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
1726
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Tu...
In the second of our new series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, historian and author Tracy Borman responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the 16th-century English royal dynasty. Historyextra.com/podcast
36 min
1727
Viking women
Johanna Katrin Fridriksdottir, author of Valkyrie: The Women of the Viking World, explores what everyday life was like for women in Norse society and explains the opportunities available to them and the challenges they faced. Historyextra.com/podcast
46 min
1728
Okinawa: the battle and the bomb
Saul David revisits one of the bloodiest clashes of the Pacific War and explains how it played a crucial part in the US decision to use atomic weapons against Japan. Historyextra.com/podcast
34 min
1729
Women at war
Julie Wheelwright explains the roles of female warriors from ancient times until the present day. Historyextra.com/podcast
33 min
1730
Everything you ever wanted to know about the No...
Marc Morris tackles some of the big questions about William the Conqueror and his followers. Historyextra.com/podcast
56 min
1731
A history of celebrity
Popular historian Greg Jenner chats about his new book Dead Famous, which explores the changing nature of fame over the centuries and describes how celebrities have fared in the public glare. Historyextra.com/podcast
37 min
1732
Russia’s musical journeys
Sophy Roberts explains how pianos can illuminate the history of Russia, from the tsarist era to Soviet rule. Historyextra.com/podcast
25 min
1733
Blitz spirit
Jonathan Boff explains how ordinary people coped with the privations of World War II and considers what parallels can be drawn with the current Coronavirus crisis. Historyextra.com/podcast
44 min
1734
Shakespeare and America
James Shapiro considers why England’s foremost playwright has had such a profound impact on the United States. Historyextra.con/podcast
26 min
1735
News in the Middle Ages
Helen Birkett explores the spread of news in the medieval era. Historyextra.com/podcast
46 min
1736
Coronavirus: a historical perspective
As COVID-19 dominates the news, Laura Spinney asks what we might learn from pandemics in the past. Historyextra.com/podcast
28 min
1737
Wales’s turbulent 20th century
Simon Jenkins talks about his new BBC radio programme, which explores the difficulties faced by Wales in the 20th century. Historyextra.com/podcast
27 min
1738
Resistance in the British empire
Priyamvada Gopal speaks about her book Insurgent Empire, which explores opposition to British colonial rule. Historyextra.com/podcast
29 min
1739
Hadley Freeman on a 20th-century family history
Author and journalist Hadley Freeman speaks to us about her new book House of Glass, which tells of her quest to uncover her Jewish family’s history through some of the most tumultuous events of the 20th century. Historyextra.com/podcast
32 min
1740
Written in stone
Stonemason and author Andrew Ziminski talks about some of Britain’s most impressive buildings and monuments and shares his experiences of working on several of them. Historyextra.com/podcast
30 min
1741
Dictators explained
Historian Frank Dikötter discusses his new book How to Be a Dictator, which explores the malevolent careers of eight 20th-century rulers including Hitler, Stalin, Mao and Mussolini. Historyextra.com/podcast
36 min
1742
Food and war
Rachel B Hermann describes how food and hunger played a critical role in the story of the American Revolution. Historyextra.com/podcast
32 min
1743
London’s trailblazing women
Francesca Wade talks about five remarkable women who all lived on the same London square in the interwar years. Historyextra.com/podcast
31 min
1744
Secrets of Lindisfarne
David Petts and Lisa Wilkins discuss an extraordinary Viking-era discovery that’s been made on the monastic site of Lindisfarne. Historyextra.com/podcast
35 min
1745
Medieval medicine
Elma Brenner examines the state of healthcare in the Middle Ages. Historyextra.com/podcast
40 min
1746
Georgian terrorists: the Cato Street Conspiracy
Stephen Bates examines a failed attempt to murder the British cabinet in February 1820 and explores the background and aftermath of this violent plot. Historyextra.com/podcast
33 min
1747
Burglary: a modern history
Eloise Moss explores a century of home intrusion in Britain, from cat burglars to Cold War espionage. Historyextra.com/podcast
34 min
1748
The rise of Hitler
Historian Frank McDonough discusses the first volume in his new two-part history of Nazi Germany, covering the period from the start of the Third Reich to the early months of World War Two. Historyextra.com/podcast
23 min
1749
Michael Wood on the Peterloo photograph
Michael Wood talks to us about a photograph that links his family to the Peterloo massacre of 1819. Historyextra.com/podcast
22 min
1750
The bombing of Dresden
On the 75th anniversary of the Dresden raid, Sinclair McKay explores one of the most controversial Allied actions of the Second World War. Historyextra.com/podcast
64 min