HistoryExtra podcast
Immediate
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/
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
Nov 7, 2021 • 27min
SALEM EPISODE 7: Quarrelsome neighbours & family tensions
Salem was made up of a dense web of social connections – not all of which were harmonious. In fact, it was a community riven with fault lines that threatened to open up into great chasms of conflict. In this episode we’ll investigate whether tensions between members of the community could help explain who was accused of demonic activity – and who accused them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 7, 2021 • 34min
SALEM EPISODE 6: Chaos in the courtroom
The list of failings that could be levelled against the Salem justice system is substantial – from the acceptance of so-called ‘spectral evidence’ to the chaotic scenes that unfolded in the courtroom. In this episode we’ll consider how suspected witches were tried, revealing how they were induced into giving confessions and even encouraged to implicate others. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 7, 2021 • 29min
SALEM EPISODE 5: Satanic sabbaths and supernatural sins
From flying witches to demonic familiars and translucent cats, the Salem villagers believed themselves plagued by a spectrum of supernatural terrors. In this episode we’ll be investigating the long history of witchcraft beliefs that influenced accusations, from the first witches in the ancient world to the explosion of witch hunts triggered by fears of a satanic conspiracy in Early Modern Europe and America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 6, 2021 • 58min
From chariots to e-scooters: transformations in transport
Tom Standage traces technological advances in transport, from the invention of the wheel to the rise of the carTom Standage, author of A Brief History of Motion, speaks to Jon Bauckham about technological advances in transport, from the invention of the wheel to the rise of the car, and reveals why modern transport dilemmas echo those of the late 19th century.(Ad) Tom Standage is the author of A Brief History of Motion: From the Wheel to the Car to What Comes Next (Bloomsbury, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brief-History-Motion-Wheel-Comes/dp/1526608324/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-viewingguide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 5, 2021 • 45min
Giving birth in the 17th century
Dr Sara Read explores women’s experience of pregnancy and childbirth in early modern England. Speaking to Emma Slattery Williams, she discusses the research behind her recent novel, which tells the story of a midwife working during the Great Plague of 1665.(Ad) Sara Read is the author of The Gossips’ Choice (Wild Pressed Books, 2020). Buy it now from Amazon:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gossips-Choice-Sara-Read/dp/1916489680/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-viewingguide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 3, 2021 • 40min
Cricket as a colonial weapon
Dr Souvik Naha reveals how the Victorians used cricket to export “British virtues” across the empireFor 19th-century imperialists, cricket wasn’t just a game, it was a means of exporting “British virtues” across the empire. Dr Souvik Naha tells Spencer Mizen about the sport’s great “civilising mission”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 2, 2021 • 50min
Living through the fall of communism
Professor Lea Ypi reflects on her childhood years, which witnessed the final years of communism in Albania and the fraught transition to capitalist democracy. In conversation with Rob Attar, she also considers what these experiences have taught her about the true nature of freedom.(Ad) Lea Ypi is the author of Free: Coming of Age at the End of History (Penguin, 2021). Buy it now from Waterstones:https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-viewingguide&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Ffree%2Flea-ypi%2F9780241481851 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 1, 2021 • 25min
Black cowboys on screen
Historian Tony Warner talks to Elinor Evans about some of the real historical figures depicted in the new Netflix western The Harder They Fall, starring Idris Elba and Regina King, and tells us more about where the film sits in the genre of black westerns. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 31, 2021 • 26min
SALEM EPISODE 4: The pervasive power of Puritanism
Religion was a powerful force at play in the Salem settlement. It not only determined the villagers’ daily routine but their whole outlook on life, influencing how they saw their neighbours and giving shape to their fears about threats to their community. In this episode we’ll be investigating how the Puritanical mindset stirred up intense paranoia about the devil, and could have made people more inclined to confess to satanic corruption. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 31, 2021 • 30min
SALEM EPISODE 3: A ‘new Jerusalem’ on the edge of a wilderness
In 1692, Salem was a colonial outpost teetering on the edge of a precipice. In this episode we’ll explore what life was like in the New England settlement, and consider whether environmental pressures – from the threat of attack to an inhospitable climate – could have played a role in the outbreak of accusations of witchcraft. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
