HistoryExtra podcast

The HistoryExtra podcast brings you gripping stories from the past and fascinating historical conversations with the world's leading historical experts.


HistoryExtra 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
2026
The rise and fall of the Berlin Wall
Iain MacGregor revisits some of the most dramatic events associated with the history of the Cold War barrier. Historyextra.com/podcast
48 min
2027
Treasures of Tutankhamun
As a major new exhibition arrives in London, we speak to Tarek El Awady about the remarkable artefacts buried with Egypt’s boy king. Historyextra.com/podcast
22 min
2028
The Fortress: An epic battle of World War I
Alexander Watson describes the dramatic 1914 battle for the fortress city of Przemysl, which pitted a multi-ethnic Habsburg force against the might of the Russian. Historyextra.com/podcast
38 min
2029
The death of Kitchener: a World War One mystery
David Laws examines the life and dramatic death, in 1916, of Britain’s Secretary of State for War. Historyextra.com/podcast
36 min
2030
Britain in the early 80s
Dominic Sandbrook explores the pivotal early years of Margaret Thatcher’s premiership in Britain: 1979-1982. Historyextra.com/podcast
68 min
2031
The House of York
Thomas Penn discusses the Wars of the Roses, the princes in the Tower and the start of the Tudor era as he reflects on the Yorkist dynasty. Historyextra.com/podcast
42 min
2032
Bonus Episode: Sequences with consequences
In this special edition, produced by our friends from the Science Focus podcast, Dr Robert Elliott Smith examines the dark history of algorithms and considers how they affect all of our lives today.
37 min
2033
Slave revolt
James Walvin describes how enslaved people fought for their freedom. Historyextra.com/podcast
29 min
2034
Peter Hennessy on Britain in transition
Peter Hennessy discusses Britain in the early 1960s, exploring subjects such as the Cold War, decolonisation, the Profumo affair and the country’s failed attempt to join the EEC. Historyextra.com/podcast
39 min
2035
Secret listeners
Helen Fry talks about an ingenious British intelligence operation to bug German prisoners during the Second World War. Historyextra.com/podcast
29 min
2036
William Dalrymple on the East India Company
Historian and author William Dalrymple discusses his new book, The Anarchy, which reveals how a single London corporation took over the Mughal empire and became a major imperial power. Historyextra.com/podcast
33 min
2037
Catherine the Great: fact and fiction
Ahead of a major new TV drama, Janet Hartley explores Catherine’s life and considers whether there is any truth behind the scandals associated with her. Historyextra.com/podcast
27 min
2038
Orlando Figes on the transformation of Europe
Historian and author Orlando Figes talks about his latest book, The Europeans, which explores the cultural transformations of the 19th century through the lives of a remarkable menage a trois. Historyextra.com/podcast
46 min
2039
Fake news in World War Two
Henry Hemming describes the adventures of a British spymaster who plotted to bring the United States into World War Two. Historyextra.com/podcast
38 min
2040
The destruction of Pompeii
Historian and author Daisy Dunn revisits the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius and considers the Roman history that was preserved at Pompeii and Herculaneum. Historyextra.com/podcast
33 min
2041
Max Hastings on the Dambusters
Bestselling military historian Sir Max Hastings discusses his new book on the iconic World War Two Dambusters raid, describing the ingenuity and courage of the operation, as well as the terrible human cost. Historyextra.com/podcast
37 min
2042
Suzannah Lipscomb on women’s lives in Reformati...
Dr Suzannah Lipscomb talks to her fellow historian Dan Jones about her latest book, The Voices of Nîmes, which offers a fascinating window into sex and morality and the lives of women in 16th-century France. Historyextra.com/podcast
57 min
2043
Tom Holland on Christianity’s enduring legacy
Tom Holland discusses his new book Dominion, which argues that Christianity has had a transformative and enduring impact on the western mindset. Historyextra.com/podcast
37 min
2044
The Crusades, with Dan Jones
Dan Jones and Helen Castor discuss Dan’s new book Crusaders, which tells the stories of these religious conflicts through the people who were involved in them. Historyextra.com/podcast
61 min
2045
Poland, 1939: World War Two begins
Roger Moorhouse tells the story of the 1939 battle for Poland that saw the country dismembered by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Historyextra.com/podcast
45 min
2046
Hitler’s war with Anglo-America
Brendan Simms explains how Hitler’s main preoccupation was rivalry with Britain and America, rather than the Soviet Union. Historyextra.com/podcast
37 min
2047
War trauma
Dr Emma Butcher and Dr Hannah Partis-Jennings explore the history of war trauma, from the Napoleonic Wars to the 21st century. Historyextra.com/podcast
41 min
2048
Chernobyl: the story of a tragedy
Serhii Plokhy explores the causes and consequences of the Chernobyl accident and offers his thoughts on the accuracy of the recent drama series. Historyextra.com/podcast
31 min
2049
The real Peaky Blinders
Andrew Davies discusses the Birmingham gangsters who inspired the BBC drama, and explains how late-Victorian society contributed to a rise in gang violence. Historyextra.com/podcast
45 min
2050
The corner shop revolution
BBC journalist and author Babita Sharma explores the history of the British corner shop, explaining how Asian immigrants managed to transform these local businesses in the age of the supermarket. Historyextra.com/podcast
24 min