HistoryExtra podcast

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

George Orwell – the author of classics like 1984 – is a household name. But have you heard of his first wife, Eileen O’Shaughnessy, who convinced her husband to write the political fable which evolved into Animal Farm? Despite being vital in Orwell’s career, she has been omitted from the historical narrative by both her husband and his biographers since. Speaking to Lauren Good, Anna Funder reveals O’Shaughnessy’s hidden life – and considers how women through the past have facilitated the success of their husbands from the shadows. (Ad) Anna Funder is the author of Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life (Viking, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wifedom-Mrs-Orwells-Invisible-Life/dp/0241482720/?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 are the earliest forms of written magic? How do the stories of magic and religion intersect? And how will these stories’ continued presence in popular culture influence events yet to come? Professor Owen Davies takes Lauren Good on a journey through the twisting history of the Grimoire, from the use of papyrus to the effects of ‘WitchTok’. (Ad) Owen Davies is the author of Art of the Grimoire: An Illustrated History of Magic Books and Spells (Yale University Press, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Grimoire-Illustrated-History-Spells/dp/0300272014/?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 myths did the Norse believe, and what influence did they exert on daily life? Was the trickster god Loki really that bad, and was Odin really that wise? And why is Christianity a crucial part of the story? Speaking to Kev Lochun, historian and broadcaster Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough answers listener questions about the pantheon of Norse myths, from the yawning void of Ginnungagap to the end of days, Ragnarok. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dan Jones chronicles the brutal siege of Calais, an overlooked campaign in the Hundred Years’ War, and the focus of his new novel During the Hundred Years’ War, after the English had stormed to victory at the battle of Crécy, they turned their attention northwards: to the prized port city of Calais. Dan Jones brings the lengthy siege to life in his latest historical fiction novel, Wolves of Winter, and here he spoke to Rhiannon Davies to reveal why those trapped inside the city considered turning to cannibalism. (Ad) Dan Jones is the author of Wolves of Winter (Bloomsbury, 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%2Fwolves-of-winter%2Fdan-jones%2F9781838937942 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In episode five of our new series on the First Crusade, we rejoin the crusaders for the last time as they reach their final goal, the holy city of Jerusalem Of all the holy places venerated by medieval Christians, there was nowhere quite as sacred as Jerusalem: the supposed location of Jesus Christ’s burial, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. It would be the jewel in the crown of Christendom – but first they had to capture it. In this fifth and final episode of our latest HistoryExtra podcast series, we’ll be charting the last leg of the First Crusade, as the crusaders race down the Levant towards their final goal, which they hoped would mark the conclusion of their arduous mission. 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

Frank McDonough explores the infamous failed coup that shaped the early history of the Nazi party On 8 November 1923, the Nazi Party launched a coup attempt in Munich that has come to be known as the ‘Beer Hall Putsch’. The putsch itself was an abject failure, but it taught Hitler valuable lessons that would aid his path to power a decade later. Historian Frank McDonough is joined by Rob Attar to explore one of the best-known moments in the early history of Hitler and the Nazis. (Ad) Frank McDonough is the author of The Weimar Years: Rise and Fall 1918-1933 (Apollo, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Weimar-Years-Frank-McDonough/dp/1803284781/?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

