HistoryExtra podcast

Judith Mackrell explores the experiences of six women war correspondents who broke some of the key stories of the Second World War   From the German invasion of Poland to the liberation of Paris and the discovery of Nazi concentration camps, women journalists reported on some of the pivotal moments of the Second World War. Judith Mackrell, author of Going with the Boys, charts the wartime careers...

With their tales of supernatural beasts, death-defying quests and dashing knights that always got the girl, romances were the must-reads of the Middle Ages. Lydia Zeldenrust reveals how – despite concerns that they were corrupting readers – medieval romances became a pan-European literary sensation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...

In the latest episode of our new series profiling the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most during their time in 10 Downing Street, historian and author Andrew Roberts nominates Margaret Thatcher, who combined ideological drive with steely determination. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoice...

The Wolfson History Prize celebrates the very best history books that combine academic rigour with popular appeal. Ahead of the announcement of the winner on 9 June, we speak to some of the shortlisted authors – Helen McCarthy, Sudhir Hazareesingh and Rebecca Clifford, who’ve been nominated for their books on working motherhood, Toussaint Louverture and child Holocaust survivors. Hosted on Acast....

Dr Rosalind Crone answers all the key questions on the history of British prisons   Just how bad was life in Victorian prisons? How hard was hard labour, and how revolting was the food? In the latest in our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, Dr Rosalind Crone responds to listener queries on the history of British prisons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

Once the capital of the western Roman Empire, the Italian city of Ravenna was claimed in turn by Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Lombards and Franks, turning into both a hub of early Christian art and a prototypical European city. Professor Judith Herrin discusses its long and storied history. (Ad) Judith Herrin is the author of Ravenna: Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe (Allen Lane, 2021). Buy it now...

Leah Garrett tells the story of X-troop, a group of Jewish commandos who became one of Britain’s most potent weapons against the Nazis   X-troop was a World War Two commando unit with a difference ­– it was made up of German and Austrian Jews who’d fled to Britain and were desperate to take the fight to the Nazis. Historian Leah Garrett tells the story of how X-troop became one of Britain’s most p...

John Higgs discusses the unconventional life and extraordinary art of poet and painter William Blake. He explains how an eccentric outsider once mocked and dismissed as a madman is now hailed in the pantheon of British art, and reveals how Blake’s work is still misunderstood today.    (Ad) John Higgs is the author of William Blake vs the World (Orion, 2021). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazo...

In the latest episode of our series profiling the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most during their time in 10 Downing Street, historian and author Andrew Roberts nominates Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, third Marquess of Salisbury, whose three terms in office at the end of the 19th century saw Britain reach the very height of its imperial power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...

Tom Morcom and Helen Gittos discuss the Cerne Abbas Giant, a huge hill-carving in Dorset which has recently been re-dated to the Anglo-Saxon period   The Cerne Abbas Giant, a huge hill-carving in Dorset, has made the news recently for been re-dated to the Anglo-Saxon period. Dr Tom Morcom and Dr Helen Gittos from the University of Oxford reveal what this might mean for our understanding of the gia...

Rebecca Simon responds to your questions on the ‘golden age’ of piracy, when bands of buccaneers menaced the high seas, preying on merchant vessels   In the latest in our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, historian Rebecca Simon responds to your questions on the 17th-century ‘golden age’ of piracy, when bands of buccaneers menaced the high seas and preyed on merchant ve...

Steven Johnson discusses the Extra Life project, which includes a book and new BBC Four series co-presented with David Olusoga. He chronicles a revolution in medicine, and explores the innovations in science and public health that have led to huge increases in life expectancy since 1900. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastcho...

Having painted the cream of Tudor society, including King Henry VIII, Anne of Cleves and Thomas Cromwell, Hans Holbein the Younger’s work offers an unparalleled view into England’s court at the time. Franny Moyle delves into the famous painter’s work and the events that shaped it, from religious tensions in Europe to the toxic factionalism bubbling over in Henry’s court.   (Ad) Franny Moyle is the...

Barry Cunliffe considers the story of Brittany from prehistory to today, and explores the region’s connections with Britain   Why is Brittany called Brittany? What exactly is, or was, a Celt? And did King Arthur have a home in a mystical forest near Rennes? Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe, author of Bretons and Britons: The Fight for Identity discusses the story of Brittany from prehistory to today,...

In the latest episode of our series profiling the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most during their time in 10 Downing Street, Jeremy Black nominates Winston Churchill – the leader who became a wartime icon by galvanising the nation in the face of terrible crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.c...

For decades the Stasi were a pervasive and terrifying force in the lives of millions of East Germans. Former FBI agent Ralph Hope reveals how officers of the notorious security service sought to reinvent themselves in the decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and rarely faced the consequences of their actions.    (Ad) Ralph Hope is the author of The Grey Men: Pursuing the Stasi into the Prese...

The Anarchy – a 12th-century civil war for the English crown that pitted Empress Matilda against Stephen of Blois – is remembered as one of the most turbulent episodes of the Middle Ages. It was said to be a time when “Christ and his saints slept”. Medieval historian Matt Lewis answers your questions on this 18-year struggle for the throne – from the sexism that impeded Matilda’s bid for the thron...

Historian Marc Morris tackles some of the most common misconceptions about the Anglo-Saxon era   What do we get wrong about the Anglo-Saxon era? Marc Morris, author of The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England, busts some of the most common misconceptions about the period, from the early fifth century through to the Norman Conquest.   (Ad) Marc Morris is the author of The Anglo-Saxo...

Napoleon didn’t just humiliate his European rivals on the battlefield, he also looted their finest works of art. Author Cynthia Saltzman tells us about her latest book, Napoleon’s Plunder and the Theft of Veronese’s Feast, which explores the French leader’s proclivity for plundering Renaissance masterpieces and spiriting them back to France   (Ad) Cynthia Saltzman is the author of Napoleon's Plund...

Shushma Malik explores the life and career of Rome’s renowned philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius   Classicist Shushma Malik explores the life and career of Rome’s renowned philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius, and explains how his greatest achievements may have been on the field of battle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastc...

In the latest episode of our new series profiling the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most during their time in 10 Downing Street, historian and broadcaster Dominic Sandbrook nominates William Pitt the Younger, the steady, upright leader who steered Britain through the turbulence of the French Revolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more abo...

Mark Evans charts the history of Coventry’s pioneering car industry, from the turn of the 20th century until the present day   Mark Evans, presenter of the BBC Four documentary Classic British Cars: Made in Coventry, charts the history of Coventry’s pioneering car industry, from the turn of the 20th century until the present day. It’s a story of innovation, war and fierce rivalries – and some of t...

In the latest in our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, Professor Michael Wert responds to listener questions and internet search queries about Japan’s famous warriors, the samurai. He explains when the samurai emerged, how they evolved from warriors to aristocrats – and why they voted for their own abolition. Plus, Michael breaks down the mysteries of bushidō, seppuku a...

Classicist Edmund Richardson tells the astonishing story of a British deserter from the East India Company who embarked on a quest to find a lost city of Alexander the Great.    (Ad) Edmund Richardson is the author of Alexandria: The Quest for the Lost City (Bloomsbury, 2021) Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alexandria-Quest-Dr-Edmund-Richardson/dp/1526603780/?tag=bbchistory045-21&as...

Historian and novelist Alison Weir discusses the life of Katharine Parr – from her relationship with the king to her secret faith and other marriages. Plus, Alison reflects on her recently completed Six Tudor Queens series, discussing how her opinions of Henry VIII’s wives changed during the writing process.   (Ad) Alison Weir is the author of Six Tudor Queens: Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife (Head...