HistoryExtra podcast

Leah Garrett tells the story of X-troop, a group of Jewish commandos who became one of Britain’s most potent weapons against the Nazis X-troop was a World War Two commando unit with a difference ­– it was made up of German and Austrian Jews who’d fled to Britain and were desperate to take the fight to the Nazis. Historian Leah Garrett tells the story of how X-troop became one of Britain’s most potent weapons in the drive to liberate western Europe. (Ad) Leah Garrett is the author of X Troop: The Secret Jewish Commandos Who Helped Defeat the Nazis (Vintage, 2021). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Troop-Secret-Jewish-Commandos-Helped/dp/1784743119/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John Higgs discusses the unconventional life and extraordinary art of poet and painter William Blake. He explains how an eccentric outsider once mocked and dismissed as a madman is now hailed in the pantheon of British art, and reveals how Blake’s work is still misunderstood today. (Ad) John Higgs is the author of William Blake vs the World (Orion, 2021). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/William-Blake-World-John-Higgs/dp/1474614353/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod 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 series profiling the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most during their time in 10 Downing Street, historian and author Andrew Roberts nominates Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, third Marquess of Salisbury, whose three terms in office at the end of the 19th century saw Britain reach the very height of its imperial power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tom Morcom and Helen Gittos discuss the Cerne Abbas Giant, a huge hill-carving in Dorset which has recently been re-dated to the Anglo-Saxon period The Cerne Abbas Giant, a huge hill-carving in Dorset, has made the news recently for been re-dated to the Anglo-Saxon period. Dr Tom Morcom and Dr Helen Gittos from the University of Oxford reveal what this might mean for our understanding of the giant, and what it can tell us about Anglo-Saxon society more generally. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rebecca Simon responds to your questions on the ‘golden age’ of piracy, when bands of buccaneers menaced the high seas, preying on merchant vessels In the latest in our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, historian Rebecca Simon responds to your questions on the 17th-century ‘golden age’ of piracy, when bands of buccaneers menaced the high seas and preyed on merchant vessels. Plus, how accurate are pop culture portrayals of pirates? (Ad) Rebecca Simon is the author of Why We Love Pirates: The Hunt for Captain Kidd and How He Changed Piracy Forever (Mango Press, 2020). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-We-Love-Pirates-Captain/dp/1642503371/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steven Johnson discusses the Extra Life project, which includes a book and new BBC Four series co-presented with David Olusoga. He chronicles a revolution in medicine, and explores the innovations in science and public health that have led to huge increases in life expectancy since 1900. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Having painted the cream of Tudor society, including King Henry VIII, Anne of Cleves and Thomas Cromwell, Hans Holbein the Younger’s work offers an unparalleled view into England’s court at the time. Franny Moyle delves into the famous painter’s work and the events that shaped it, from religious tensions in Europe to the toxic factionalism bubbling over in Henry’s court. (Ad) Franny Moyle is the author of The King’s Painter: The Life and Times of Hans Holbein (Apollo, 2021). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kings-Painter-Holbein-Genius-Heart/dp/1788541219/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Barry Cunliffe considers the story of Brittany from prehistory to today, and explores the region’s connections with Britain Why is Brittany called Brittany? What exactly is, or was, a Celt? And did King Arthur have a home in a mystical forest near Rennes? Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe, author of Bretons and Britons: The Fight for Identity discusses the story of Brittany from prehistory to today, and explores the region’s connections with Britain. (Ad) Barry Cunliffe is the author of Bretons and Britons: The Fight for Identity (OUP, 2021). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bretons-Britons-Identity-Barry-Cunliffe/dp/0198851626/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod/ 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 series profiling the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most during their time in 10 Downing Street, Jeremy Black nominates Winston Churchill – the leader who became a wartime icon by galvanising the nation in the face of terrible crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For decades the Stasi were a pervasive and terrifying force in the lives of millions of East Germans. Former FBI agent Ralph Hope reveals how officers of the notorious security service sought to reinvent themselves in the decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and rarely faced the consequences of their actions. (Ad) Ralph Hope is the author of The Grey Men: Pursuing the Stasi into the Present (Oneworld, 2021). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grey-Men-Pursuing-Stasi-Present/dp/1786078279/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Anarchy – a 12th-century civil war for the English crown that pitted Empress Matilda against Stephen of Blois – is remembered as one of the most turbulent episodes of the Middle Ages. It was said to be a time when “Christ and his saints slept”. Medieval historian Matt Lewis answers your questions on this 18-year struggle for the throne – from the sexism that impeded Matilda’s bid for the throne, to the war’s impact on the power of England’s barons. (Ad) Matt Lewis is the author of Stephen and Matilda’s Civil War: Cousins of Anarchy (Pen & Sword, 2019). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stephen-Matildas-Civil-War-Cousins/dp/1526718332/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Marc Morris tackles some of the most common misconceptions about the Anglo-Saxon era What do we get wrong about the Anglo-Saxon era? Marc Morris, author of The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England, busts some of the most common misconceptions about the period, from the early fifth century through to the Norman Conquest. (Ad) Marc Morris is the author of The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England (Hutchinson, 2021). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anglo-Saxons-History-Beginnings-England/dp/1786330997/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Napoleon didn’t just humiliate his European rivals on the battlefield, he also looted their finest works of art. Author Cynthia Saltzman tells us about her latest book, Napoleon’s Plunder and the Theft of Veronese’s Feast, which explores the French leader’s proclivity for plundering Renaissance masterpieces and spiriting them back to France (Ad) Cynthia Saltzman is the author of Napoleon's Plunder and the Theft of Veronese's Feast (Thames and Hudson, 2021). