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
Mar 28, 2021 • 1h 26min
The Byzantine empire: everything you wanted to know
What did it mean to be ‘born in the purple’? What lasting legacy did the empire have on how we eat dinner? And what does ‘Byzantine’ actually mean? Professor Judith Herrin responds to listener questions and internet search queries about the 1,000-year history of Byzantine empire, which emerged in late antiquity and survived until the end of the Middle Ages.(Ad) Judith Herrin is the author of Byzantium: The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire (Penguin, 2008). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Byzantium-Surprising-Life-Medieval-Empire/dp/0141031026/?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
Mar 27, 2021 • 45min
Ammonite & the real fossil hunter Mary Anning
Rebecca Wragg Sykes introduces us to 19th-century fossil hunter Mary Anning, whose life has inspired the new film Ammonite. She reveals the real woman behind the film, discussing Anning’s personal relationships, highlighting her most important discoveries and explaining how she was part of a substantial network of women scientists. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 26, 2021 • 33min
Tales of Irish emigration
Historian Turtle Bunbury, author of new book The Irish Diaspora: Tales of Emigration, Exile and Imperialism, shares stories of Irish emigrants and their descendants. He charts their influence on global history, from Christian missionaries in Europe in the early Middle Ages to the presidency of the United States.(Ad) Turtle Bunbury is the author of The Irish Diaspora: Tales of Emigration, Exile and Imperialism (Thames and Hudson, 2021)https://www.amazon.co.uk/Irish-Diaspora-Tales-Emigration-Imperialism/dp/0500022526/?tag=bbchistory045-21 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 24, 2021 • 40min
The mystery of the vanishing lighthouse keepers
Emma Stonex, author of a new novel The Lamplighters, talks about the strange true story of the Flannan Isles Lighthouse keepers, who vanished without a trace in December 1900, and delves into the unusual experience of life as a lighthouse keeper.(Ad) Emma Stonex is the author of The Lamplighters (Pan Macmillan, 2021)https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lamplighters-Emma-Stonex/dp/1529047315/?tag=bbchistory045-21 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 23, 2021 • 1h 20min
Unravelling the Bayeux Tapestry ep2: How was the Tapestry created?
At around 70 metres long and handstitched with intricate detail, making the Bayeux Tapestry was no mean feat. In this episode, we delve into the details of how this mammoth embroidery was constructed, from the artistic traditions it follows and the materials used, to who may have actually stitched the designs. Plus, we reveal why it isn’t in fact a tapestry at all. Dr David Musgrove and Professor Michael Lewis are joined in the discussion by Professor Gale Owen-Crocker and Dr Alexandra Lester-Makin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 22, 2021 • 37min
Hate mail & mutilated horses: Conan Doyle investigates
Shrabani Basu, author of The Mystery of the Parsee Lawyer, shares the surprising story of George Edalji, who was wrongly accused of fatally maiming cattle in 1903. She reveals how this miscarriage of justice exposed the simmering racial tensions of Edwardian England and captured the imagination of Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle.(Ad) Shrabani Basu is the author of The Mystery of the Parsee Lawyer: Arthur Conan Doyle, George Edalji and the Case of the Foreigner in the English Village (Bloomsbury, 2021)https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mystery-Parsee-Lawyer-Foreigner-English/dp/1526615282/?tag=bbchistory045-21 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 21, 2021 • 54min
The Elizabethans: everything you wanted to know
Nicola Tallis answers listener questions and online search queries about the Elizabethans. She covers everything from the dangers of using golden toothpicks and the religious rifts of the era to the reasons Queen Elizabeth I never married and the fate of her royal jewels.(Ad) Nicola Tallis is the author of Uncrowned Queen: The Fateful Life of Margaret Beaufort, Tudor Matriarch (Michael O’Mara, 2019)https://www.amazon.co.uk/Uncrowned-Queen-Margaret-Beaufort-Matriarch/dp/1789292581/?tag=bbchistory045-21 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 20, 2021 • 48min
What happened to the Franklin Expedition? The real mystery behind The Terror
In 1845, two British navy ships sailed into the Canadian arctic and never returned. The fate of the Franklin Expedition has proven one of history’s most compelling mysteries, and most recently inspired the BBC drama The Terror. Here, Andrew Lambert explores the history behind the series and asks: what really happened to the expedition’s 129 crewmembers?(Ad) Andrew Lambert is the author of Franklin: Tragic Hero of Polar Navigation (Faber & Faber, 2010)https://www.amazon.co.uk/Franklin-Tragic-Hero-Polar-Navigation/dp/0571231616/?tag=bbchistory045-21 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 19, 2021 • 43min
Cellini: the “supreme scoundrel of the Renaissance”
Jerry Brotton describes the astonishing life and career of the Renaissance artist Benvenuto Cellini – a story of murder, plague, imprisonment and even necromancy Professor Jerry Brotton describes the astonishing life and career of the 16th-century Italian artist Benvenuto Cellini, whose biography shines a light on the dark heart of the Renaissance and features murder, plague, imprisonment and even necromancy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 17, 2021 • 44min
How our hunger for land shaped history
Simon Winchester explores how humans’ quest to own land – from enclosure and division to violent seizure – has wreaked irreparable changes through history Simon Winchester, author of Land: How the Hunger for Ownership Shaped the Modern World, explores how humans’ quest to own land has wreaked irreparable changes through history. He discusses when our division of land began, how the seizure of it has heralded huge historical shifts, and what it really means to ‘own’ land. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
