HistoryExtra podcast

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

Hana Videen explores the Old English language and reveals what it can tell us about daily life at the time it was spoken The medieval language of Old English is full of linguistic gems. Speaking to David Musgrove, Dr Hana Videen opens up this treasure chest of words to reveal what the language can tell us about daily life at the time it was spoken. (Ad) Hana Videen is the author of The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English (Profile Books, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wordhord-Daily-Life-Old-English/dp/1788166108/?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

Marion Gibson discusses the motivations and methods of “witch finders” who sought out supernatural wrongdoing in Stuart Britain. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, she discusses why people became witch hunters and explores the techniques they used to extract confessions, from strip-searching and sleep deprivation to ‘swimming’. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nigel Copsey discusses the British Union of Fascists and its leader, Oswald Mosley Nigel Copsey speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about the British Union of Fascists, which gained support in the 1930s, and its leader Oswald Mosley. They also discuss the party’s foundation, ideology and connections to the fascist regimes of Italy and Germany. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Benjamin Carp tackles listener questions and popular search queries on the conflict that saw colonists in North America rise up and declare independence from the British. He speaks to Elinor Evans about the causes of the war, key battles, and how the revolution is mythologised today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the second instalment of our new monthly series marking the centenary of the BBC, media historian David Hendy speaks to Matt Elton about the ways in which the corporation expanded and evolved throughout the 1930s to become part of the British establishment. (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

Screenwriter Jeb Stuart discusses the real history that inspired his new Netflix show Vikings: Valhalla Screenwriter Jeb Stuart speaks to Kev Lochun about his new Netflix show Vikings: Valhalla, the successor to the hugely popular series Vikings. They discuss the real historical characters being brought to life through the series, the enduring popularity of the Vikings, and where the show could take viewers after season one. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fifty years ago this month, US president Richard Nixon embarked on a trip to China – a visit that marked a key moment in the thawing of relations between the two nations. Rana Mitter talks to Matt Elton about the 1972 visit, and how it changed the course of the Cold War. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Walter Reid tells Spencer Mizen that, far from going down in history as the bloodless author of appeasement, Neville Chamberlain should be remembered as a radical politician who saw through Hitler’s lies. (Ad) Walter Reid is the author of Neville Chamberlain: The Passionate Radical (Birlinn, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Neville-Chamberlain-Passionate-Walter-Reid/dp/1780276745/?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 Christopher Andrew talks to Elinor Evans about his book Stars and Spies, co-written with Julius Green. He reveals the many historical links between spying and the entertainment industry that for centuries have helped intelligence operatives to hide in plain sight. (Ad) Christopher Andrew and Julius Green are the authors of Stars and Spies: The Story of Intelligence Operations and the Entertainment Industry (Bodley Head, 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%2Fstars-and-spies%2Fchristopher-andrew%2Fjulius-green%2F9781847925282 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the second episode of this two-part special on Stonehenge, archaeologist and author Mike Pitts answers more listener questions on the most famous prehistoric monument in Britain. Speaking to David Musgrove, he discusses Stonehenge’s relationship with other prehistoric sites, its long legacy, and why we call it “Stonehenge”. (Ad) Mike Pitts is the author of How to Build Stonehenge (Thames & Hudson, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-TTClub&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fhow-to-build-stonehenge%2Fmike-pitts%2F%2F9780500024195%3Fawaid%3D3787%26utm_source%3Dredbrain%26utm_medium%3Dshopping%26utm_campaign%3Dcss%26gclid%3DCj0KCQiAnuGNBhCPARIsACbnLzpsBA_shuubuZPKpKG0GYoG5FSn-YLJkUjZS3M0BBv9ZWfutkfZMKsaAt0uEALw_wcB Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Caroline Shenton tells the story of the colourful cast of curators, museum directors and civil servants who embarked on a top-secret mission to protect Britain’s national art collections during the Second World War. Speaking to Emily Briffett, she explains how these dedicated men and women devised ingenious escape plans and concealed artworks and artefacts in the most unlikely of places in a race against time to save the nation’s heritage. (Ad) Caroline Shenton is the author of National Treasures: Saving the Nation’s Art in World War II (John Murray Press, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/National-Treasures-Saving-Nations-World/dp/1529387434/?tag=mad06e-21&ascsubtag=madeformums-social-Histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Judith Green reveals how there is much more to the Norman story than the events of the 1066 Conquest We all know the story of the Norman Conquest, when Duke William of Normandy led his troops across the Channel and took the crown of England. However, as Professor Judith Green tells David Musgrove, there is a lot more to the history of the Normans than the events of 1066. (Ad) Judith Green is the author of The Normans: Power, Conquest and Culture in the 11th Century Europe (Yale 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%2FNormans-Conquest-Culture-Century-Europe%2Fdp%2F0300180330 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dominic Selwood chronicles Britain’s past through a diverse – and sometimes unexpected – selection of historical documents, from birthday invites and Valentine’s Day letters, to musical scores and shipping forecasts. Speaking with Emily Briffett, he explains what these can tell us about British identity past and present. (Ad) Dominic Selwood is the author of Anatomy of a Nation: A History of British Identity in 50 Documents (Constable, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anatomy-Nation-British-Identity-Documents/dp/1472131894/?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 this fourth and final episode, Dan Jones reveals how the Middle Ages came to a close, starting off with a global pandemic that ripped across the world, devastating populations, reshaping economies and bringing societal change. Speaking to David Musgrove, he also introduces the geniuses of the Renaissance, and the great navigators who struck out in search of new worlds. Lastly, he examines how shifting religious dogma, allied to new communication technology, brought about the Protestant Reformation – an upheaval which brought the curtain down on “the middle age”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From poison and fatal snakebites to dying from a broken heart, more than 250 named characters die in Shakespeare’s plays. Speaking with Ellie Cawthorne, Kathryn Harkup guides us through a grisly range of the Bard’s death scenes. She looks at the real history and science behind them, and how they would have been staged in Elizabethan England. (Ad) Kathryn Harkup is the author of Death By Shakespeare: Snakebites, Stabbings and Broken Hearts (Bloomsbury, 2020). 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%2Fdeath-by-shakespeare%2Fkathryn-harkup%2F9781472958228 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the first episode of a two-part special, archaeologist Mike Pitts answers listener questions on the most famous prehistoric site in Britain. Speaking to David Musgrove, he discusses how Stonehenge was built – and why. (Ad) Mike Pitts is the author of How to Build Stonehenge (Thames & Hudson, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-TTClub&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fhow-to-build-stonehenge%2Fmike-pitts%2F%2F9780500024195%3Fawaid%3D3787%26utm_source%3Dredbrain%26utm_medium%3Dshopping%26utm_campaign%3Dcss%26gclid%3DCj0KCQiAnuGNBhCPARIsACbnLzpsBA_shuubuZPKpKG0GYoG5FSn-YLJkUjZS3M0BBv9ZWfutkfZMKsaAt0uEALw_wcB Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mike Anderson and Neil Hanson discuss the 1999 prosecution of a former Nazi collaborator – Britain’s only war crimes trial Mike Anderson and Neil Hanson discuss Britain’s only war crimes trial, where a former Nazi collaborator was prosecuted for his involvement in the Holocaust, more than five decades after the events had occurred. In conversation with Rob Attar, they explore this landmark moment and consider the challenges of bringing perpetrators to justice after so much time has elapsed. (Ad) Mike Anderson and Neil Hanson are the authors of The Ticket Collector from Belarus: An Extraordinary True Story of Britain's Only War Crimes Trial (Simon & Schuster, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09QPKWCSB/ref=sr_1_3?adgrpid=127410484261&gclid=Cj0KCQiAip-PBhDVARIsAPP2xc36SxkExhIrmGJI5IQNxmArVxKUn7QkCYKVn55fcI7BYQyd6FQFU44aAhZdEALw_wcB&hvadid=566301370973&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1006715&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=3753860383860465962&hvtargid=kwd-1562441342634&hydadcr=10836_1789931&keywords=the+ticket+collector+from+belarus&qid=1642609045&sr=8-3&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

