HistoryExtra podcast

Ever since the shadow of Count Orlok crept up the staircase in 1922’s Nosferatu, and Fay Wray emitted her iconic scream in 1933’s King Kong, horror films have captivated and scandalised audiences in equal measure. Speaking to Matt Elton, Professor Roger Luckhurst explores how scary films have reflected changing social anxieties in the 20th and 21st centuries, and nominates the ten horror movies he...

The Caribbean island of Jamaica has a long and complex history, from its crucial role in the transatlantic slave trade to being the birthplace of Rastafari. Here, Rhiannon Davies puts listener queries and popular search queries on the island’s history to Audra A Diptee. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoi...

Killers of the Flower Moon, the new historical epic from Martin Scorsese, dramatises a series of murders that was described by press at the time as the “bloodiest chapter in American crime history”. The crimes caught the attention of J Edgar Hoover, and became the focus of one of the fledgling FBI’s first major homicide investigations. David Grann, author of the book on which the film is based, jo...

In the call to crusade that ignited the idea of holy war in the minds of the western European populace, Pope Urban II painted a picture of evil “infidels” torturing and massacring the Christians of the Holy Land. However, when the armed pilgrims of the First Crusade crossed over into Asia Minor, the situation was not as they had been led to believe – not least because they found a Christian popula...

Tuberculosis – otherwise known as the ‘Great White Plague’ – was a scourge on society and killed countless sufferers. Rhiannon Davies spoke to Maria Smilios to find out about the little-known story of the black nurses of New York’s Seaview Hospital who helped fight the disease – and were part of the historic drug trials of the 1950s that saw the arrival of a long-awaited cure. (Ad) Maria Smilios i...

Winston Churchill’s remarkable career saw him interact with many of the other great figures of the age, many of whom had a profound impact on Britain’s wartime leader. Speaking to Rob Attar, Professor David Reynolds examines Churchill’s relationships with the likes of Stalin, Mussolini, Gandhi and Clement Attlee – and considers how these figures left their mark on the statesman. (Ad) David Reynold...

Why was Henry III so unpopular with his barons? How did the future Edward I turn the tide of the war? Did leading rebel Simon de Montfort create the first English parliament? And is it true that, after being killed in battle, his testicles were placed into his mouth? Speaking with Spencer Mizen, Nicholas Vincent answers your queries on the Second Barons’ War. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced b...

Whether it was creating super-fast thoroughbreds, or fashioning dogs small enough to fit in your sleeve, animal breeding was an obsession of the Renaissance era. And, as Mackenzie Cooley reveals, animal husbandry prompted people to think about whether humankind could also be improved by selective breeding. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne about her Cundill Prize-shortlisted book The Perfection of Natur...

The Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos had asked the pope for a small crack team of western knights to aid him with his struggles in Asia Minor – a plea for help which had set crusading wheels into motion. But, he was shocked when waves of unruly crusaders began arriving in waves outside the walls of his capital. In this second episode of our latest HistoryExtra podcast series, we’ll reconstruct...

The early 1960s saw the British establishment face a challenging new landscape. It was an era of rapid change, but also of enduring conservatism. David Kynaston tells Spencer Mizen about Britain from 1962-65, when the rise of Harold Wilson and the Beatles threatened to shatter the status quo. (Ad) David Kynaston is the author of A Northern Wind: Britain 1962-65 (Bloomsbury, 2023). Buy it now from...

Our new bonus series delves into the fascinating lives of some of history's most significant figures, from ancient pharaohs to 20th-century secret agents. To access this new series and listen to all episodes completely ad-free subscribe to History Extra Plus on Apple Podcasts here: https://apple.co/3eHiXrc The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine and BBC History...

October 2023 marks the centenary of the Walt Disney Company, which from its early days as one of the pioneers of animated films has grown to become a cultural behemoth. Speaking to Matt Elton, John Wills looks back at a hundred years of classic films, controversy and cultural dominance. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed. Learn mor...

