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 princess who fled Romanov Russia
Helen Rappaport examines the life of Queen Victoria's little-known aunt, Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfled, who fled an unhappy marriage to a Russian grand duke for a life of her own choosing
27 min
202
The Opium Wars: everything you wanted to know
Stephen R Platt unpacks the Opium Wars, the 19th-century conflicts waged by Britain on Qing China – not to claim land or assert political control, but to protect the lucrative opium trade
56 min
203
Rome's most scandalous emperors
Historian and podcaster Tom Holland discusses Suetonius' enormously influential Lives of the Caesars and considers whether it counts as ancient fake news
25 min
204
The royal threesome that rocked Anglo-Saxon Eng...
Katherine Weikert explores what stories about the coronation sex romp of Anglo-Saxon king Eadwig can reveal about contemporary attitudes to authority
30 min
205
Are we celebrating the wrong Magna Carta?
David Carpenter explains why a lesser-known reissue of Magna Carta is in fact more significant than the original
35 min
206
The forgotten JFK assassination plot
Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch shine a light on a little-known attempt to assassinate John F Kennedy in December 1960
36 min
207
The Indian Rebellion of 1857: everything you wa...
Saul David answers the most pressing questions on the uprising against British rule in India
38 min
208
From dinosaurs to Godzilla: a 15,000-year histo...
Dr Natalie Lawrence explores the roles that mythical creatures have played in our culture for the past 15,000 years – from animal-human hybrids found in ancient cave paintings to the 20th-century monster Godzilla
33 min
209
How monasteries powered medieval Europe
Andrew Jotischky traces the story of monastic life over more than a thousand years – and considers why these influential institutions were the powerhouses of medieval society
35 min
210
Greenland, forest fires and presidential power:...
Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter discuss the history behind the headlines in 2025's first instalment of our monthly series
36 min
211
George Villiers: from royal favourite to enemy ...
George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, had charm and political ambition that made him a favourite of King James I and VI. Lucy Hughes-Hallett discusses his life, and ultimate downfall
39 min
212
Extinct animals: everything you wanted to know
Dr Ross Barnett explores the causes of extinctions throughout history, from the mammoth to the dodo
30 min
213
Agony and ecstasy: the lives of mystics
Simon Critchley explores the sainthood and suffering of mystics across the centuries – and what it can reveal about the human experience
27 min
214
How medicine became a moneymaker
Karen Bloom Gevirtz explores how medicine has been transformed over the past 500 years – from the sharing of domestic recipes to a full-blown moneymaking industry
35 min
215
Carolingians in crisis: the medieval civil war ...
Matthew Gabriele and David M Perry discuss the 841 AD battle of Fontenoy, which pitched the grandsons of Charlemagne against each other – and altered the course of European history
37 min
216
Charles Dickens: life of the week
Peter Orford charts the life and work of the author who chronicled the Victorian age
42 min
217
Murder in WW2 London
Amy Helen Bell reveals how the chaos and disruption of the Second World War enabled violent criminals to stalk the streets of Britain's capital
29 min
218
British TV history: everything you wanted to know
David Hendy answers listener questions on the history of television in Britain – from 1950s 'horror plays' to why early presenters were given electric shocks
52 min
219
The big questions of the Holocaust
Laurence Rees charts the course of the Holocaust – from its origins to its devastating conclusion
40 min
220
Happiness: history of an emotion
Katie Barclay explores how people have thought about happiness down the centuries – and how they have sought to attain it
24 min
221
The 1453 fall of Constantinople: capturing the ...
Jonathan Harris charts the extraordinary battle that saw the Byzantine capital fall to the Ottoman Turks
42 min
222
Inside the mind of the Third Reich
Laurence Rees discusses the dark psychology behind the Nazi regime and the chilling lessons it holds for posterity
32 min
223
Sacagawea: life of the week
Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs traces the life and legacy of the Native American interpreter famed for her involvement with the Lewis and Clark Expedition
33 min
224
Women's bodies: an unreliable history
Professor Helen King explores the ever-changing cultural history of women's bodies
31 min
225
Ancient Mesopotamia: everything you wanted to know
Moudhy Al-Rashid answers listener questions on ancient Mesopotamia, which encompassed multiple remarkable civilisations and saw numerous revolutionary innovations
42 min