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
1451
Edward I’s letters
Dr Kathleen Neal explains what we can learn about Edward I, the famously militaristic “Hammer of the Scots”, from his letters
46 min
1452
Cary Grant: from humble beginnings to Hollywood...
Mark Glancy reveals how Cary Grant made the journey from working-class Bristol lad to the most celebrated actor in Hollywood.
33 min
1453
Blitz spirit or broken morale?
Jeremy Crang investigates reports on British morale made during the Second World War and considers what they can tell us about the ‘Blitz spirit’
39 min
1454
The Black Death: everything you wanted to know
Professor John Hatcher answers listener questions about the medieval pandemic, and reflects on how the Covid-19 crisis might shape our understanding of the plague
61 min
1455
Why do we fight wars?
Margaret MacMillan gives a lecture on the reasons for conflict throughout history – and how warfare has shaped the human story.
37 min
1456
A guide to the Norse gods
From Thor to Odin, Carolyne Larrington discusses the legendary figures of Viking mythology
52 min
1457
The hunt for Caesar’s killers
Peter Stothard reveals how Julius Caesar’s assassination triggered a brutal power struggle, one that would transform ancient Rome.
41 min
1458
Werewolves of the ancient world
Daniel Ogden explores the origins of the werewolf legend in stories from ancient Greece and Rome.
23 min
1459
Rich vs poor in Regency Britain
Historian Ian Mortimer discusses how a vast chasm between rich and poor marked society in the early 19th century
34 min
1460
Spectacular discoveries at Sutton Hoo
Ahead of the release of the new film The Dig, Professor Martin Carver discusses the real story of the 1939 excavation of Sutton Ho
64 min
1461
The Persian empire: everything you wanted to know
Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones responds to listener questions and popular internet search queries about one of the dominant powers of the ancient world, the Persian empire.
69 min
1462
The shipwreck that sank a royal dynasty
Charles Spencer gives a lecture on England’s early Norman monarchs and the White Ship disaster – the 1120 maritime tragedy that threw England’s royal line into disarray.
42 min
1463
The NHS: a brief history
Susan Cohen discusses the highs and lows of the NHS, from its creation in 1948 to the challenges it faces today.
38 min
1464
Rebuilding Europe after WW2
Paul Betts explores how postwar regeneration after 1945 was inspired by the contested concept of civilisation
38 min
1465
How oceans shaped human civilisation
Helen Czerski explores the impact of oceans on human history, from providing food to connecting trade routes.
25 min
1466
Searching for freedom after the Holocaust
Rosie Whitehouse tells the story of a group of Holocaust survivors who sailed to Palestine in 1946, in defiance of the Royal Navy
43 min
1467
The race for vaccines: lessons from history
As the campaign to vaccinate the population against Covid-19 picks up pace, Gareth Williams explores previous efforts to combat lethal diseases, from smallpox to polio
42 min
1468
Britain’s Swinging Sixties: everything you want...
Dominic Sandbrook answers popular search queries and listener questions about Britain in the 1960s
51 min
1469
MI9’s secret escape missions
Helen Fry gives a lecture on MI9’s missions during the to help Allied prisoners of war escape during the Second World War
45 min
1470
Hitler and Stalin: tyrants at war
Laurence Rees compares the actions of the two dictators over the course of the Second World War
49 min
1471
How historians helped build the British empire
Priya Satia explores how historians helped advance the British empire, only to later become critics of imperialism
22 min
1472
When British pop invaded America
David Hepworth tells the story of the British rock bands – from the Beatles and Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin – who took the United States by storm in the 1960s
39 min
1473
The collapse of the Third Reich
Frank McDonough discusses his new book charting the demise of Hitler’s Germany from 1940-45.
40 min
1474
Domesday Book: medieval big data
Stephen Baxter discusses the latest insights revealed by a new study of the 11th-century survey of England
50 min
1475
The Renaissance: everything you wanted to know
Professor Jerry Brotton responds to listener questions and popular internet search queries about the Renaissance era.
45 min