HistoryExtra Long Reads

The Bloomsbury Group transformed British culture in the early 20th century – and its impact can still felt across the world today. So, how did this small set of artists, writers and thinkers become so influential? In today's Long Read, Frances Spalding argues that the answer lies in the strong bonds between its members. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine...

What can brutal murders reveal about society at the time they were committed? And what additional insights can we gain when those killings were committed by women? In today's Long Read, Rosalind Crone, historical consultant on the BBC series Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley, reveals what six murder cases can tell us about women’s lives in the 19th century. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best...

Julius Caesar's murder is often seen as the event that ushered in the age of emperors. Yet, argues Shushma Malik in today's Long Read, structural weaknesses had plagued Rome's republic long before his death. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the Christmas 2023 issue, and has been voiced in par...

For some servicemen hardened by a long military career, death in battle is preferable to simply fading away in old age. In this Long Read, Joshua Levine tells the story of one such man, a retired naval officer who leapt bravely back into the fray during the Second World War – at the age of 70. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Toda...

Matilda of Scotland, wife of Henry I, did perhaps more than any other figure to bridge the chasm between the Anglo-Saxons and their Norman conquerors. So why, asks Joanna Arman in this Long Read, has she been written out of history? HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the Christmas 2023 issue, a...

The Boston Tea Party is often cited as a model of peaceful civil protest. But, as Elinor Evans reveals in today's Long Read, on the 250th anniversary of this milestone in America's foundational story, it occurred against a backdrop of bloodshed. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the Christmas ...

In 1969, everyone from Prince Michael of Kent to Billy Butlin competed in a dash between London and New York aboard tandems, sedan chairs and jump jets. In this Long Read, Rachel Harris-Gardiner recalls a madcap forerunner of BBC's popular reality competition Race across the World. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature...

From dodging deceitful street hustlers and menacing bandits to dealing with the looming threat of food poisoning, sea sickness and even death, medieval travel could be a dangerous business. In today’s Long Read, Anthony Bale offers eight sage pieces of advice for those planning to pack their bags and embark on a journey to a foreign land in the Middle Ages.  HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the...

From the mid-1920s, Adolf Hitler saw a dramatic transformation in the eyes of the German public – from the buffoon who had botched a coup, to a true patriot who could deliver Germany from chaos. A century on from the Munich Beer Hall Putsch, Frank McDonough explains how Hitler turned a bloody fiasco into a political triumph, in this Long Read. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles f...

As the Walt Disney Company celebrates its centenary, it seems a fitting time to reflect on the legacy of the iconic House of Mouse. In this Long Read, John Wills traces the company’s story from its early animations to global blockbusters – and the political controversies it courted along the way.  HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears....

Powerful foes, chronic starvation, hostile landscapes – the First Crusade, an 11th-century armed pilgrimage to the holy city of Jerusalem, overcame seemingly insurmountable challenges. In today’s long read, Emily Briffett draws on the expertise of leading medieval historians to reveal how zeal, strategy, and sheer luck secured military success for this ambitious campaign.    HistoryExtra Long Read...

The Allied invasion of Italy in 1943 was envisaged as a swift push on Rome. Yet, as James Holland explains in today’s long read, by the end of the year, the campaign was stymied by German defences far from the capital. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the November 2023 issue, and has been voi...

Edward III’s siege of Calais was a pivotal moment in the Hundred Years’ War. In today’s long read, Dan Jones argues that it bears comparison with one of the most brutal clashes of the modern era: the battle of Stalingrad. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the November 2023 issue, and has been...

In September 1923, the British empire reached its maximum territorial extent – a staggering 460 million people lived within its borders. Yet just as the imperial project reached its apex, writes Matthew Parker in today’s long read, cracks were widening. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the No...

Anne Boleyn famously spent her youth learning the customs and etiquette of the French court. But how did this extensive education impact her later life, and her approach to queenship? Today’s long read, written by John Guy and Julia Fox, reveals how international diplomacy supercharged the rise of Henry VIII’s second wife – and hastened her fall. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best article...

Today, insects are seen as a vital part of our ecosystem, but in the late 17th century, they were largely overlooked by science. Today’s long read, written by Patricia Fara, tells the story of a groundbreaking lepidopterist whose research provided solace from a turbulent personal life. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feat...

Over the past 200 years, Dick Whittington has become one of Britain’s best-loved pantomime heroes. Yet, as today’s long read explores, the real-life story that inspired Dick’s rags to riches tale is even more remarkable than the fiction. Based on his interview with author Michael McCarthy, Jon Bauckham considers how this fascinating medieval merchant morphed into an icon of the stage.  HistoryExtr...

From cobbled alleys and snarky graffiti to bustling communal fountains and holy shrines, Pompeii was a city teeming with life. In today’s long read, written by Sophie Hay, we travel back 100 years to an archaeological dig that transformed our understanding of daily life on its streets. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feat...

From 1307, members of the Knights Templar were beaten, brutalised and put to death on charges of heresy, Satanism and mass murder. But, asks today’s long read, written by historian Steve Tibble, were this elite band of holy warriors fitted up for crimes they didn’t commit? HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originall...

From the illicit affairs of high society to duels, crimes and even ghosts, Georgian Britain loved a scandal. Today’s long read, written by historian and author Emily Brand, charts eight of the most shocking.  HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the September 2023 issue, and has been voiced in pa...

What did English merchants and mariners do when a Spanish invasion fleet menaced the South Coast in 1588? Well, as today’s long read written by Robert Blackmore reveals, they simply boarded their ships and carried on trading. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the September 2023 issue, and has...

The image of plucky warriors sending a cocksure English army into flight has secured Bannockburn’s status in the annals of Scottish history. Today’s long read, written by public historian Helen Carr, chronicles how the 1314 clash transformed the balance of power between two warring nations.  HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’...

From as early as 1914, powerful voices called for the First World War to end in a negotiated compromise. So, why were they ignored? That’s the question at the heart of today’s long read, written by historian Professor Holger Afflerbach. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the September 2023 issu...

Pax Romana brought stability and prosperity to Rome’s vast empire. Yet, argues today’s long read written by historian and broadcaster Tom Holland, behind the dazzling new cities and teeming sea lanes lay the threat of lethal, irresistible violence. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the August...

In 1323, Roger Mortimer pulled off an audacious escape from the Tower of London before ejecting Edward II from the English throne. But, as today’s long read written by historian Paul Drybrugh reveals, the rebel baron’s designs on power were ultimately undone by his own big head. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature ori...