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
Sacagawea: life of the week
Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs traces the life and legacy of the Native American interpreter famed for her involvement with the Lewis and Clark Expedition
33 min
152
Women's bodies: an unreliable history
Professor Helen King explores the ever-changing cultural history of women's bodies
31 min
153
Ancient Mesopotamia: everything you wanted to know
Moudhy Al-Rashid answers listener questions on ancient Mesopotamia, which encompassed multiple remarkable civilisations and saw numerous revolutionary innovations
42 min
154
Who moulded Winston Churchill?
46 min
155
Elizabethan London: a multicultural melting pot
John Gallagher delves into the multicultural and multilingual world of early modern London
37 min
156
Strange stories of medieval saints
Luke Daly explores what the lives of medieval saints can tell us about the thoughts and fears of the Middle Ages
33 min
157
What is the greatest historical movie of all time?
Roger Luckhurst and Alex Von Tunzelmann reflect on the results of HistoryExtra's recent poll to identify the greatest historical film of all time
33 min
158
Nell Gwyn: life of the week
Sophie Shorland charts the spectacular rise of one of the Restoration era's most colourful characters
30 min
159
How pigs caused a stink in medieval England
Dolly Jørgensen explores medieval England's love-hate relationship with the urban pig
28 min
160
The Hanseatic League: everything you wanted to ...
Professor Sheilagh Ogilvie answers your questions on a mysterious medieval federation that dominated trade in northern Europe
40 min
161
Secret forceps & pig bladders: medical objects ...
Carol Cooper explores the history of medicine through a series of pivotal objects – from the bonesaw to the heart-lung machine
34 min
162
How Roman roads transformed Europe
Catherine Fletcher explores how ancient Rome's road network transformed a continent – and inspired leaders for centuries to come
34 min
163
Hotel Lux: the guesthouse of world revolution
Maurice J Casey explores the history of a Moscow hotel that hosted revolutionaries from every corner of the world in the years following the Bolshevik Revolution
30 min
164
Introducing History's Greatest Scandals | New P...
0 min
165
Susan B Anthony: life of the week
Susan Ware answers listener questions on the life of American social reformer and women's rights activist, Susan B Anthony
45 min
166
How the compass became a political weapon
Jerry Brotton takes us on a journey through the unexpected history of the four cardinal directions
31 min
167
Medieval towns: everything you wanted to know
Were medieval towns filthy? How often did fires break out? And where could you get a slap-up meal? Carole Rawcliffe answers listener questions on urban life in the Middle Ages
41 min
168
Harold Wilson: the rock 'n' roll prime minister
Former home secretary Alan Johnson reveals how the Labour leader attempted to capture the 1960s zeitgeist
24 min
169
Who is buried at Sutton Hoo?
Helen Gittos shares a fascinating new theory about the identity of the man buried in the Sutton Hoo ship burial
36 min
170
Sex and Christianity: 2,000 years of love and fury
Diarmaid MacCulloch delves into the complex, contradictory and endlessly fascinating history of Christian attitudes to sex
32 min
171
Catherine the Great: life of the week
Janet Hartley details the extraordinary life and reign of one of history's most powerful rulers – from her origins as an obscure German princess to her transformation of Russia into one of Europe's great powers
33 min
172
The Second Norman Conquest
Sophie Ambler and Fiona Edmonds reveal how William Rufus led a second Norman Conquest in Cumbria, several decades after 1066
42 min
173
The Carolingians: everything you wanted to know
Professor Matthew Gabriele answers all the big questions about the early medieval empire that stretched across much of Europe – and takes a closer look at its ruling dynasty
35 min
174
The SAS in WW2: everything you wanted to know
Joshua Levine tackles listener questions about the origins of Britain’s most famous special forces unit
41 min
175
Arnhem: 24 hours that shattered Allied dreams
Al Murray reveals why, in one disastrous day, the Allied plan to deliver a shattering blow to Nazi Germany collapsed in a heap
27 min