HistoryExtra podcast

Roger Luckhurst speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about how the idea of the Gothic has evolved and mutated over time, from medieval-inspired architecture and 19th-century vampire fiction to politicised horror films. He also reveals how the genre has been used as a vehicle to explore society’s anxieties over time, from sex and gender to race and colonialism.  (Ad) Roger Luckhurst is the author of Gothic: A...

Historian Natalie Livingstone chronicles the unexplored lives of the women who shaped the famous Rothschild banking dynasty. She speaks to Elinor Evans about how – though often excluded in a patriarchal society – they forged their own paths, from influential hostesses to pioneering scientists. (Ad) Natalie Livingstone is the author of The Women of Rothschild: The Untold Story of the World's Most F...

Richard J Aldrich and Rory Cormac discuss Queen Victoria’s love of espionage and her network of royal intelligence agents   Historians Richard J Aldrich and Rory Cormac speak to Emma Slattery Williams about their book The Secret Royals, which explores the connections between espionage and the British monarchy, revealing how Queen Victoria utilised a large covert network of international spies.   (...

In the latest episode in our series on history’s biggest topics, Professor Rana Mitter answers your questions about one of the defining events of modern Chinese history. Speaking to Rob Attar, he explores the role of Chairman Mao in the Cultural Revolution, its impact on China’s population and its legacy today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad c...

Dominic Sandbrook explains how the Beatles reflected 1960s Britain, from the globalisation of pop culture to a fascination with mysticism    The 1960s was a time of transformation, as the grey of postwar Britain gave way to a technicolour youth culture, with screaming teenage fans, an outpouring of merchandise and a deep obsession with pop music. Dominic Sandbrook speaks to Rhiannon Davies about h...

Matthew Gabriele and David M Perry speak to David Musgrove about their book The Bright Ages, which tackles the big themes of the Middle Ages and challenges some widely held views about the history of medieval Europe. (Ad) Matthew Gabriele and David M Perry are the authors of  The Bright Ages: A New History of Medieval Europe (HarperCollins, 2021). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresour...

Thomas Morris speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about his book The Dublin Railway Murder, which reconstructs a strange historical cold case from 1856, revolving around a body discovered in a railway station office that was locked from the inside.  (Ad) Thomas Morris is the author of The Dublin Railway Murder: The Sensational True Story of a Victorian Murder Mystery (Harvill Secker, 2021). Buy it now from...

Mike Carr speaks to David Musgrove about Muslim-Christian relations in the medieval era, revealing how Papal-sanctioned trade was going on despite the background of the Crusades. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thomas Harding discusses a little-known uprising by enslaved people in the British colony of Demerara in 1823 Thomas Harding speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about his new book, White Debt, which recounts the little-known uprising by enslaved people in the British colony of Demerara in 1823, as told through the experiences of four eyewitnesses. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Naval historian Kate Jamieson tackles listener questions on the Age of Sail, when sailing ships dominated global trade and warfare In the latest episode in our series on history’s biggest topics, naval historian Kate Jamieson tackles listener questions on the Age of Sail. Speaking to Kev Lochun, she covers subjects ranging from ghost ships and sea monsters to the rigours of life at sea. Hosted on...

Curator Jane Desborough talks to Ellie Cawthorne about a new Science Museum exhibition, Ancient Greeks: Science and Wisdom, which explores the ways in which Greek thinkers sought to understand the world around them – from the oceans and animals, to the cosmos and the human body. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/...

Edward Brooke-Hitching explores the many heavens, hells and lands of the dead from civilisations across global history Edward Brooke-Hitching speaks to Charlotte Hodgman about his latest book, The Devil's Atlas: An Explorer's Guide to Heavens, Hells and Afterworlds, exploring visions of the afterlife as imagined throughout history by cultures and religions around the world. Hosted on Acast. See ac...

