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
Aug 13, 2021 • 1h 23min
Witnesses to the Berlin Wall
As we approach the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s construction, Major General Sir Robert Corbett and journalists Mark Wood and Alastair Stewart discuss their memories of the divided city and the dramatic events of November 1989. The discussion is chaired by the author Iain MacGregor. (Ad) Iain MacGregor is the author of Checkpoint Charlie: The Cold War, the Berlin Wall and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth (Constable, 2019). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Checkpoint-Charlie-Berlin-Dangerous-Place/dp/1472130588/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 11, 2021 • 44min
Robespierre’s brutal downfall
Colin Jones tells the story of Maximilien Robespierre’s fall from power – a dramatic 24 hours that ended with the revolutionary titan facing the guillotine Maximilien Robespierre awoke on the morning of 27 July 1794 as arguably the most powerful man in Paris – the intellectual driving force behind the French Revolution. Twenty-four hours later he was languishing in a cell, condemned to die by the guillotine. Author Colin Jones tells the story of these fateful 24 hours in Robespierre’s life – a day that would alter the trajectory of the French Revolution. (Ad) Colin Jones is the author of The Fall of Robespierre: 24 Hours in Revolutionary Paris (Oxford University Press, 2021). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-fall-of-robespierre%2Fcolin-jones%2F9780198715955 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 10, 2021 • 36min
How should we teach the slave trade?
Teachers Richard Kennett and Tom Allen discuss how they have worked with six other teachers to create a new textbook on this previously overlooked element of the city’s history, and its impact on Bristol today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 9, 2021 • 47min
Building utopia after WW1
Anna Neima, an author and researcher known for her focus on 20th-century communal experiments, dives into the quest for utopia after WWI. She reveals how the war's trauma sparked diverse attempts to create ideal societies across different countries. Highlights include the innovative Dartington Hall's cooperative vision, Gurdjieff's shocking methods, and the enduring appeal of the Bruderhof. Neima discusses why these communal experiments often struggled, emphasizing the importance of a clear manifesto and sustainable economics. Her insights shine a light on the relevance of these movements today.
Aug 8, 2021 • 48min
The Ottoman empire: everything you wanted to know
Eugene Rogan answers listener questions on one of history’s most powerful – and long-lasting – empires How did the Ottomans dominate swathes of Europe, Asia and Africa for up to seven centuries? How did their sack of Constantinople in 1453 change the course of history? And why did they back the wrong horse in the First World War? Eugene Rogan answers your questions on one of the world’s greatest empires. (Ad) Eugene Rogan is the author of The Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East, 1914-1920 (Allen Lane, 2015). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fall-Ottomans-Great-Middle-1914-1920/dp/1846144388/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 7, 2021 • 40min
Portraits, power and royal wigs
Sue Pritchard, curator of a new exhibition of royal portraits at the National Maritime Museum, discusses how wigs were used to convey royal power Sue Pritchard, curator of Tudors to Windsors, a new exhibition of royal portraits at the National Maritime Museum, discusses how monarchs used wigs to convey royal power and spark fashions, from Elizabeth I’s fiery false locks, to Charles II’s luxuriant cascading curls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 6, 2021 • 37min
Wartime Britain’s mixed-race babies
During the Second World War, an estimated 2,000 babies were fathered by African-American GIs stationed in Britain. Lucy Bland reveals how these mixed-race children faced discrimination in the streets and ambivalence from the government, and why so many were given up by their mothers. (Ad) Lucy Bland is the author of Britain's ‘Brown Babies’: The Stories of Children Born to Black GIs and White Women in the Second World War (Manchester University Press, 2019). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Britains-%60Brown-Babies-Stories-Children/dp/1526133261/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 4, 2021 • 56min
The transformation of India’s glamorous golden couple
John Zubryzcki shares the story of the party-loving royals of the House of Jaipur, who turned to politics following Indian independence In the 1950s and 60s, the House of Jaipur’s Jai and Ayesha were seen as India’s golden couple, rubbing shoulders with American film stars and British royalty. But as the princely states’ power was squeezed post-partition, the couple had to balance partying with politics. John Zubrzycki charts their tumultuous lives. (Ad) John Zubryzcki is the author of The House of Jaipur: The Inside Story of India’s Most Glamorous Royal Family (C Hurst and co, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/House-Jaipur-Inside-Indias-Glamorous/dp/1787385566/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 3, 2021 • 30min
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, on historical fiction
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, and Marguerite Kaye join us to discuss their new historical romance novel, Her Heart for a Compass, which follows Victorian aristocrat Lady Margaret Montagu Scott, as she seeks to shake off the suffocating restrictions of the time. (Ad) Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York and Marguerite Kaye are the co-authors of Her Heart for a Compass (HarperCollins, 2021). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fher-heart-for-a-compass%2Fsarah-ferguson-duchess-of-york%2F9780008383602 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 2, 2021 • 29min
Oliver Cromwell’s remarkable rise to power
Historian Ronald Hutton discusses Oliver Cromwell’s early life and career, exploring the brilliance and cruelty of the future Lord Protector and explaining how he rose from obscurity to become one of the dominant figures of the age. (Ad) Ronald Hutton is the author of The Making of Oliver Cromwell (Yale, due to be published 10 August). Preorder on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Oliver-Cromwell-Ronald-Hutton/dp/0300257457/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
