HistoryExtra podcast
The HistoryExtra podcast brings you gripping stories from the past and fascinating historical conversations with the world's leading historical experts.
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2001
The Black Death and social change
Jane Whittle looks at how the devastating medieval plague reshaped the economy and society of England. Historyextra.com/podcast
36 min
2002
The genius of Artemisia
Catherine Fletcher explores the remarkable life and art of the acclaimed 17th-century Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Historyextra.com/podcast
26 min
2003
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
2004
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
2005
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
2006
Women at war
Julie Wheelwright explains the roles of female warriors from ancient times until the present day. Historyextra.com/podcast
33 min
2007
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
2008
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
2009
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
2010
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
2011
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
2012
News in the Middle Ages
Helen Birkett explores the spread of news in the medieval era. Historyextra.com/podcast
46 min
2013
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
2014
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
2015
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
2016
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
2017
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
2018
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
2019
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
2020
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
2021
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
2022
Medieval medicine
Elma Brenner examines the state of healthcare in the Middle Ages. Historyextra.com/podcast
40 min
2023
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
2024
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
2025
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