HistoryExtra podcast
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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/
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/
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 13, 2023 • 49min
‘Black Douglas’: a not so dastardly bushranger?
A dastardly bandit responsible for incredibly heinous crimes, or a runaway in search of his freedom? Meg Foster unravels the myth of “Black Douglas”, whose life of crime across 19th-century Australia made him a target of lynch mobs and the popular press. Speaking to Emily Briffett, she explains how Douglas was branded a shadowy bogeyman, and delves into his experiences as a hard-drinking prize-fighter and phrenologist.(Ad) Meg Foster is the author of Boundary Crossers: The hidden history of Australia's other bushrangers (NewSouth, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boundary-Crossers-history-Australias-bushrangers/dp/1742237525/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4 snips
Apr 12, 2023 • 42min
The KGB’s secret war on the west
The KGB would stop at virtually nothing in its attempts to spread chaos and confusion in the west throughout the Cold War. From honeytraps and smear campaigns to spreading fake news, Mark Hollingsworth tells Spencer Mizen about the KBG’s extraordinary attempts to destabilise its enemies.(Ad) Mark Hollingsworth is the author of Agents of Influence: How the KGB Subverted Western Democracies (Oneworld, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Agents-Influence-Subverted-Western-Democracies/dp/0861542169/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7 snips
Apr 11, 2023 • 46min
Century of chaos: people & power in the 1600s
The 17th century was a turbulent time for England, overshadowed by a civil war, a coup and a regicide, not to mention the looming threats of terrorism, plague and witch panics. However, in the coffee shops and on the street corners of growing cities, the common people finally had their voices heard – and those voices were loud. Speaking with Emily Briffett, Jonathan Healey illuminates a revolutionary society that helped forge modern Britain.(Ad) Jonathan Healey is the author of The Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary England (Bloomsbury, 2023). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-blazing-world%2Fdr-jonathan-healey%2F9781526621658 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 10, 2023 • 52min
What Norse poetry reveals about the Viking age
What can Viking poetry reveal about the era in which it was written, and the people that wrote it? And why are ships, love and death some of its most common recurring motifs? Judith Jesch and Carolyne Larrington shared their expert insights with Matt Elton, tackling listener questions and reading excerpts from some of their favourite examples. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 9, 2023 • 42min
WW2 the big questions: the early years of the conflict
Laurence Rees, historian and documentary-maker on WWII, offers a brisk tour of 1939–1942. He traces why Hitler attacked Poland, the shock of France’s collapse, and the Dunkirk rescue. He covers Italy’s opportunism, Churchill’s refusal to negotiate, the Battle of Britain, Barbarossa, Pearl Harbor, and the 1942 summer advances toward Stalingrad and oilfields.
Apr 8, 2023 • 59min
Life in the trenches: everything you wanted to know
What was it really like to live and fight in WW1 trench? Why was throwing your empty food tins into No Man’s Land a death sentence? And what was the worst care package a Tommy could receive from home? Speaking with Emily Briffett, Peter Hart answers listener questions on life in the trenches – from favourite foods and morale-boosting parades to a soldier’s chances of survival in the face of deadly diseases, gas and explosions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 6, 2023 • 51min
Nuclear apocalypse in Britain
If – or when – a nuclear bomb was dropped on Cold War Britain, the nation was primed to react fast. When the sirens sounded, children would run home from school using the quickest familiar route. Families would wait out the nuclear fallout under the stairs, while political leaders would evacuate to bunkers across the country, ready to launch the regeneration plan. But were all these plans actually just a load of nonsense? Julie McDowall tells Matt Elton about Britain’s nuclear response plans, and questions their effectiveness when faced with the reality of instant annihilation.(Ad) Julie McDowall is the author of Attack Warning Red! How Britain Prepared for Nuclear War. Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Attack-Warning-Red-Julie-McDowall/dp/1847926215/ref=sr_1_1?crid=Y7HQ1IS420LY&keywords=attack+warning+red+julie+mcdowall&qid=1680258464&sprefix=attack+warnon%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-1&tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 5, 2023 • 33min
Wild urban spaces: a history
In recent years, discussions about sustainability and how we can create greener, more environmentally conscious urban spaces have been at the forefront of city planning. But to what extent are these considerations new? Author Ben Wilson tells Jon Bauckham about the ways in which societies have tried to bring wildlife into urban spaces, from the gardens of the Aztec empire to the bombsites of postwar Berlin.(Ad) Ben Wilson is the author of Urban Jungle: Wilding the City (Vintage, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Echolands-Journey-Boudica-Duncan-Mackay/dp/1399714112/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 4, 2023 • 54min
Boudica’s rebellion: a blood-soaked blow to the Roman empire
Rome’s conquest of Britain in the first century AD was a brutal affair, as was the revolt against it led by Boudica. Duncan Mackay guides David Musgrove through the course of the rebellion, sharing the location of the final bloody battle, considering what we know about Boudica herself, and exploring why she continues to be a resonant figure today.(Ad) Duncan Mackay is the author of Echolands: A Journey in Search of Boudica (Hodder & Stoughton, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boundary-Crossers-history-Australias-bushrangers/dp/1742237525/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 3, 2023 • 40min
What did the Tudors wear?
How many pieces of clothing did the average Tudor own? Did women in the 16th century have specialised maternity wear? And what was behind the fascination with codpieces? Jane Malcolm-Davies stitches together our understanding of what the Tudors wore, from knitted hats and linen handkerchiefs right down to underwear. Speaking with Emily Briffett, Jane details how clothes were lovingly made, kept and cleaned – and reveals the unusual fashion trend she’d like to see revived.(Ad) Jane Malcolm-Davies is the co-author of The Typical Tudor: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1351741932/the-typical-tudor-reconstructing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
