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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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2274 Episodes
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Why, in the 1850s, was the excrement of thousands of people being deposited straight into the Thames? How lethal were Victorian London's cholera outbreaks? And why is Joseph Bazalgette one of the most heroic figures in London's history? Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, Rosemary Ashton answers the most pressing questions on an infamous pollution event caused by soaring temperatures and huge amounts of human waste.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Even if you're not a fan of classical music, chances are you will have heard Handel's Messiah. Going behind the scenes of its creation, Charles King delves into the shifting politics of the Hanoverian court, the sex scandals of London’s West End, and the surprising role of the transatlantic slave trade in financing the arts. Speaking to Elinor Evans, he reveals why, despite the complex circumstances of its creation, this legendary composition still resonates today.
(Ad) Charles King is the author of Every Valley: The Story of Handel’s Messiah (Bodley Head, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Every-Valley-Story-Handels-Messiah/dp/1847928455/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1From true crime pamphlets to reports from the scaffold, early modern Britain was gripped by tales of women who killed. But were these cases as common as they seemed, or was something else at play? Speaking to Lauren Good, historian Blessin Adams explores the obsession with female murderers in this period, and what this tells us about historical attitudes to gender, justice and power.
(Ad) Blessin Adams is the author of Thou Savage Woman: Female Killers in Early Modern Britain (Harper Collins, 2025). 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%2Fthou-savage-woman%2Fblessin-adams%2F9780008500177.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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While the Suffragettes were fighting to win the vote, over in Germany, Rosa Luxemburg was focused on overthrowing the entire system. A committed Marxist revolutionary and a fervent advocate of internationalism, Luxemburg believed that true freedom lay beyond ‘bourgeois democracy’. Her sharp intellect and uncompromising stance made her a formidable force in the politics of early-20th century Europe. Mark Jones speaks to Danny Bird about Luxemburg’s extraordinary biography – from her rebellious youth and opposition to the First World War to her brutal execution in 1919.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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The histories of religious reformations across the globe have largely focused on men. But women were also integral to these major transformations. Speaking with Emily Briffett, historian Merry Wiesner-Hanks explains how early modern women strove to shape the world around them – as wives, mothers, missionaries, mystics and migrants.
(Ad) Merry Wiesner-Hanks is the author of Women and the Reformations: A Global History (Yale University Press, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Women-Reformations-History-Merry-Wiesner-Hanks/dp/0300268238/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What was history's worst furnishing trend? Why, in 1953, were you more likely to own a television than a fridge? And how can you learn more about the history of your own house? Deborah Sugg Ryan joins Ellie Cawthorne to talk about the history of British homes, taking listeners on a whistle-stop tour through garden gnomes, deadly gas irons, dodgy DIY and carpeted bathrooms.
(Ad) Deborah Sugg Ryan is the author of Ideal Homes: Uncovering the History and Design of the Interwar House (Manchester University Press, 2020). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ideal-Homes-Uncovering-Manchester-University/dp/1526150670/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fearsome Amazons. Men who turned into wolves. Tribes who never grew old. Ancient Greek and Roman sources are packed with extraordinary descriptions of the peoples living beyond their borders. Speaking to Spencer Mizen, Dr Owen Rees explores these classical superpowers' sense of cultural superiority and reveals what we can learn about the ancient world by exploring life on the frontiers of empires.
(Ad) Owen Rees is the author of The Far Edges of the Known World: A New History of the Ancient Past (Bloomsbury, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Far-Edges-Known-World-History/dp/1526653788/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
With accusations of favouritism, poor spending and unrealistic international plans, resentment against Henry III simmered among his barons throughout the 1250s. This frustration came to a head in a coup at the Oxford Parliament of 1258 – where some rebel barons saw the opportunity not just to get what they wanted from their king, but to completely transform medieval society. Speaking to Emily Briffett, Luke Foddy explores what this reform movement meant for the average person living in England during those turbulent years.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Pacifist. Humanitarian. Whistleblower. From humble roots growing up in Cornwall, Emily Hobhouse went on to challenge the societal issues of her day and expose the horrors of British concentration camps during the Second Anglo-Boer War. Speaking to Emily Briffett, biographer Elsabé Brits uncovers the story of a woman who was branded a 'traitor' for defying the British establishment, but saved thousands of Boer women and children.
(Ad) Elsabé Brits is the author of Rebel Englishwoman: The Remarkable Life of Emily Hobhouse (Little Brown, 2019). 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%2Frebel-englishwoman%2Felsabe-brits%2F9781472140920.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
From green men and jolly horse skulls, to chasing cheese down hills and morris dancing, Britain has a rich tradition of folk customs. Some are strange, some downright silly. But, as Liz Williams tells Ellie Cawthorne, some of these traditions can also have a darker aspect, based on shame, judgement and social conformity.
