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 6, 2021 • 42min
Voices of China
Michael Wood, author of The Story of China, gives a lecture on the ancient civilisation’s rich and varied history. He introduces us to five individuals from across the centuries whose lives and voices can shed light on Chinese history, including an emperor, a footsoldier and a feminist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 5, 2021 • 5min
BONUS EPISODE: Game of Thrones’ medieval roots
Carolyne Larrington explores the medieval world that inspired the fantasy epic in a special HistoryExtra bonus episode, available now for free at https://www.historyextra.com/game-of-thrones-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 4, 2021 • 1h 1min
Why treason was so unforgivable in the Middle Ages
Dr Amanda McVitty explains what treason meant in the medieval era, and why its consequences were particularly brutal Dr Amanda McVitty, author of Treason and Masculinity in Medieval England, explains what treason meant in the Middle Ages. She explains how the crime was the subject of heated debate, and why the punishment for it was so brutal, humiliating and public. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 3, 2021 • 36min
Formidable dynasties of the Italian Renaissance
Mary Hollingsworth discusses her new book, Princes of the Renaissance, which charts the wars and alliances between the powerful Italian families of the 15th and 16th centuries Mary Hollingsworth discusses her new book Princes of the Renaissance, which charts the wars and alliances between the powerful Italian families of the 15th and 16th centuries – wealthy and influential dynasties whose patronage led to some of the greatest art and architecture of the period. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 2, 2021 • 41min
Vikings in North America
Gordon Campbell reveals how the Vikings made epic voyages of discovery across the Atlantic a millennium ago The argument over whether Norse explorers settled in North America a millennium ago has raged for two centuries, pitting Protestants against Catholics, Native Americans against European colonists – and producing claims and counterclaims often grounded in an ideology of racial superiority. Gordon Campbell, author of Norse America, discusses this often-fractious debate and sets out what we actually know about the Vikings’ remarkable voyages across the Atlantic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 1, 2021 • 57min
Shipwrecked in the Arctic: a 16th-century survival story
Journalist Andrea Pitzer discusses her latest book Icebound: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World, which recounts the Arctic ordeal of Dutch explorer William Barents and his crew. In 1597, they set sail in a bid to find a North East passage to China, but spent nine months fighting off ravenous polar bears, extreme cold and a seemingly endless winter after becoming stranded in the ice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 28, 2021 • 1h 9min
The Roman emperors: everything you wanted to know
Shushma Malik discusses some of the most admired and reviled Roman emperors, and considers whether the legends surrounding them stand up to scrutiny In the latest in our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, historian Shushma Malik responds to your questions on some of the most admired and reviled Roman emperors, and considers whether the legends surrounding them stand up to scrutiny. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 27, 2021 • 50min
Adventure and archaeology in the golden age of Egyptology
Toby Wilkinson, author of A World Beneath the Sands, gives a lecture on the men and women whose obsession with Egypt’s ancient civilisation drove them to uncover its secrets in the 19th and early 20th centuries. He reveals how their work helped to enrich and transform our understanding of the Nile valley and its people, and left a lasting impression on Egypt, too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 26, 2021 • 44min
Crafting historical weapons for Wolf Hall and The Witcher
From Roman catapults to medieval daggers, Tod of Tod’s Workshop has made it all. The historical weapon-maker gives a behind-the-scenes peek into making replica weapons and armour for period dramas and hit TV shows like Wolf Hall and The Witcher. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 25, 2021 • 58min
Nefertiti: wife, mother, pharaoh
Following the discovery of her striking bust in 1912, Nefertiti has become one of the best-known women of ancient Egypt. Professor Aidan Dodson – author of Nefertiti: Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt: Her Life and Afterlife – discusses ancient Egypt’s sun queen and offers his take on whether she ever reigned as a fully-fledged pharaoh in her own right. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
