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 30, 2020 • 1h 2min
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Hundred Years’ War, but were afraid to ask
In the latest of our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, historian Anne Curry responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the medieval clashes between English and French forces for control of the throne of France. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 29, 2020 • 1h 3min
Crusaders: An Epic History of the Wars for the Holy Lands
In a talk he delivered at our 2019 BBC History Magazine History Weekend in Winchester, historian, author and broadcaster Dan Jones introduces a vivid cast of characters from the medieval conflicts for the Holy Land. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 28, 2020 • 1h 2min
The extraordinary life of Sultan Selim I
Historian Alan Mikhail, author of a new biography of the Ottoman Sultan Selim I, explains how he transformed the empire in the early 16thcentury – with important consequences for the rest of the world. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4 snips
Aug 26, 2020 • 1h 2min
Edward the Confessor
Medieval historian Tom Licence, a professor at the University of East Anglia and author of a biography on King Edward the Confessor, dives into the intriguing life of this pre-conquest ruler. He discusses Edward's tumultuous early years marked by Viking invasions and his long exile in Normandy. Licence also explores Edward's coronation, his complicated relationship with his mother Emma, and his strategic marriage to Edith of Godwin. The conversation delves into Edward's legacy, his pious image, and the political machinations surrounding his deathbed and succession.
Aug 24, 2020 • 29min
Revisiting the Kindertransport
Playwright Jonathan Lichtenstein talks to us about his new book, The Berlin Shadow, which describes how he accompanied his father on a journey back to Berlin, retracing the steps he took in 1939 on the Kindertransport. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 23, 2020 • 52min
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Aztecs, but were afraid to ask
In the latest of our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, historian Caroline Dodds Pennock responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the Mesoamerican civilisation, including a discussion of the practice of human sacrifice. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 22, 2020 • 56min
Who Dares Wins: Britain in the Age of the Falklands
In a talk he delivered at our 2019 BBC History Magazine History Weekend in Winchester, historian, author and broadcaster Dominic Sandbrook explores the history of Britain in the early 1980s. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 21, 2020 • 53min
The story of the Freemasons
Historian John Dickie, author of the new book The Craft: How the Freemasons Made the Modern World, sifts fact from fiction in the history of a much misunderstood organisation. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 19, 2020 • 31min
Africa’s cultural liberation
Author and broadcaster Afua Hirsch, who is presenting the new BBC Four series African Renaissance: When Art Meets Power, discusses the histories of Ethiopia, Kenya and Senegal, and how contemporary artists in these countries are responding to the past. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 17, 2020 • 41min
The history of seduction
Clement Knox, author of the recent book Strange Antics: A History of Seduction, explores ideas of sex, courtship and power from the 18th century until the present day. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
