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/
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
May 25, 2021 • 40min
Who was Britain’s greatest prime minister? Winston Churchill
In the latest episode of our series profiling the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most during their time in 10 Downing Street, Jeremy Black nominates Winston Churchill – the leader who became a wartime icon by galvanising the nation in the face of terrible crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 24, 2021 • 34min
What the Stasi did next
For decades the Stasi were a pervasive and terrifying force in the lives of millions of East Germans. Former FBI agent Ralph Hope reveals how officers of the notorious security service sought to reinvent themselves in the decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and rarely faced the consequences of their actions. (Ad) Ralph Hope is the author of The Grey Men: Pursuing the Stasi into the Present (Oneworld, 2021). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grey-Men-Pursuing-Stasi-Present/dp/1786078279/?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
May 23, 2021 • 1h 1min
The Anarchy: everything you wanted to know
The Anarchy – a 12th-century civil war for the English crown that pitted Empress Matilda against Stephen of Blois – is remembered as one of the most turbulent episodes of the Middle Ages. It was said to be a time when “Christ and his saints slept”. Medieval historian Matt Lewis answers your questions on this 18-year struggle for the throne – from the sexism that impeded Matilda’s bid for the throne, to the war’s impact on the power of England’s barons. (Ad) Matt Lewis is the author of Stephen and Matilda’s Civil War: Cousins of Anarchy (Pen & Sword, 2019). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stephen-Matildas-Civil-War-Cousins/dp/1526718332/?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
May 22, 2021 • 1h 3min
Busting myths about the Anglo-Saxons
Historian Marc Morris tackles some of the most common misconceptions about the Anglo-Saxon era What do we get wrong about the Anglo-Saxon era? Marc Morris, author of The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England, busts some of the most common misconceptions about the period, from the early fifth century through to the Norman Conquest. (Ad) Marc Morris is the author of The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England (Hutchinson, 2021). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anglo-Saxons-History-Beginnings-England/dp/1786330997/?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
May 20, 2021 • 28min
Napoleon the art thief
Napoleon didn’t just humiliate his European rivals on the battlefield, he also looted their finest works of art. Author Cynthia Saltzman tells us about her latest book, Napoleon’s Plunder and the Theft of Veronese’s Feast, which explores the French leader’s proclivity for plundering Renaissance masterpieces and spiriting them back to France (Ad) Cynthia Saltzman is the author of Napoleon's Plunder and the Theft of Veronese's Feast (Thames and Hudson, 2021). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Napoleons-Plunder-Theft-Veroneses-Feast/dp/0500252572/?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
May 19, 2021 • 45min
Marcus Aurelius: thinker or fighter?
Shushma Malik explores the life and career of Rome’s renowned philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius Classicist Shushma Malik explores the life and career of Rome’s renowned philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius, and explains how his greatest achievements may have been on the field of battle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 18, 2021 • 20min
Who was Britain’s greatest prime minister? Pitt the Younger
In the latest episode of our new series profiling the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most during their time in 10 Downing Street, historian and broadcaster Dominic Sandbrook nominates William Pitt the Younger, the steady, upright leader who steered Britain through the turbulence of the French Revolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 17, 2021 • 45min
The rise and fall of Britain’s motor city
Mark Evans charts the history of Coventry’s pioneering car industry, from the turn of the 20th century until the present day Mark Evans, presenter of the BBC Four documentary Classic British Cars: Made in Coventry, charts the history of Coventry’s pioneering car industry, from the turn of the 20th century until the present day. It’s a story of innovation, war and fierce rivalries – and some of the most iconic cars ever made. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 16, 2021 • 1h 11min
Samurai: everything you wanted to know
In the latest in our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, Professor Michael Wert responds to listener questions and internet search queries about Japan’s famous warriors, the samurai. He explains when the samurai emerged, how they evolved from warriors to aristocrats – and why they voted for their own abolition. Plus, Michael breaks down the mysteries of bushidō, seppuku and rōnin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 15, 2021 • 41min
The quest to find Alexander’s lost city
Classicist Edmund Richardson tells the astonishing story of a British deserter from the East India Company who embarked on a quest to find a lost city of Alexander the Great. (Ad) Edmund Richardson is the author of Alexandria: The Quest for the Lost City (Bloomsbury, 2021) Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alexandria-Quest-Dr-Edmund-Richardson/dp/1526603780/?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