In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of conscription for women, historian Tessa Dunlop has written a new book capturing the remarkable lives of the last surviving women who served in Britain’s armed forces during the Second World War. Speaking to Emma Slattery Williams, Tessa draws on individual stories to paint a picture of what it was like to be young, female and at war. (Ad) Tessa Dunlop is...

Malcolm Gaskill speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about his book The Ruin of All Witches, which chronicles a little-known 1651 witchcraft case from Springfield, Massachusetts, revealing how an irascible brickmaker and his wife found themselves accused of diabolical activity. (Ad) Malcolm Gaskill is the author of The Ruin of All Witches: Life and Death in the New World (Allen Lane, 2021). Buy it now from A...

Between 1550 and 1650, English trade flourished as thousands of merchants sought out trading ventures across the globe. In conversation with Emily Briffett, Edmond Smith tracks the experiences of England’s merchants and explores how their efforts as a community shaped England’s relationship with the rest of the world.(Ad) Edmond Smith is the author of Merchants: The Community that Shaped England's...

Murray Pittock answers listener questions about the Jacobites, and their attempts to restore the Stuart dynasty to the throne. Speaking to Emma Slattery Williams, he discusses who the Jacobites were, why their risings failed, and how realistic the hit show Outlander is in its portrayal of the Jacobite cause. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choi...

On several occasions from the 14th to 16th centuries, hundreds of people in central Europe began moving their bodies in a strange uncontrollable fashion – often for days on end. What was behind this unusual behaviour? In the final episode of this series of History’s Greatest Mysteries, medieval historian Helen Carr describes the events of the ‘dancing plagues’ and considers the various explanation...

Fifty years ago, in September 1971, Lin Biao boarded a flight out of the country, only to crash in the Mongolian desert shortly afterwards. Was this the result of an aborted coup on Lin’s part? And where exactly was his plane heading? In the latest in our series on history’s biggest conundrums, historian Rana Mitter answers these questions and more about the mysterious “Lin Biao incident”. Hosted...

Thanks largely to Homer’s Iliad, the Trojan War is one of the most famous events in Greek mythology. But how much – if any – of the legend is actually true? In the latest in our series on history’s biggest conundrums, the author and classicist Daisy Dunn revisits the literary and archaeological sources to seek out evidence for the clash between the Greeks and the city of Troy. Hosted on Acast. See...

The Ninth Legion of the Roman army was last recorded in York in around AD 107. After that it simply vanished from history. To this day no-one knows what caused the destruction of this elite army unit, although many theories have been put forward. As we continue our series on history’s most puzzling events, Miles Russell explores the various possibilities and explains what he think is the most like...

In December 1926, crime writer Agatha Christie left her home and vanished without a trace. When she was discovered 11 days later, Christie claimed to have no memory of what had happened. As part of our series on history’s greatest mysteries, Dominic Sandbrook discusses the case that baffled the British public and triggered one of the largest manhunts ever mounted. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pr...

Anna Whitelock looks back on some key moments and trends that made the historical headlines in 2021. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, she covers topics including the “history wars”, cuts to university history courses and the best books published this year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Annie Gray looks back on festive food in the 20th century – from suspect dishes made under WW2 rationing to joyful postwar creations pickled in aspic and coated in piped green mayonnaise. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, for the final episode in our mini-series on Christmas food through history, she also touches on the best wartime cake recipes, Fanny Craddock, and putting bananas in Christmas pudding...

Helen Fry speaks to Jon Bauckham about the remarkable life and career of Thomas Kendrick, an elusive MI6 intelligence officer who helped thousands of Jews escape Nazi-controlled Austria, before going on to mastermind the biggest Allied bugging operation of the Second World War. (Ad) Helen Fry is the author of Spymaster: The Man Who Saved MI6 (Yale University Press, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: h...

In the final episode in our new series on the raid on Pearl Harbor, Ellie Cawthorne speaks to Robert Lyman about the attack’s immediate aftermath and long term legacy, charting the chaos the Japanese offensive unleashed and tracing events through to the present day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices