

HistoryExtra podcast
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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/
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/
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 5, 2023 • 38min
The floating hell of prison hulks
Decried by reformers as “wicked Noah’s arks” and “rotten leaky tubs”, prison hulks were a looming presence off the shores of 18th- and 19th-century Britain and its empire. Large former navy ships were docked on the Thames and elsewhere, housing convicts awaiting transportation, often in hideous conditions. Dr Anna McKay explains to David Musgrove why these floating prisons existed, what life was like on board, and why the system eventually fell out of use. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

6 snips
Jan 4, 2023 • 33min
Refusing to fight in WW2
During the Second World War, around 60,000 people in Britain registered as conscientious objectors, seeking an exemption from military service on the grounds of their religious conviction, political stance or moral conscience. Speaking with Ellie Cawthorne, Professor Tobias Kelly shares the stories of five such people and discusses the challenges they faced.(Ad) Tobias Kelly is the author of Battles of Conscience: British Pacifists and the Second World War (Chatto & Windus, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Battles-Conscience-British-Pacifists-Second/dp/1784743941/ref=sr_1_1?crid=21E6JEFFK6ZJV&keywords=tobias+kelly&qid=1657276881&s=books&sprefix=tobias+kelly%2Cstripbooks%2C64&sr=1-1&tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jan 3, 2023 • 44min
Power dressing: the hidden value of clothes in 19th-century America
Legal historian Laura F Edwards discusses her new book on clothing and textiles in 19th-century America, Only the Clothes on Her Back. Speaking to Elinor Evans, she reveals the meaning and care that went into garments, and how clothes and textiles could lend subversive power to marginalised people.(Ad) Laura F Edwards is the author of Only the Clothes on Her Back: Clothing and the Hidden History of Power in the Nineteenth-Century United States (Oxford University Press, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Only-Clothes-Her-Back-Nineteenth-Century/dp/0197568572/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jan 2, 2023 • 39min
Sabotage, cyberwar & assassination: a history of covert action
Ever since the Greeks supposedly hid inside a wooden horse to sneak into Troy, states have meddled in other nations’ affairs, turning to the dark arts of sabotage, propaganda and state-sanctioned killing to carry out their secret plans. Speaking to Rhiannon Davies, Rory Cormac delves into the murky history of covert action. (Ad) Rory Cormac is the author of How To Stage A Coup: And Ten Other Lessons from the World of Secret Statecraft (Atlantic, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Stage-Coup-Lessons-Statecraft/dp/1838955615/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jan 1, 2023 • 39min
Conspiracy: the lost civilisation of Atlantis
In the final episode of our series on history’s most well-known conspiracy theories, we investigate the idea that a highly advanced civilisation existed many thousands of years ago, before being wiped out by a calamitous event. Rob Attar speaks to archaeologist Flint Dibble about the ancient Greek origins of the Atlantis legend and how it has been reimagined in more recent times, including in the Netflix series Ancient Apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 30, 2022 • 27min
Conspiracy: was the moon landing faked?
In the fifth episode of our new series on history’s most well-known conspiracy theories, we revisit a defining moment of the 20th century that many people believe never happened at all. Rob Attar is joined by space flight historian Francis French to examine why people doubt NASA’s greatest triumph and how this conspiracy theory ties in to the paranoia of the Cold War era. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 29, 2022 • 35min
Conspiracy: Who wrote Shakespeare?
In episode four of our new series on history’s most well-known conspiracy theories, we ask why many people don’t believe that William Shakespeare was the real author of the plays attributed to him. In conversation with Rob Attar, Shakespeare expert Dr Paul Edmondson discusses the alternative candidates that have been put forward and considers whether this is a legitimate debate to be having. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 28, 2022 • 31min
Conspiracy: did Anastasia escape her family’s murder?
In the third episode of our new series on some of history’s most well-known conspiracy theories, we examine the suggestion that one of Tsar Nicholas II’s daughters – Anastasia – survived the family’s murder by the Bolsheviks in 1918. Speaking with Rob Attar, historian Helen Rappaort explains why people believe that Anastasia escaped and what recent scientific and archaeological research has revealed about this tragic episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 27, 2022 • 23min
Conspiracy: did aliens build the pyramids?
Continuing our series on some of history’s most well-known conspiracy theories, we delve into the idea that Ancient Egypt’s iconic monuments were built with extraterrestrial assistance. In conversation with Rob Attar, Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley explores the origins of the theory and explains what we know about how the pyramids really were constructed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 26, 2022 • 27min
Conspiracy: Hitler’s escape to South America
Did Adolf Hitler really make it out of the bunker alive at the end of the Second World War? In the first episode of our new series on some of history’s most well-known conspiracy theories, we explore the idea that Hitler outlasted the downfall of the Third Reich in 1945 and began a new life overseas in South America. In conversation with Rob Attar, historian Professor Richard J Evans explains the origins of this theory and reveals why it continues to have adherents today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


