HistoryExtra podcast

In the late 1340s, people in cities, towns and villages across the medieval world began to fall ill from a mysterious pestilence. This six part series looks at the how the Black Death shook the Middle Ages, killing millions and transforming societies. Speaking to expert historians, we'll track the spread of this devastating disease, reveal what it was like to live through the pandemic and consider its dramatic, long-lasting impact. The primary sources quoted in this series are taken from: The Black Death, translated and edited by Rosemary Horrox (1994) The Black Death, The Great Mortality of 1348-1350: A Brief History with Documents, John Arberth (2005) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fifty years on from the launch of the world’s first commercial home video game console – the Magnavox Odyssey – John Wills talks to Matt Elton about how videogames have reflected the world around them over the past half century, and the ways in which history and gaming increasingly overlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen delve into the history of libraries, from the humble book lover’s private selection to the most lavish literary collections. In conversation with Emily Briffett, they explore the innovations and ideas that made libraries what they are today. (Ad) Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen are the authors of The Library: A Fragile History (Profile Books, 2021). 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-library%2Farthur-der-weduwen%2Fandrew-pettegree%2F9781788163422 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest episode of our monthly series marking the centenary of the BBC, media historian David Hendy speaks to Matt Elton about the rise of television during the 1950s – and how the decade saw the BBC increasingly clash with the political world. (Ad) David Hendy is the author of The BBC: A People’s History (Profile Books, 2022). 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-bbc%2Fdavid-hendy%2F%2F9781781255254%3Fawaid%3D3787%26utm_source%3Dredbrain%26utm_medium%3Dshopping%26utm_campaign%3Dcss%26gclid%3DCj0KCQiAip-PBhDVARIsAPP2xc2PCYX_d_582jtZj6du6A-9dNO8d8xXvVkPhP_Jmh1FuEm7Mui3xSYaAvwiEALw_wcB Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How much of a gamble did sending a task force to the South Atlantic represent for Margaret Thatcher? How close did Britain come to losing the conflict? And did victory change the nation’s relationship with its armed forces? Speaking to Spencer Mizen, Helen Parr answers listener questions about British troops’ campaign to retake the Falkland Islands four decades ago. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Would you like ad-free versions of our podcasts, early access to series and exclusive bonus content? Then check out our subscription podcast feed HistoryExtra Plus. Follow the link below to sign up now: https://apple.co/3xNlgAM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ninety years on from the Kinder Mass Trespass, Ben Anderson speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about what this act of popular protest achieved in 1932, how it became mythologised as a key moment in the right-to-roam campaign, and how we should remember it today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lucy Ward speaks to Elinor Evans about the story of English Quaker doctor Thomas Dimsdale, who took up the risky challenge of inoculating Empress Catherine II against smallpox, as a powerful statement at a time when the disease was ravaging Russia and superstition held sway. (Ad) Lucy Ward is the author of The Empress and the English Doctor: How Catherine the Great defied a deadly virus (Oneworld Publications, 2022). 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-empress-and-the-english-doctor%2Flucy-ward%2F9780861542451 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stephen Bourne introduces Spencer Mizen to some of the pioneers of black British theatre, from Ira Aldridge, who in 1825 became the first black actor to play Othello, to the emergence of Britain’s black-led theatre companies. (Ad) Stephen Bourne is the author of Deep Are the Roots: Trailblazers Who Changed Black British Theatre (The History Press 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deep-Are-Roots-Trailblazers-Changed/dp/0750996293/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Natalia Nowakowska reveals the story of the Jagiellonians – one of the most successful dynasties that many people have never even heard of. Speaking with Emily Briffett, she discusses how they rose from pagan tribal origins in Lithuania to become one of the biggest Catholic dynasties in Europe, with an expansive empire and a legacy that can still be felt today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1943, British agents concocted a daring plot to trick Hitler, involving a dead body, fake love letters and a false identity. Speaking with Emily Briffett, author and historian Ben Macintyre discusses the real history behind Operation Mincemeat, a new film adapted from his 2010 book of the same name. Operation Mincemeat is in UK cinemas from 15 April. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Tracy Borman answers listener questions about the history of British royal residences, from imposing castles to decadent palaces. She speaks to Rachel Dinning about secret rooms, spooky hauntings, and her work as Joint Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A blood-splattered slice of Viking action arrives in UK cinemas today with the release of Robert Eggers’ new saga-inspired epic, The Northman. Professor Neil Price, archaeologist and historical consultant on the film, speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about the process of recreating the Viking world on screen, and some of the historical themes that inspired the story. The Northman is in UK cinemas from 15 April. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over time, we’ve viewed birds as pets, pests, natural delights and bad omens. Roy and Lesley Adkins tell Emily Briffett about our complex and lengthy relationship with birds – a story of changing landscapes, fluctuating tastes in food and fashion, enjoyment and exploitation. (Ad) Roy and Lesley Adkins are the authors of When There Were Birds (Little Brown, 2021). 