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
1501
Stonehenge: History’s Greatest Mysteries
Mike Pitts considers how and why the monument was created, more than 4,000 years ago. Historyextra.com/podcast
28 min
1502
The fate of Jesus’s body: History’s Greatest My...
Tom Holland explores historical and religious explanations as to what may have happened to Jesus’s body following his crucifixion. Historyextra.com/podcast
22 min
1503
The lost colony of Roanoke: History’s Greatest ...
Misha Ewen delves into the mysterious disappearance of a group of English settlers in North America in the late 16th century. Historyextra.com/podcast
30 min
1504
The Voynich Manuscript: History’s Greatest Myst...
Elma Brenner discusses the 500-year-old Voynich Manuscript, whose mysterious text has baffled some of the greatest code-breakers. Historyextra.com/podcast
20 min
1505
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 2 will follow next Sunday. Historyextra.com/podcast
69 min
1506
Uncrowned Queen: The Fateful Life of Margaret B...
In a talk from our 2019 History Weekend in Winchester, Nicola Tallis describes the remarkable life of a pivotal figure in the Wars of the Roses and Tudor eras. Historyextra.com/podcast
53 min
1507
Unburied treasures
As the Portable Antiquities Scheme records it’s 1.5 millionth find, we speak to Michael Lewis, who is head of the scheme, about some of the most remarkable archaeological discoveries in its history. Historyextra.com/podcast
32 min
1508
African American abolitionists in Britain
Hannah-Rose Murray describes how African American abolitionists toured Britain in the 19th century. Historyextra.com/podcast
42 min
1509
A history of magic
Chris Gosden explores magical beliefs and practices from ancient times until the present day. Historyextra.com/podcast
35 min
1510
Everything you ever wanted to know about mediev...
Dr Elena Woodacre answers the most popular listener and internet search questions about medieval queens. Historyextra.com/podcast
59 min
1511
At home with the medieval aristocracy
Professor Louise Wilkinson talks about her research into the household accounts of Eleanor de Montfort, a key figure in the mid-13th century civil war. Historyextra.com/podcast
55 min
1512
Lionheart of stone: the medieval statue debate
Simon John considers whether we need to include medieval figures such as Richard the Lionheart in discussions around historical statues. Historyextra.com/podcast
41 min
1513
The Abdication crisis
Alexander Larman and Dan Jones discuss Edward VIII’s relationship with Wallis Simpson and how it led to the British king’s abdication. Historyextra.com/podcast
55 min
1514
Nero: Rome’s Antichrist?
Shushma Malik discusses Nero’s crimes and considers whether he is deserving of his monstrous reputation. Historyextra.com/podcast
37 min
1515
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Cu...
Mark White responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the Cold War nuclear confrontation between the US and the USSR. Historyextra.com/podcast
68 min
1516
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles
Pauline Stafford shares the latest thinking on some of the most important historical sources from Early Medieval England. Historyextra.com/podcast
45 min
1517
Museums and colonialism
Alice Procter explains how modern museums often have problematic colonial histories and offers some ideas about how we should be rethinking these institutions. Historyextra.com/podcast
27 min
1518
David Abulafia on The Boundless Sea
David Abulafia discusses his latest book, The Boundless Sea: A Human History of the Oceans, winner of the prestigious Wolfson History Prize. Our conversation focuses in particular on the medieval era. Historyextra.com/podcast
48 min
1519
California’s century of change
Laurence Grissell explores some of the key moments in the Golden State’s modern history, from the age of Hollywood to the rise of Silicon Valley. Historyextra.com/podcast
28 min
1520
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Sc...
Iain MacInnes responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the Anglo-Scottish military conflicts of the 13th and 14th centuries. Historyextra.com/podcast
62 min
1521
The Picts
Gordon Noble and Nicholas Evans discuss the culture that flourished in what’s now Scotland in the first millennium AD. Historyextra.com/podcast
50 min
1522
Women and the Crusades
Natasha Hodgson explores women’s involvement in the medieval campaigns fought in the Holy Land. Historyextra.com/podcast
50 min
1523
World War Two: the challenge of commemoration
Keith Lowe speaks to us about his new book on monuments to the Second World War and explains why many have become highly controversial. Historyextra.com/podcast
19 min
1524
A history of pandemics: from Spanish Flu to Cov...
Mark Honigsbaum compares the Covid-19 pandemic to previous diseases outbreaks over the past century. Historyextra.com/podcast
36 min
1525
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Ge...
Kate Smith responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about British society during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Historyextra.com/podcast
40 min