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
The Titanic: everything you wanted to know
Tim Maltin answers listener questions about the sinking of RMS Titanic in 1912
48 min
1227
What can we learn from past catastrophes?
From the eruption of Vesuvius to Chernobyl and Covid-19, Niall Ferguson charts how disasters have changed the course of history
50 min
1228
Women reporters of WW2
Judith Mackrell explores the experiences of six women war correspondents who broke some of the key stories of the Second World War
37 min
1229
Knights, dragons and beasts: the strange world ...
From gallant knights to dragon-slaying damsels, Lydia Zeldenrust reveals why medieval readers couldn’t get enough of romance tales.
45 min
1230
Who was Britain’s greatest prime minister? Marg...
In the latest episode in our series on the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most, Andrew Roberts nominates Margaret Thatcher.
22 min
1231
Wolfson History Prize 2021 special
Wolfson Prize-shortlisted authors Helen McCarthy, Sudhir Hazareesingh and Rebecca Clifford discuss the secrets of writing history books with popular appeal.
57 min
1232
Everything you wanted to know: British prisons
Dr Rosalind Crone answers all the key questions on the history of British prisonsJust how bad was life in Victorian prisons? How hard was hard labour, and how revolting was the food?
80 min
1233
Ravenna: from Roman powerhouse to artistic hub
Professor Judith Herrin discusses the storied history of Ravenna, once capital of the western Roman empire.
46 min
1234
Britain’s secret Jewish commandos
Leah Garrett tells the story of X-troop, a group of Jewish commandos who became one of Britain’s most potent weapons against the Nazis
39 min
1235
William Blake: “artist or genius, or mystic, or...
John Higgs discusses the extraordinary life and art of William Blake – an eccentric outsider once dismissed as a madman, but now hailed as a genius.
40 min
1236
Who was Britain’s greatest prime minister? Lord...
In the latest episode in our series on the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most, Andrew Roberts nominates Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, third Marquess of Salisbury.
18 min
1237
The curious tale of an Anglo-Saxon giant
Tom Morcom and Helen Gittos discuss the Cerne Abbas Giant, a huge hill-carving in Dorset which has recently been re-dated to the Anglo-Saxon period
31 min
1238
The golden age of piracy: everything you wanted...
Rebecca Simon responds to your questions on the ‘golden age’ of piracy, when bands of buccaneers menaced the high seas, preying on merchant vessels
59 min
1239
Why are we living longer than our ancestors?
Steven Johnson explores innovations in science and public health that have led to huge increases in life expectancy.
28 min
1240
Painting the Tudors: Hans Holbein the Younger
Sometimes described as England’s Leonardo, Hans Holbein the Younger painted the great and the good of Tudor society. Franny Moyle chronicles his incredible art and tempestuous life.
51 min
1241
Bretons, Britons, Celts & King Arthur
Barry Cunliffe considers the story of Brittany from prehistory to today, and explores the region’s connections with Britain
65 min
1242
Who was Britain’s greatest prime minister? Wins...
In the latest episode in our series on the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most, Jeremy Black nominates Winston Churchill.
36 min
1243
What the Stasi did next
Ralph Hope reveals how officers of the notorious East German security service sought to reinvent themselves after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
29 min
1244
The Anarchy: everything you wanted to know
Medievalist Matt Lewis responds to your questions on the 12th-century struggle for the English crown, which pitted Empress Matilda against Stephen of Blois.
57 min
1245
Busting myths about the Anglo-Saxons
Historian Marc Morris tackles some of the most common misconceptions about the Anglo-Saxon era
58 min
1246
Napoleon the art thief
Cynthia Saltzman reveals how the French leader plundered Europe’s greatest works of art.
24 min
1247
Marcus Aurelius: thinker or fighter?
Shushma Malik explores the life and career of Rome’s renowned philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius
40 min
1248
Who was Britain’s greatest prime minister? Pitt...
In the latest episode in our series on the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most, Dominic Sandbrook nominates William Pitt the Younger.
16 min
1249
The rise and fall of Britain’s motor city
Mark Evans charts the history of Coventry’s pioneering car industry, from the turn of the 20th century until the present day
41 min
1250
Samurai: everything you wanted to know
Professor Michael Wert responds to listener questions and online search queries about the samurai of feudal Japan.
67 min