HistoryExtra podcast
Episodes
Secrets of Lindisfarne
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Archaeologist David Petts and Lisa Wilkins of DigVentures discuss an extraordinary Viking-era discovery that’s been made on the monastic site of Lin...
Medieval medicine
24 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Elma Brenner of the Wellcome Library examines the state of healthcare in the Middle Ages and reveals some unusual remedies that were offered for peopl...
Georgian terrorists: the Cato Street Conspiracy
21 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On the 200th anniversary of the Cato Street Conspiracy, Stephen Bates examines a failed attempt to murder the entire British cabinet in February 1820...
Burglary: a modern history
19 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Historian Eloise Moss, author of Night Raiders, explores a century of home intrusion in Britain, from the cat burglar phenomenon to Cold War espionag...
The rise of Hitler
17 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Frank McDonough discusses the first volume in his new two-part history of Nazi Germany. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...
Michael Wood on the Peterloo photograph
14 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The acclaimed popular historian and broadcaster Michael Wood talks to us about a photograph he discovered that links his family to the infamous Peterl...
The bombing of Dresden
12 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On the 75th anniversary of the Dresden raid, historical author Sinclair McKay explores one of the most controversial Allied actions of the Second Wor...
Secrets of war leadership
10 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Historian Andrew Roberts reflects on some of the greatest and most nefarious war leaders of the past – including Napoleon, Hitler, Churchill and Eis...
Confronting evils
07 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Susan Neiman considers how Germany and the United States have sought to come to terms with histories of racism and violence. Historyextra.com/podcast ...
Marie Antoinette
05 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Historian John Hardman discusses his new biography of the 18th-century French queen, exploring her role in the politics of the revolutionary era and e...
Mary Beard on the nude in western art
03 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ahead of her new BBC Two series The Shock of the Nude, classicist Mary Beard discusses some of the thorny issues surrounding the naked body in wester...
The woman who gave birth to rabbits
31 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Historian Karen Harvey explores the unusual case of Mary Toft who caused a sensation in 1726 by apparently giving birth to rabbits. Karen considers wh...
Indians in the trenches
29 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
George Morton-Jack, historian and author of The Indian Empire at War, reflects on the contributions made by the vast number of Indian soldiers who fo...
Fighting for the vote
27 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Historian and author Clare Wright reveals how Australian women battled for political equality in the early 20th century and helped inspire suffrage m...
The Holocaust orphans
24 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As we approach the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, historian Rebecca Clifford tells the stories of child survivors of the Holocaust ...
Simon de Montfort’s medieval revolution
22 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Historian Sophie Ambler chronicles the dramatic life of Simon de Montfort, the 13th-century rebel who battled Henry III for mastery in England and est...
The Windrush generation
20 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Historian, author and broadcaster Colin Grant discusses his recent book, Homecoming: Voices of the Windrush Generation, which tells the stories of p...
Puritans and the Mayflower
17 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Stephen Tomkins discusses the rise of Puritanism in England and the origins of the Mayflower voyage to North America in 1620. Historyextra.com/podca...
The Auschwitz volunteer
15 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Fairweather, author of the Costa Biography Award-winning book The Volunteer, tells the story of the Polish resistance leader Witold Pilecki who ...
Medieval myths
13 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Historian Hannah Skoda tackles some common misconceptions about the middle ages, from irrational peasants and filthy towns, to powerless women and min...
Confronting a dark past
09 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As we approach the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust, historical broadcaster Chris Bowlby explains how Germany has sought to come to terms...
From Allies to enemies
06 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Award-winning historian Serhii Plokhy talks to us about his new book Forgotten Bastards of the Eastern Front, which describes a little-known World Wa...
The long history of Brexit
02 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For our first episode of 2020, Professor David Reynolds explores how several centuries of British history have fed into the recent Brexit debate. He s...
The filthy Middle Ages?
30 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Does the Medieval era deserve its reputation for poor hygiene and bad odours? Dr Katherine Harvey examines the evidence and reveals some of the unusua...
A curious history of Christmas
26 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sam Willis and James Daybell offer a distinctive take on festive traditions, which takes in violent Christmas cards and obscene snowmen. Historyextra....
