HistoryExtra podcast
Episodes
Women's hidden role in religious reformation
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The histories of religious reformations across the globe have largely focused on men. But women were also integral to these major transformations. Spe...
The history of British homes: everything you wanted to know
16 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Wolfmen and amazons: why did the Greeks and Romans demonise their neighbours?
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fearsome Amazons. Men who turned into wolves. Tribes who never grew old. Ancient Greek and Roman sources are packed with extraordinary descriptions of...
Reform and rebellion in the reign of Henry III
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With accusations of favouritism, poor spending and unrealistic international plans, resentment against Henry III simmered among his barons throughout ...
Emily Hobhouse: life of the week
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pacifist. Humanitarian. Whistleblower. From humble roots growing up in Cornwall, Emily Hobhouse went on to challenge the societal issues of her day an...
Cheese-rolling, horse skulls & morris dancers: Britain's strange folk customs
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Roman medicine: everything you wanted to know
09 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
What's the state of women's history in 2025?
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Medieval murder mystery: who killed King James III?
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 h...
Virginia Woolf: life of the week
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Medieval murders most foul
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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, ...
The Assyrians: everything you wanted to know
02 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
King Leopold's elephant expedition: a story of colonialism in Congo
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1879, King Leopold of Belgium commissioned an expedition to transport Asian elephants from India to the African interior, with a vision of using th...
Introducing History's Greatest Battles | New Podcast
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Vicious civil wars. Gruelling sieges. Rebellious provinces, galling betrayals and tribes seeking revenge… Join us for the first series of History’...
What did the Romans wear?
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Ro...
Frederick Barbarossa: life of the week
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 pa...
Sexuality on trial in colonial America
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1774, as Britain’s colonies in America teetered on the brink of revolution, one regiment was torn apart by the trials of a British army chaplain ...
Mining history: everything you wanted to know
23 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Historically, how much would a British miner have earned for a hard day's work? Did women and children also work underground? And why were canaries ta...
Bruisers and bare knuckles: the brutal world of Victorian boxing
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Men fighting pumas. Brutal prize-fights in sacred chapels. A pair of sisters who could pack a punch. In Victorian Britain, boxing offered up edge-of-y...
Did Britain really rule the waves?
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's often proclaimed that British sea power was at its pinnacle in the years following the French and Napoleonic wars. But was this really a time whe...
Jane Austen: life of the week
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jane Austen remains one of the most influential novelists in English literature. Her sharp social commentary, wit, and exploration of love, class, and...
The princess who fled Romanov Russia
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Born in 1781, Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld grew up in a world convulsed by the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. And her life proved ...
The Opium Wars: everything you wanted to know
16 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why did Britain go to war with China in the 19th century to protect the interests of drug dealers? Speaking with Elinor Evans, Stephen R Platt discuss...
Rome's most scandalous emperors
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How cruel was Caligula? How depraved was Tiberius? And how monstrous was Nero? The dark reputations of these emperors owe a great deal to the Roman wr...
The royal threesome that rocked Anglo-Saxon England
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the year 955, Eadwig became king of England – and, according to 10th-century sources, he celebrated in quite a salacious fashion. These stories c...
Are we celebrating the wrong Magna Carta?
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The history books tell us that Magna Carta was sealed on 15 June 1215. But, according to Professor David Carpenter, that's not actually the date we sh...
The forgotten JFK assassination plot
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In December 1960, as president-elect John F Kennedy made his way to church in Florida, a would-be assassin waited nearby, preparing to detonate a bomb...
The Indian Rebellion of 1857: everything you wanted to know
09 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What ignited resentment at British rule in India into outright violence? How brutal was British troops' suppression of the uprising? And how did the e...
From dinosaurs to Godzilla: a 15,000-year history of monsters
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a monster, and why do they fascinate us? Dr Natalie Lawrence unravels 15,000 years of human storytelling through the tales of creatures lik...
How monasteries powered medieval Europe
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Monasteries and convents were a common sight throughout medieval Europe and beyond. But who were they for? What did they do? And how did religious lif...
Greenland, forest fires and presidential power: history behind the headlines
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Historians Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter look at the shifting dynamics of presidential power and discuss the history behind President Trump's stated de...
George Villiers: from royal favourite to enemy number one
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, had charm and political ambition by the bucketload – and his rise as a favourite of King James I and VI in ...
Extinct animals: everything you wanted to know
02 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From the depths of the Ice Age to the 20th century, why – and how – have species gone extinct? And are humans always to blame? In conversation wit...
Agony and ecstasy: the lives of mystics
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From medieval mystic Julian of Norwich to countercultural figures of the 1960s, various individuals down the centuries have felt they have access to s...
How medicine became a moneymaker
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did we go from sharing homegrown cures free of charge to buying medicine from strangers on the open market? This transition is more complex than y...
