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
1226
How the 1964 Tokyo Olympics redefined Japan
With the Olympics underway in Tokyo, Chris Harding looks back at 1964 – the last time Japan hosted the competition
36 min
1227
Australian bushrangers: folk heroes or common c...
Meg Foster discusses the bandits that lived outside the law in Australia’s bush – from Ned Kelly to surprising lesser-known figures
43 min
1228
Olympic history: everything you wanted to know
As the world’s best athletes congregate in Tokyo for the 29th Summer Games, David Goldblatt answers your questions on the history of the Olympics
44 min
1229
Why were the Georgians fixated with fatness?
Dr Freya Gowrley reveals how Georgian satirists used images of fatness to comment on the anxieties of the age
29 min
1230
How assassinations have changed history
Michael Burleigh discusses some of history’s key political killings, from Julius Caesar to Abraham Lincoln.
25 min
1231
The slave trade: a family history
Alex Renton shares the story of his own family’s involvement in the slave trade, and considers how best to deal with this unwanted inheritance.
28 min
1232
The piano: a musical history
From players who captivated audiences to composers who pushed boundaries, Susan Tomes explores the history of the piano.
32 min
1233
Should they stand or fall? The great statue debate
Alex von Tunzelmann explores the stories behind some of the world’s most controversial statues – and gives her take on whether they should stand or fall.
44 min
1234
The church in medieval England: everything you ...
Professor Nicholas Orme answers listener questions about the church in medieval England.
65 min
1235
Madness & misery in Antarctica
Julian Sancton charts the extraordinary journey of 1897’s Belgian Antarctic Expedition, which descended into madness, misery, and the threat of murder.
48 min
1236
The battle over the Benin Bronzes
Bronwen Everill discusses the creation of the Benin Bronzes and current debates over their repatriation.
32 min
1237
Britain & France: enemies or economic partners?
John Shovlin describes 18th-century efforts to reset Anglo-French relations – from bitter enemies to economic partners.
44 min
1238
Watergate in 100 days: how President Nixon fell
Michael Dobbs discusses the Watergate scandal, charting 100 pivotal days that toppled a president.
22 min
1239
Contraception, consent & erotic connection: sex...
Fern Riddell discusses what we can learn from looking at sexual culture in the past.
36 min
1240
The Highland Clearances: everything you wanted ...
Sir Tom Devine responds to listener questions on the causes and consequences of one of the most notorious episodes of Scottish history
45 min
1241
Running to escape the horrors of war
Jonathan Westaway explores why there was a boom in the popularity of endurance running following the First World War
46 min
1242
The glamour & danger of Cairo’s 1920s nightlife...
Raphael Cormack discusses the golden age of Cairo’s nightlife scene in the 1920s, and some of the enterprising women who dominated it.
33 min
1243
The Viking Great Army: the latest discoveries
Julian Richards discusses the Viking Great Army, which wreaked havoc on the kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England from 865-878
55 min
1244
Glee-man, high-deedy & bendsome: a language to ...
Siân Rees shares the story of an eccentric Victorian vicar who invented a new language to try and solve the problems of 19th-century England.
18 min
1245
Healthcare before the NHS
Professor Barry Doyle explains what kind of treatment you could expect If you were ill before the National Health Service was founded in 1948
62 min
1246
The Medici: everything you wanted to know
Historian Catherine Fletcher responds to listener questions about the infamous Italian family, from their role in the Renaissance to stories of dark deeds and scandalous affairs.
43 min
1247
From hysteria to wandering wombs: women and med...
Elinor Cleghorn traces the long history of the misdiagnosis and mistreatment of women’s health issues, from the ancient world to the modern day.
42 min
1248
Hogarth: the chronicler of the 18th century
Jacqueline Riding discusses the life and work of the famed artist and satirist William Hogarth, and explores how his many engravings and portraits charted the morals and vices of the 18th century
56 min
1249
Digging into the Klondike gold rush
Stephen Tuffnell delves into the Klondike gold rush, a two-year whirlwind that brought at least 30,000 prospectors to the remote Yukon in search of glory and gold.
38 min
1250
The Cold War battle for Berlin
Giles Milton reveals how the German capital became the frontline in a bitter diplomatic conflict between the western Allies and the Soviet Union in the wake of the Second World War.
29 min