2019 Christmas history quiz
23 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Test your history knowledge with our annual festive quiz, devised by QI writer Justin Pollard. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast....
The birth of the modern world
19 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The writer and historian Charles Emmerson reflects on the crucial years 1917-24, which witnessed the conclusion of the First World War, the collapse...
Politics, Roman style
16 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Classicist and political journalist Asa Bennett discusses his new book Romanifesto, which explores the lessons that 21st-century politicians could le...
Eleanor of Aquitaine: myth and reality
12 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sara Cockerill, author of a new biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine, explores the story of the remarkable medieval queen and challenge some common misco...
World War Two’s secret heroes
09 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Author and journalist Simon Parkin tells the incredible, but little-known, story of a real life game of battleships that transformed British fortunes ...
Asians in 1980s Britain
05 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Broadcaster Kavita Puri, who presents the BBC Radio 4 series Three Pounds in My Pocket, discusses how Asian communities were adjusting to life in Bri...
Secrets of the river
02 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Lara Maiklem, author of the bestselling book Mudlarking, describes some of the fascinating historical objects she has discovered while scouring the b...
The Mountbattens: success and scandal
28 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The author and literary agent Andrew Lownie discusses his bestselling recent book The Mountbattens: Their Lives & Loves, which explores the colourfu...
The teashop empire
25 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Author and journalist Thomas Harding describes how a family of Jewish immigrants to Britain in the 19th century went on to create Lyons – one of th...
Margaret Beaufort: Mother of the Tudors
21 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Historian and author Nicola Tallis discusses her new biography of Margaret Beaufort who played a key role in the Wars of the Roses and whose son, Henr...
Maoism
18 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Julia Lovell discusses her recent book Maoism: A Global History, which has just won the prestigious Cundill History Prize. In the convers...
A history of the United States
14 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jill Lepore, professor of history at Harvard, discusses her acclaimed recent book These Truths, which charts the highs and lows of American history s...
The King: Henry V on film
12 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Lauren Johnson discusses the history behind the new Netflix film The King, considering how closely it follows the real events of Henry V’s life and...
The Pacific War on screen
11 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Roland Emmerich, director of the new blockbuster Midway film, tells us about the process of bringing a major World War Two battle to the big screen....
The rise and fall of the Berlin Wall
07 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, author and editor Iain MacGregor revisits some of the most dramatic events associated with th...
Treasures of Tutankhamun
04 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As a major new exhibition of the pharaoh’s tomb arrives in London, we speak to curator Tarek El Awady about the remarkable artefacts buried with Egy...
The Fortress: An epic battle of World War I
31 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Alexander Watson describes the dramatic battle for the fortress city of Przemysl, which pitted a multi-ethnic Habsburg force against the mig...
The death of Kitchener: a World War One mystery
28 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The author and former Cabinet minister David Laws examines the life and dramatic death, in 1916, of Britain’s Secretary of State for War: Lord Kitch...
Britain in the early 80s
24 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Historian and author Dominic Sandbrook joins us to discuss his new book, Who Dares Wins, which explores the pivotal early years of Margaret Thatcher’...
The House of York
21 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Historian and author Thomas Penn discusses the Wars of the Roses, the princes in the Tower and the start of the Tudor era as he reflects on the Yorkis...
Bonus Episode: Sequences with consequences
19 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this special edition, produced by our friends from the Science Focus podcast, Dr Robert Elliott Smith examines the dark history of algorithms and c...
Slave revolt
17 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Historian James Walvin describes how enslaved people fought for their freedom and ultimately helped to bring down the Atlantic slave empires. Historye...
Peter Hennessy on Britain in transition
14 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Historian Peter Hennessy talks about his new book Winds of Change, which tells the story of Britain in the early 1960s and explores subjects such as ...
Secret listeners
10 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Author and historian Helen Fry talks about her new book, The Walls Have Ears, which describes an ingenious British intelligence operation to bug Germ...
William Dalrymple on the East India Company
07 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
William Dalrymple explains how a single London corporation took over the Mughal empire and became a major imperial power. Historyextra.com/podcast ...