The decade and a half between the end of the First World War and the ascent of Nazism is one of the most debated and mythologised periods of German history. The democratic Weimar Republic was a period of great political instability but is also renowned for its liberal social attitudes and cultural achievements. For today’s everything you wanted to know episode Rob Attar is joined by Professor Fran...

The trans-Atlantic slave trade expanded greatly in the 18th century, growing from a relatively small enterprise to a global business that saw millions of African people clapped in irons, forced to undergo the tortuous Middle Passage and then sold at market in the Americas. Speaking to Rhiannon Davies, Nicholas Radburn investigates the merchants across the globe who tried to expand their bottom lin...

When we talk about the crusades today the mental images that spring to mind are as clear as they are striking – valiant crusader knights emblazoned with crosses and penniless pilgrims in search of salvation, perhaps even a brutal clash of civilisations. But, behind the popular myths, there lies a far more fascinating story. In our new HistoryExtra podcast series, The First Crusade: The War that Tr...

In episode one of our series on the First Crusade, we consider how a landmark papal bull lit a fire under the idea of crusading, triggering a military machine that saw tens of thousands make an unprecedented journey into the unknown and face off against an unfamiliar enemy When we talk about the crusades today the mental images that spring to mind are as clear as they are striking – valiant crusad...

St Augustine of Hippo is one of the most influential Christian thinkers of the past 2,000 years – and his work also offers fresh insights into the lives of women in the late Roman empire. That’s the contention of the historian Kate Cooper, who has drawn on his Confessions to tell the stories of Augustine’s mother, his lover, his fiancée and the Roman empress Justina, in her Cundill History Prize-s...

Our new monthly series explores the historical stories hitting the headlines – and the way in which the past informs today’s world. To access this new series and listen to all episodes completely ad-free subscribe to History Extra Plus on Apple Podcasts here: https://apple.co/3eHiXrc The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed. Learn more a...

As the UK marks Black History Month, a panel of expert historians – Hannah Cusworth, Pamela Roberts and Hakim Adi – tackle some of the biggest questions around bringing black histories to light. Speaking to Matt Elton, they explore the value of Black History Month in highlighting stories that may otherwise be obscured – and whether the focus on black history sparked by 2020's global protests has b...

Cats have lived alongside us for centuries, and our relationship with them has transformed over time – from venerating them to vilifying them. What roles have humans cast cats in over the years? Why were they seen as deities by the ancient Egyptians? And how did they come to be synonymous with witches? In our latest Everything You Wanted to Know episode, Dr Andrew Flack answers listener questions...

Known as “Darwin’s bulldog”, Thomas Henry Huxley fought a tireless battle against the opponents of evolutionary theory. His grandson Julian lived among the animals of London Zoo and made nature documentaries with a young David Attenborough. Alison Bashford is the author of a Cundill Prize-shortlisted book on the Huxley family, An Intimate History of Evolution. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, she reve...

In the latest in our series charting the contested reputations of key historical figures, Vikram Visana and Jad Adams debate the complex, sometimes controversial life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, and discuss his views on everything from sex and gender to class and ethnicity The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed. Learn more about your...

For the decade between 1966 and 1976, Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution wreaked immense havoc on China – with up to 2 million killed, and another 36 million persecuted for perceived political or cultural sins. Tania Branigan is the author of a Cundill Prize-shortlisted book Red Memory, which draws on personal testimonies to chart the story of this terrifying decade. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, s...

When Allied forces invaded Italy in September 1943, they hoped to be in Rome by Christmas. But by the end of the year, after four months of unrelenting warfare, the Italian capital was still 70 miles away. Historian, author and podcaster James Holland speaks to Rob Attar about this savage clash between the Allies and Nazi Germany. (Ad) James Holland is the author of The Savage Storm: The Battle fo...

From his turn as Shakespeare in Upstart Crow to his historical sketches with Robert Webb, comedian and actor David Mitchell’s work has often touched on the past. Now he’s written his first history book, Unruly, charting England’s monarchy from its earliest days to the reign of Elizabeth I. David tells Matt Elton about this storied history. (Ad) David Mitchell is the author of Unruly: A History of...