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
1476
Ernest Bevin: working-class warrior
Andrew Adonis discusses his new biography of Ernest Bevin, exploring how he played a crucial role in World War Two and the Cold War. Historyextra.com/podcast
41 min
1477
The uncommon lives of common sailors
Stephen Taylor describes the experiences of ordinary British seamen who took to the waves during the age of sail. Historyextra.com/podcast
40 min
1478
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Hu...
Anne Curry responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the medieval clashes between English and French forces for control of the throne of France. Historyextra.com/podcast
58 min
1479
Crusaders: An Epic History of the Wars for the ...
In a talk from our 2019 History Weekend in Winchester, Dan Jones introduces a vivid cast of characters from the medieval conflicts for the Holy Land. Historyextra.com/podcast
58 min
1480
The extraordinary life of Sultan Selim I
Alan Mikhail explains how Ottoman Sultan Selim I transformed the empire in the early 16th century. Historyextra.com/podcast
58 min
1481
Edward the Confessor
Tom Licence discusses the life and times of the pre-conquest ruler of England. Historyextra.com/podcast
58 min
1482
Revisiting the Kindertransport
Jonathan Lichtenstein talks to us about how he accompanied his father on a journey back to Berlin, retracing the steps he took in 1939. Historyextra.com/podcast
24 min
1483
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Az...
Caroline Dodds Pennock responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the Mesoamerican civilisation. Historyextra.com/podcast
48 min
1484
Who Dares Wins: Britain in the Age of the Falkl...
In a talk from our 2019 History Weekend in Winchester, Dominic Sandbrook explores the history of Britain in the early 1980s. Historyextra.com/podcast
52 min
1485
The story of the Freemasons
John Dickie sifts fact from fiction in the history of a much misunderstood organisation. Historyextra.com/podcast
49 min
1486
Africa’s cultural liberation
Afua Hirsch discusses the histories of Ethiopia, Kenya and Senegal, and how artists in these countries are responding to the past. Historyextra.com/podcast
26 min
1487
The history of seduction
Clement Knox explores ideas of sex, courtship and power from the 18th century until the present day. Historyextra.com/podcast
37 min
1488
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Sp...
Paul Preston responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the conflict that tore Spain apart from 1936–39. Historyextra.com/podcast
57 min
1489
Could D-Day Have Failed?
In a talk from our 2019 History Weekend in Winchester, Peter Caddick-Adams reflects on the 1944 invasion of Normandy and considers the risks of the operation. Historyextra.com/podcast
57 min
1490
Victory in the east
Jonathan Fennell describes how British and Commonwealth forces turned the tide against Japan in the Burman campaign. Historyextra.com/podcast
34 min
1491
What’s in a medieval name?
James Chetwood explores the origins of people’s names in the Middle Ages and how names changed over the centuries. Historyextra.com/podcast
43 min
1492
Authors in the Boer War
Sarah LeFanu examines the involvement of three British writers – Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle and Mary Kingsley – in the Anglo-Boer war. Historyextra.com/podcast
34 min
1493
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Am...
Adam IP Smith responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the conflict between the Union and the Confederacy that devastated America in the 1860s. Historyextra.com/podcast
49 min
1494
Medieval Wonder Women
In a talk from our 2019 History Weekend in Winchester Janina Ramirez brings to life heroines from across the medieval period. Historyextra.com/podcast
52 min
1495
Documents that changed the world
Peter Snow and Ann MacMillan talk about some of the most important documents to have shaped human civilisations. Historyextra.com/podcast
38 min
1496
Peter Frankopan on global history in 2020
Peter Frankopan explores some of the major themes in global history and how they relate to life in 2020. Historyextra.com/podcast
30 min
1497
Medieval dynasties: how to stay on the throne
Robert Bartlett explores how medieval royal families sought to retain their grip on the throne. Historyextra.com/podcast
48 min
1498
Everything you ever wanted to know about Ancien...
Paul Cartledge responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about one of the most renowned and influential ancient civilisations. Part 1 aired last Sunday. Historyextra.com/podcast
60 min
1499
Shadow King: The Life and Death of Henry VI
In a talk from our 2019 History Weekend in Winchester, Lauren Johnson discusses the tragic life of Henry VI. Historyextra.com/podcast
47 min
1500
The Princes in the Tower: History’s Greatest My...
Nathen Amin considers some of the possible explanations for the princes’ disappearance and whether Richard III was behind their murder. Historyextra.com/podcast
21 min