HistoryExtra podcast

Who maintained law and order before the police? When did Britain ban capital punishment – and why? And what are some of the weirdest punishments doled out through history? Historian of crime Nell Darby answers listener questions on crime and punishment through history. Speaking to Rachel Dinning, she discusses subjects ranging from the origins of the police to the history of prisons and the death...

From the “Blitz spirit” invoked in the Covid-19 pandemic, to the 16th-century sense that a lost greatness needed to be recovered, historian Hannah Rose Woods reveals how nostalgia for a bygone era is nothing new. Speaking to Elinor Evans about her new book Rule, Nostalgia, she discusses the various ways our ancestors have looked back at our national past. (Ad) Hannah Rose Woods is the author of Ru...

What really happened in Britain as Roman influence waned? Recent research is shaking up our view of the end of imperial rule during the fifth century, and one new find in particular – a mosaic at Chedworth Roman villa – is leading experts to reassess how far people carried on “being Roman”. In the opening episode of our new series, David Musgrove takes a trip to Chedworth to begin his investigatio...

Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones tells Spencer Mizen why Eurocentric depictions of the “barbarous” Persians have obscured the achievements of one of the ancient world’s great civilisations. (Ad) Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones is the author of Persians: The Age of The Great Kings (Wildfire, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Persians-Great-Professor-Lloyd-Llewellyn-Jones/dp/1472277287/ref=asc_df_1...

Professor Mark Knights discusses how ideas about corruption were transformed in Britain and its empire between 1600 and 1850. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, he delves into the shady realms of bribery and electoral corruption and the blurred lines between public service and private gain. (Ad) Mark Knights is the author of Trust and Distrust: Corruption in Office in Britain and its Empire, 1600-1850 (...

The First World War unleashed an unprecedented wave of violence, and medicine struggled to keep up. British surgeon Harold Gillies was at the forefront of those dragging plastic surgery into the modern age, reconstructing the faces of thousands of soldiers. Lindsey Fitzharris speaks to Rhiannon Davies about Gillies’ remarkable contribution to medical science. (Ad) Lindsey Fitzharris is the author...

This week sees Queen Elizabeth II make history as the first ever British monarch to celebrate their platinum jubilee. To mark her 70 years on the throne, Rhiannon Davies speaks to Dominic Sandbrook about some of the radical transformations the nation has undergone during her lifetime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoice...

Professor Caroline Elkins explains how the British empire was sustained by violence for more than 200 years. Speaking with Rob Attar, she reveals how liberal imperialism was able to coexist with regular acts of brutality in Britain’s colonies. (Ad) Caroline Elkins is the author of Legacy of Violence: A History of the British Empire (Bodley Head, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones: http://www.awin1...

In the final episode of our series on the Black Death, Professor Mark Bailey and Dr Claire Kennan discuss the medieval pandemic’s dramatic social, political and economic impact. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, they use England as a case study to explore how it restructured society, with effects that were felt for hundreds of years. The primary sources quoted in this series are mainly taken from: The...

Although medieval Europe was firmly Christian, pagan deities still loomed large in the popular imagination. Rhiannon Davies spoke to Ronald Hutton about four of these divine figures: the powerful and protective Mother Earth; the glamorous fairy queen; a night-roaming supernatural lady; and a Gaelic giantess. (Ad) Ronald Hutton is the author of Queens of the Wild: Pagan Goddesses in Christian Europ...

One hundred years on from Fred Banting and Charles Best’s discovery, Dr Kersten Hall tells the tale of insulin and its vital role in helping people with diabetes. Speaking with Emily Briffett, he explores the other unsung heroes involved in the drama that saw insulin develop from “thick brown muck” to wall street gold. (Ad) Kersten Hall is the author of Insulin - The Crooked Timber: A History from...

Marking the 125th anniversary of the publication of Dracula, Roger Luckhurst tells Ellie Cawthorne why Bram Stoker’s vampire thriller has had such an enduring appeal. They discuss how the book exposed the anxieties of the late Victorian age, how contemporary readers reacted, and some of the most intriguing adaptations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about y...

Were all suspected witches burned at the stake? Was torture a legal way of gaining a confession of practising magic? And which professions were most commonly accused of dabbling in the dark arts? Speaking with Charlotte Hodgman, Owen Davies answers your top questions about witchcraft in our latest Everything you wanted to know episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. L...

Professor Alice Roberts explores how cutting-edge developments in archaeology and genetic science can broaden our understanding of what happened in Britain between the first and tenth centuries AD. Through exploring the funerary sites of Romans, Vikings and Anglo-Saxons, she explains to Emily Briffett what we can learn about life and death at this time. (Ad) Alice Roberts is the author of Buried:...

The arrival of a terrifying pandemic made medieval people increasingly preoccupied with death, sin and the afterlife. In this episode, Ellie Cawthorne speaks to Helen Carr about spiritual responses to the Black Death, from special prayers to self-flagellation. The primary sources quoted in this series are mainly taken from: The Black Death, translated and edited by Rosemary Horrox (1994) The Black...

Bestselling military historian Antony Beevor discusses his new book Russia: Revolution and Civil War 1917-1921. In conversation with Rob Attar, he delves into the two revolutions that overthrew Tsar Nicholas II and brought the Bolsheviks to power, and then examines the bloody civil war that ultimately consolidated communist control. (Ad) Antony Beevor is the author of Russia: Revolution and Civil...

Writer Annabel Abbs discusses poet and food writer Eliza Acton, the protagonist of her new historical novel The Language of Food. She tells Emma Slattery Williams about Acton’s story and how her legacy has been overshadowed by Mrs Beeton. (Ad) Annabel Abbs is the author of The Language of Food (Simon & Schuster, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcus...

In the latest episode of our monthly series marking the centenary of the BBC, media historian David Hendy speaks to Matt Elton about the ways in which the corporation kept up with a changing Britain through the 1960s. (Ad) David Hendy is the author of The BBC: A People’s History (Profile Books, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-soc...

Historian Jonathan Fennell answers listener questions on the North African campaign in the Second World War. Speaking with Rob Attar, he discusses some of the key moments and personalities, reflects on the challenges of fighting in a desert and considers whether this theatre really was a war without hate. (Ad) Jonathan Fennell is the author of ​​Fighting the People's War: The British and Commonwea...

Charlotte Cooper-Davis delves into the life and legacy of Christine de Pizan, a late medieval writer who was actively involved in the production of her own works. Speaking with Emily Briffett, Charlotte explores Christine’s vast catalogue of written work and how she has since become seen as a feminist icon. (Ad) Charlotte Cooper-Davis is the author of Christine de Pizan: Life, Work, Legacy (Reakti...

How do you fight a disease, when you don’t know what causes it? In this episode, Ellie Cawthorne speaks to Elma Brenner about medieval medical thinking and how it informed responses to the Black Death, from ideas about how bad air and misaligned planets could make you sick, to the rituals and remedies used to treat plague victims and the state of 14th-century hospital care. The primary sources quo...

Imperialism led to eye-watering profits for the British, and after decolonisation those who had grown rich from the colonial project rewrote the rules to keep the coffers open. Rhiannon Davies speaks to Kojo Koram about the economic and legal effects of decolonisation, and how growing global inequality has its roots in empire. (Ad) Kojo Koram is the author of Uncommon Wealth: Britain and the After...

Journalist Philip Oltermann explores the unusual story of the poetry group run by the East German Ministry for State Security. Speaking to Rob Attar, he explains why the Stasi decided to employ rhyme and verse in their battle against capitalism. (Ad) Philip Oltermann is the author of The Stasi Poetry Circle (Faber & Faber, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1...

Nicholas Orme speaks to Emily Briffett about the long story of English cathedrals, tracing their role in society from their beginnings in the early Middle Ages to the modern day. Nicholas reveals how cathedrals have survived the turbulence of religious and social change, and explores what they can reveal to us about our history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn mo...

How did the Restoration of the monarchy come about, after a period of civil war and 11 years of Republican rule? How smooth was the transfer of power? And what did it mean for the everyday person? Speaking with Elinor Evans, Dr Clare Jackson tackles listener questions and popular internet search queries on Charles II’s ascension to the throne, in the latest episode in our Everything you wanted to...