HistoryExtra podcast

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...

Melvyn Bragg on Heloise and Abelard

15 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Renowned author and broadcaster Melvyn Bragg discusses the 12th-century French thinkers Peter Abelard and Heloise, and the enduring love story at the ...

Exploring Britain’s cathedrals

11 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Travel writer Christopher Somerville discusses his experiences of visiting some of Britain’s historic cathedrals and explains what they can tell us ...

The Scottish Clearances

08 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Tom Devine explores one of the most traumatic moments in Scottish history and explains how a number of misconceptions still exist around the...

King John: medieval monster

04 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Nicholas Vincent discusses the life and reign of the infamous 13th-century monarch, whose reign saw military disasters abroad and the sealin...

World War Two's 'ordinary' soldiers

01 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Military historian Jonathan Fennell discusses his new book, which explores the experiences of citizen soldiers from Britain, its empire and commonweal...

Rethinking the crusades

28 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Historian Nicholas Paul explores some little known aspects of the crusades and also considers why this aspect of medieval history has inspired the far...

The women killed by Jack the Ripper

25 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hallie Rubenhold discusses her new book The Five, which uses the untold stories of Jack the Ripper’s victims to reveal what life was like for worki...

The global Vikings

21 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Medieval historian Levi Roach describes how the Norse people travelled, raided and settled far beyond their Scandinavian homeland, even journeying acr...

Henry VI: terrible king

18 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Historian and author Lauren Johnson discusses the life and reign of Henry VI, whose decades on the throne coincided with defeat in the Hundred Years’...

Churchill's navy

14 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Matthew Seligmann describes the changes made by Winston Churchill to the Royal Navy in the years leading up to the First World War – rangi...

Victorian murder scandal

11 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Author and biographer Claire Harman talks to us about a 19th-century killing that drew in the literary world, including Dickens and Thackeray. Hosted ...

Rutger Bregman: historian in the news

07 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to Dutch historian Rutger Bregman, who recently hit the headlines with his appearance at the World Economic Forum and an unaired interview on...

King George V at war

04 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Alexandra Churchill considers the impact of the British monarch on the First World War, and explores the question of whether he could have done more t...

Schools through time

28 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Former education secretary Alan Johnson discusses the history of schooling since the Victorian era, which is the subject of his new series on BBC Radi...

Bart van Es on The Cut Out Girl

25 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Bart van Es talks to us about The Cut Out Girl, which was recently announced as the Costa Book of the Year. He explains how his family took...

Medieval warrior queen

21 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Historian Catherine Hanley tells the story of Empress Matilda, the daughter of Henry I whose battle with Stephen for the English throne in the 12th c...

A global history of philosophy

18 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Philosopher and author Julian Baggini speaks about his new book, How the World Thinks, in conversation with the historian Justin Champion. Hosted on A...

Love in Georgian times

14 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For our Valentine’s Day episode, historian Sally Holloway explores the nature of courtship, love and marriage in 18th-century Britain, highlighting ...

Eric Hobsbawm: history and politics

11 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Richard J Evans discusses his new biography of Eric Hobsbawm, the influential 20th-century historian who was famously – and sometimes cont...

The story of modern Japan

07 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Christopher Harding explores Japan’s dramatic history over the past 150 years, considering its relationship with the west and the cultural impact...

War and music

04 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

BBC broadcaster John Simpson discusses the connections between classical music and some of the most notable events of the mid-20th century, from Worl...

Bonus Episode: How technology is changing politics

02 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this special edition, produced by our friends from the Science Focus podcast, Jamie Susskind explains how the politics of the future will be shaped...

A Roman woman of great power

31 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Historian Emma Southon explores the extraordinary life of Agrippina the Younger, who was the wife of Claudius, the mother of Nero and the sister of Ca...

World-changing women

28 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jenni Murray, longstanding presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, discusses her new book, which tells the stories of some of the most fascinati...

Legacies of the Holocaust

24 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Historians Mary Fulbrook and Richard J Evans explore the aftermath of the Nazi genocide, looking at how thousands of perpetrators escaped justice and ...

Diversity in history

21 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Olivette Otele, who recently became Britain’s first black female professor of history, joins Dr Sadiah Qureshi of the University of Birmingham to di...

The story of the Hurricane

17 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Joel Hammer, producer of the new BBC World Service podcast The Hurricane Tapes, revisits the life of Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter, the American boxer...

Mary, Queen of Scots’ tragic life

14 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Historian, author and broadcaster Kate Williams tells the dramatic story of the 16th-century Scottish queen and reflects on her doomed relationship wi...

The true history of The Favourite

10 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Historians Amanda Vickery, Hallie Rubenhold and Hannah Greig discuss the acclaimed new historical drama The Favourite and consider how accurately it r...

Remarkable women through history

07 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Max Adams, author of Unquiet Women, explores the lives of some remarkable women from history whose stories have been largely forgotten. He also overt...

Egypt’s lost tombs

03 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Egyptologist, author and broadcaster Chris Naunton talks about the search for the resting places of famous Egyptians such as Nefertiti and Cleopatra H...

Medieval civil war

31 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Historian, author and broadcaster Nick Barratt explores the dynastic clashes between Henry II and his ambitious sons for control of the Plantagenet cr...

Indians in World War One

27 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Santanu Das explores the experiences of Indians who fought in and were affected by the First World War and explains how he has utilised a wi...

2018 Christmas history quiz

24 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Join the BBC History Magazine team for the return of our annual Christmas history quiz with questions set by QI writer Justin Pollard. Read the t...

Bess of Hardwick: a Tudor success story

20 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Kate Hubbard, biographer of Bess of Hardwick, explores the fascinating life of a Tudor woman who rose from relative obscurity to become one of the ric...

Wonders of the Middle Ages

17 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Kathleen Doyle and Tuija Ainonen discuss a major Anglo-French project that has made hundreds of medieval manuscripts available for the public to view ...

Letters that changed the world

13 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Bestselling historian and author Simon Sebag Montefiore describes some of history’s most fascinating and important letters, from Mark Antony’s tho...

Black radicalism with Kehinde Andrews

10 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Kehinde Andrews, professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University, discusses his new book, Back to Black: Retelling Black Radicalism for the 2...

Napoleon: the insecure emperor

06 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Historian Adam Zamoyski, author of a new biography of Napoleon, offers his views on the iconic French leader, exploring how his stellar career was dri...

History in colour

03 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Popular historian Dan Jones and digital artist Marina Amaral discuss their groundbreaking book The Colour of Time, which uses colourised photographs t...

Walter Ralegh: enemy of the state

29 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Anna Beer, biographer of Walter Ralegh, explores the extraordinary life and incendiary legacy of the Tudor polymath. She reveals how he became a favou...

The Germans who fought Hitler

26 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Paddy Ashdown tells the stories of German opponents of Nazism who plotted to bring down Hitler’s regime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for ...

Hunting Britain’s Nazis

22 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist and author Robert Hutton talks about his new book Agent Jack, which describes the activities of Nazi sympathisers in Britain during World W...

Tales from D-Day

19 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Author and historian Giles Milton describes some dramatic but lesser-known stories of soldiers and civilians who were involved in the Normandy landing...

Bernard Cornwell on the Last Kingdom

15 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As the third series of the Anglo-Saxon drama is about to air, we speak to the renowned historical novelist Bernard Cornwell about his books that inspi...

Nietzsche’s dangerous ideas

12 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The award-winning biographer Sue Prideaux discusses the life and work of the influential 19th-century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and explains how...

Dan Snow on shell shock

08 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The popular historian discusses war trauma over the past century, the subject of his upcoming BBC Two documentary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

The end of the First World War

05 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As we approach the centenary of the Armistice, Gary Sheffield explores the final moments of the conflict that devastated the world for four and a half...

Mike Leigh on Peterloo

01 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The acclaimed writer and director talks about the creation of his major new historical epic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio...

The Peterloo Massacre

29 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Historian and author Jacqueline Riding discusses the tragic events of August 1819 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn m...

Anglo-Saxon treasures

25 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Claire Breay, lead curator of a major new Anglo-Saxons exhibition at the British Library, explores the cultural highlights of 600 years of English his...

Thomas Cromwell reconsidered

22 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Diarmaid MacCulloch discusses his new book on the Tudor statesman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your a...

A new life of Churchill

18 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The historian and author Andrew Roberts discusses his new biography of Winston Churchill, revealing some of the insights arising from his research and...

Peter Jackson on the First World War

15 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to the Lord of the Rings director about They Shall Not Grow Old, his ambitious new film that recreates the First World War in colour Hosted o...

Adventures in Iceland

11 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

With the aid of his recently discovered diaries, Katherine Findlay tells the unusual story of Pike Ward – a Devon fish merchant who became an Icelan...

Brexit and American independence

08 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Historian Tom Cutterham compares the ongoing negotiations to take Britain out of the EU with those of the 1780s when the United States departed from t...

Bonus Episode: Identifying Jack the Ripper

07 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this special edition, produced by our friends from the Science Focus podcast, criminologist David Wilson applies the latest scientific techniques i...

The Nazi on the run

05 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The author and barrister Philippe Sands discusses the incredible story of Otto von Wächter, which forms the basis of his new BBC podcast and Radio 4 ...

The spy who changed the cold war

01 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Bestselling historical author Ben Macintyre talks to us about his new book, The Spy and the Traitor, which tells the remarkable story of a KGB double ...

Queen Victoria by Lucy Worsley

27 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We head to Kensington Palace, once home to the young Victoria, to discuss the queen’s life with the author, historian and broadcaster Lucy Worsley H...

Neil Oliver’s history of the British Isles

24 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The archaeologist and broadcaster Neil Oliver talks about some of the highlights of his new book, which charts the history of the British Isles throug...

The good war?

20 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist and author Peter Hitchens discusses his new book, The Phoney Victory, which challenges a number of popular beliefs about the Second World W...

The extraordinary history of ordinary things

17 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Historians Sam Willis and James Daybell explore some of the fascinating stories that appear in their Histories of the Unexpected book and podcast, fro...

A half-hour history of Europe

13 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Author and journalist Simon Jenkins is joined by Professor Kathleen Burk to discuss his forthcoming Short History of Europe, which explores some of th...

Dissent through the centuries

10 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Private Eye editor and broadcaster Ian Hislop is joined by curator Tom Hockhenhull to discuss some of the themes and objects that appear in their ...

Who should we commemorate?

06 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Lawrence Goldman explores the issues surrounding monuments to controversial historical figures in light of the Rhodes Must Fall campaign and...

Scots and Catalans

03 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Historian Sir John Elliott explores the long histories of Scottish and Catalan nationalism and considers some of the key similarities and differences ...

100 women who changed the world

30 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Historians Joanne Paul, Olivette Otele and June Purvis dissect the results of our recent poll into history’s most important women, which saw Marie C...

Charles de Gaulle reconsidered

28 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Historian Julian Jackson, author of a major new biography of Charles de Gaulle, offers a fresh take on the iconic French leader, exploring his role in...