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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2126
World War Two's 'ordinary' soldiers
Jonathan Fennell discusses the experiences of citizen soldiers from Britain, its empire and commonwealth in the battle against the Axis.
46 min
2127
Rethinking the crusades
Historian Nicholas Paul explores some little known aspects of the crusades and explores their place within medieval history.
29 min
2128
The women killed by Jack the Ripper
Hallie Rubenhold discusses the little-known life stories of Jack the Ripper’s five victims.
27 min
2129
The global Vikings
Levi Roach describes how the Norse people travelled, raided and settled far beyond their Scandinavian homeland.
46 min
2130
Henry VI: terrible king
Lauren Johnson discusses the life and reign of Henry VI, whose decades on the throne coincided with the disaster of the Wars of the Roses.
32 min
2131
Churchill's navy
Matthew Seligmann describes the changes made by Winston Churchill to the Royal Navy in the years leading up to the First World War.
46 min
2132
Victorian murder scandal
Claire Harman talks to us about a 19th-century killing that drew in the literary world
23 min
2133
Rutger Bregman: historian in the news
Rutger Bregman discusses some of his ideas that recently caused a global sensation and the role of a historian in the modern world.
23 min
2134
King George V at war
Alexandra Churchill considers the impact of the British monarch on the First World War.
36 min
2135
Schools through time
Former education secretary Alan Johnson discusses the history of schooling since the Victorian era, which is the subject of his new series on BBC Radio 4
20 min
2136
Bart van Es on The Cut Out Girl
Bart van Es talks to us about The Cut Out Girl, which tells the story of how his family took in a Jewish girl in the Netherlands during the Second World War.
36 min
2137
Medieval warrior queen
Catherine Hanley tells the story of Empress Matilda, whose battle for the English throne became known as ‘the anarchy’.
30 min
2138
A global history of philosophy
Julian Baggini speaks about his new book, How the World Thinks, in conversation with Justin Champion.
35 min
2139
Love in Georgian times
For our Valentine’s Day episode, historian Sally Holloway explores the nature of courtship, love and marriage in 18th-century Britain, highlighting the similarities and differences to the modern day
31 min
2140
Eric Hobsbawm: history and politics
Professor Richard J Evans discusses his new biography of Eric Hobsbawm, the influential 20th-century historian who was famously – and sometimes controversially – a committed Marxist throughout his career
45 min
2141
The story of modern Japan
Dr Christopher Harding explores Japan’s dramatic history over the past 150 years, considering its relationship with the west and the cultural impact of its rapid modernisation
37 min
2142
War and music
John Simpson discusses the connections between classical music and some of the most notable events of the mid-20th century.
24 min
2143
Bonus Episode: How technology is changing politics
In this special edition, produced by our friends from the Science Focus podcast, Jamie Susskind explains how the politics of the future will be shaped by the technology influencing our lives today.
35 min
2144
A Roman woman of great power
Emma Southon explores the extraordinary life of Agrippina the Younger, who was the wife of Claudius, the mother of Nero and the sister of Caligula
42 min
2145
World-changing women
Jenni Murray, longstanding presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, discusses her new book, which tells the stories of some of the most fascinating women in global history.
33 min
2146
Legacies of the Holocaust
Historians Mary Fulbrook and Richard J Evans explore the aftermath of the Nazi genocide, looking at how thousands of perpetrators escaped justice and considering how subsequent generations have sought to understand the greatest atrocity of the 20th cen...
47 min
2147
Diversity in history
Olivette Otele, who recently became Britain’s first black female professor of history, joins Dr Sadiah Qureshi of the University of Birmingham to discuss race and equality in the British historical profession
27 min
2148
The story of the Hurricane
Joel Hammer, producer of the new podcast The Hurricane Tapes, revisits the life of Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter, the American boxer who was imprisoned for a 1966 triple murder.
25 min
2149
Mary, Queen of Scots’ tragic life
Historian, author and broadcaster Kate Williams tells the dramatic story of the 16th-century Scottish queen and reflects on her doomed relationship with Elizabeth I of England. As part of the conversation, Williams also discusses the upcoming film of M...
33 min
2150
The true history of The Favourite
Historians Amanda Vickery, Hallie Rubenhold and Hannah Greig discuss the acclaimed new historical drama The Favourite and consider how accurately it reflects the reality of Queen Anne’s court in the early 18th century
53 min