Carolingians in crisis: the medieval civil war that shaped Europe
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
History is full of dysfunctional families, but few more so than the Carolingian ruling clan. The empire was at the height of its power under renowned ...
Charles Dickens: life of the week
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charles Dickens is one of the most famous figures in literary history. But, there's lots about the author that you might not know, from his obsessive ...
Murder in WW2 London
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In September 1940, the German Luftwaffe began raining bombs on British cities, causing death and destruction on a scale never before seen. But, in the...
British TV history: everything you wanted to know
26 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From early shows that looked as if they were filmed "in a heavy and persistent shower of rain" to today's multi-platform streaming world, the history ...
The big questions of the Holocaust
25 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did the Nazis’ poisonous antisemitic rhetoric eventually culminate in the systematic mass-murder of millions? Speaking to Rachel Dinning back in...
Happiness: history of an emotion
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The word 'happiness' came into common usage in around the 17th century, but the concept has a much longer history. So how have people conceptualised h...
The 1453 fall of Constantinople: capturing the Byzantine capital
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1453, the once grand and formidable city of Constantinople fell to the hands of the Ottoman Turks – bringing over a millennium of Byzantine rule ...
Inside the mind of the Third Reich
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What drives people to commit atrocities? Few periods in history confront this question as starkly as the rise of the Nazis, whose crimes stand as a ch...
Sacagawea: life of the week
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sacagawea is remembered in US history as the Shoshone Native American woman who acted as interpreter to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the early 19th...
Women's bodies: an unreliable history
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The history of women's bodies is far from simple. Female anatomy and the ideas surrounding it – from breastfeeding to virginity – still cause cont...
Ancient Mesopotamia: everything you wanted to know
19 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know your Sumerians from your Babylonians and your Akkadians? All these civilisations formed part of the story of ancient Mesopotamia, where ci...
Who moulded Winston Churchill?
18 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Later this week marks 60 years since the death of Winston Churchill, on 24 January 1965. So we thought it would be interesting to bring back this epis...
Elizabethan London: a multicultural melting pot
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
London today is a bustling, multicultural city. But what about in the past? Emily Briffett spoke to Dr John Gallagher to find out more about the vibra...
Strange stories of medieval saints
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
What is the greatest historical movie of all time?
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 webs...
Nell Gwyn: life of the week
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nell Gwyn epitomised the wild spirit of the Restoration era. An orange-seller turned actress, turned royal mistress of King Charles II, she hustled he...
How pigs caused a stink in medieval England
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 misdemeano...
The Hanseatic League: everything you wanted to know
12 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Hanseatic League was often compared to a crocodile, because it was a shadowy, somewhat sinister entity that kept its true intentions concealed. He...
Secret forceps & pig bladders: medical objects through time
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 hu...
How Roman roads transformed Europe
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
They spanned a continent, offered a conduit for soldiers and pilgrims alike – and may not have been as straight as legend suggests. Roman roads play...
Hotel Lux: the guesthouse of world revolution
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
History is often told through the epic struggles of famous personalities or grand movements. Yet sometimes the voices of ordinary people break through...
Introducing History's Greatest Scandals | New Podcast
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Poisoned sweets. Criminal misdeeds. And a sex scandal involving… the prime-minister. Listen to HistoryExtra's new podcast History’s Greatest Scan...
Susan B Anthony: life of the week
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 obsc...
How the compass became a political weapon
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 intensel...
Medieval towns: everything you wanted to know
05 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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? ...
Harold Wilson: the rock 'n' roll prime minister
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Harold Wilson is as central to the story of sixties Britain as the Beatles, Profumo and miniskirts. Admirers applauded the social reforms he introduce...
Who is buried at Sutton Hoo?
02 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 bet...
Sex and Christianity: 2,000 years of love and fury
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 so...
Catherine the Great: life of the week
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Catherine the Great stands out from the rulers of Imperial Russia – a 'philosopher empress' whose wit, political savvy, and unyielding ambition tran...
The Second Norman Conquest
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
The Carolingians: everything you wanted to know
29 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The early medieval Carolingian empire played a crucial role in the development of Europe throughout the Middle Ages. Though the dynasty itself was not...
The SAS in WW2: everything you wanted to know
28 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 Bri...
Arnhem: 24 hours that shattered Allied dreams
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Tudor England | 5. The wider world
26 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The 16th century is often seen as a 'golden age' of exploration, which witnessed England's emergence as a major player on the European stage. But it w...
2024 in review: history behind the headlines
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter look back at the history behind some of the year's biggest news stories in this special episode of our monthly series Fr...
Shipwrecks: a porthole to the past
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From a sunken Tudor flagship brought back to life by the wonders of osteoarchaeology, to the tales of bravery and endurance surrounding the tragic fat...
Quaker history: everything you wanted to know
22 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Radical rabble-rousers, trusted bankers and conscientious objectors; the Quakers have been viewed in many different ways down the centuries. Their non...
