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
May 2, 2021 • 1h 13min
Prohibition: everything you wanted to know
Was Al Capone’s brother really a Prohibition agent? What was the atmosphere in a speakeasy like? And why did Americans think that banning booze would ever work? In the latest episode in our series on history’s biggest topics, historian Timothy Hickman responds to listener questions and popular internet search queries on the ban on booze in 1920s America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 1, 2021 • 52min
The Danelaw: a Viking kingdom in England?
Dr Ben Raffield explains how in the ninth and tenth centuries, Scandinavian laws and customs prevailed across a swathe of what’s now northern and eastern England In the ninth and tenth centuries, Scandinavian laws and customs prevailed across a swathe of what’s now northern and eastern England called the Danelaw. Dr Ben Raffield considers what the Danelaw actually was, and how Scandinavian settlers interacted with the early English kingdoms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 30, 2021 • 33min
Britain’s great postwar party
Harriet Atkinson takes us back to 1951’s Festival of Britain, a celebration of a nation rising from the ashes of war The Festival of Britain of 1951 was a nation’s attempt to show off its best side to the world – a great celebration of a people rising from the ashes of conflict. Harriet Atkinson reveals how this four-month-long carnival of patriotism was in fact, to a large extent, built around the genius of foreign-born designers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 28, 2021 • 53min
The Peasants’ Revolt: who were the rebels of 1381?
The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 was a key moment in the reign of King Richard II. New research is revealing just how well-organised an operation it was The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 was a key moment in the troubled reign of King Richard II. New research is revealing how, far from being an ill-disciplined explosion of rage, it was actually organised with military precision. Professor Adrian Bell and Dr Helen Lacey tell us more. You can find out more about the Estuary Festival here: https://www.estuaryfestival.com/event/detail/the-people-of-1381-outdoor-exhibition.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 27, 2021 • 30min
Who was Britain’s greatest prime minister? Stanley Baldwin
In the second episode of our new series on the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most, Dominic Sandbrook champions Stanley Baldwin In the second 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 champions three-time 20th-century leader Stanley Baldwin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 26, 2021 • 34min
Women fighters of the Jewish resistance
Judy Batalion describes how a group of young Jewish women fought back against their Nazi oppressors in occupied Poland. Author and historian Judy Batalion discusses her new book The Light of Days, which recounts how a group of young Jewish women fought back against their German oppressors in Nazi-occupied Poland during the Second World War. (Ad) Judy Batalion is the author of The Light of Days: Women Fighters of the Jewish Resistance (Virago, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Light-Days-Fighters-Jewish-Resistance/dp/0349011567/?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
16 snips
Apr 25, 2021 • 51min
Life in the workhouse: everything you wanted to know
Peter Higginbotham, an expert historian on workhouses, sheds light on life within these institutions. He tackles listener questions about daily routines, revealing the realities versus Dickens’ dramatic portrayals. Did they really eat only gruel? Not quite! Higginbotham discusses their strict routines, family separations, and the stigma faced by inmates. He also explores the evolution of workhouse architecture and the varied experiences of inhabitants, from short stays to lifelong residency. A fascinating dive into a often misunderstood aspect of history!
Apr 24, 2021 • 45min
How constitutions changed the world
Linda Colley discusses her new book The Gun, the Ship and the Pen, which explores how written constitutions, together with warfare, forged the modern world. She talks about constitutions across the globe, from the United States and France, to Russia and the Pitcairn Islands. (Ad) Linda Colley is the author of The Gun, the Ship and the Pen: Warfare, Constitutions and the Making of the Modern World. Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Charters-Land-Britain-Written-Constitution/dp/1846684978/?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
Apr 23, 2021 • 50min
The pretenders who threatened Henry VII’s crown
Nathen Amin discusses his latest book, Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders, which explores the conspiracies and plots that challenged Henry VII’s crown. He talks about the prominent ‘pretenders’ who declared themselves to be royal claimants, including Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck. (Ad) Nathen Amin is the author of Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders: Simnel, Warbeck and Warwick. Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Henry-VII-Tudor-Pretenders-Warbeck/dp/1445675080/?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
Apr 21, 2021 • 34min
Why are we fascinated by ‘evil women’?
Joanna Bourke, who has been delivering a series of Gresham lectures on six different ‘evil women’ through history, explores what ideas about evil and femininity can tell us about changing societal values over time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
