HistoryExtra podcast

Why did warfare play such a pivotal role in Aztec society? How could claiming captives benefit a warrior in life and death? And what was 'Flower War'? Speaking to Emily Briffett, Caroline Dodds Pennock takes a look at the warriors and weaponry of the Aztecs to consider how warfare played a prominent part in everyday life, from the cradle to the grave – and beyond. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The latest instalment of our monthly sees Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter look back at the history behind the big stories of 2023 – and what they might tell us about the year to come Our monthly series exploring how the past informs today’s world returns with a special episode catching up on some of 2023’s biggest stories, and considering how they might shape the events of 2024. Regular panellists Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter discuss the surprisingly brief history of elections, the panda democracy phenomenon, and the long roots of the Oxford Word of the Year – ‘charisma’. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did British agents bug German PoWs during the Second World War? What qualities do you need to be a successful spy? And how are deepfakes changing the face of modern warfare? Amanda Mason introduces Spencer Mizen to some of the 150 objects starring in the new Imperial War Museums’ exhibition, Spies, Lies and Deception. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Habsburgs were one of Europe's most formidable – and durable – dynasties, ruling over swathes of the continent for centuries. Speaking to Spencer Mizen, Pieter Judson tells the story of this powerhouse of a family, from their championing of Catholicism to the disastrous effects of their incestuous marriages. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The medieval Welsh Marches are often seen as a hotly contested border territory between Wales and England that frequently boiled over into violence. But, as Helen Fulton - who is leading a new research project on this topic - explains in today's episode, by examining Welsh literature and praise poetry we can explore an often overlooked side to frontier life. Emily Briffett spoke to Helen to find out more. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The destruction of more than 46 tonnes of tea on the evening of 16 December 1773 is an event that holds huge importance in the popular story of the USA’s independence. But how much is actually known about the events of that night? Who organised it, and who took part? What can we learn from the disguises they employed? And how did the act of civil disobedience inflame tensions to new heights? The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sherlock Holmes is arguably the most famous fictional detective of all time. The resident of 221B Baker Street has been the subject of countless film and television portrayals, remaining a figure of fascination around the globe. But what inspired Holmes’s creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, to bring him into the world in the first place? Jon Bauckham speaks to the author and biographer Andrew Lycett about the origins of the character and what the stories reveal about Conan Doyle himself. (Ad) Andrew Lycett is the author of The Worlds of Sherlock Holmes: The Inspiration Behind the World's Greatest Detective (Frances Lincoln, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Worlds-Sherlock-Holmes-Inspiration-Detective/dp/071128167X#:~:text=From%20the%20Victorian%20crazes%20for,enduring%2C%20enigmatic%20and%20recognisable%20characters./?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What picture comes to mind when you think of Queen Victoria? For many, it will be a grieving woman in her mourning gown, or perhaps a monarch cooly stating "we are not amused". From her marriage to Prince Albert to founding many of the royal traditions we know today, Tracy Borman speaks to Lauren Good about Victoria’s life, and explains why we should rethink our opinion of her. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As a Christmas present from us, we're sharing an exclusive sneak peek into what 2024 has in store on the HistoryExtra podcast, from upcoming series delving into the Suffragettes and historical conspiracies, to new Everything You Wanted to Know episodes. Thanks for listening this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Were druids the wise, kindly and benevolent figures of ancient societies, or bloodthirsty, barbaric priests with a penchant for brutal human sacrifice? Were they purely religious guides, or practitioners of magic? And why did the Romans perceive them to be such a dangerous threat? Speaking to Emily Briffett, Ronald Hutton answers your top questions on the mystical druids of ancient north western Europe. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Robert the Bruce’s landmark victory over the English at the battle of Bannockburn has secured his place as a hero in the annals of Scottish history. Speaking to Rachel Dinning, historian Helen Carr chronicles the story of the battle and its aftermath, and also explains why it had profound consequences for Scotland, England, and Ireland across the first half of the 14th century and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Boston Tea Party is often invoked as a symbol of non-violent protest, but how true is that picture? In episode two, we meet the Sons of Liberty – an organisation which, in combatting the rising taxes levied from the American colonists, sometimes turned to brutal and intimidating tactics that are often forgotten in the protest’s broader story. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John Newton was a slave-ship captain in the 18th century. However, he was also a devout Christian who went on to become a famous preacher and wrote the globally recognised hymn Amazing Grace. James Walvin talks to David Musgrove about how Newton and his contemporaries made sense of the contradiction of slavery and Christianity, and how Amazing Grace has taken on a life of its own after him. (Ad) James Walvin is the author of Amazing Grace: A Cultural History of the Beloved Hymn (University of California Press, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Amazing-Grace-Cultural-History-Beloved/dp/0520391829/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amelia Earhart broke record after record in 20th-century aviation, being the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean – and famously attempting to circumnavigate the world in 1937, on a doomed voyage that ended in her mysterious disappearance. Rhiannon Davies speaks to Clare Mulley to learn more about this adventurous figure. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1945, after defeat in the Second World War, many Germans claimed to have known nothing about what had happened to their fellow Jewish citizens – and with that, the idea of the ‘innocent bystander’ was born. But just how true was this claim? Delving into a rich archive of personal accounts of life in the Nazi era, Mary Fulbrook has unearthed a far more complex story, as she tells Rebecca Franks. (Ad) Mary Fulbrook is the author of Bystander Society: Conformity and Complicity in Nazi Germany and the Holocaust (Oxford University Press, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bystander-Society-Conformity-Complicity-Holocaust/dp/0197691714/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1970s Britain has gained a reputation for being fairly bleak, filled with strikes and economic turbulence. But was it really so terrible? From the uniting power of television to his grandfather's safari suit, Alwyn Turner takes Lauren Good on a journey through this decade of change, answering listener questions along the way. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The last decade of Julius Caesar’s life was dominated by civil war, his romance with Cleopatra and his quest for ultimate power. In episode three of our new series on Julius Caesar’s rise and fall, Rob Attar is joined by Professor Philip Freeman, Dr Jane Draycott and Dr Volker Heuchert to explore Caesar’s final years as the storm clouds were gathering around him. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the concluding part of our new series on Julius Caesar’s rise and fall, we take the story on to its dramatic coda as battles continue to rage over who will ultimately succeed the murdered dictator. Rob Attar is joined by Dr Jane Draycott to tell the story of Antony and Cleopatra’s war with Octavian, while Professor Philip Freeman, Professor Catherine Steel and Professor Barry Strauss reflect on the legacy of the Ides of March. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On 15 March 44 BC, Rome’s dictator strode into the Senate House of Pompey for a meeting with the city’s political elite. Little did he know that this would be the final meeting of his life. In episode one of our new series on Julius Caesar’s rise and fall, Rob Attar is joined by Professor Barry Strauss to describe the momentous events of a day that would transform Rome forever. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The deed is done, but the battle is far from over. In episode five of our new series on Julius Caesar’s rise and fall, Rob Attar is joined by Professor Philip Freeman, Professor Barry Strauss and Dr Volker Heuchert to plunge into the aftermath of Caesar’s murder as the dictator’s former allies and enemies go to war over the future of Rome. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Julius Caesar was born, few would have expected him to climb to the summit of Roman political power, but by the time of his death that was exactly what he had done. In episode two of our new series on Caesar’s rise and fall, Rob Attar is joined by Professor Catherine Steel and Professor Philip Freeman to examine the early life and career of a man who would seek to reshape Rome in his image. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In episode four of our new series on Julius Caesar’s rise and fall, we come face-to-face with the men who orchestrated the assassination. Professor Barry Strauss and Professor Philip Freeman join Rob Attar to dissect the characters of Brutus, Cassius and Decimus and reveal how the conspiracy got off the ground. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Netflix's hit drama The Crown has come to a close after six seasons and 60 episodes, having dramatised the Windsor dynasty from the mid-20th century to the early years of the new millennium. While it has faced some controversy for its portrayals of living royals and storytelling choices, its mass appeal has seen it become one of the flagship historical dramas of the decade. Elinor Evans spoke to the show's head of research, Annie Sulzberger, to hear more about The Crown's approach to the real history it portrays on screen. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did tea become such an incendiary issue in late 18th-century Boston? To understand this, we need to travel back at least a decade. Joined by experts Benjamin Carp, Sarah Churchwell and Sarah Purcell, we delve into the colonial grievances that were growing in the wake of the Seven Years’ War, and get closer to the unrest in colonial New England. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the evening of 16 December 1773, around a hundred men boarded three ships in Boston harbour, hoisting more than 46 tonnes of tea over the vessels’ rails and into the sea. The destruction of the goods became a pivotal moment on the road to the American Revolutionary War, and is better known to history as the Boston Tea Party. In our new HistoryExtra podcast series, on the 250th anniversary of the rebellion, we’ll be looking at the causes, tensions, and violent origins of the protest, the key players involved in the plan – and why exactly tea was so important to the story. Join experts Benjamin Carp, Sarah Churchwell and Sarah Purcell as we delve into the act of defiance that sparked a revolution. Subscribe to History Extra Plus on Apple Podcasts to listen to the whole series immediately and ad-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many might assume that Britain's grand houses were paid for, designed and built solely by men. However, as Amy Boyington reveals, this was far from the truth. Women acted as patrons, liaised with contractors, and even designed their homes with an expert hand. Speaking to Lauren Good, Amy uncovers these roles of women in Georgian architecture – some of which have been long forgotten. (Ad) Amy Boyington is the author of Hidden Patrons: Women and Architectural Patronage in Georgian Britain (Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hidden-Patrons-Architectural-Patronage-Georgian/dp/1350358606/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re making our new 'Life of the Week' series freely available for everyone to enjoy. Every Tuesday from 12 December, join us as we step back into the past and learn about the lives of some of history's most significant figures, from majestic ancient Egyptian pharaohs and medieval warriors to 20th-century daredevils. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the list of the world’s all-time wealthiest people, one name regularly tops the charts: Mansa Musa. Ruling a kingdom that stretched across West Africa, the 14th-century Mali emperor is best known for undertaking a glittering pilgrimage towards the holy city of Mecca. Yet, speaking to Emily Briffett, Hannah Cusworth argues Mansa Musa left a much larger legacy than that. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the Ides of March, 44 BC, the most famous Roman in history was murdered. Julius Caesar’s killers hoped to save the Republic, but in the end they destroyed it. In the six episodes of Caesar: Death of a Dictator, Rob Attar is joined by a group of expert historians to revisit these dramatic events and reveal how the assassination helped turn Rome into an empire. All episodes will be freely available everywhere on Saturday 16th December 2023. Want to listen to the whole series now or access it ad-free? Subscribe to History Extra Plus on Apple Podcasts where you can also enjoy an ad-free experience across all HistoryExtra episodes, as well as regular bonus content. Start your seven-day free trial now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did a severed ear start a war between Britain and Spain in the 18th century? And what has Queen Victoria's armpit got to do with the development of antiseptic? Speaking to Charlotte Hodgman, medical doctor and historian Dr Suzie Edge investigates our long-standing fascination with body parts, and explores the incredible stories of the people attached to them – from Albert Einstein's brain to the bones of 'Irish Giant' Charles Byrne. (Ad) Suzie Edge is a medical doctor, historian and the author of Vital Organs: A History of the World's Most Famous Body Parts (Wildfire, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vital-Organs-Suzie-Edge/dp/1035404583/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did the Gilded Ages get its name? What caused the explosion of industry at this time? Who were the great industrialists of the age, and what can their philanthropy tell us about the morals of the era? Speaking to Elinor Evans, Nancy C Unger answers listener questions on the so-called Gilded Age in the US, from the expansion of railroads and manufacturing that shaped the era and made millions for the industrial barons, to the 'dollar princesses' who married into British aristocracy The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Throughout time, both authors and their readers have gone to war. In that process, the written word has become a deadly weapon and a glimmer of peace and hope – from the furious printing efforts behind publishing //Mein Kampf// to the daring exploits of James Bond. Speaking to Emily Briffett, Andrew Pettegree traces the surprising, and sometimes sinister, ways in which the written word has shaped, and been shaped, by the conflicts of last few centuries. (Ad) Andrew Pettegree is the author of The Book at War: Libraries and Readers in an Age of Conflict (Profile Books, 2023). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-book-at-war%2Fandrew-pettegree%2F9781800814936 The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Farah Karim-Cooper reveals what the playwright’s famous tragedy tells us about how death and mortality were viewed in the Tudor era Written at the turn of the 17th century, William Shakespeare’s //Hamlet// sees its title character haunted – both literally and emotionally – by complex feelings about death. As Farah Karim-Cooper explains, the playwright was tapping into the era’s wider confusion about mortality and spirituality The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Medieval people are often portrayed in popular culture as being grubby and smelly, with few manners to recommend them. However, in reality, such uncouth behaviour would certainly have been frowned upon. Speaking with Emily Briffett, Danièle Cybulskie delves into the historical handbook to pull out some of the top tips on social etiquette from the Middle Ages – and explores why these rules and ideals were so important at the time. (Ad) Danièle Cybulskie is the author of Chivalry and Courtesy: Medieval Manners for Modern Life (Abbeville Press, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chivalry-Courtesy-Medieval-Manners-Modern/dp/0789214695/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3ESD081ALMM7A&keywords=chivalry+and+courtesy&qid=1698924976&sprefix=chivalry+and+%2Caps%2C85&sr=8-1&tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Following its liberation in 1944, France began a reckoning with its years of defeat, occupation and collaboration with Nazi Germany. On trial was Marshal Philippe Pétain, the decorated World War I hero and onetime head of the collaborationist regime known as Vichy France. Speaking to Danny Bird, Julian Jackson discusses the role the trial played in the nation's attempt to reconcile itself with this controversial chapter in its history. (Ad) Julian Jackson is the author of France on Trial: The Case of Marshal Pétain (Allen Lane, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/France-Trial-Case-Marshal-P%C3%A9tain/dp/024145025X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was 1950s Britain a grim, grey nation, haunted by the spectre of the Second World War, or was it a vibrant, forward-thinking country that had – in the words of Harold Macmillan – “never had it so good”? Speaking with Jon Bauckham, Alwyn Turner separates fact from fiction and answers listeners’ questions about a decade that saw the birth of rock’n’roll, the Suez Crisis, and the crowning of a new queen. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The French Revolution of 1789 is one of the defining events of world history – but the decades preceding the revolution were also seismic, being marked by war, royal scandal, financial crisis and scientific wonder. In conversation with Rob Attar, Robert Darnton takes us on a journey through the streets of Paris in the 40 years that preceded the storming of the Bastille. (Ad) Robert Darnton is the author of The Revolutionary Temper: Paris, 1748–1789 (Penguin, 2023). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-revolutionary-temper%2Frobert-darnton%2F9780713996562 The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Islam Issa charts what the tragic history play tells us about the ancient world – and the insights it offers into the politics of the playwright’s own era It may be set in ancient Rome, with a cast of real-life characters – yet William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar also tells us a great deal about the machinations of the Elizabethan court. Islam Issa shares his thoughts on how the play offers a window into the politics of the playwright’s era. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Writing during the celebrated Tang dynasty, Du Fu is heralded as China's greatest poet, musing on subjects from how to cook noodles to war and rebellion. Speaking to Spencer Mizen, Michael Wood charts Du Fu's fascinating life, and explores what the poet can tell us about medieval Chinese culture. (Ad) Michael Wood is the author of In the Footsteps of Du Fu (Simon & Schuster, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Footsteps-Du-Fu-Michael-Wood/dp/1398515442/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Renaissance Florence and ancient Babylon to the kingdom of Benin and Heian-era Kyoto, cities across history have served as launchpads for extraordinary outbursts of artistic flowering. Caroline Campbell, director of the National Gallery of Ireland and the author of The Power of Art, guides Ellie Cawthorne through some of these cultural metropolises, exploring what made them artistic hubs, and how they turbocharged the story of art. (Ad) Caroline Campbell is the author of The Power of Art: A World History in Fifteen Cities (The Bridge Street Press, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Power-People-Painting-Fifteen-Cities/dp/0349128480/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When was it established that the Earth is round? Did the Catholic church help or hinder the practice of astronomy? And how transformative was the big bang theory? Speaking to Spencer Mizen, James Hannam answers your queries on the long history of the study of the heavens. (Ad) James Hannam is the author of The Globe: How the Earth Became Round (Reaktion Books, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Globe-How-Earth-Became-Round/dp/1789147581/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Charles Dickens was a master of managing his personal brand. In fact, almost everything we know about him comes from one biography, written by his friend John Forster. But, if you dig a little deeper, strange biographical inconsistencies begin to emerge. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, Helena Kelly outlines her new theories on the truth behind the stories Dickens told about everything from his family and childhood to his sex life, and how they paint a much darker picture of the author’s life. (Ad) Helena Kelly is the author of The Life and Lies of Charles Dickens (Icon, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Lies-Charles-Dickens/dp/1837731047/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=dKdrS&content-id=amzn1.sym.3413293e-3815-4359-96ba-1ec5110e0b30&pf_rd_p=3413293e-3815-4359-96ba-1ec5110e0b30&pf_rd_r=260-4281246-2111105&pd_rd_wg=KK2pp&pd_rd_r=22b9c5ce-9e82-4453-bc64-7ac5042e4472&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk&tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sophie Duncan delves into the playwright’s world-famous tragedy to reveal what it tells us about youth in the Tudor era The doomed romance of young lovers Romeo and Juliet has captured imaginations across the centuries – but what does William Shakespeare’s play tell us about the real experiences of youth at the time he was writing? Sophie Duncan offers her expert take. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel Herrmann charts the long history of America’s famous holiday – from modern parades and celebrations to the first feast From the fabled first feast between the Pilgrims and Native Americans to the darker side of the holiday's history, the American tradition of Thanksgiving has a long and complex past. Here, Charlotte Hodgman puts listener queries and popular search queries to Rachel Herrman on the history of Thanksgiving. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why did medieval people hit the road or the high seas? Was it expensive to travel in the Middle Ages, and what were the biggest risks that a medieval traveller faced? Speaking to David Musgrove, Professor Anthony Bale gives the lowdown on the medieval travel experience. (Ad) Anthony Bale is the author of A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages: The World Through Medieval Eyes (Viking, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Travel-Guide-Middle-Ages-Medieval/dp/0241530849/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the summer of 1483, two young princes disappeared from the Tower of London – and were never seen again. Had they been killed by their uncle, Richard III, in his bid for the English throne? Had someone else murdered them? Or had they been whisked away to safety? Philippa Langley, whose work helped to locate the bones of Richard III under a Leicester car park, talks to Rebecca Franks about new discoveries made by The Missing Princes Project. (Ad) Philippa Langley is the author of The Princes in the Tower: Solving History’s Greatest Cold Case (The History Press, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Princes-Tower-Solving-Historys-Greatest/dp/1803995416/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood become so famous? Did Elizabeth Siddal really almost die in a bathtub when she modelled for John Everett Millais' Ophelia? And which Rosetti painting shocked the art establishment the most? Speaking to Elinor Evans, Suzanne Fagence Cooper answers your questions on the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood: a group of artists founded in 1848 who pushed the boundaries of artistic realism and courted scandal in Victorian Britain through their lifestyles and art. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why, across Nazi-occupied Europe, did some people choose to resist the Third Reich? This is the question at the heart of Halik Kochanski's book Resistance, which has just won the 2023 Wolfson History Prize. In conversation with Rachel Dinning, Halik speaks about the different types of resistance against Nazi occupation across Europe between 1939 and 1945 – from open partisan warfare in the occupied Soviet Union, to dangerous acts of defiance in Norway. (Ad) Halik Kochanski is the author of Resistance: The Underground War in Europe, 1939-1945 (Allen Lane, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Resistance-Underground-War-Europe-1939-1945/dp/0241004284/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

William Shakespeare’s plays are among the celebrated works in all of English literature – but they also offer key insights into the time in which the playwright lived, and how the past was viewed in the Tudor era. In our new podcast series, Shakespeare: Past Master, experts delve into plays including Hamlet, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet to explore how they depict the past. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jerry Brotton offers expert insights into what the playwright’s much-quoted history play tells about nationalism and nationhood at the time it was first performed Telling the story of the build-up to and aftermath of the 1415 battle of Agincourt, William Shakespeare’s Henry V has sometimes been linked to the nationalistic glorification of war. Yet, as Jerry Brotton reveals, the play also contains more nuanced and complex views of nationhood. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices