves recognition today
19 min
1019
British schools and education: everything you w...
Susannah Wright answers some of the most popular questions surrounding the history of British schools
63 min
1020
On the streets of 19th-century London
Oskar Jensen introduces the characters living and working on the streets of Georgian and Victorian London, from beggars to ballad singers
37 min
1021
The end of Roman Britain | 4. religion and belief
In the fourth episode of our podcast series on the end of Roman Britain, David Musgrove considers the role of religion in late Roman Britain with Dr David Petts. They look at how far Christianity was embedded in Britain by the fourth century, what other religious practices existed alongside it and, crucially, how far adherence to the Christian faith in the declining years of the empire helped to keep the Roman way of life going in 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>
36 min
1022
Casanova: more than a serial seducer
Leo Damrosch reveals how Giacomo Casanova wasn’t just a serial seducer but also an aspiring priest, spy, army officer and Masonic master
42 min
1023
From bohemian Brighton to military Plymouth: th...
Matt Cook and Alison Oram explore LGBTQ experiences in four English cities – Brighton, Manchester, Plymouth and Leeds – from the sixties to the noughties
51 min
1024
15 minutes of fame: Marguerite de Navarre, roya...
Suzannah Lipscomb reveals why she thinks 16th-century royal influencer Marguerite de Navarre deserves to be better remembered today
16 min
1025
The Mali empire: everything you wanted to know
Kevin MacDonald responds to your queries on the great power that dominated swathes of west Africa from the 13th to 17th centuries
50 min