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
176
History behind the headlines: Trump's win – par...
Rana Mitter and Hannah Skoda discuss Donald Trump's recent US election win, and consider which historical parallels are most apt
39 min
177
Sport's strangest tales
James Harkin and Anna Ptaszynski delve into strange but true stories from the world of sport, covering Tudor football, Soviet fencing scandals and much more
40 min
178
Ancient Egyptian warfare: everything you wanted...
Nicky Nielsen dives into the 3,000-year history of ancient Egyptian warfare – from the earliest skirmishes to the campaigns of Ramesses II
42 min
179
The bloody road to Rome: liberating Italy from ...
James Holland describes "five months of hell" where Allied forces battled the Nazis in Italy
33 min
180
The invisible tracks that have shaped the world
Sara Caputo explains how the lines drawn across oceans throughout history can reveal stories of power, exploration and conquest
27 min
181
Should we stop talking about the crusades?
William Purkis explains how looking at the crusades from a different perspective might give us a truer insight into the medieval mindset
39 min
182
Æthelred the Unready: life of the week
Levi Roach considers the life of the ill-favoured Anglo-Saxon king who ruled England at the start of the 11th century, and is famously remembered as 'the Unready'
40 min
183
The golden age of the country house
Adrian Tinniswood offers a vivid snapshot of country house life at the turn of the 20th century, when uber-rich elites splashed their cash on extravagant homes
33 min
184
Victorian schools: everything you wanted to know
Rosalind Crone answers your questions on education in 19th-century Britain – from dame schools to the dunce's hat
48 min
185
Gladiators: everything you wanted to know
Alison Futrell answers listeners’ questions on ancient Rome’s arena fighters
51 min
186
Nelson: a life of heroism and scandal
Dominic Sandbrook revisits the life of the naval hero who led the British fleet to victory at Trafalgar, but whose torrid affair scandalised Georgian society
37 min
187
Medieval make do and mend
Annette Kehnel explores medieval sustainability – from the period's booming repair market to the widespread use of second-hand building materials
22 min
188
Thomas Cromwell: the triumph and tragedy of Hen...
As the BBC drama Wolf Hall returns, we speak to Thomas Cromwell biographer Diarmaid MacCulloch about the astonishing downfall of Henry VIII's most trusted servant
34 min
189
Joseph McCarthy: life of the week
Nick Bunker explores the extraordinary life of the notorious anti-communist crusader Joseph McCarthy
34 min
190
Gladiator tales
Guy de la Bédoyère shares some surprising stories from the history of gladiatorial games
34 min
191
The Brontës: everything you wanted to know
Claire O'Callaghan explores the lives and work of the Brontë sisters
44 min
192
Lord Lucan: the vanishing earl
Laura Thompson revisits the story of the aristocrat who became prime suspect in a murder, then vanished...
30 min
193
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
194
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
195
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
196
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
197
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
198
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
199
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
200
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