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The History Extra podcast brings you gripping stories from the past and fascinating historical conversations with the world's leading historical experts.
Produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine, History Extra 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.
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2221 Episodes
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What can Saint Augustine tell us about attitudes to grief in the Middle Ages? What made women steer clear of the shrine of Saint Cuthbert? And why did pilgrims bring gifts of wax to the dead saint William of Norwich? In his new book Medieval Saints and their Sins, Luke Daly examines the lives and afterlives of venerated holy people. Speaking to Emily Briffett for today's episode, he reveals what saints can tell us about the thoughts and fears of the Middle Ages.
(Ad) Luke Daly is the author of Medieval Saints and their Sins: A New History of the Middle Ages through Saints and their Stories (Pen & Sword, 2024). 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%2Fmedieval-saints-and-their-sins%2Fluke-daly%2F9781399050623.
Listen to Johanna Dale explore how the seventh-century Northumbrian king Oswald became an important medieval saint: https://link.chtbl.com/Io_79S1C.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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What makes a great historical movie? An accurate portrayal of a period, a nostalgic look back at the past, or simply a ripping yarn? Well, on our website HistoryExtra.com, we've been running a poll to crown the greatest historical movies of all time – nominated by historians and then voted for by you. The results are in, and in this episode, Kev Lochun speaks to historians and cinephiles Roger Luckhurst and Alex Von Tunzelmann to get their take on it all – from why Bill & Ted is a historical movie but Sense & Sensibility isn't, to whether the winning movie deserves the top spot.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Nell Gwyn epitomised the wild spirit of the Restoration era. An orange-seller turned actress, turned royal mistress of King Charles II, she hustled her way to the very top with charm, wisecracks and withering putdowns. Sophie Shorland tells Ellie Cawthorne more about Gwyn's rags-to-riches story in this 'life of the week' episode.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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They attacked children. They exhumed dead bodies. They were even thought to be in league with the devil. And yet, despite this long list of misdemeanours, pigs were an indispensable part of urban life in the Middle Ages. Speaking to Spencer Mizen, Dolly Jørgensen reveals why medieval city-dwellers were so dependent on swine – and explains what city authorities did to prevent rogue pigs from running riot.
(Ad) Dolly Jørgensen is the author of The Medieval Pig (Boydell Press, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Medieval-Pig-Nature-Environment-Middle/dp/183765168X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.
Listen to an audio version of Dolly's BBC History Magazine article on medieval pigs here: https://link.chtbl.com/OUgQYYSL.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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The Hanseatic League was often compared to a crocodile, because it was a shadowy, somewhat sinister entity that kept its true intentions concealed. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, Professor Sheilagh Ogilvie answers listener questions on this medieval trading federation. She considers whether it was a precursor to the European Union, what tactics it employed to intimidate nation states and how it helped King Edward III secure the English throne.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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What was it like to undergo an operation in a world with no anaesthetic? How was the stethoscope invented? And when did surgeons first operate on a human heart? Talking to Lauren Good, Dr Carol Cooper explores the history of medicine through 12 pivotal objects – from the bone saw to the heart-lung machine.
(Ad) Carol Cooper is the author of The History of Medicine in Twelve Objects (Quarto Publishing PLC, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/History-Medicine-Twelve-Objects/dp/0711294623#:~:text=An%20award%2Dwinning%20non%2Dfiction,Carol%20is%20also%20a%20novelist./?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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They spanned a continent, offered a conduit for soldiers and pilgrims alike – and may not have been as straight as legend suggests. Roman roads played a formative role in Europe's development for centuries, and have inspired its leaders right up to the present day. Catherine Fletcher, author of The Roads to Rome tells Matt Elton more about the long-lasting influence of these ancient highways.
(Ad) Catherine Fletcher is the author of The Roads To Rome: A History (The Bodley Head, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Roads-Rome-History-Catherine-Fletcher/dp/184792803X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.
Hear Catherine Fletcher discuss the history of Florence, and offer her tips on Renaissance sites to visit in the city here: https://link.chtbl.com/I4AXl_kl.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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History is often told through the epic struggles of famous personalities or grand movements. Yet sometimes the voices of ordinary people break through. In this episode, Maurice J Casey speaks to Danny Bird about his new book, Hotel Lux, which follows three connected families through the upheavals of the 20th century. Bound by idealism, friendship and love, their journey begins in 1920s Moscow, inside a hotel that was once a sanctuary for international revolutionaries drawn to the Soviet Union’s bold vision for a better world.
(Ad) Maurice J Casey is the author of Hotel Lux: An Intimate History of Communism's Forgotten Radicals (Footnote Press, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hotel-Lux-Intimate-Communisms-Forgotten/dp/180444099X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Poisoned sweets. Criminal misdeeds. And a sex scandal involving… the prime-minister.
