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
201
The SAS in WW2: everything you wanted to know
Joshua Levine tackles listener questions about the origins of Britain’s most famous special forces unit
41 min
202
Arnhem: 24 hours that shattered Allied dreams
Al Murray reveals why, in one disastrous day, the Allied plan to deliver a shattering blow to Nazi Germany collapsed in a heap
27 min
203
Tudor England | 5. The wider world
Tracy Borman circumnavigates the 16th-century globe, exploring Tudor England’s position within it
33 min
204
2024 in review: history behind the headlines
Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter look back at the history behind some of the year's biggest news stories in this special episode of our monthly series
38 min
205
Shipwrecks: a porthole to the past
David Gibbins explores the underwater secrets held by the world's shipwrecks
46 min
206
Quaker history: everything you wanted to know
Ben Pink Dandelion answers listener questions on the history of the Quaker religious movement
37 min
207
Christmas history: everything you wanted to know
Did Oliver Cromwell ban mince pies? And why does Santa wear red? George Goodwin responds to listener questions on festive history
42 min
208
How convict labour forged empires
Clare Anderson dives into lesser-known aspects of the history of convict transportation, revealing more about how the labour of those transported shaped empires
33 min
209
Tudor England | 4. Religion and superstition
From the Reformation to witchcraft, Tracy Borman delves into Tudor religion and superstitious belief
43 min
210
Secrets of medieval churches
Stonemason Andrew Ziminski reveals how medieval churches may have originally looked and why they are so full of oddities
20 min
211
Isabella of Castile: life of the week
Giles Tremlett explores the life and history-altering reign of the woman who helped launch the Spanish Inquisition and financed Columbus' journey to the 'New World'
40 min
212
The massacre that shattered the old Ottoman world
Eugene Rogan discusses a watershed moment in the modern history of the Middle East
37 min
213
Underwear history: everything you wanted to know
Dr Serena Dyer briefs us on the history of underwear – from bras and knickers, to G-strings, bloomers and codpieces
34 min
214
Medieval relic hunters: the quest for Notre-Dam...
From intrepid friars to glorious processions, Emily Guerry explores the story of how the crown of thorns ended up in Notre Dame in the Middle Ages
34 min
215
Tudor England | 3. Culture and innovation
Tracy Borman checks out the fashion, food, theatre and festivals of Tudor England
46 min
216
Tempting treats & festive feats: christmas shop...
Annie Gray journeys through the history of christmas shopping in Britain, from department store stunts to the must-have items for the dinner table
33 min
217
Robert the Bruce: life of the week
Fiona Watson explores the shadowy rise to power of a national hero
48 min
218
Germany's postwar reinvention
Frank Trentmann discusses Germany's astonishing 80-year transformation in the era following the Second World War
40 min
219
Robot history: everything you wanted to know
Kerry McInerney answers your questions on the history of robots – from ancient Greece to the age of AI
31 min
220
Britain's wild republican decade
Alice Hunt explores the extraordinary period when the monarchy was abolished - and replaced by a republic
33 min
221
Tudor England | 2. Daily life
Tracy Borman takes a closer look at daily life on the streets of Tudor England – from home and hearth to health and medicine
36 min
222
Kublai Khan: ruler of the waves
Jack Weatherford explains how the Mongol leader became the emperor of China – and dominated the sea in the process
40 min
223
Princes in the Tower: could this new discovery ...
Professor Tim Thornton and Tracy Borman discuss a brand new discovery in the longstanding mystery of what happened to the princes in the Tower
30 min
224
The murders at Rillington Place: postwar London...
Kate Summerscale revisits the Rillington Place murders, to explore what these horrendous crimes can reveal about life in postwar London
30 min
225
Tudor explorers: everything you wanted to know
Jerry Brotton guides us through the turbulent waters of Tudor exploration
45 min