Catherine the Great: fact and fiction
03 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ahead of a major new TV drama about the Russian empress, historian Janet Hartley explores Catherine’s life and considers whether there is any truth ...
Orlando Figes on the transformation of Europe
30 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Orlando Figes describes the cultural transformations of 19th-century Europe through the lives of a remarkable menage a trois. Historyextra.com/podcast...
Fake news in World War Two
26 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Author and journalist Henry Hemming discusses his new book, Our Man in New York, which describes the adventures of British spymaster William Stephens...
The destruction of Pompeii
23 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Daisy Dunn revisits the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and considers the history that was preserved at Pompeii and Herculaneum. Historyextra.com/podcast H...
Max Hastings on the Dambusters
19 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sir Max Hastings discusses his new book on the iconic World War Two raid, describing the ingenuity and courage of the operation, as well as the terrib...
Suzannah Lipscomb on women’s lives in Reformation France
16 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Dan Jones about the lives of women in 16th-century France. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy ...
Tom Holland on Christianity’s enduring legacy
12 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Historian and author Tom Holland discusses his new book Dominion, which explores the history of Christianity and argues that it has had a transformat...
The Crusades, with Dan Jones
09 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Bestselling medieval historian Dan Jones discusses his new book Crusaders, which tells the stories of these religious conflicts through the people wh...
Poland, 1939: World War Two begins
05 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As we reach the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War Two, historian Roger Moorhouse tells the story of the 1939 battle for Poland that saw t...
Hitler’s war with Anglo-America
02 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Brendan Simms talks to us about his new biography of Adolf Hitler, which argues that the Nazi dictator’s main preoccupation was rivalry wi...
War trauma
29 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Emma Butcher and Dr Hannah Partis-Jennings explore the history of war trauma, discussing how it has affected soldiers and civilians in conflicts s...
Chernobyl: the story of a tragedy
26 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Historian Serhii Plokhy, author of an award-winning book on the 1986 Soviet nuclear disaster, explores the causes and consequences of the Chernobyl ac...
The real Peaky Blinders
22 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As the fifth series of the BBC historical drama is about to air, we talk to historian Andrew Davies about the real Birmingham gangsters who inspired t...
The corner shop revolution
19 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Babita Sharma explores the history of the British corner shop, explaining how Asian immigrants transformed these local businesses. Historyextra.com/po...
Peterloo: the story of a massacre
15 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ahead of the 200th anniversary of Peterloo, we speak to Robert Poole, author of a major new history of the massacre. He explores the history of 19th-...
Britain's key archaeological discoveries
12 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Archaeologist and writer Mike Pitts discusses some of the major archaeological finds that have shaped the way we understand the early history of the B...
Gordon Brown on Andrew Carnegie
10 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Former prime minister Gordon Brown discusses the American businessman Andrew Carnegie, who gave away most of his fortune at the turn of the 20th cent...
Prisoner dilemmas
08 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Harry Potter explores the twists and turns in the history of the British penal system. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...
Why black hair matters
05 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Historian and broadcaster Emma Dabiri explains how the history of black hair reflects broad themes of capitalism, slavery, colonialism and more. Histo...
The Zinoviev Letter conspiracy
01 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Former Foreign Office historian Gill Bennett explores how a forged letter by a Soviet leader in 1924 shocked Britain and helped undermine the Labour P...
Making jokes about Romans
29 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Greg Jenner, historical consultant for the BBC series Horrible Histories, talks about the series’ big screen outing, Rotten Romans. He also explor...
Charlemagne: medieval empire builder
25 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Dame Janet L Nelson discusses Charlemagne, the 8th-century king of the Franks who became one of medieval Europe’s most important rulers. H...
Stonewall and the fight for gay rights
22 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Fifty years after the Stonewall riots in New York City, historian Chris Parkes explores the background to the events and shows how the episode became...
The race to the moon
18 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As we approach the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, historian Kendrick Oliver explores the space race that led to it and considers the legacy of...
An Indian cricket team in imperial Britain
15 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Historian Prashant Kidambi revisits the first Indian cricket tour of Britain, which took place in the summer of 1911 when the British empire was still...
