HistoryExtra podcast

Judith Green reveals how there is much more to the Norman story than the events of the 1066 Conquest We all know the story of the Norman Conquest, when Duke William of Normandy led his troops across the Channel and took the crown of England. However, as Professor Judith Green tells David Musgrove, there is a lot more to the history of the Normans than the events of 1066. (Ad) Judith Green is the a...

Dominic Selwood chronicles Britain’s past through a diverse – and sometimes unexpected – selection of historical documents, from birthday invites and Valentine’s Day letters, to musical scores and shipping forecasts. Speaking with Emily Briffett, he explains what these can tell us about British identity past and present. (Ad) Dominic Selwood is the author of Anatomy of a Nation: A History of Briti...

In this fourth and final episode, Dan Jones reveals how the Middle Ages came to a close, starting off with a global pandemic that ripped across the world, devastating populations, reshaping economies and bringing societal change. Speaking to David Musgrove, he also introduces the geniuses of the Renaissance, and the great navigators who struck out in search of new worlds. Lastly, he examines how s...

From poison and fatal snakebites to dying from a broken heart, more than 250 named characters die in Shakespeare’s plays. Speaking with Ellie Cawthorne, Kathryn Harkup guides us through a grisly range of the Bard’s death scenes. She looks at the real history and science behind them, and how they would have been staged in Elizabethan England. (Ad) Kathryn Harkup is the author of Death By Shakespear...

In the first episode of a two-part special, archaeologist Mike Pitts answers listener questions on the most famous prehistoric site in Britain. Speaking to David Musgrove, he discusses how Stonehenge was built – and why. (Ad) Mike Pitts is the author of How to Build Stonehenge (Thames & Hudson, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-soc...

Mike Anderson and Neil Hanson discuss the 1999 prosecution of a former Nazi collaborator – Britain’s only war crimes trial Mike Anderson and Neil Hanson discuss Britain’s only war crimes trial, where a former Nazi collaborator was prosecuted for his involvement in the Holocaust, more than five decades after the events had occurred. In conversation with Rob Attar, they explore this landmark moment...

From beavers to whales, Lee Raye discusses wildlife found across medieval Britain that has since gone extinct from the region In conversation with David Musgrove, Lee Raye discusses the animals that lived in medieval Britain but have since gone extinct from the region, from beavers and boars to whales and wolves – plus elusive big cats and birds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...

Edward Shawcross speaks to Elinor Evans about a little-known and disastrous attempt to install a Habsburg archduke, Ferdinand Maximilian, as emperor of Mexico in the mid-19th century, at a time when the US Civil War was raging. (Ad) Edward Shawcross is the author of The Last Emperor of Mexico: A Disaster in the New World (Faber & Faber, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-...

Dan Jones charts the rise of the Mongols in the twelfth century – a sharp and hideously brutal episode, in which an eastern empire achieved fleeting domination over half the world, at the cost of millions of lives. Speaking to David Musgrove, he also looks at other emerging powers in the ‘high’ Middle Ages. He introduces merchants who invented extraordinary new ways to make fortunes, scholars who...

Penelope J Corfield discusses the highs and lows of the Georgian era, from the abolition movement to the gin craze The long 18th century saw Britain undergo colossal changes, from growing overseas expansion and the transformation of attitudes towards disability, to the sexualisation of popular culture. Penelope J Corfield speaks to Rhiannon Davies about this explosive era of British history. (Ad)...

Shannon Fogg answers listener questions on the collaborationist regime created following France’s defeat by Nazi Germany In the latest episode in our series on history’s biggest topics, Professor Shannon Fogg answers listener questions on the collaborationist French regime that was created following the country’s defeat by Nazi Germany. In conversation with Rob Attar, she examines the origins of V...

Barney White-Spunner discusses the extraordinary, absorbing and often tragic history of Germany’s capital Barney White-Spunner tells Spencer Mizen why Berlin – a metropolis that was at the centre of the Reformation, the Thirty Years’ War, the Third Reich and the Cold War – has a history like no other city in the world. (Ad) Barney White-Spunner is the author of Berlin: The Story of a City (Simon &...

