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
151
1066: the battle for England | 1. Vikings, Norm...
Marc Morris explores the long roots of the Norman Conquest of 1066
42 min
152
Churchill's prewar crisis meetings
Katherine Carter reveals how Winston Churchill hosted crucial meetings at his country home, Chartwell, in the run-up to the Second World War
32 min
153
Henry VII: life of the week
Nathen Amin tracks the astonishing rise of Henry VII, the Welsh usurper who seized the English Crown and founded the Tudor dynasty
52 min
154
Tokyo 1946: the war crime trial that shaped Jap...
Gary Bass revisits the Tokyo Trial of 1946-48, in which top Japanese leaders stood accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes against peace
42 min
155
The Stuarts: everything you wanted to know
Anna Keay answers listener questions on the dynasty that dominated Britain in the turbulent 17th century
36 min
156
Hidden environmental histories of the last 500 ...
Sunil Amrith looks at the major historical shifts of the past 500 years from an environmental perspective, exploring how war, colonialism and exploitation have gone hand in hand with destruction of the natural world
31 min
157
Ancient Egypt | 5. a lost world?
Egyptologist Campbell Price considers the legacy of ancient Egyptians, and asks: why are we still so obsessed with them?
46 min
158
Congo, Cold War & CIA plotting: the 1961 assass...
Stuart A Reid discusses Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba's assassination in 1961, and the devastating implications for the new nation
34 min
159
Viking trade, Titanic and Olympic rings: histor...
45 min
160
How ancient India transformed the world
William Dalrymple explores how ancient India influenced the peoples of Eurasia and helped shape the world we live in today
37 min
161
The Hittites: everything you wanted to know
Mark Weeden answers listener questions about the ancient civilisation whose existence was almost completely forgotten for three millennia
44 min
162
The Iranian embassy siege: an SAS hostage drama...
Ben Macintyre tells the dramatic tale of the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege and the dramatic SAS operation that brought it to an end
35 min
163
Ancient Egypt | 4. religion and death
Egyptologist Campbell Price takes listeners on a tour of the dark and dangerous ancient Egyptian afterlife
40 min
164
Native Americans: a history of power and survival
Kathleen DuVal looks back at 1,000 years of Native American history to uncover a rich, complex picture of North America's indigenous people
31 min
165
Isambard Kingdom Brunel: life of the week
Tim Bryan explores the innovative work of an engineering polymath whose creations changed the face of Victorian Britain
39 min
166
The 1943 battle of Kursk – and its present-day ...
Peter Caddick-Adams explores the Second World War battle of Kursk – and its parallels with today's Russia-Ukraine conflict
48 min
167
Medieval torture: everything you wanted to know
Dr Hannah Skoda answers listener questions about the use of torture in the Middle Ages
23 min
168
Medieval documents in danger
Robert Bartlett records the tragic destruction of medieval manuscripts through the centuries – and the heroic efforts to save them
40 min
169
Ancient Egypt | 3. culture
From art and architecture to fashion and festivals, Egyptologist Campbell Price explores the remarkable cultural achievements of ancient Egypt
45 min
170
Our 10,000-year quest for equality
Darrin M McMahon explores humanity's long fascination with egalitarianism and asks: why has it proved so difficult to attain?
30 min
171
Michelangelo: life of the week
Catherine Fletcher explores the life, legacy and extraordinary artistic output of the Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect and poet
27 min
172
The Battle of Megiddo: ancient Egypt's greatest...
Nicky Nielsen tells the story of a battle that supercharged the rise of one of Egypt's most formidable pharaohs
26 min
173
Prehistoric stone circles: everything you want ...
Vicki Cummings answers listener questions on prehistoric stone circles, from how they were built to what they were for
35 min
174
The plague that brought the Roman empire to its...
Colin Elliott explores the mysterious history of the Antonine Plague and its impact on the fall of the Roman empire
39 min
175
Ancient Egypt | 2. everyday life
Egyptologist Campbell Price reveals what daily life along the Nile was like for ordinary ancient Egyptians
41 min