Novelist Philippa Gregory reflects on 900 years of women’s history, from the huge upheavals of the Norman invasion to successfully securing the right to vote in the 20th century How have women’s lives changed since the 11th century, when William the Conqueror invaded England? Novelist Philippa Gregory has set out to explore this tumultuous history, explaining how global conflicts, the job market, deadly diseases and more have transformed the lives of women. Rhiannon Davies spoke to her to find out more. (Ad) Philippa Gregory is the author of Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History (HarperCollins, 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%2Fnormal-women%2Fphilippa-gregory%2F9780008644772 The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For millennia, Egypt’s mighty pyramids have acted as emblems of the vibrant ancient civilisation that once straddled the Nile Valley. From mysteries surrounding their design and construction and the discovery of new passageways, to the enigma of the Great Sphinx, the pyramids continue to fascinate the world. Danny Bird puts some of our listeners’ questions to Egyptologist Mark Lehner. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nicknamed ‘Hellish Nell’ from childhood, spiritualist medium Helen Duncan made a living from claiming to communicate with the spirits of the dead at seances around Britain. But in 1944, her ‘psychic predictions’ of wartime tragedy saw her become the last person to be imprisoned under the Witchcraft Act of 1735. Malcolm Gaskill explores the remarkable events that led to Duncan’s incarceration and investigates the mysterious world of 20th-century spiritualism. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In late AD 1097, a weary and wartorn band of crusaders arrived at the imposing walls of Antioch: a key strategic location on the long journey down the Levant. In the shadow of the city’s tall towers, the crusaders plotted their next move. Morale was at an all-time low, but the stakes were high – a Turkish army was on its way. In this fourth episode of our latest HistoryExtra podcast series, we’ll be witnessing the moment the crusaders faced their biggest trial yet. Speaking to a host of expert historians, we’ll be considering top crusader tactics and revealing how the crusader army found the motivation to carry on in an unfamiliar and imposing land. 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

Sixties Britain didn’t swing for all its citizens – with racism, anti-immigration rhetoric and the spectre of unemployment affecting many black and Asian Britons. But those affected were determined to fight for their rights. Speaking to Rhiannon Davies, Preeti Dhillon revisits this familiar era to reveal examples of anti-racist activism that have been largely forgotten today. (Ad) Preeti Dhillon is the author of The Shoulders We Stand On: How Black and Brown people fought for change in the United Kingdom (Dialogue Books, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shoulders-We-Stand-people-Kingdom/dp/0349702829/?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

Ever since the shadow of Count Orlok crept up the staircase in 1922’s Nosferatu, and Fay Wray emitted her iconic scream in 1933’s King Kong, horror films have captivated and scandalised audiences in equal measure. Speaking to Matt Elton, Professor Roger Luckhurst explores how scary films have reflected changing social anxieties in the 20th and 21st centuries, and nominates the ten horror movies he thinks are most representative of their time. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Caribbean island of Jamaica has a long and complex history, from its crucial role in the transatlantic slave trade to being the birthplace of Rastafari. Here, Rhiannon Davies puts listener queries and popular search queries on the island’s history to Audra A Diptee. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Killers of the Flower Moon, the new historical epic from Martin Scorsese, dramatises a series of murders that was described by press at the time as the “bloodiest chapter in American crime history”. The crimes caught the attention of J Edgar Hoover, and became the focus of one of the fledgling FBI’s first major homicide investigations. David Grann, author of the book on which the film is based, joined Elinor Evans back in 2017 to discuss the murders' horrific impact on the Native American Osage Nation. (Ad) David Grann is the author of Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI (Doubleday Books, 2017). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Killers-Flower-Moon-Osage-Murders/dp/0385534248/?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 call to crusade that ignited the idea of holy war in the minds of the western European populace, Pope Urban II painted a picture of evil “infidels” torturing and massacring the Christians of the Holy Land. However, when the armed pilgrims of the First Crusade crossed over into Asia Minor, the situation was not as they had been led to believe – not least because they found a Christian population living alongside their supposed mortal enemies. Speaking to a range of expert historians in this third episode of our latest HistoryExtra podcast series, we follow the crusaders from hardship to hardship, as they face their first conflict and struggle across Asia Minor en route to the Levant. 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

Tuberculosis – otherwise known as the ‘Great White Plague’ – was a scourge on society and killed countless sufferers. Rhiannon Davies spoke to Maria Smilios to find out about the little-known story of the black nurses of New York’s Seaview Hospital who helped fight the disease – and were part of the historic drug trials of the 1950s that saw the arrival of a long-awaited cure. (Ad) Maria Smilios is the author of The Black Angels: The Untold Story of the Nurses Who Helped Cure Tuberculosis (Little Brown, 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%2F9780349009254 The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Winston Churchill’s remarkable career saw him interact with many of the other great figures of the age, many of whom had a profound impact on Britain’s wartime leader. Speaking to Rob Attar, Professor David Reynolds examines Churchill’s relationships with the likes of Stalin, Mussolini, Gandhi and Clement Attlee – and considers how these figures left their mark on the statesman. (Ad) David Reynolds is the author of Mirrors of Greatness: Churchill and the Leaders Who Shaped Him (William Collins, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BY84WXVN/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty 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

Why was Henry III so unpopular with his barons? How did the future Edward I turn the tide of the war? Did leading rebel Simon de Montfort create the first English parliament? And is it true that, after being killed in battle, his testicles were placed into his mouth? Speaking with Spencer Mizen, Nicholas Vincent answers your queries on the Second Barons’ War. 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

Whether it was creating super-fast thoroughbreds, or fashioning dogs small enough to fit in your sleeve, animal breeding was an obsession of the Renaissance era. And, as Mackenzie Cooley reveals, animal husbandry prompted people to think about whether humankind could also be improved by selective breeding. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne about her Cundill Prize-shortlisted book The Perfection of Nature, she discusses how ideas about animal breeding tied into colonialism, race and eugenics. (Ad) Mackenzie Cooley is the author of The Perfection of Nature: Animals, Breeding, and Race in the Renaissance (University of Chicago Press, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfection-Nature-Animals-Breeding-Renaissance/dp/0226822281/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty 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

The Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos had asked the pope for a small crack team of western knights to aid him with his struggles in Asia Minor – a plea for help which had set crusading wheels into motion. But, he was shocked when waves of unruly crusaders began arriving in waves outside the walls of his capital. In this second episode of our latest HistoryExtra podcast series, we’ll reconstruct the journey that saw the crusaders end up outside Constantinople, dealing with logistical challenges and fraught relationships along the way. 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

The early 1960s saw the British establishment face a challenging new landscape. It was an era of rapid change, but also of enduring conservatism. David Kynaston tells Spencer Mizen about Britain from 1962-65, when the rise of Harold Wilson and the Beatles threatened to shatter the status quo. (Ad) David Kynaston is the author of A Northern Wind: Britain 1962-65 (Bloomsbury, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Northern-Wind-Britain-1962-65/dp/1526657570/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty 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

Our new bonus series delves into the fascinating lives of some of history's most significant figures, from ancient pharaohs to 20th-century secret agents. To access this new series and listen to all episodes completely ad-free subscribe to History Extra Plus on Apple Podcasts here: https://apple.co/3eHiXrc 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

October 2023 marks the centenary of the Walt Disney Company, which from its early days as one of the pioneers of animated films has grown to become a cultural behemoth. Speaking to Matt Elton, John Wills looks back at a hundred years of classic films, controversy and cultural dominance. 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

The decade and a half between the end of the First World War and the ascent of Nazism is one of the most debated and mythologised periods of German history. The democratic Weimar Republic was a period of great political instability but is also renowned for its liberal social attitudes and cultural achievements. For today’s everything you wanted to know episode Rob Attar is joined by Professor Frank McDonough to tackle some of the big questions – including those submitted by listeners – surrounding this doomed experiment in democracy. 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

The trans-Atlantic slave trade expanded greatly in the 18th century, growing from a relatively small enterprise to a global business that saw millions of African people clapped in irons, forced to undergo the tortuous Middle Passage and then sold at market in the Americas. Speaking to Rhiannon Davies, Nicholas Radburn investigates the merchants across the globe who tried to expand their bottom lines by branching out into slave trading. (Ad) Nicholas Radburn is the author of Traders in Men: Merchants and the Transformation of the Transatlantic Slave Trade (Yale University Press, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Traders-Men-Merchants-Transformation-Transatlantic/dp/0300257619/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty 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