Christmas history: everything you wanted to know
21 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Did Oliver Cromwell ban mince pies? When did people first give Christmas presents? And why does Santa wear red? Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne in this ep...
How convict labour forged empires
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Think of the transportation of convicts, and your mind probably goes to the arrival of the First Fleet in Australia in 1788. But, as historian Clare A...
Tudor England | 4. Religion and superstition
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The English Reformation and the dissolution of the monasteries were major milestones in 16th-century England, shaking the very foundations of Tudor re...
Secrets of medieval churches
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Churches were central to life in the Middle Ages. But with the Reformation wreaking havoc on religious buildings, nowadays it's hard to get a sense of...
Isabella of Castile: life of the week
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From the fall of Granada to the issuing of the Alhambra decree, Isabella of Castile's reign was one that saw an extraordinary amount of history-alteri...
The massacre that shattered the old Ottoman world
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 1860, the diverse Ottoman city of Damascus witnessed the massacre of thousands of Christians. The killings, combined with Constantinople’s hardli...
Underwear history: everything you wanted to know
15 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When did people first start wearing underwear? What's the difference between drawers and bloomers? Did medieval women wear bras? Were Victorian corset...
Medieval relic hunters: the quest for Notre-Dame's crown of thorns
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The crown of thorns was one of the greatest medieval relics, supposedly pressed into the head of Jesus Christ by mocking Roman soldiers. Hunted down b...
Tudor England | 3. Culture and innovation
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why were festivals and feasts such major events in the Tudor age? What toxic beauty products did Elizabeth I plaster her face with? And were the works...
Tempting treats & festive feats: christmas shopping down the ages
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As we get closer to Christmas, many people will be heading out to the shops to look for the perfect presents. And this mad dash in search of festive g...
Robert the Bruce: life of the week
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Robert the Bruce may be lauded as a Scottish national hero, a noble warrior who fended off the English and claimed a spectacular victory at the battle...
Germany's postwar reinvention
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 1945, Germany lay in ruins – both physically and morally. Nearly 80 years after the Second World War, it has since been transformed into an econo...
Robot history: everything you wanted to know
08 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When did automatons first emerge? Which science-fiction depiction of robots is the most accurate? And why did so many people fall for a hoax machine c...
Britain's wild republican decade
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For some, it's hard to imagine Britain without a king or queen. Yet, nearly 400 years ago, that prospect became a reality. In January 1649, after a bl...
Tudor England | 2. Daily life
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What was the most popular pastime of the Tudor age? Why was bathing even once a month considered dangerous? And how could living alongside your pets h...
Kublai Khan: ruler of the waves
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Genghis Khan may have built a formidable land empire, but his grandson Kublai Khan mastered the seas. So how did a nomadic leader come to have such a ...
Princes in the Tower: could this new discovery solve the mystery?
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The disappearance of the princes in the Tower in 1483 is one of British history's most enduring mysteries. But a brand new discovery made by Professor...
The murders at Rillington Place: postwar London's grisliest crimes
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On 24 March 1953, a tenant of 10 Rillington Place, Notting Hill made a gruesome discovery. Inside the walls of the downstairs flat, he uncovered the b...
Tudor explorers: everything you wanted to know
01 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
By the time the Tudors took to the waves, much of the world had already been mapped by Europeans. So what was left for Tudor explorers to uncover – ...
Nelson & Winnie: inside the Mandelas' marriage
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nelson and Winnie Mandela were one of the most famous couples of the 20th century. Their relationship became a powerful symbol of the freedom struggle...
Tudor England | 1. Power and politics
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Tudor world was a turbulent one, with momentous decisions reliant on the whims of those in power. But how was authority felt by the average person...
Tudor England: the big questions | Trailer
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From vicious court politicking and cultural innovation, to global voyages of discovery and total religious upheaval, Tudor England was a turbulent –...
A Victorian cult: inside the strange world of the Agapemone
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1840s, a strange, secretive community known as the Agapemonites set up camp in Spaxton, Somerset. Presided over by a rogue Anglican priest who ...
History behind the headlines: Trump's win – parallels with the past
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the latest episode of our monthly series charting the past behind the present, historians Rana Mitter and Hannah Skoda explore the historical episo...
Sport's strangest tales
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have been infatuated with sport for thousands of years. But what drove this obsession in the first place? And how did ancient pursuits evolve i...
Ancient Egyptian warfare: everything you wanted to know
24 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ancient Egypt conjures up images of pharaohs, pyramids and hieroglyphics – but what about soldiers, generals and military campaigns? In today's epis...
The bloody road to Rome: liberating Italy from the Nazis in WWII
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When the Allies invaded Italy in the summer of 1943 they hoped to be in Rome by Christmas. Instead, it wasn't until June 1944 that the Italian capital...
The invisible tracks that have shaped the world
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Each ocean voyage through history has laid down a track that tells a story. These invisible pathways across the seas can reveal how the world has been...