HistoryExtra podcast

The French Revolution of 1789 is one of the defining events of world history – but the decades preceding the revolution were also seismic, being marked by war, royal scandal, financial crisis and scientific wonder. In conversation with Rob Attar, Robert Darnton takes us on a journey through the streets of Paris in the 40 years that preceded the storming of the Bastille. (Ad) Robert Darnton is the...

Islam Issa charts what the tragic history play tells us about the ancient world – and the insights it offers into the politics of the playwright’s own era It may be set in ancient Rome, with a cast of real-life characters – yet William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar also tells us a great deal about the machinations of the Elizabethan court. Islam Issa shares his thoughts on how the play offers a wind...

Writing during the celebrated Tang dynasty, Du Fu is heralded as China's greatest poet, musing on subjects from how to cook noodles to war and rebellion. Speaking to Spencer Mizen, Michael Wood charts Du Fu's fascinating life, and explores what the poet can tell us about medieval Chinese culture. (Ad) Michael Wood is the author of In the Footsteps of Du Fu (Simon & Schuster, 2023). Buy it now from...

From Renaissance Florence and ancient Babylon to the kingdom of Benin and Heian-era Kyoto, cities across history have served as launchpads for extraordinary outbursts of artistic flowering. Caroline Campbell, director of the National Gallery of Ireland and the author of The Power of Art, guides Ellie Cawthorne through some of these cultural metropolises, exploring what made them artistic hubs, and...

When was it established that the Earth is round? Did the Catholic church help or hinder the practice of astronomy? And how transformative was the big bang theory? Speaking to Spencer Mizen, James Hannam answers your queries on the long history of the study of the heavens. (Ad) James Hannam is the author of The Globe: How the Earth Became Round (Reaktion Books, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https:...

Charles Dickens was a master of managing his personal brand. In fact, almost everything we know about him comes from one biography, written by his friend John Forster. But, if you dig a little deeper, strange biographical inconsistencies begin to emerge. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, Helena Kelly outlines her new theories on the truth behind the stories Dickens told about everything from his family...

Sophie Duncan delves into the playwright’s world-famous tragedy to reveal what it tells us about youth in the Tudor era The doomed romance of young lovers Romeo and Juliet has captured imaginations across the centuries – but what does William Shakespeare’s play tell us about the real experiences of youth at the time he was writing? Sophie Duncan offers her expert take. The HistoryExtra podcast is...

Rachel Herrmann charts the long history of America’s famous holiday – from modern parades and celebrations to the first feast From the fabled first feast between the Pilgrims and Native Americans to the darker side of the holiday's history, the American tradition of Thanksgiving has a long and complex past. Here, Charlotte Hodgman puts listener queries and popular search queries to Rachel Herrman...

Why did medieval people hit the road or the high seas? Was it expensive to travel in the Middle Ages, and what were the biggest risks that a medieval traveller faced? Speaking to David Musgrove, Professor Anthony Bale gives the lowdown on the medieval travel experience. (Ad) Anthony Bale is the author of A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages: The World Through Medieval Eyes (Viking, 2023). Buy it now...

In the summer of 1483, two young princes disappeared from the Tower of London – and were never seen again. Had they been killed by their uncle, Richard III, in his bid for the English throne? Had someone else murdered them? Or had they been whisked away to safety? Philippa Langley, whose work helped to locate the bones of Richard III under a Leicester car park, talks to Rebecca Franks about new di...

How did the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood become so famous? Did Elizabeth Siddal really almost die in a bathtub when she modelled for John Everett Millais' Ophelia? And which Rosetti painting shocked the art establishment the most? Speaking to Elinor Evans, Suzanne Fagence Cooper answers your questions on the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood: a group of artists founded in 1848 who pushed the boundaries of...

Why, across Nazi-occupied Europe, did some people choose to resist the Third Reich? This is the question at the heart of Halik Kochanski's book Resistance, which has just won the 2023 Wolfson History Prize. In conversation with Rachel Dinning, Halik speaks about the different types of resistance against Nazi occupation across Europe between 1939 and 1945 – from open partisan warfare in the occupie...

William Shakespeare’s plays are among the celebrated works in all of English literature – but they also offer key insights into the time in which the playwright lived, and how the past was viewed in the Tudor era. In our new podcast series, Shakespeare: Past Master, experts delve into plays including Hamlet, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet to explore how they depict the past. Learn more about your ad...