From beavers to whales, Lee Raye discusses wildlife found across medieval Britain that has since gone extinct from the region In conversation with David Musgrove, Lee Raye discusses the animals that lived in medieval Britain but have since gone extinct from the region, from beavers and boars to whales and wolves – plus elusive big cats and birds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Edward Shawcross speaks to Elinor Evans about a little-known and disastrous attempt to install a Habsburg archduke, Ferdinand Maximilian, as emperor of Mexico in the mid-19th century, at a time when the US Civil War was raging. (Ad) Edward Shawcross is the author of The Last Emperor of Mexico: A Disaster in the New World (Faber & Faber, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Emperor-Mexico-Dramatic-Habsburg/dp/1541674197/?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

Dan Jones charts the rise of the Mongols in the twelfth century – a sharp and hideously brutal episode, in which an eastern empire achieved fleeting domination over half the world, at the cost of millions of lives. Speaking to David Musgrove, he also looks at other emerging powers in the ‘high’ Middle Ages. He introduces merchants who invented extraordinary new ways to make fortunes, scholars who revived the wisdom of the ancients and founded great universities, and architects and engineers who built the cities, cathedrals and castles that still stand 500 years on. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Penelope J Corfield discusses the highs and lows of the Georgian era, from the abolition movement to the gin craze The long 18th century saw Britain undergo colossal changes, from growing overseas expansion and the transformation of attitudes towards disability, to the sexualisation of popular culture. Penelope J Corfield speaks to Rhiannon Davies about this explosive era of British history. (Ad) Penelope J Corfield is the author of The Georgians: The Deeds and Misdeeds of 18th Century Britain (Yale University Press, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Georgians-Deeds-Misdeeds-Century-Britain/dp/0300253575/?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

Shannon Fogg answers listener questions on the collaborationist regime created following France’s defeat by Nazi Germany In the latest episode in our series on history’s biggest topics, Professor Shannon Fogg answers listener questions on the collaborationist French regime that was created following the country’s defeat by Nazi Germany. In conversation with Rob Attar, she examines the origins of Vichy France, explores its relationship with Nazi Germany and reveals what life was like for those who lived under Vichy rule. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Barney White-Spunner discusses the extraordinary, absorbing and often tragic history of Germany’s capital Barney White-Spunner tells Spencer Mizen why Berlin – a metropolis that was at the centre of the Reformation, the Thirty Years’ War, the Third Reich and the Cold War – has a history like no other city in the world. (Ad) Barney White-Spunner is the author of Berlin: The Story of a City (Simon & Schuster, 2020). 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%2Fberlin%2Fbarney-white-spunner%2F9781471181535 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pamela Roberts discusses her research on Mary Church Terrell, Rosetta Lawson and Josephine Wilson Bruce – three women activists of Washington’s ‘black elite’ who visited Britain in the early 20th century and campaigned on issues including women’s rights, civil rights, temperance and education. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From artistic experimentation to an explosion in pop music, Louis Menand speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about American art, culture and ideas between 1945-65. They touch on the Beatles making waves in the US, the rise of counterculture, and how silent compositions and messy canvases redefined the boundaries of art. (Ad) Louis Menand is the author of The Free World: Art and Thought in the Cold War (HarperCollins, 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-free-world%2Flouis-menand%2F9780007126873 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices