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
1126
Medieval manuscript makers
Mary Wellesley uncovers the hidden stories of the artisans and authors behind medieval manuscripts.
47 min
1127
Surviving hell on earth: Polar explorer Ranulph...
Ranulph Fiennes uses his unique perspective as a polar explorer to reflect on the life and adventures of Ernest Shackleton.
46 min
1128
The CIA’s secret African missions
Susan Williams discusses the United States’ covert programme to undermine the leaders of newly independent African nations in the 1950s and 1960s.
33 min
1129
The rebel who defied William the Conqueror
Matt Lewis tells Spencer Mizen about the extraordinary escapades of Hereward the Wake, who led a rebellion in the 1070s that drove William the Conqueror and the Normans to distraction.
41 min
1130
SALEM EPISODE 9: Conclusion
After the witch trials were over, Salemites had to resume life as normal and come to terms with what had happened. Suspected witches had to go back to living alongside those who had accused them.
22 min
1131
SALEM EPISODE 8: Willful, weak-minded women?
Fourteen of the 19 people hanged for witchcraft at Salem were women. So could their gender – or perhaps their transgression of gender norms – be part of the reason they were targeted?
29 min
1132
SALEM EPISODE 7: Quarrelsome neighbours & famil...
Salem was made up of a dense web of social connections – not all of which were harmonious. In fact, it was a community riven with fault lines that threatened to open up into great chasms of conflict.
22 min
1133
SALEM EPISODE 6: Chaos in the courtroom
The list of failings that could be levelled against the Salem justice system is substantial – from the acceptance of so-called ‘spectral evidence’ to the chaotic scenes that unfolded in the courtroom.
30 min
1134
SALEM EPISODE 5: Satanic sabbaths and supernatu...
From flying witches to demonic familiars and translucent cats, the Salem villagers believed themselves plagued by a spectrum of supernatural terrors.
24 min
1135
From chariots to e-scooters: transformations in...
Tom Standage traces technological advances in transport, from the invention of the wheel to the rise of the car
54 min
1136
Giving birth in the 17th century
Dr Sara Read explores women’s experience of pregnancy and childbirth in early modern England
41 min
1137
Cricket as a colonial weapon
Dr Souvik Naha reveals how the Victorians used cricket to export “British virtues” across the empire
36 min
1138
Living through the fall of communism
Professor Lea Ypi reflects on her childhood years, which witnessed the final years of communism in Albania and the fraught transition to capitalist democracy.
45 min
1139
Black cowboys on screen
Tony Warner discusses some of the real historical figures depicted in the new Netflix western The Harder They Fall.
21 min
1140
SALEM EPISODE 4: The pervasive power of Puritanism
Religion was a powerful force at play in the Salem settlement. It not only determined the villagers’ daily routine but their whole outlook on life, influencing how they saw their neighbours and giving shape to their fears
22 min
1141
SALEM EPISODE 3: A ‘new Jerusalem’ on the edge ...
In 1692, Salem was a colonial outpost teetering on the edge of a precipice. In this episode we’ll explore what life was like in the New England settlement, and consider whether environmental pressures
26 min
1142
SALEM EPISODE 2: How events spiralled out of co...
In order to understand why the Salem witch trials happened, we need to get to grips with how exactly things unfolded over the course of 1692.
31 min
1143
SALEM EPISODE 1: Introduction
In 1692, 19 members of a small New England community were hanged for witchcraft.
14 min
1144
Ghosts, necromancy & the underworld in ancient ...
From necromancy and the underworld to getting rid of troublesome spirits, Irving Finkel discusses ghost beliefs in ancient Mesopotamia.
38 min
1145
What would you ask a historian?
Greg Jenner talks about his latest book, Ask A Historian, which tackles 50 burning questions that people have about the past.
39 min
1146
COMING SOON Salem: investigating the witch trials
Listen to our new podcast series delving into one of the most fascinating and mysterious events in American history. Find the first four episodes in your podcast feed from 31 October.
0 min
1147
Windows: an illuminating history
Cultural sociologist Rachel Hurdley peers into the curious history of windows.
32 min
1148
How a ballerina survived the Gulag
Christina Ezrahi shares the story of Nina Anisimova, a premier Soviet ballerina arrested for supposed counter-revolutionary activity.
52 min
1149
Afghanistan: a history of instability
A panel of expert historians discuss how history can help make sense of current events in Afghanistan.
50 min
1150
Egyptian pharaohs: everything you wanted to know
Joyce Tyldesley answers listener questions on ancient Egypt’s royal rulers.
54 min