The battle of Trafalgar
11 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Historian Sam Willis describes the dramatic 1805 British victory against French and Spanish fleets, while challenging misconceptions about the role of...
King killers in America
08 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Historian Matthew Jenkinson tells the stories of Edward Whalley and William Goffe who fled to New England in the 17th century following their involve...
AC Grayling on the history of philosophy
04 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
AC Grayling ranges through 2,500 years of history to explore the impact of great thinkers like Aristotle, Immanuel Kant and Bertrand Russell. historye...
The problem with the Anglo-Saxons
01 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Susan Oosthuizen explains why we should be reassessing what we think about the Anglo-Saxons. historyextra.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...
Victorian freak shows
27 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Historian and author Dr John Woolf explores the extraordinary and complex stories of 19th-century performers such as General Tom Thumb, who became sta...
Appeasement and the road to World War Two
24 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Historian and journalist Tim Bouverie discusses his new book Appeasing Hitler, which explores the failed diplomacy that led to World War Two and the ...
The women of Bletchley Park
20 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Historian and broadcaster Tessa Dunlop shares the stories of women she interviewed who worked at Britain’s codebreaking centre during World War Two....
At home with the royals
17 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Adrian Tinniswood explores the fascinating history of Britain’s royal households, from the Tudor period until today. historyextra.com/podcasts Hoste...
The story of Madame Tussaud
13 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Edward Carey discusses the life of Madame Tussaud, who created waxworks in the era of the French Revolution. historyextra.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast...
The life of Saladin
10 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Jonathan Phillips is joined by medieval historian Dan Jones to discuss the life and legacy of the Muslim ruler Saladin, who famously capture...
A new view of D-Day
06 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
James Holland revisits the events of 6 June 1944 and challenges myths that have grown up around the Allied landings and the battle for Normandy. histo...
Monarchy and faith in Tudor England
03 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Estelle Paranque and Emma J Wells reflect on the religious changes that took place during the reigns of Henry VIII and his children. historyextra.com/...
Rachel Reeves on women who changed politics
30 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel Reeves talks about her new book, Women of Westminster, which explores the achievements of some of Britain’s foremost women politicians. Hist...
Jacob Rees-Mogg on the Victorians
27 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jacob Rees-Mogg discusses his new book, which explores the lives of 19th-century figures who he believes were crucial in creating modern Britain. hist...
Women in the 1960s
23 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia Nicholson talks about her new book How Was It For You?, which explores how some of the radical changes of the decade shaped the lives of wom...
Gentleman Jack
20 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Biographer Angela Steidele explores the life of 19th-century gay pioneer Anne Lister, whose story is the inspiration behind the major BBC/HBO drama G...
Jared Diamond on countries in crisis
16 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Historian, author and geographer Jared Diamond discusses how ideas from psychology can help us understand how countries have coped with traumas throug...
Secrets of Britains castles
13 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Medieval historian Marc Morris reveals the fascinating history of Britain’s castles, exploring why they were built, what they were used for, and the...
The Rise and Fall of the Boleyns
09 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Lauren Mackay, author of Among the Wolves of Court: The Untold Story of Thomas and George Boleyn, charts the tumultuous lives of the father and broth...
Women who made modern Britain
06 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Journalist and news presenter Cathy Newman discusses her new book Bloody Brilliant Women, which tells the stories of trailblazing women who change...
How population has shaped world history
02 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Demography expert Dr Paul Morland discusses his new book The Human Tide, which explores how population has been a crucial factor in global events ove...
The landscape of England
29 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Stephen Rippon of the University of Exeter explores the changing nature of England’s landscape, from the Iron Age until the Anglo-Saxon pe...
The Amritsar assassin
25 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Anita Anand tells the story of one man’s quest for revenge following the 1919 Amritsar massacre Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...
Letters from World War Two leaders
22 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Professor David Reynolds discusses the relationship between World War Two leaders Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt, as revealed by the messages exchang...
Notre-Dame
18 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Following Monday’s blaze that devastated Paris’s Notre-Dame cathedral, we speak to historian Emma J Wells about the medieval building’s remarkab...