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
The Tyrant, the usurper and the hero | Henry V:...
Dan Jones and Helen Castor focus in on the life of their third medieval monarch – the mighty warrior king, Henry V
44 min
152
How Stalin won WW2
Jonathan Dimbleby argues that 1944 was a defining year in the Nazi-Soviet clash and the long-term future of Europe
34 min
153
The Venerable Bede: life of the week
Who was Bede? Why was he 'venerable'? And was he really the 'Father of English History'? Michelle P Brown charts the life of the extraordinary monk, author and teacher
32 min
154
Decoding Mary, Queen of Scots
Jade Scott examines the deciphered letters of Mary, Queen of Scots and explores what they reveal about her time in captivity
32 min
155
The Blitz: everything you wanted to know
Dan Todman answers listener questions on the bombing raids that hit Britain during the Second World War
41 min
156
The gunpowder plot: everything you wanted to know
John Cooper tackles listener questions on the infamous plot to blow up parliament on 5 November 1605
34 min
157
Telling the story of modern Jerusalem
Simon Sebag Montefiore tells us about the updated version of his book Jerusalem: The Biography, which charts one of the most turbulent, divisive periods of world history
39 min
158
The Tyrant, the usurper and the hero | Henry IV...
Dan Jones and Helen Castor delve into the dramatic life and reign of Henry Bolingbroke, and explore how he became the usurper Henry IV
48 min
159
Satan & the sabbath: witchhunting in the Basque...
Jan Machielsen reveals why supernatural stories of witchcraft convulsed the Basque Country in the early 17th century
28 min
160
Florence Nightingale: life of the week
Melissa Pritchard explores the life, legacy and extraordinary achievements of the English nurse and statistician known as the 'lady with the lamp'
35 min
161
Introducing History's Greatest Conspiracy Theories
1 min
162
Cocaine: a Victorian sensation
Douglas Small reveals how cocaine was widely used in all manner of 19th-century products, and explores why it became a fixture of society, sport, culture and literature
31 min
163
Medieval science: everything you wanted to know
Seb Falk challenges the notion that the medieval period was a scientific 'dark age'
50 min
164
Halloween traditions: everything you wanted to ...
Owen Davies answers listener questions on the haunted historical festivities surrounding 31 October
26 min
165
Medieval women: friendship, wanderlust and the ...
Hetta Howes highlights what four extraordinary female writers can reveal about the lives of women in the Middle Ages
40 min
166
The Tyrant, the usurper and the hero | Richard ...
Dan Jones and Helen Castor chart the turbulent reign of one of England's most unpopular kings - Richard II
46 min
167
Chris Packham & Peter Frankopan: can history he...
Historian Peter Frankopan and broadcaster and activist Chris Packham discuss the history of climate change – and how looking to the past could help humanity's future
40 min
168
History Behind the Headlines: political memoirs...
Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter discuss the history behind political memoirs, Britain's energy supplies and access to the countryside
40 min
169
Tudor spymaster: the secret machinations of Rob...
Stephen Alford reveals how Robert Cecil played a vital role in steering late-16th century England through some particularly perilous waters
40 min
170
The Korean War: everything you wanted to know
Owen Miller answers listener questions on a bloody Cold War conflict in Asia
34 min
171
Roman slavery: a brutal life in the ancient empire
Guy de la Bédoyère reveals why the Roman empire simply couldn't have functioned without the labour (and the suffering) of its captive population
24 min
172
1066: the battle for England | 4. the long and ...
Marc Morris discusses the long and bloody conquest of England that followed William's victory at the Battle of Hastings
40 min
173
Imperial spectacle: inside Britain's 1924 'Empi...
Matthew Parker takes listeners inside the 1924 British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Park in London
27 min
174
John Milton: life of the week
Islam Issa charts the extraordinary life and work of the 17th-century poet, polemicist and political operator John Milton
33 min
175
Why did people kill for Hitler?
Professor Richard J Evans explores the motivations of those who governed and supported the Third Reich
29 min