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
1151
Decolonisation to Covid-19: history education t...
A panel of experts discuss the big issues facing history education in 2021.
53 min
1152
Seances, skis and secrets: an extraordinary WWI...
Margalit Fox shares the story of two British prisoners of war who used a ouija board to launch an escape bid during the First World War.
41 min
1153
The Spanish Armada: everything you wanted to know
Robert Hutchinson answers your questions on England’s defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.
51 min
1154
The Special Boat Service: WW2’s silent heroes
Saul David discusses his new history of the Special Boat Service – a daring maritime unit that played a crucial role in Allied victory in WW2.
42 min
1155
The surprisingly modern Middle Ages
Dan Jones explores the similarities and differences between the medieval experience and our lives today
55 min
1156
Why do things change?
From the rise of Christianity to the Russian Revolution, David Potter analyses the causes of huge events that transformed human history.
25 min
1157
History in 2021, with Helen Carr and Suzannah L...
Public historians Helen Carr and Suzannah Lipscomb explore how we should make sense of studying the past in 2021.
43 min
1158
How Walter Scott’s stories shaped Scotland
Annika Bautz discusses how the writing and poetry of Walter Scott transformed how the world saw Scotland.
23 min
1159
Food history: everything you wanted to know
Annie Gray tackles listener questions on culinary history, from Tudor breakfast to the oldest recipe books and the history of vegetarianism.
59 min
1160
The rise of the Paralympics
As Tokyo hosts the summer Paralympics, Ian Brittain chronicles the history of competitive sport for disabled people.
25 min
1161
Behind the scenes of The Boleyns: A Scandalous ...
Owen Emmerson, who recently appeared on BBC docu-drama The Boleyns: A Scandalous Family, traces the clan’s meteoric rise – and crushing fall.
48 min
1162
What’s next for period drama?
A panel of experts tackle the big questions surrounding period drama in the 21st century and ask: what’s next?
56 min
1163
Vikings and Franks
Christian Cooijmans explains what we know about Viking raids on Francia and Europe’s western seaboard.
50 min
1164
The forgotten matriarch of the Wars of the Roses
Annie Garthwaite discusses her new novel based on the life of Cecily Neville, who worked tirelessly to help her family seize the throne.
38 min
1165
British police history: everything you wanted t...
Chris Williams responds to your questions on law enforcement in Britain over the past 300 years.
42 min
1166
The Windsors in exile
Andrew Lownie discusses the opulent and eccentric lifestyle of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson after the abdication crisis of 1936
40 min
1167
Working-class girlhood in 1930s Bolton
Hester Barron and Claire Langhamer reveal what we can learn from essays written by Bolton schoolgirls in 1937.
33 min
1168
Censorship: waging war on free speech
Eric Berkowitz describes the lengths to which rulers – from the first Chinese emperor to Henry VIII – have gone to suppress freedom of speech
37 min
1169
The history hidden in British heritage sites
Fatima Manji talks about objects and landmarks that are often obscured by the traditional stories told in many heritage sites.
22 min
1170
Monarchs, fascists & communists: Romania’s mode...
Paul Kenyon charts the turbulent story of modern Romania, and its colourful, chaotic and often corrupt leaders.
38 min
1171
Early Medieval Britain: everything you wanted t...
Dr Rory Naismith answers listener questions on Britain in the early Middle Ages.
55 min
1172
Bewitched cars & mail-order charms: witchcraft ...
Will Pooley delves into the strange and surprising history of witchcraft beliefs in France, from the Revolution to the Second World War.
33 min
1173
Witnesses to the Berlin Wall
A panel of eyewitnesses recall their memories of the divided city and the dramatic events of November 1989.
79 min
1174
Robespierre’s brutal downfall
Colin Jones tells the story of Maximilien Robespierre’s fall from power – a dramatic 24 hours that ended with the revolutionary titan facing the guillotine
40 min
1175
How should we teach the slave trade?
Teachers Richard Kennett and Tom Allen discuss a new textbook on the transatlantic slave trade and its impact on the city of Bristol Bristol was heavily involved in the transatlantic slave trade, and reaped the rewards of plantation profits.
32 min