When we talk about the crusades today the mental images that spring to mind are as clear as they are striking – valiant crusader knights emblazoned with crosses and penniless pilgrims in search of salvation, perhaps even a brutal clash of civilisations. But, behind the popular myths, there lies a far more fascinating story. In our new HistoryExtra podcast series, The First Crusade: The War that Transformed the Medieval World, we’ll be travelling back in time to walk in the footsteps of the first crusaders, witnessing the hardships they faced, meeting the people they came across and seeing the landscapes they traversed through their eyes. Episodes will be released weekly from 12 October. To gain early, ad-free access to all episodes now, subscribe to History Extra Plus on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In episode one of our series on the First Crusade, we consider how a landmark papal bull lit a fire under the idea of crusading, triggering a military machine that saw tens of thousands make an unprecedented journey into the unknown and face off against an unfamiliar enemy When we talk about the crusades today the mental images that spring to mind are as clear as they are striking – valiant crusader knights emblazoned with crosses and penniless pilgrims in search of salvation, perhaps even a brutal clash of civilisations. But, there's more to them than that. In the first episode of our latest HistoryExtra podcast series, we’re travelling back in time to where it all started, uncovering the origins of the First Crusade. Speaking to a range of expert historians, we trace how a complex web of ideas and problems came together to form a major movement, fired with religious zeal. 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

St Augustine of Hippo is one of the most influential Christian thinkers of the past 2,000 years – and his work also offers fresh insights into the lives of women in the late Roman empire. That’s the contention of the historian Kate Cooper, who has drawn on his Confessions to tell the stories of Augustine’s mother, his lover, his fiancée and the Roman empress Justina, in her Cundill History Prize-shortlisted book Queens of a Fallen World. She speaks to Rob Attar about this unique window into the 4th century. (Ad) Kate Cooper is the author of Queens of a Fallen World: The Lost Women of Augustine's Confessions (John Murray Press, 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%2Fqueens-of-a-fallen-world%2Fkate-cooper%2F9781399807968 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

Our new monthly series explores the historical stories hitting the headlines – and the way in which the past informs today’s world. To access this new series and listen to all episodes completely ad-free subscribe to History Extra Plus on Apple Podcasts here: https://apple.co/3eHiXrc 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

As the UK marks Black History Month, a panel of expert historians – Hannah Cusworth, Pamela Roberts and Hakim Adi – tackle some of the biggest questions around bringing black histories to light. Speaking to Matt Elton, they explore the value of Black History Month in highlighting stories that may otherwise be obscured – and whether the focus on black history sparked by 2020's global protests has been maintained. 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

Cats have lived alongside us for centuries, and our relationship with them has transformed over time – from venerating them to vilifying them. What roles have humans cast cats in over the years? Why were they seen as deities by the ancient Egyptians? And how did they come to be synonymous with witches? In our latest Everything You Wanted to Know episode, Dr Andrew Flack answers listener questions about the history of our relationship with these fascinating creatures. 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

Known as “Darwin’s bulldog”, Thomas Henry Huxley fought a tireless battle against the opponents of evolutionary theory. His grandson Julian lived among the animals of London Zoo and made nature documentaries with a young David Attenborough. Alison Bashford is the author of a Cundill Prize-shortlisted book on the Huxley family, An Intimate History of Evolution. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, she reveals how this pioneering dynasty of scientists and thinkers shaped our view of nature across the 19th and 20th centuries. (Ad) Alison Bashford is the author of An Intimate History of Evolution: The Story of the Huxley Family (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%2Fan-intimate-history-of-evolution%2Falison-bashford%2F9780141992228 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

In the latest in our series charting the contested reputations of key historical figures, Vikram Visana and Jad Adams debate the complex, sometimes controversial life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, and discuss his views on everything from sex and gender to class and ethnicity 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

For the decade between 1966 and 1976, Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution wreaked immense havoc on China – with up to 2 million killed, and another 36 million persecuted for perceived political or cultural sins. Tania Branigan is the author of a Cundill Prize-shortlisted book Red Memory, which draws on personal testimonies to chart the story of this terrifying decade. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, she discusses why the Cultural Revolution was such a significant moment in Chinese history and explores its continued impact on the country’s politics, culture and psyche today. (Ad) Tania Branigan is the author of Red Memory: Living, Remembering and Forgetting China's Cultural Revolution (Faber & Faber, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Red-Memory-Remembering-Forgetting-Revolution/dp/1783352647/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty 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