Listen to HistoryExtra's new podcast History’s Greatest Scandals, delving into the murky underworld of The Victorians. Ellie Cawthorne and historian Professor Rosalind Crone take a journey through the backstreets of 19th-century Britain to explore the darker side of Victorian life. Sneaking into private parlours, descending into candlelit mines, frequenting grim workhouses and paying a visit to an unscrupulous confectioner, uncovering some of the biggest scandals of the day – and explore what they can reveal about Victorian age.
Series 1 launches today, 7 Jan 2025.
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40kQYTz
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/33plhOIkO9rtli5btfziHE
Listen everywhere else by searching: History's Greatest Conspiracy Theories
You can listen ad-free, access episodes early and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: https://apple.co/4fgRA1d.
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The name Susan B Anthony is inextricable from any history of the American movement for women's suffrage. Yet the life of the woman herself can be obscured by her status as a campaigner and figurehead. Speaking Elinor Evans, Susan Ware answers questions on the American social reformer and women's rights activist.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Why did early Islamic cartographers place south at the top of their maps? Who invented the magnetic compass? And why has 'the west' become an intensely political term, as well as a geographical one? Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, Jerry Brotton answers the most intriguing questions on the history of the four cardinal points: north, east, south and west.
(Ad) Jerry Brotton is the author of The Four Points of the Compass: The Unexpected History of Direction (Allen Lane, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Four-Points-Compass-Unexpected-Direction/dp/0241556872/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.
Hear more from Jerry Brotton on the life and legacy of extraordinary cartographer Marie Tharp: https://link.chtbl.com/ZbHzAbh8.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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What was it like to live in a British town or city in the Middle Ages? Were they filthy hotbeds of crime and violence? How often did fires break out? And where could you get a good slap-up meal if you were hungry? In this 'everything you wanted to know' episode, historian Professor Carole Rawcliffe speaks to David Musgrove to answer listener questions about medieval urban life – from filth and fire, to fast food, foreigners and fighting on the streets.
Professor Carole Rawcliffe explores the keep-fit trends of the Middle Ages: https://link.chtbl.com/vIShX27F.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Harold Wilson is as central to the story of sixties Britain as the Beatles, Profumo and miniskirts. Admirers applauded the social reforms he introduced while in office; his critics accused the prime minister of being Machiavellian. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, former home secretary Alan Johnson – who has just written a biography of Wilson – reveals how he rode the wave of the cult of youth sweeping the nation.
(Ad) Alan Johnson is the author of Wilson: Twentieth Century Man/ (Swift Press, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Harold-Wilson-Ministers-Alan-Johnson/dp/1800753322/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.
Check out our series in which historians nominate who they think was Britain's greatest prime minister here: https://www.historyextra.com/membership/britains-greatest-prime-minister-historyextra-podcast-series/
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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The Sutton Hoo ship burial is one of the most famous discoveries in British archaeological history. But who is actually buried there? Or perhaps a better question is: why was the man buried with such a wealth of exotic goods? Dr Helen Gittos has a fascinating new theory that may alter our understanding of this major archaeological discovery. David Musgrove spoke to her to find out more.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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What were Jesus's views on sex? Why did so many Christians choose a life of celibacy? Has the church ever been tolerant of homosexuality? These are some of the questions explored by Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch in his new book Lower than the Angels, a sweeping 2,000-year history of sex and Christianity, which he expects will annoy a great many people. In today's episode, Rob Attar catches up with Diarmaid to find out why.
(Ad) Diarmaid MacCulloch is the author of Lower than the Angels: A History of Sex and Christianity (Penguin, 2024). 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%2Flower-than-the-angels%2Fdiarmaid-macculloch%2F9780241400937.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Catherine the Great stands out from the rulers of Imperial Russia – a 'philosopher empress' whose wit, political savvy, and unyielding ambition transformed her empire into a European powerhouse. Seizing the throne through an audacious coup against her own husband, Catherine wielded her authority with an iron grip, balancing the volatile ambitions of her court while nurturing her vision of enlightened rule. Historian Janet Hartley speaks to Danny Bird about how Catherine corresponded with the era's leading philosophers, navigated scandalous love affairs and earned her glittering but contentious reputation — not just as an innovator but as the architect of Russia’s might.
Here, Simon Sebag Montefiore answers listener questions about the history of imperial Russia’s formidable rulers: https://link.chtbl.com/QWPY1LAC.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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William of Normandy famously invaded England in 1066 – but, he didn't quite conquer it all. In fact, the duty of leading a second assault was left to his son William Rufus almost 30 years later. Speaking to David Musgrove, Sophie Ambler and Fiona Edmonds reveal how the second Norman Conquest came about in the 1090s, and explain how this story played out in little-studied kingdom of Cumbria.