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%2Fwhen-there-were-birds%2Froy-adkins%2Flesley-adkins%2F9781408713570 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What could you expect to hear in the atrium of a Roman home? What was everyday life like for the slaves who worked in the kitchens? And which emperor hosted the worst dinner party? In conversation with Emily Briffett, Dr Hannah Platts takes us on a multi-sensory tour of the ancient Roman home. (Ad) Hannah Platts is author of Multisensory Living in Ancient Rome: Power and Space in Roman Houses (Bloomsbury, 2019). Buy it now from Bloomsbury: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/multisensory-living-in-ancient-rome-9781350194496/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaking to Dave Musgrove, medieval historian Elizabeth Boyle reflects on life throughout the Covid lockdowns, using early Irish literature to explore how similar the emotions of people in the middle ages were to our own. (Ad) Elizabeth Boyle is the author of Fierce Appetites: Loving, Losing and Living to Excess in my Present and in the Writings of the Past (Sandycove, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fierce-Appetites-Loving-present-writings/dp/1844885445/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What was corruption like in the ancient world – and how can studying it help us make sense of shady dealings in the 21st century? Matt Elton speaks to Shushma Malik, Marta Garcia and Yehudah Gershon – three researchers behind a new project to reveal more about the murkier side of ancient Greece and Rome. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Crail tackles popular internet search queries and listener questions about the history of Britain’s trade union movement and its attempts to secure better conditions for the country’s workers. He talks to Jon Bauckham about the 19th-century origins of the unions, their connection with the Labour Party, and their role in strikes through the centuries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wiretapping has a chequered past in the United States, from civil war soldiers who were seen as heroes for tapping enemy wires to the political scandals that rocked the 20th-century establishment. Brian Hochman, the author of The Listeners: A History of Wiretapping in the United States tells Rhiannon Davies about the history of electronic eavesdropping. (Ad) Brian Hochman is the author of The Listeners: A History of Wiretapping in the United States (Harvard University Press, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FListeners-History-Wiretapping-United-States%2Fdp%2F0674249283%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fqid%3D1643728025%26refinements%3Dp_27%3ABrian%2BHochman%26s%3Dbooks%26sr%3D1-1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Professor Terence Dooley, author of Burning the Big House, tells Ellie Cawthorne why so many of Ireland’s grand homes were subjected to arson during the early 20th century, revealing a complex web of disputes over land, protests against imperialism and IRA reprisals. (Ad) Terence Dooley is the author of Burning the Big House: The Story of the Irish Country House in a Time of War and Revolution (Yale University Press, 2022). 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%2Fburning-the-big-house%2Fterence-dooley%2F9780300260748 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns tells Elinor Evans about the life and accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin – a man who both loved Britain but became a key figure in American independence, and who was a slave-owner yet later campaigned for abolition. Burns also talks about the challenges and thrills of portraying complex histories on screen, and of finding voices that bring the past to life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Daisy Dunn tells Spencer Mizen how students at Oxford University – including Evelyn Waugh, Vera Brittain and John Betjeman – were buffeted by world events in the 1920s and 30s. (Ad) Daisy Dunn is the author of Not Far From Brideshead: Oxford Between the Wars (Orion Publishing, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones: http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=4746&awinaffid=489797&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fnot-far-from-brideshead%2Fdaisy-dunn%2F9781474615570&clickref=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

International history expert Professor Kristina Spohr talks to Matt Elton about the historical parallels of the current conflict in Ukraine – and why we shouldn’t see it as a new Cold War. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do we mean by the word ‘clan’? Were these Scottish kinship groups more often allies or enemies? And did they really wear tartan? Speaking with Emily Briffett, Professor Murray Pittock tackles popular search queries and listener questions about Scottish clans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lloyd Bowen shares the story of one remarkable 1601 duel with Elinor Evans. He reveals what the wealth of evidence around a single dispute can tell us about the codes of honour that governed elite violence in early modern England. (Ad) Lloyd Bowen is the author Anatomy of a Duel in Jacobean England: Gentry Honour, Violence and the Law (Boydell & Brewer, 2021). 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%2Fanatomy-of-a-duel-in-jacobean-england%2Flloyd-bowen%2F9781783276097 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Archaeologist Dominic Perring discusses what we know about London’s Roman past with Emily Briffett, examining the city’s key turning points and exploring how life there was affected by fire, plague and warfare. Using archaeological and historical records, he ties London’s story into the wider history of the Roman empire. (Ad) Dominic Perring is the author of London in the Roman World (Oxford University Press, 2022). 