Pamela Roberts discusses her research on Mary Church Terrell, Rosetta Lawson and Josephine Wilson Bruce – three women activists of Washington’s ‘black elite’ who visited Britain in the early 20th century and campaigned on issues including women’s rights, civil rights, temperance and education. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podc...

From artistic experimentation to an explosion in pop music, Louis Menand speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about American art, culture and ideas between 1945-65. They touch on the Beatles making waves in the US, the rise of counterculture, and how silent compositions and messy canvases redefined the boundaries of art. (Ad) Louis Menand is the author of The Free World: Art and Thought in the Cold War (Harp...

Dan Jones and David Musgrove delve into the age of the Franks, who revived a Christian, pseudo-Roman empire in the west. They trace the rise of the dynasties who carved Europe into Christian royal realms and look at the new forms of cultural ‘soft’ power that emerged around the turn of the first millennium. This episode also explores how monks and knights came to play such an important role in wes...

Anthony Bale discusses the sensational life of medieval mystic Margery Kempe, charting a story of unusual visions, spiritual revelations, turbulent emotions and religious controversies. Speaking with Emily Briffett, he explores how her autobiography, The Book of Margery Kempe, has enriched our understanding of the early 15th century. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Lea...

In the latest episode in our series on history’s biggest topics, classicist Natalie Haynes tackles listener questions on Greek myths. Speaking to Rachel Dinning, she examines the tales of popular figures including Hercules and Aphrodite, and explores how these ancient stories have changed and evolved across history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your...

To mark the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, Diarmaid Ferriter speaks about the event and its tangled legacy today To mark the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, historian Diarmaid Ferriter speaks to Rhiannon Davies about the events of 30 January 1972 and their tangled legacy for the people and politics of Northern Ireland today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn...

In the first episode of our new monthly series marking the centenary of the BBC, media historian David Hendy speaks to Matt Elton about the institution’s founding in the 1920s – a decade of innovation and ingenuity. (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-socia...

Duncan Stone argues that classism and racism have held back England’s summer sport for decades Duncan Stone talks to Spencer Mizen about cricket’s history of elitism – a story that, he contends, has long seen the rich and powerful dominate the sport’s evolution and image. (Ad) Duncan Stone is the author of Different Class: The Untold Story of English Cricket (Repeater, 2022). Buy it now from Amazo...

Dan Jones takes listeners on a journey through early medieval Europe, beginning with the Roman empire in a state of collapse, rocked by a changing climate and mass migration. He speaks to David Musgrove about the superpowers that emerged in Rome’s wake: the so-called “barbarian” realms that laid the foundations for the European kingdoms, the state of Byzantium and the first Islamic empires. Hosted...

Martin Sixsmith speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about his book The War of Nerves, which explores the role of psychology in the Cold War, from propaganda and paranoia to a divided mindset and unpredictable decisions made by unstable leaders. (Ad) Martin Sixsmith is the author of The War of Nerves: Inside the Cold War Mind (Profile Books, 2021). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id...

Were the twenties really “roaring”? If so, who actually experienced the best of the era? And were the parties really as debauched as popular culture suggests? Speaking with Emily Briffett, historian Sarah Churchwell answers listener questions about life in the United States during the 1920s. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcas...

How can we reconstruct the experiences of enslaved people? Historian Shaun Wallace speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about his work on the Fugitive Slave Database, which uses newspaper adverts for fugitive enslaved people from the American South to reconstruct the stories of those who escaped from slavery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Author Robert Harris speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about Munich: The Edge of War, the new Netflix film adapted from his 2017 historical novel Munich. They discuss the real history behind the 1938 Munich conference, the challenges of reassessing Neville Chamberlain, and what it’s like seeing your book adapted for the screen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about...