HistoryExtra podcast

Mark Lawrence Schrad speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about his book Smashing the Liquor Machine, which busts commonly held myths about prohibition, revealing how campaigns to ban alcohol weren’t just led by puritanical evangelicals in the US, but were also backed by progressive campaigners across the globe. (Ad) Mark Lawrence Schrad is the author of Smashing the Liquor Machine: A Global History (Oxford...

The history of fabric is interwoven with the story of humanity, from the sackcloth shirts that tore open the skin of pious medieval saints to cotton’s connections to colonisation and the Industrial Revolution. Rhiannon Davies spoke to Victoria Finlay to unravel these complex stories. (Ad) Victoria Finlay is the author of Fabric: The Hidden History of the Material World (Profile Books, 2021). Buy i...

Professor John Martin speaks to Emily Briffett about Britain’s battle against starvation during the Second World War. From the invention of familiar myths about bread crusts and carrots, to the Dig for Victory and Ploughing Up campaigns, he examines the food shortages the government faced and the agricultural mission to ensure Britons had enough to put on the table. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...

Dr Eleanor Parker, author of Conquered: The Last Children of Anglo-Saxon England, talks to David Musgrove about the young people whose lives were upended by the momentous change of circumstances brought about by the Norman Conquest of 1066. She reveals how exploring their stories can offer a fresh approach to studying the Normans. (Ad) Eleanor Parker is the author of Conquered: The Last Children o...

During the Second World War, the British government imprisoned thousands of German and Austrian-born residents – many of them refugees from Nazi oppression – in makeshift internment camps on the Isle of Man. Acclaimed journalist Simon Parkin speaks to Jon Bauckham about the history of Hutchinson camp, which became home to a vibrant intellectual and artistic community. (Ad) Simon Parkin is the auth...

Who became a gladiator? Were they really the superstars of their day? And was giving a thumbs down for a death sentence a real thing? In this Everything you wanted to know episode, Emily Briffett speaks with Alison Futrell to answers your top questions about ancient Rome’s arena fighters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastch...

Shelley Puhak delves into the lives of queens Fredegund and Brunhild, famed for their bitter and bloody rivalry which wracked the Frankish empire in the latter sixth century. Speaking with Emily Briffett, she reveals how their stories were suppressed, overlooked and used as political propaganda by subsequent rulers, and considers how they should be seen today. (Ad) Shelley Puhak is the author of T...

Adam Rutherford discusses the dark – and often surprising – history of the eugenics movement Geneticist Adam Rutherford speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about the dark, and often surprising, history of the eugenics movement, from ‘best baby’ fairs and population control to the Nazi ‘euthanasia’ programme. He discusses the ideas behind the ideology, and how its implementation has had devastating impacts....

Clare Hickman explores how gardens were used as places of scientific experimentation in the 18th and 19th centuries During the scientific revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries, gardens were not only used for leisure and pleasure. Clare Hickman explains to Dave Musgrove how they also became places of scientific experimentation. (Ad) Clare Hickman is the author of The Doctor’s Garden: Medicine,...

Mary Fissell talks to Ellie Cawthorne about women’s reproductive health in early modern Europe and America. She discusses how women dealt with their periods, theories about fertility, ideas about the female body and the childbirth process. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nan Sloane speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about her new book Uncontrollable Women, which charts the stories of now largely forgotten female activists who were involved in radical and reform movements between 1789 and 1832. (Ad) Nan Sloane is the author of Uncontrollable Women: Radicals, Reformers and Revolutionaries (Bloomsbury, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X...

Dr Christian Cooijmans answers listener questions on the medieval world of the Franks. Speaking to David Musgrove, he discusses long-lasting Frankish dynasties, renowned rulers and the Franks’ connections with the wider world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Neil MacGregor talks to Matt Elton about his new BBC Radio 4 series, The Museums that Make Us, and the ways in which museums around the UK are adapting to a changing society – and shaping the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keith Lowe talks to Matt Elton about the ways in which today’s conflict between Russia and Ukraine can be traced back to the Second World War and decisions made in the years that followed. Keith will be giving a five-part masterclass series on the aftermath of the Second World War beginning on 4 March – find out more at historyextra.com/masterclass. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

Hana Videen explores the Old English language and reveals what it can tell us about daily life at the time it was spoken The medieval language of Old English is full of linguistic gems. Speaking to David Musgrove, Dr Hana Videen opens up this treasure chest of words to reveal what the language can tell us about daily life at the time it was spoken. (Ad) Hana Videen is the author of The Wordhord: D...

Marion Gibson discusses the motivations and methods of “witch finders” who sought out supernatural wrongdoing in Stuart Britain. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, she discusses why people became witch hunters and explores the techniques they used to extract confessions, from strip-searching and sleep deprivation to ‘swimming’. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more abou...

Nigel Copsey discusses the British Union of Fascists and its leader, Oswald Mosley Nigel Copsey speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about the British Union of Fascists, which gained support in the 1930s, and its leader Oswald Mosley. They also discuss the party’s foundation, ideology and connections to the fascist regimes of Italy and Germany. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Lea...

Benjamin Carp tackles listener questions and popular search queries on the conflict that saw colonists in North America rise up and declare independence from the British. He speaks to Elinor Evans about the causes of the war, key battles, and how the revolution is mythologised today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices...

In the second instalment of our new monthly series marking the centenary of the BBC, media historian David Hendy speaks to Matt Elton about the ways in which the corporation expanded and evolved throughout the 1930s to become part of the British establishment. (Ad) David Hendy is the author of The BBC: A People’s History (Profile Books, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources....

Screenwriter Jeb Stuart discusses the real history that inspired his new Netflix show Vikings: Valhalla   Screenwriter Jeb Stuart speaks to Kev Lochun about his new Netflix show Vikings: Valhalla, the successor to the hugely popular series Vikings. They discuss the real historical characters being brought to life through the series, the enduring popularity of the Vikings, and where the show could...

Fifty years ago this month, US president Richard Nixon embarked on a trip to China – a visit that marked a key moment in the thawing of relations between the two nations. Rana Mitter talks to Matt Elton about the 1972 visit, and how it changed the course of the Cold War. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoice...

Walter Reid tells Spencer Mizen that, far from going down in history as the bloodless author of appeasement, Neville Chamberlain should be remembered as a radical politician who saw through Hitler’s lies. (Ad) Walter Reid is the author of Neville Chamberlain: The Passionate Radical (Birlinn, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Neville-Chamberlain-Passionate-Walter-Reid/dp/17802...

Professor Christopher Andrew talks to Elinor Evans about his book Stars and Spies, co-written with Julius Green. He reveals the many historical links between spying and the entertainment industry that for centuries have helped intelligence operatives to hide in plain sight. (Ad) Christopher Andrew and Julius Green are the authors of Stars and Spies: The Story of Intelligence Operations and the Ent...

In the second episode of this two-part special on Stonehenge, archaeologist and author Mike Pitts answers more listener questions on the most famous prehistoric monument in Britain. Speaking to David Musgrove, he discusses Stonehenge’s relationship with other prehistoric sites, its long legacy, and why we call it “Stonehenge”. (Ad) Mike Pitts is the author of How to Build Stonehenge (Thames & Huds...

Caroline Shenton tells the story of the colourful cast of curators, museum directors and civil servants who embarked on a top-secret mission to protect Britain’s national art collections during the Second World War. Speaking to Emily Briffett, she explains how these dedicated men and women devised ingenious escape plans and concealed artworks and artefacts in the most unlikely of places in a race...