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
126
Kublai Khan: ruler of the waves
Jack Weatherford explains how the Mongol leader became the emperor of China – and dominated the sea in the process
40 min
127
Princes in the Tower: could this new discovery ...
Professor Tim Thornton and Tracy Borman discuss a brand new discovery in the longstanding mystery of what happened to the princes in the Tower
30 min
128
The murders at Rillington Place: postwar London...
Kate Summerscale revisits the Rillington Place murders, to explore what these horrendous crimes can reveal about life in postwar London
30 min
129
Tudor explorers: everything you wanted to know
Jerry Brotton guides us through the turbulent waters of Tudor exploration
45 min
130
Nelson & Winnie: inside the Mandelas' marriage
Jonny Steinberg chronicles the powerful yet tragic relationship between two of the key figures in the fight against apartheid
34 min
131
Tudor England | 1. Power and politics
Tracy Borman steps into the vibrant – and dangerous – world of the Tudor court, and considers what it took to maintain law and order over the turbulent 16th century
42 min
132
Tudor England: the big questions | Trailer
0 min
133
A Victorian cult: inside the strange world of t...
Stuart Flinders takes listeners inside the Agapemone – a Victorian Christian cult presided over by rogue Anglican priests
32 min
134
History behind the headlines: Trump's win – par...
Rana Mitter and Hannah Skoda discuss Donald Trump's recent US election win, and consider which historical parallels are most apt
39 min
135
Sport's strangest tales
James Harkin and Anna Ptaszynski delve into strange but true stories from the world of sport, covering Tudor football, Soviet fencing scandals and much more
40 min
136
Ancient Egyptian warfare: everything you wanted...
Nicky Nielsen dives into the 3,000-year history of ancient Egyptian warfare – from the earliest skirmishes to the campaigns of Ramesses II
42 min
137
The bloody road to Rome: liberating Italy from ...
James Holland describes "five months of hell" where Allied forces battled the Nazis in Italy
33 min
138
The invisible tracks that have shaped the world
Sara Caputo explains how the lines drawn across oceans throughout history can reveal stories of power, exploration and conquest
27 min
139
Should we stop talking about the crusades?
William Purkis explains how looking at the crusades from a different perspective might give us a truer insight into the medieval mindset
39 min
140
Æthelred the Unready: life of the week
Levi Roach considers the life of the ill-favoured Anglo-Saxon king who ruled England at the start of the 11th century, and is famously remembered as 'the Unready'
40 min
141
The golden age of the country house
Adrian Tinniswood offers a vivid snapshot of country house life at the turn of the 20th century, when uber-rich elites splashed their cash on extravagant homes
33 min
142
Victorian schools: everything you wanted to know
Rosalind Crone answers your questions on education in 19th-century Britain – from dame schools to the dunce's hat
48 min
143
Gladiators: everything you wanted to know
Alison Futrell answers listeners’ questions on ancient Rome’s arena fighters
51 min
144
Nelson: a life of heroism and scandal
Dominic Sandbrook revisits the life of the naval hero who led the British fleet to victory at Trafalgar, but whose torrid affair scandalised Georgian society
37 min
145
Medieval make do and mend
Annette Kehnel explores medieval sustainability – from the period's booming repair market to the widespread use of second-hand building materials
22 min
146
Thomas Cromwell: the triumph and tragedy of Hen...
As the BBC drama Wolf Hall returns, we speak to Thomas Cromwell biographer Diarmaid MacCulloch about the astonishing downfall of Henry VIII's most trusted servant
34 min
147
Joseph McCarthy: life of the week
Nick Bunker explores the extraordinary life of the notorious anti-communist crusader Joseph McCarthy
34 min
148
Gladiator tales
Guy de la Bédoyère shares some surprising stories from the history of gladiatorial games
34 min
149
The Brontës: everything you wanted to know
Claire O'Callaghan explores the lives and work of the Brontë sisters
44 min
150
Lord Lucan: the vanishing earl
Laura Thompson revisits the story of the aristocrat who became prime suspect in a murder, then vanished...
30 min