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
1426
Ten things to do with a medieval donkey
Kathryn Smithies discusses the economic and cultural significance of donkeys in the Middle AgesKathryn Smithies, author of Introducing the Medieval Ass, discusses the economic and cultural significance of donkeys in the Middle Ages.
42 min
1427
Hunting down the Portland Spy Ring
Trevor Barnes details the 1960s operation to uncover the infamous Portland Spy Ring – one of the most dangerous KGB espionage networks ever to operate in the UK.
58 min
1428
The gay MPs who opposed appeasement
Chris Bryant tells the story of a group of young, queer British MPs who were some of the first to resist appeasement and warn Britain’s government about the dangers of Hitler.
36 min
1429
Magna Carta: everything you wanted to know
Professor David Carpenter responds to listener questions on the great medieval charter and its 800-year-long legacy
41 min
1430
Japan and the west
Chris Harding gives a lecture on Japan’s attempts to carve out a place for itself in a world dominated by western power and cultureIn a lecture he delivered at our 2019 Chester History Weekend
40 min
1431
Cundill Prize-winner Camilla Townsend on global...
We speak to historian Camilla Townsend, who recently won the Cundill History Prize for her book Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs
22 min
1432
Castro and the trip that shaped the 1960s
Simon Hall explores why Fidel Castro’s visit to New York City in 1960 shaped the rest of the decade.
37 min
1433
Imperialism on the oceans
Sujit Sivasundaram offers a new perspective on the expansion of the British empire across the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
34 min
1434
The International Brigades: fighting fascism in...
Giles Tremlett discusses how more than 35,000 volunteers from across the globe fought against fascism in the Spanish Civil War
61 min
1435
The Glorious Revolution: everything you wanted ...
How did James II’s replacement by William of Orange as king of England, Scotland and Ireland change the course of British history? Ted Vallance responds to listener questions about the 1688 Glorious Revolution
57 min
1436
The orphan hero who fought at Trafalgar
Helen Berry gives a lecture on the extraordinary story of an 18th-century foundling, George King
49 min
1437
England’s sporting obsession
Robert Colls discusses the importance of sport to English society over the past 200 years.
37 min
1438
How did the Reformation impact Jews?
Kenneth Austin explores what impact the Reformation had on Europe’s Jewish communities.
48 min
1439
Ethiopia 1935: The real history behind The Shad...
Maaza Mengiste discusses her Booker prize-nominated historical novel The Shadow King.
31 min
1440
The ‘lost’ city of Atlantis
Edith Hall explores Plato’s legend of Atlantis and considers why the tale continues to endure 2,500 years on
64 min
1441
Ancient Babylon: everything you wanted to know
Zainab Bahrani tackles internet search queries and questions submitted by listeners about the ancient Mesopotamian city.
43 min
1442
Looking for Egypt’s lost tombs
Are there any treasures left to be excavated in Egypt? Chris Naunton gives a lecture on some of the most fascinating ancient figures whose tombs are yet to be discovered.
58 min
1443
Robert Harris on V2, historical fiction and WW2
Robert Harris discusses V2, his new Second World War thriller inspired by the German missile campaign in 1944
26 min
1444
2020: The historians’ verdict
From debates about colonialism to lessons from previous pandemics, a panel of historians discuss how the past has shaped 2020 – and how the events of this momentous year should change our understanding of the past
55 min
1445
Women in Greek myths
Natalie Haynes discusses the varied portrayals of women in Greek mythology, uncovering the multi-layered figures who emerge from different retellings.
27 min
1446
Germans who resisted the Nazis
Catrine Clay explores German opposition to Nazism through the lives of people who stood up to the Third Reich.
39 min
1447
Shakespeare: everything you wanted to know
Paul Edmondson answers listener questions on the life and work of England’s most famous playwright.
39 min
1448
A secret WW2 wargame
Simon Parkin gives a lecture on the secret game developed to counter U-boat tactics during the battle of the Atlantic.
42 min
1449
Bernard Cornwell on The Last Kingdom’s finale a...
Bernard Cornwell talks about the final novel in his Last Kingdom series and his next project – a new Sharpe adventure
25 min
1450
Oswald, the many-headed medieval saint
Dr Johanna Dale explores how the seventh-century Northumbrian king Oswald became an important saint across medieval Europe.
46 min