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%2Flondon-in-the-roman-world%2Fdominic-perring%2F9780198789000 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anna Keay introduces Spencer Mizen to the dramatic decade between the execution of Charles I in 1649 and the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. She reveals what life was like under Oliver Cromwell, as Britain embarked on its experiment with republicanism. (Ad) Anna Keay is the author of The Restless Republic: Britain without a Crown (William Collins, 2022). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Interregnum-Peoples-Republic-Anna-Keay/dp/0008282021/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Taylor Downing chronicles the events of the year 1942, which he contends was Britain’s lowest moment in the Second World War. Speaking to Rob Attar, he revisits some of the disasters that befell the country that year and highlights the crucial victory that transformed Churchill’s fortunes. (Ad) Taylor Downing is the author of 1942: Britain at the Brink (Little Brown, 2022). 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-stasi-poetry-circle%2Fphilip-oltermann%2F9780571331192 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Archaeologist Cat Jarman delves into the mysteries and debates surrounding the history of Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island. In conversation with Rob Attar, she explores the creation of the astonishing moai monuments and explains the seemingly dramatic collapse of the island’s population. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Health and beauty historian Lucy Jane Santos answers listener questions and popular online search queries about beauty throughout the ages. From early cosmetics apparently made for gladiators to whether Georgian women really did use mouse fur for false eyebrows, this whistle-stop tour highlights some of the past’s strangest – and most dangerous – beauty practices. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hannah Greig, a historical consultant to the hit series Bridgerton, takes us behind the scenes of season two. She speaks to Elinor Evans about the real history on screen, from Regency etiquette to the gentlemen’s clubs that gained popularity in the era. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Suleyman the Magnificent became Sultan of the Ottoman empire in 1520, he was proclaimed the world’s most powerful man, who could use his armies to smite Christendom. But behind the facade, scheming favourites pulled the strings and worked tirelessly to fulfil their own endless ambitions. Rhiannon Davies spoke to Christopher de Bellaigue to uncover the truth about Suleyman’s fascinating reign. (Ad) Christopher de Bellaigue is the author of The Lion House: The Coming of A King (Vintage, 2022). 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-lion-house%2Fchristopher-de-bellaigue%2F9781847922397 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Winston Churchill looms large in the modern imagination. Everyone from Fidel Castro to George W Bush have cited him as an exemplar in times of crisis. Historian Geoffrey Wheatcroft talks to Spencer Mizen about the world’s fixation with the wartime leader, arguing that this obsession is neither healthy, nor necessarily merited. (Ad) Geoffrey Wheatcroft is the author of Churchill’s Shadow: An Astonishing Life and a Dangerous Legacy (Vintage, 2021). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-viewingguide&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fchurchills-shadow%2Fgeoffrey-wheatcroft%2F9781847925732 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Classicist and author Garrett Ryan talks to Kev Lochun about some of the biggest and most commonly asked questions surrounding ancient Greece and Rome. Why are all the statues naked? Who was the biggest drinker in the classical world? And why didn’t anyone go looking for the Greek gods on Olympus – or did they? (Ad) Garrett Ryan is the author of Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants (Prometheus, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Naked-Statues-Fat-Gladiators-Elephants/dp/1633887022/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the third episode of our monthly series marking the centenary of the BBC, media historian David Hendy tells Matt Elton how the BBC became an important part of the national fabric during the Second World War – and how the conflict changed the organisation forever. (Ad) David Hendy is the author of The BBC: A People’s History (Profile Books, 2022). 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-bbc%2Fdavid-hendy%2F%2F9781781255254%3Fawaid%3D3787%26utm_source%3Dredbrain%26utm_medium%3Dshopping%26utm_campaign%3Dcss%26gclid%3DCj0KCQiAip-PBhDVARIsAPP2xc2PCYX_d_582jtZj6du6A-9dNO8d8xXvVkPhP_Jmh1FuEm7Mui3xSYaAvwiEALw_wcB Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr Mike Rapport tackles popular search queries and listener questions about the 19th-century conflicts that tore Europe apart and triggered seismic political changes around the globe. He speaks to Jon Bauckham about the causes of the wars, the pivotal battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo, and the life of Napoleon Bonaparte himself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Lawrence Schrad speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about his book Smashing the Liquor Machine, which busts commonly held myths about prohibition, revealing how campaigns to ban alcohol weren’t just led by puritanical evangelicals in the US, but were also backed by progressive campaigners across the globe. (Ad) Mark Lawrence Schrad is the author of Smashing the Liquor Machine: A Global History (Oxford University Press, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Smashing-Liquor-Machine-History-Prohibition/dp/0190841575/ref=asc_df_0190841575/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=535049525184&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12530786669099962417&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006715&hvtargid=pla-995956505473&psc=1&th=1&psc=1&tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The history of fabric is interwoven with the story of humanity, from the sackcloth shirts that tore open the skin of pious medieval saints to cotton’s connections to colonisation and the Industrial Revolution. Rhiannon Davies spoke to Victoria Finlay to unravel these complex stories. (Ad) Victoria Finlay is the author of Fabric: The Hidden History of the Material World (Profile Books, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fabric-Hidden-History-Material-World/dp/178125706X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Professor John Martin speaks to Emily Briffett about Britain’s battle against starvation during the Second World War. From the invention of familiar myths about bread crusts and carrots, to the Dig for Victory and Ploughing Up campaigns, he examines the food shortages the government faced and the agricultural mission to ensure Britons had enough to put on the table. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr Eleanor Parker, author of Conquered: The Last Children of Anglo-Saxon England, talks to David Musgrove about the young people whose lives were upended by the momentous change of circumstances brought about by the Norman Conquest of 1066. She reveals how exploring their stories can offer a fresh approach to studying the Normans. (Ad) Eleanor Parker is the author of Conquered: The Last Children of Anglo-Saxon England (Bloomsbury, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Conquered-Parker-Eleanor/dp/1788314506/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During the Second World War, the British government imprisoned thousands of German and Austrian-born residents – many of them refugees from Nazi oppression – in makeshift internment camps on the Isle of Man. Acclaimed journalist Simon Parkin speaks to Jon Bauckham about the history of Hutchinson camp, which became home to a vibrant intellectual and artistic community. (Ad) Simon Parkin is the author of The Island of Extraordinary Captives: A True Story of an Artist, a Spy and a Wartime Scandal (Sceptre, 2022). 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-island-of-extraordinary-captives%2Fsimon-parkin%2F9781529347227 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who became a gladiator? Were they really the superstars of their day? And was giving a thumbs down for a death sentence a real thing? In this Everything you wanted to know episode, Emily Briffett speaks with Alison Futrell to answers your top questions about ancient Rome’s arena fighters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shelley Puhak delves into the lives of queens Fredegund and Brunhild, famed for their bitter and bloody rivalry which wracked the Frankish empire in the latter sixth century. Speaking with Emily Briffett, she reveals how their stories were suppressed, overlooked and used as political propaganda by subsequent rulers, and considers how they should be seen today. (Ad) Shelley Puhak is the author of The Dark Queens: A Gripping Tale of Power, Ambition and Murderous Rivalry in Early Medieval France (Apollo, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Queens-Bloody-Rivalry-Medieval/dp/180110915X/ref=asc_df_180110915X/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=570409167989&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17412272789854525338&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006715&hvtargid=pla-1570399930681&psc=1&th=1&psc=1&tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Rutherford discusses the dark – and often surprising – history of the eugenics movement Geneticist Adam Rutherford speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about the dark, and often surprising, history of the eugenics movement, from ‘best baby’ fairs and population control to the Nazi ‘euthanasia’ programme. He discusses the ideas behind the ideology, and how its implementation has had devastating impacts. (Ad) Adam Rutherford is the author of Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics (Orion, 2022). 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%2Fcontrol%2Fadam-rutherford%2F9781474622387 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Clare Hickman explores how gardens were used as places of scientific experimentation in the 18th and 19th centuries During the scientific revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries, gardens were not only used for leisure and pleasure. Clare Hickman explains to Dave Musgrove how they also became places of scientific experimentation. (Ad) Clare Hickman is the author of The Doctor’s Garden: Medicine, Science and Horticulture in Britain (Yale University Press, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctors-Garden-Medicine-Science-Horticulture/dp/0300236107/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mary Fissell talks to Ellie Cawthorne about women’s reproductive health in early modern Europe and America. She discusses how women dealt with their periods, theories about fertility, ideas about the female body and the childbirth process. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nan Sloane speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about her new book Uncontrollable Women, which charts the stories of now largely forgotten female activists who were involved in radical and reform movements between 1789 and 1832. (Ad) Nan Sloane is the author of Uncontrollable Women: Radicals, Reformers and Revolutionaries (Bloomsbury, 2022). 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%2Funcontrollable-women%2Fnan-sloane%2F9781838606633 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr Christian Cooijmans answers listener questions on the medieval world of the Franks. Speaking to David Musgrove, he discusses long-lasting Frankish dynasties, renowned rulers and the Franks’ connections with the wider world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Neil MacGregor talks to Matt Elton about his new BBC Radio 4 series, The Museums that Make Us, and the ways in which museums around the UK are adapting to a changing society – and shaping the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keith Lowe talks to Matt Elton about the ways in which today’s conflict between Russia and Ukraine can be traced back to the Second World War and decisions made in the years that followed. Keith will be giving a five-part masterclass series on the aftermath of the Second World War beginning on 4 March – find out more at historyextra.com/masterclass. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices