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HistoryExtra podcast

History EN ↓ 2618 episodes

The HistoryExtra podcast brings you gripping stories from the past and fascinating historical conversations with the world's leading historical experts. HistoryExtra is a free history podcast, with episodes released six times a week. Subscribe now for the real stories behind your favourite films, TV shows and period dramas, as well as compelling insights into lesser-known aspects of the past. We delve into global history stories spanning the ancient world right up to the modern day. You’ll hear deep dives into the lives of famous historical figures like Cleopatra, Anne Boleyn and Winston Ch...

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Episodes

Apollo 13 10.04.2020 50:27

Fifty years on from the NASA mission that almost ended in disaster, historian Tom Ellis revisits the dramatic story of the astronauts’ incredible battle to survive. Plus, he considers the state of the Cold War space race in the wake of the moon landing the year before. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podc...

The Black Death and social change 08.04.2020 40:33

As we seek to understand the broader impacts of Covid-19, historian Jane Whittle looks at how the devastating plague of the 1340s significantly reshaped the economy and society of England. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The genius of Artemisia 06.04.2020 30:02

Renaissance historian Catherine Fletcher explores the remarkable life and art of the acclaimed 17th-century Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi, whose work was due to be celebrated with a major National Gallery exhibition this month. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Tudors, but were afraid to ask 05.04.2020 40:00

Tracy Borman responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the 16th-century English royal dynasty. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Viking women 03.04.2020 50:03

Johanna Katrin Fridriksdottir explores what everyday life was like for women in Norse society, the opportunities available to them and the challenges they faced. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Okinawa: the battle and the bomb 01.04.2020 38:31

On the 75th anniversary of the battle of Okinawa, historian Saul David revisits one of the bloodiest clashes of the Pacific War and explains how it played a crucial part in the United States’ decision to use atomic weapons against Japan. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Women at war 30.03.2020 37:32

Dr Julie Wheelwright, author of the new book Sisters in Arms, explains the roles of female warriors from ancient times until the present day. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Normans, but were afraid to ask 29.03.2020 1:00:28

In a bonus Sunday episode, Marc Morris, author of an acclaimed history of the Norman Conquest, tackles some of the big questions about William the Conqueror and his followers, several of which were submitted by our listeners and social media fans. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoi...

A history of celebrity 27.03.2020 41:28

Greg Jenner chats explores the changing nature of fame over the centuries and describes how celebrities have fared in the public glare. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russia’s musical journeys 25.03.2020 29:10

Sophy Roberts, author of The Lost Pianos of Siberia, explains how the instrument can illuminate the history of Russia, from the tsarist era to the decades of Soviet rule. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Blitz spirit 23.03.2020 48:10

At a time when Britons are being asked to revisit the ‘Blitz spirit’, historian Jonathan Boff explains how ordinary people coped with the privations of World War II and considers what parallels can be drawn between the 1940s and the current Coronavirus crisis. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoice...

Shakespeare and America 20.03.2020 30:22

Acclaimed author James Shapiro considers why England’s foremost playwright has had such a profound impact on the United States, and how his words speak to contemporary concerns. Historyextra.con/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

News in the Middle Ages 18.03.2020 50:34

Historian Helen Birkett explores communication networks and the spread of information and news in the medieval era. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Coronavirus: a historical perspective 16.03.2020 31:55

As COVID-19 dominates the news, Laura Spinney draws historical parallels with other pandemics in history and asks what we might learn from disease outbreaks in the past. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wales’s turbulent 20th century 13.03.2020 30:53

Simon Jenkins talks about his new BBC radio programme, Wales: A 20th-century Tragedy?, which explores the difficulties faced by the country in recent history, and offers some opinions on its future. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Resistance in the British empire 11.03.2020 32:58

Priyamvada Gopal speaks about her book Insurgent Empire, which explores opposition to British colonial rule both within the empire and in Britain itself. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hadley Freeman on a 20th-century family history 09.03.2020 36:24

Hadley Freeman speaks to us about her quest to uncover her family’s history through some of the most tumultuous events of the 20th century. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Written in stone 06.03.2020 33:52

Stonemason Andrew Ziminski talks about some of Britain’s most impressive buildings and monuments. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dictators explained 04.03.2020 40:37

Frank Dikötter discusses his new book How to Be a Dictator, which explores the malevolent careers of eight 20th-century rulers. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Food and war 02.03.2020 36:43

Historian Rachel B Hermann talks about her recent book No Useless Mouth, which explores how food and hunger played a critical role in the story of the American Revolutionary era. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

London’s trailblazing women 28.02.2020 34:46

The author Francesca Wade talks to us about her new book Square Haunting, which tells the stories of five remarkable women – among them Virginia Woolf and Dorothy L Sayers – who all lived on the same London square in the interwar years. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Secrets of Lindisfarne 26.02.2020 38:58

Archaeologist David Petts and Lisa Wilkins of DigVentures discuss an extraordinary Viking-era discovery that’s been made on the monastic site of Lindisfarne in Northumbria. The conversation also covers the latest trends in archaeological excavations and the broader history of the island. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad...

Medieval medicine 24.02.2020 44:40

Elma Brenner of the Wellcome Library examines the state of healthcare in the Middle Ages and reveals some unusual remedies that were offered for people with injuries or diseases. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Georgian terrorists: the Cato Street Conspiracy 21.02.2020 36:54

On the 200th anniversary of the Cato Street Conspiracy, Stephen Bates examines a failed attempt to murder the entire British cabinet in February 1820. He also explores the background and aftermath of this violent plot. historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Burglary: a modern history 19.02.2020 38:30

Historian Eloise Moss, author of Night Raiders, explores a century of home intrusion in Britain, from the cat burglar phenomenon to Cold War espionage. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices