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
Medical history: everything you wanted to know
Mary Fissell responds to listener questions and popular search enquiries about the history of medicine
59 min
1427
Poland 1939: The invasion that sparked WW2
Roger Moorhouse delivers a lecture on the German invasion of Poland in 1939
53 min
1428
The Falklands War in the air
Rowland White explores the Falklands War through the story of the Sea Harrier jump jet.
33 min
1429
Unexpected Irish tales
Turtle Bunbury shares overlooked and ‘disremembered’ stories from Ireland’s past.
27 min
1430
Black Britons in WW2
Stephen Bourne discusses the experiences of Britain’s black community during the Second World War
36 min
1431
At sea with the Vikings
Jan Bill gives us the lowdown on Viking ships, and offers updates on the Gjellestad Ship excavation, currently underway in Norway
44 min
1432
Adventure & opportunity: female transatlantic t...
Siân Evans explores women’s ocean voyages in the golden age of transatlantic travel.
31 min
1433
The Regency era: everything you wanted to know
Emily Brand responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the Regency eraHistorian and author Emily Brand responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about Britain in the Regency era...
53 min
1434
Tudor queens on screen
Eleana Woodacre delivers a lecture on the portrayal of historical queens in cinema and television, from Mary Queen of Scots toThe Spanish Princess
50 min
1435
Moving, medieval-style
Jim Leary explains how people in prehistory and the Middle Ages moved around the worldCan we follow in the footsteps of our prehistoric and medieval forebears? Archaeologist Dr Jim Leary, who researches travel and mobility in the era, explains...
54 min
1436
Enslaved women & resistance
Stella Dadzie uncovers the experiences and resistance activities of enslaved women in the West Indies
36 min
1437
Aztecs in their own words
Camilla Townsend charts the rise and fall of the ancient civilisation from the perspective of the Aztecs themselves
37 min
1438
A new take on India’s history
Richard M Eaton explores the nation’s rich cultural history across eight centuries.
44 min
1439
The French Revolution: Everything you need to know
Marisa Linton responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the dramatic events that engulfed France in the late 18th century. Historyextra.com/podcast
48 min
1440
A Triple Bond Broken: The Destruction of the Ho...
In a lecture from our 2019 History Weekend in Winchester, Thomas Penn explores the turbulent relationship between Edward IV, George, Duke of Clarence and Richard III. Historyextra.com/podcast
42 min
1441
An Atlantic slave war
Vincent Brown discusses an uprising in Jamaica that was the largest slave revolt in the 18th-century British Atlantic world. Historyextra.com/podcast
33 min
1442
An Anglo-Saxon warlord
Gabor Thomas, who directed the excavation, discusses the discovery of the ‘Marlow Warlord’.
49 min
1443
Ancient wisdom with Neil Oliver
Neil Oliver discusses some of the most striking finds in the history of archaeology and shares a few life lessons from our ancient ancestors
31 min
1444
Black radical: William Monroe Trotter
Kerri K Greenidge explores the life and career of the pioneering black newspaperman William Monroe Trotter. Historyextra.com/podcast
42 min
1445
The dispossession of Native Americans
Claudio Saunt tells the story of the forced expulsion of tens of thousands of Native Americans from their lands by the US government in the mid-19th century. Historyextra.com/podcast
43 min
1446
Everything you ever wanted to know about mediev...
Chris Dyer responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about life in the Middle Ages. Historyextra.com/podcast
65 min
1447
Should I stay or I should go? The problem with ...
In a BBC History Magazine virtual lecture he delivered earlier this year, historian and author Keith Lowe discusses why statues relating to empire and the Second World War have become contested ground in recent years. Historyextra.com/podcast
41 min
1448
Sparta
Andrew Bayliss discusses the Ancient Greek city-state of Sparta, exploring the Spartans’ military prowess and the darker aspects of Spartan history. Historyextra.com/podcast
41 min
1449
Medieval turning points
Charles West offers his thoughts on some important moments in early medieval Europe. Historyextra.com/podcast
58 min
1450
The rise and fall of the Sikh empire
Priya Atwal discusses how the 19th-century Sikh empire rose to prominence but was ultimately brought down by British imperialists. Historyextra.com/podcast
34 min