When Allied forces invaded Italy in September 1943, they hoped to be in Rome by Christmas. But by the end of the year, after four months of unrelenting warfare, the Italian capital was still 70 miles away. Historian, author and podcaster James Holland speaks to Rob Attar about this savage clash between the Allies and Nazi Germany. (Ad) James Holland is the author of The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943 (Bantam, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Savage-Storm-Battle-Italy-1943/dp/1787636682/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty 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

From his turn as Shakespeare in Upstart Crow to his historical sketches with Robert Webb, comedian and actor David Mitchell’s work has often touched on the past. Now he’s written his first history book, Unruly, charting England’s monarchy from its earliest days to the reign of Elizabeth I. David tells Matt Elton about this storied history. (Ad) David Mitchell is the author of Unruly: A History of England's Kings and Queens (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%2Funruly%2Fdavid-mitchell%2F9781405953177 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The first half of the 20th century is often talked about as a golden age of archaeology – a time marked by thrilling finds such as those of Tutankhamun’s tomb and the ship burial at Sutton Hoo. But was it really as golden as we might wish to believe? Speaking to Kev Lochun, Dr Hélène Maloigne answers listener questions about one of most exciting periods in the history of archaeology, where glittering discoveries and moral conundrums stood shoulder to shoulder. 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 29 September 1923, the British empire was at its territorial height. But even as British power stretched across the globe, were the seeds of the empire’s destruction already sown? Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, Matthew Parker charts what was happening across diverse territories in September 1923, through the testimonies of those on the ground, from Samoa and Nigeria to New Zealand and India. (Ad) Matthew Parker is the author of One Fine Day: Britain's Empire on the Brink (Little, Brown, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Fine-Day-Matthew-Parker/dp/1408708582/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty 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

In the latest in our series charting the reputations of key historical figures, June Purvis and Lyndsey Jenkins discuss the life and contested legacy of Emmeline Pankhurst – from whether her story obscures that of the wider suffragette movement to whether her political activism really means she can be labelled a ‘terrorist’ 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

In 1923, a new periodical was launched to guide listeners through the BBC’s nascent radio offerings. Its name? The Radio Times. Across the coming decades, it not only featured radio and TV listings, but also offered a window into the nation’s changing media and social landscape. As Radio Times magazine marks its centenary, Matt Elton assembles a panel of experts to discuss the ways in which the dramatic social and media shifts of the past century are captured in its pages. 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

What did Roman emperors actually do all day? Were they really as bloodthirsty as legend would suggest? And why was food so important? Speaking to Matt Elton, popular historian, author and broadcaster Mary Beard tackles some of the big questions about life as a Roman emperor, profiling some extraordinary figures along the way. (Ad) Mary Beard is the author of Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World (Profile Books, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Emperor-Professor-Mary-Beard/dp/1846683785/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty 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

With the climate crisis, war in Ukraine, a recent pandemic and the rise of AI, it can feel like there is more to be fearful of today than ever before. But according to historian Robert Peckham, human society has always been shaped by fear – and not always in the ways you might expect. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, Robert reveals how fear has been a force for both good and ill, from the Black Death and colonisation to the abolition movement and 19th-century concerns about technology. (Ad) Robert Peckham is the author of Fear: An Alternative History of the World (Profile, 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%2F9781788167239 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

The Battle of Britain has gone down in history as an epic dogfight between the RAF and the Luftwaffe – one where Britain faced overwhelming odds and the threat of an almost inevitable invasion. However, according to Dr Victoria Taylor, this wasn’t exactly the case. In conversation with Emily Briffett, Victoria answers listener questions on the battle, and unpicks some of the most enduring myths surrounding it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices