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
16 snips
Feb 24, 2026 • 34min
Thomas Edison: life of the week
Iwan Morus, historian of Victorian science and technology, unpacks Thomas Edison’s rise as a commercial inventor and celebrity. He explores Menlo Park’s workshop culture, Edison's use of patents and teams, the AC versus DC battles with Tesla and Westinghouse, and how press and publicity shaped Edison’s lasting myth.
8 snips
Feb 23, 2026 • 44min
Following the footsteps of a WW2 prisoner of war
Malcolm Gaskill, historian and author of The Glass Mountain, traces his great-uncle Ralph’s WWII odyssey from capture in Libya to daring escapes in Italy. He recounts finding memoirs and archives, walking Camp 65, a hair-raising plan to steal a plane, narrow near-captures, and the surprising bravery of Italians who sheltered escapees. The narrative blends detective-style research with personal family memory.
32 snips
Feb 22, 2026 • 37min
Magna Carta: why didn't King John keep his word?
Nicholas Vincent, medieval historian and professor at the University of East Anglia, unpacks why King John likely broke his oath. He traces the charter's loopholes, baronial enforcement experiments, papal annulment and the First Barons' War. The talk follows John's military moves, sudden death and how later reissues turned Magna Carta into lasting law.
Feb 20, 2026 • 35min
How to be a Victorian
Jamie Camplin, author and historian of Victorian Britain, explores what life felt like in the 19th century. He examines why the 1850s were transformative. He describes railways, telegraphs and the rush of visible speed. He discusses the Great Exhibition, rising mass literacy, expanding professions and how empire, reform and consumer culture shaped modern Britain.
8 snips
Feb 18, 2026 • 33min
"The streets will run with blood!": the uprising that shook Victorian Britain
In 1838, a 6ft Cornishman going by the name of Sir William Courtenay led an insurrection in rural Kent. Courtenay claimed he was Jesus Christ – and a lot of people believed him. And when those supporters clashed with troops at Bossenden Wood, the result was carnage. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, Ian Breckon describes the last battle fought on English soil and considers what it tells us about Victorian Britain.
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GO BEYOND THE PODCAST
Don't miss the new HistoryExtra podcast series History's Greatest Battles, back for a new run exploring the Wars of the Roses. For more details, click here: https://play.megaphone.fm/nl_id4hhr2s5izmxcjam3g Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
19 snips
Feb 17, 2026 • 42min
Pocahontas: life of the week
Camilla Townsend, historian and author known for her work on early Native American history, explores the real life of Pocahontas. She discusses Pocahontas as a diplomatic bridge, the limits of English sources, and myths like the Smith rescue and romance. Conversations cover her captivity, marriage to John Rolfe as political strategy, public tour of England, and how her story was later mythologized.
14 snips
Feb 16, 2026 • 37min
The ruthless revolution that made Britain great
Edmund Smith, Professor of Economic Cultures and author of Ruthless, links Britain’s rise to early industrial innovation and global exploitation. He traces wool and textile transformations, Swansea’s mining boom, state mercantilism, stolen technologies and deep ties to slavery. He also draws parallels between past industrial change and today’s technological shifts.
25 snips
Feb 15, 2026 • 43min
The Magna Carta myth
Nicholas Vincent, Professor of Medieval History at the University of East Anglia, unpacks the real Magna Carta and its medieval context. He describes Runnymede’s setting and how the charter was drafted and copied. He highlights surprising clauses on fish-weirs, sheriffs and Jewish moneylending. He explains clauses 39–40, enforcement by clause 61, and why the charter was more a short-lived peace treaty than a liberty manifesto.
Feb 13, 2026 • 45min
Terrible puns and filthy limericks: the Victorian sense of humour
Bob Nicholson, a lecturer in 19th-century history who studies Victorian culture and humour, explores the era’s love of puns, conundrum contests and punny prestige. He delves into censored bodily jokes, private risqué limericks like those in The Pearl, early comic performances and how jokes spread across the Atlantic. Short, surprising stories reveal how Victorians laughed in public and behind closed doors.
12 snips
Feb 11, 2026 • 45min
What your hands say about you – according to history
Alison Bashford, historian of science and author of Decoding the Hand, explores the long history of hand-reading from ancient divination to medical diagnostics. She recounts finds like a gorilla palm print, traces Indian, Chinese and Kabbalistic traditions, and discusses fingerprints, dermatoglyphics, criminal law and how hands shaped ideas about character and health.