Listen to our podcast with Marc Morris, The Normans: Everything you wanted to know, here: https://link.chtbl.com/PFBA-VhF
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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The early medieval Carolingian empire played a crucial role in the development of Europe throughout the Middle Ages. Though the dynasty itself was not that long-lived, it was star-studded with famous rulers such as Charles Martel and Charlemagne, and its legacy stretched far and wide. In this 'everything you want to know' episode, Professor Matthew Gabriele speaks to David Musgrove to answer listener questions about this influential Frankish empire.
(Ad) Matthew Gabriele is the co-author with David M Perry of Oathbreakers: The War of Brothers That Shattered an Empire and Made Medieval Europe (HarperCollins, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Oathbreakers-Brothers-Shattered-Empire-Medieval/dp/0063336677/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.
The Carolingian king Lothar II was embroiled in a scandal that destroyed his reign and ended his kingdom – Professor Charles West shares the story: https://link.chtbl.com/v2GgAvSP.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Series two of SAS Rogue Heroes hits our screens later this week, so we're bringing you an episode to get you up to scratch on the WW2 escapades of Britain’s elite special forces. Why was the SAS – or Special Air Service – first founded? Who was responsible for its creation? And what impact did a parachuting padre have on the morale of its men in the aftermath of D-Day? In this episode, which first aired in 2023, author and broadcaster Joshua Levine answers listener questions on the SAS during the Second World War, in conversation with Jon Bauckham.
The second series of SAS Rogue Heroes begins on BBC One on Wednesday 1 January at 9pm.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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The morning of Tuesday 19 September 1944 was ripe with possibility for Allied forces at Arnhem, says Al Murray. Just 24 hours later, the die of defeat had well and truly been cast. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, the comedian and history buff discusses the failure of this bold attempt to deliver a crushing blow to Nazi Germany – and considers how poor planning, over-confidence and strong German resistance came home to roost in 24 fateful hours.
(Ad) Al Murray is the author of Arnhem: Black Tuesday (Bantam, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Arnhem-Tuesday-Classic-Battle-Before/dp/0857506560/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.
Hear more from Al Murray here: https://link.chtbl.com/x2R-SHj_.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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oh my God I guess you could read this woman's work, listening to her speak is like nails down a chalkboard. too bad I'm sure she's smart and it's an interesting subject. public speaking might be something to add to her expertise.
I listened to the first 3 minutes and it was exactly as unhinged as I had a imagined. Your guest need to stick to England and discuss the parallels between every single labor leader and the Communist apparstchic found in China, the old Soviet Union and North Korea. Not one of them have started a business, run a business, understand finance, markets, or set foot on a farm.
One sided propaganda from the BBC... As per usual.
Great story! Note Guy Scholefield is said 'Skolfield'. Pronunciation of Oamaru, a Maori name, also needs work.
It was chancellor Willy Brandt, who fell on his knees in Warsaw in 1970, not President Richard von Weizäcker.
Pathetic- so if you’re spanish your a liar , very racist propaganda
this isn't about museums as mich as a whine fest about how some women didn't get enough credit in the museum biz.. bummer
Fantastic episode. As an Australian who has a picture of my forebears from my DNA test, its so interesting having this fleshed out and brought to life across the early centuries.
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I don't find any of this convincing. She seems to be arguing that medieval people always told the truth and hated murder.
Always enjoy hearing Prof Tyldesley
22.34 Ireland, anyone?
very poor episode,really not in keeping with the high quality of the HE series. you don't get the full story which is infuriating;what happened?buy the book,errr,don't think I'll bother on the evidence of this.the story you do get seems to be all supposition,I found the authors idea that people in prison who aren't meant to communicate with another don't particularly incredible
The host is most concerned with the well-being of the Industrialist fat cats , isnt she? Sort of leaves a sour taste in a listener's mouth.
Interesting podcast, but Hubert Humphrey was definitely not FDR's predecessor as president!
That interview didn't age well. Here in tje summer of 2023, Brits are finally wakening up to the economics of putting a tariff barrier between themselves and their closest major trading partners. That both the Commonwealth nations and the US can replace the EU, when these are drawn to Asian products, and a post-UK EU will still be more attractive than little UK in the contemporary world is longing for a long-dead world. This author's mindset is focused on the age where Britain could feed itself cheaply, mass produce products according to its own standards and could sell them anywhere and had a triangular native population growth pyramid. By 2015 an entirely new demographic and economic system had integrated European nations, like it or not. The author ignores economics and longs for a distant, hard-to-recover past. Whereas Remainers were talking about contemporary market economics, he presents that as saying Remainers had shallow desires to be part of a new trend. In other words,
excellent episode, Martin Davidson was articulate and made some fantastic points about a subject where he's obviously an expert. I am sure the book is very good.
The expert on this laughs and it's not at appropriate moments. I'm fascinated by the medieval & women's history but this was quite trying to listen to. Maybe it's an American thing but it's not for me.
these podcast keeps stopping. it's very frustrating.
Not the most promising material, but the speaker here was very good.