Jerry Brotton offers expert insights into what the playwright’s much-quoted history play tells about nationalism and nationhood at the time it was first performed Telling the story of the build-up to and aftermath of the 1415 battle of Agincourt, William Shakespeare’s Henry V has sometimes been linked to the nationalistic glorification of war. Yet, as Jerry Brotton reveals, the play also contains...

George Orwell – the author of classics like 1984 – is a household name. But have you heard of his first wife, Eileen O’Shaughnessy, who convinced her husband to write the political fable which evolved into Animal Farm? Despite being vital in Orwell’s career, she has been omitted from the historical narrative by both her husband and his biographers since. Speaking to Lauren Good, Anna Funder reveal...

What are the earliest forms of written magic? How do the stories of magic and religion intersect? And how will these stories’ continued presence in popular culture influence events yet to come? Professor Owen Davies takes Lauren Good on a journey through the twisting history of the Grimoire, from the use of papyrus to the effects of ‘WitchTok’. (Ad) Owen Davies is the author of Art of the Grimoire...

What myths did the Norse believe, and what influence did they exert on daily life? Was the trickster god Loki really that bad, and was Odin really that wise? And why is Christianity a crucial part of the story? Speaking to Kev Lochun, historian and broadcaster Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough answers listener questions about the pantheon of Norse myths, from the yawning void of Ginnungagap to the end...

Dan Jones chronicles the brutal siege of Calais, an overlooked campaign in the Hundred Years’ War, and the focus of his new novel During the Hundred Years’ War, after the English had stormed to victory at the battle of Crécy, they turned their attention northwards: to the prized port city of Calais. Dan Jones brings the lengthy siege to life in his latest historical fiction novel, Wolves of Winter...

In episode five of our new series on the First Crusade, we rejoin the crusaders for the last time as they reach their final goal, the holy city of Jerusalem Of all the holy places venerated by medieval Christians, there was nowhere quite as sacred as Jerusalem: the supposed location of Jesus Christ’s burial, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. It would be the jewel in the crown of Christendom...

Frank McDonough explores the infamous failed coup that shaped the early history of the Nazi party On 8 November 1923, the Nazi Party launched a coup attempt in Munich that has come to be known as the ‘Beer Hall Putsch’. The putsch itself was an abject failure, but it taught Hitler valuable lessons that would aid his path to power a decade later. Historian Frank McDonough is joined by Rob Attar to...

Novelist Philippa Gregory reflects on 900 years of women’s history, from the huge upheavals of the Norman invasion to successfully securing the right to vote in the 20th century How have women’s lives changed since the 11th century, when William the Conqueror invaded England? Novelist Philippa Gregory has set out to explore this tumultuous history, explaining how global conflicts, the job market,...

For millennia, Egypt’s mighty pyramids have acted as emblems of the vibrant ancient civilisation that once straddled the Nile Valley. From mysteries surrounding their design and construction and the discovery of new passageways, to the enigma of the Great Sphinx, the pyramids continue to fascinate the world. Danny Bird puts some of our listeners’ questions to Egyptologist Mark Lehner. The HistoryE...

Nicknamed ‘Hellish Nell’ from childhood, spiritualist medium Helen Duncan made a living from claiming to communicate with the spirits of the dead at seances around Britain. But in 1944, her ‘psychic predictions’ of wartime tragedy saw her become the last person to be imprisoned under the Witchcraft Act of 1735. Malcolm Gaskill explores the remarkable events that led to Duncan’s incarceration and i...

In late AD 1097, a weary and wartorn band of crusaders arrived at the imposing walls of Antioch: a key strategic location on the long journey down the Levant. In the shadow of the city’s tall towers, the crusaders plotted their next move. Morale was at an all-time low, but the stakes were high – a Turkish army was on its way. In this fourth episode of our latest HistoryExtra podcast series, we’ll...

Sixties Britain didn’t swing for all its citizens – with racism, anti-immigration rhetoric and the spectre of unemployment affecting many black and Asian Britons. But those affected were determined to fight for their rights. Speaking to Rhiannon Davies, Preeti Dhillon revisits this familiar era to reveal examples of anti-racist activism that have been largely forgotten today. (Ad) Preeti Dhillon i...