(Ad) Liz Williams is the author of Rough Music: Folk Customs, Transgression and Alternative Britain (Reaktion Books, 2025). 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%2Frough-music%2Fliz-williams%2F9781836390602.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What were your chances of surviving illness in ancient Rome? How did the Roman army deal with ailments and injuries on the go? And in what way were the medical practitioners of this ancient civilisation similar to the snake-oil peddlers of the American Wild West? Emily Briffett speaks to Dr Patty Baker to get the answers to your questions about the treatments, cures and surgical practices of ancient Rome.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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What is new research revealing about women's lives in the past? Does all women's history have to be feminist? And why do we need to be cautious about the 'girlbossification' of historical figures? To mark International Women's Day, Ellie Cawthorne speaks to three expert historians – Sarah Richardson, Hannah Skoda and Hannah Cusworth – to get their thoughts on the biggest trends and challenges in the field of women's history at the moment.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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On 11 June 1488, King James III of Scotland was hunted down and slain as he fled the field of battle. And more than 500 years later, the identity of his killer remains shrouded in uncertainty. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, historian Gordon McKelvie explores this most enduring of royal murder mysteries. How, he asks, had James made so many enemies – and could the killer have been his own son?
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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From To The Lighthouse to Mrs Dalloway, the writing of Virginia Woolf shook up literary norms and challenged societal ideas about what it meant to be a woman. In this 'life of the week' episode, Francesca Wade discusses the impact of Woolf's work, and the key moments of her life – from her late-night soirées with the Bloomsbury Group and love affair with Vita Sackville-West, to her long struggles with her mental health.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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How violent were towns and cities in the Middle Ages? And how did medieval citizens deal with cases of murder? Drawing on detailed coroner's reports, Professor Manuel Eisner has mapped out cases of murder across three English cities – London, Oxford and York. In this episode, he revisits some notable crimes with David Musgrove, offering up some fascinating insights into the mean streets of medieval cities.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Why were Assyrian armies so powerful? Did the Assyrians produce the ancient world's greatest cultural treasure? And what should we make of claims that they forged the world's first empire? In conversation with Spencer Mizen, Paul Collins, curator at the British Museum, answers listener questions on this ancient civilisation.
(Ad) Paul Collins is the author of The Assyrians: Lost Civilizations (Reaktion, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Assyrians-Lost-Civilizations-Paul-Collins/dp/1789149231/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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In 1879, King Leopold of Belgium commissioned an expedition to transport Asian elephants from India to the African interior, with a vision of using them as working animals to unlock the continent's resources. Ellie Cawthorne speaks to journalist Sophy Roberts, who has retraced the route of this mammoth and ill-conceived voyage for her book A Training School for Elephants.
(Ad) Sophy Roberts is the author of A Training School for Elephants (Doubleday, 2025). Buy now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Training-School-Elephants-Sophy-Roberts/dp/0857528378/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Vicious civil wars. Gruelling sieges. Rebellious provinces, galling betrayals and tribes seeking revenge… Join us for the first series of History’s Greatest Battles, where we’re heading back to the Roman empire. Emily Briffett is joined by historian Dr Adrian Goldsworthy to look back at five of the most fascinating clashes of this ancient civilisation, taking in the action blow by blow and identifying the major moments and key commanders that shaped events. They’ll also be uncovering what the military engagements of this mighty superpower can reveal about the age of the emperors, and asking: how history might have turned out differently had things gone the other way?
Series 1 is live now.
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/historys-greatest-battles/id1794311126
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ph7KUocWnqPREhTZa44Mb
Listen everywhere else by searching: History's Greatest Battles
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What did a Roman wear under their tunic? What was the best occasion to wear socks with sandals? And what might land you in trouble with the ancient Roman fashion police? Speaking to Emily Briffett, historian Ursula Rothe heads back to the ancient world to uncover what the Romans wore, and why they were so obsessed with what everybody else did.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Frederick Barbarossa has gone down in history as one of medieval Europe's most formidable rulers. He waged ruthless wars in Italy, clashed with the papacy, and came to an ignominious end on crusade. Speaking to Emily Briffett, historian Graham Loud explores the life and many afterlives of the legendary red-bearded emperor.
(Ad) Graham Loud is the author of Frederick Barbarossa (Reaktion Books, 2025). 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%2Ffrederick-barbarossa%2Fg-a-loud%2F9781836390220.
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.