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. 

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History
1951
Cornwell on Shakespeare
We are joined by the world-renowned historical novelist Bernard Cornwell who shares the story behind his latest book Fools and Mortals, which explores the world of Elizabethan theatre and the man at the centre of it
19 min
1952
Eating with Dickens
Food historian and author Pen Vogler explores the Victorian diet and recipes through the life and works of 19th-century Britain’s best-known writer
29 min
1953
Animals that changed us
The academic, author and broadcaster Alice Roberts talks to us about her new book Tamed, which explores some of the most important relationships people have forged with different species over our history
30 min
1954
Britain on the edge
The historian and journalist Simon Heffer ranges over class, empire, politics. scandals and suffrage in an exploration of Britain in the years leading up to the First World War
44 min
1955
Black Tudors
Historian Miranda Kaufmann, author of Black Tudors: The Unknown Story, explores the lives of several Africans who resided in 16th-century England
34 min
1956
Victorian medicine
Dr Lindsey Fitzharris, author of The Butchering Art, delves into the terrifying world of 19th-century hospitals and shows how scientific advances eventually led to dramatic improvements
32 min
1957
The history of sleep
Historian Sasha Handley explores the bedtime routines of the early modern period and considers what lessons today’s sleepers can draw from past centuries
26 min
1958
Charles II on the run
We join historian and author Charles Spencer on location at Boscobel House to discuss Charles II’s desperate flight from parliamentarian forces at the end of the Civil War. Boscobel was famously a hiding place for the king as he sought to escape his foes
56 min
1959
Demons and shipwrecks
To accompany their upcoming events in the UK-wide Being Human festival, Kasia Szpakowska discusses her research into Ancient Egyptian demonology, while Dan Pascoe reveals some of the insights that have been gained from excavating a sunken 17th-century ...
44 min
1960
Drinking history
Mark Forsyth, author of A Short History of Drunkenness, draws on fascinating examples from across the globe to explore humanity’s longstanding relationship with alcohol
25 min
1961
Britain’s Chinese army
Historians Frances Wood and Spencer Jones, who are both contributors to the upcoming Channel 4 documentary Britain’s Forgotten Army, reflect on the little-known contribution of more than 100,000 Chinese labourers to the Allied effort in the First World...
44 min
1962
The Last Kamikazes
BBC journalist Mariko Oi discusses her experiences of interviewing some of the last survivors of the notorious Japanese raids in World War Two, in advance of her new documentary on BBC World Service
31 min
1963
How networks shape history
The renowned historian, author and broadcaster Niall Ferguson reveals the ways networks have transformed our world, from the medieval era to the social media age
38 min
1964
The search for King Arthur
Archaeologist Dr Miles Russell talks to us about his bold new theory on the legendary British ruler, which is based on a reinterpretation of Geoffrey of Monmounth’s History of the Kings of Britain
37 min
1965
The Medici
Historian and author Mary Hollingsworth reflects on the powerful dynasty who dominated the Italian Renaissance but whose tale also includes tyranny, crime and murder
29 min
1966
The death of Stalin
Historian Joshua Rubenstein discusses the dramatic events surrounding the death of Soviet leader Josef Stalin in 1953, now the subject of a major new historical comedy film.
32 min
1967
The Gunpowder Plot
Historians Hannah Greig and John Cooper, who are consultants on the new BBC drama Gunpowder, explore the story of the 1605 attempt to blow up the king and parliament. Plus they reveal the challenges involved in recreating the events for the small screen
38 min
1968
Living with the Gods
Former British Museum director Neil MacGregor talks about his new BBC Radio 4 series Living with the Gods, and the accompanying exhibition, which together explore humanity’s longstanding relationship with faith
37 min
1969
Richard III reconsidered
Historian and politician Chris Skidmore discusses his major new biography of the Yorkist king, offering his take on pivotal moments such as Richard’s seizing of the throne, his death at Bosworth and the disappearance of the princes in the tower
56 min
1970
The Munich Conference
The acclaimed historical novelist Robert Harris talks to us about his new book Munich, which explores the events of September 1938 where Neville Chamberlain, Hitler and other European leaders met in Germany in an attempt to avert European war.
45 min
1971
The world of the Scythians
We explore some of the most fascinating objects in the British Museum’s new exhibition about this nomadic warrior people who flourished 2,500 years ago. Curators St John Simpson and Chloë Leighton join us to share their thoughts on the Scythians
24 min
1972
Starkey on the Reformation
Ahead of his BBC Two documentary to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the historian and broadcaster David Starkey offers his views on Martin Luther, Henry VIII and the religious upheavals of the 16th century, revealing some fascinating...
39 min
1973
Tales of war
The distinguished authors and broadcasters Peter Snow and Ann MacMillan discuss their new book War Stories, which explores some remarkable incidents of ordinary people caught up in conflicts through history
46 min
1974
Victoria the matchmaker
Author and TV producer Deborah Cadbury discusses her new book Queen Victoria’s Matchmaking, which reveals how the 19th-century British monarch sought to influence the future of Europe through the marriages of her descendants
30 min
1975
Christianity and the classical world
Classicist and journalist Catherine Nixey talks about her new book The Darkening Age with Professor Edith Hall. Their discussion explores the momentous changes that occurred when Christianity became the dominant faith of the Roman empire
50 min