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Napoleons-Plunder-Theft-Veroneses-Feast/dp/0500252572/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shushma Malik explores the life and career of Rome’s renowned philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius Classicist Shushma Malik explores the life and career of Rome’s renowned philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius, and explains how his greatest achievements may have been on the field of battle. 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 new series profiling the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most during their time in 10 Downing Street, historian and broadcaster Dominic Sandbrook nominates William Pitt the Younger, the steady, upright leader who steered Britain through the turbulence of the French Revolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Evans charts the history of Coventry’s pioneering car industry, from the turn of the 20th century until the present day Mark Evans, presenter of the BBC Four documentary Classic British Cars: Made in Coventry, charts the history of Coventry’s pioneering car industry, from the turn of the 20th century until the present day. It’s a story of innovation, war and fierce rivalries – and some of the most iconic cars ever made. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest in our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, Professor Michael Wert responds to listener questions and internet search queries about Japan’s famous warriors, the samurai. He explains when the samurai emerged, how they evolved from warriors to aristocrats – and why they voted for their own abolition. Plus, Michael breaks down the mysteries of bushidō, seppuku and rōnin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Classicist Edmund Richardson tells the astonishing story of a British deserter from the East India Company who embarked on a quest to find a lost city of Alexander the Great. (Ad) Edmund Richardson is the author of Alexandria: The Quest for the Lost City (Bloomsbury, 2021) Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alexandria-Quest-Dr-Edmund-Richardson/dp/1526603780/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian and novelist Alison Weir discusses the life of Katharine Parr – from her relationship with the king to her secret faith and other marriages. Plus, Alison reflects on her recently completed Six Tudor Queens series, discussing how her opinions of Henry VIII’s wives changed during the writing process. (Ad) Alison Weir is the author of Six Tudor Queens: Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife (Headline, 2021). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Six-Tudor-Queens-Katharine-Sixth/dp/1472227824/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ayanna Thompson discusses the history of blackface – a story spanning William Shakespeare, US race relations and Dartmoor Prison Professor Ayanna Thompson, author of Blackface, discusses the long history of blackface performances and minstrelsy – a story that spans William Shakespeare, US race relations and Dartmoor Prison. +++AFFILIATE TEXT +++ (Ad) Ayanna Thompson is the author of Blackface (Bloomsbury, 2021). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blackface-Object-Lessons-Professor-Thompson/dp/150137401X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod 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 new series profiling the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most during their time in 10 Downing Street, Charlotte Lydia Riley chooses Harold Wilson, whose forward-looking premiership came to define the progressive 1960s. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Leo Hollis untangles the bizarre 18th-century court case surrounding Mary Davies: a wealthy heiress married in mysterious circumstances In 1701, Mary Davies – a hugely wealthy widow struggling with bouts of unstable behaviour – took a room in Paris’s Hotel Castile. The coming days are a tangle of conflicting accounts, but it seems that she emerged from her rooms as a married woman, before hastening back to London and vehemently denying her change in circumstances. However, her husband soon came calling, demanding his rights to her extensive land and property. Leo Hollis explores a bizarre court case that shocked London. +++AFFILIATE TEXT +++ (Ad) Leo Hollis is the author of Inheritance: The Lost History of Mary Davies: A Story of Property, Marriage and Madness (Oneworld, 2021). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inheritance-History-Property-Marriage-Madness/dp/178607995X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Mark Atwood Lawrence responds to listener questions and popular internet search queries on one of the most seismic events of the Cold War, American history and the history of Southeast Asia. He explores some of the biggest debates surrounding the United States’ failure to stem the advance of communism in Vietnam. (Ad) Mark Atwood Lawrence is the author of The Vietnam War: A Concise International History (OUP USA, 2021). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vietnam-War-Concise-International-Introductions/dp/0199753938/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ethiopia was a Christian kingdom during the medieval period, and in the 15th and 16th centuries its kings sent diplomatic missions to their counterparts in western Europe. Verena Krebs reveals what these missions can tell us about the medieval world, and Ethiopia’s place within it. (Ad) Verena Krebs is the author of Medieval Ethiopian Kingship, Craft, and Diplomacy with Latin Europe (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021). Buy it now on Amazon:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Medieval-Ethiopian-Kingship-Diplomacy-Europe/dp/3030649334/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jane Rogoyska explains how more than 20,000 Polish prisoners-of-war were murdered on Stalin’s orders in 1940, and explores the decades-long coverup that followed Historian and biographer Jane Rogoyska explains how more than 20,000 Polish prisoners-of-war were murdered on Stalin’s orders in the spring of 1940. Plus, she explores the decades-long coverup that saw the Soviet Union accuse its Nazi foes of committing the atrocity. (Ad) Jane Rogoyska is the author of Surviving Katyn: Stalin’s Polish Massacre and the Search for Truth (Oneworld, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Surviving-Katyn-Stalins-Polish-Massacre/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Weight Watchers to Rosemary Conley’s fitness empire, slimming clubs have been a staple of British culture for decades. But, as Dr Katrina Moseley reveals, their history goes far beyond the best diets to try or exercise regimes to adopt, with female friendship, entrepreneurial opportunities and feminist fury all playing a part in the story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest episode in our new series profiling the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most during their time in 10 Downing Street, historian Charlotte Lydia Riley explores the postwar leadership of Labour prime minister Clement Attlee. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 saw a confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union escalate to the edge of nuclear war. Historian Serhii Plokhy, author of a new account of the crisis, explores the factors that led the two sides back from the brink. (Ad) Serhii Plokhy is the author of Nuclear Folly: A New History of the Cuban Missile Crisis (Allen lane). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nuclear-Folly-History-Missile-Crisis/dp/0241454735/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was Al Capone’s brother really a Prohibition agent? What was the atmosphere in a speakeasy like? And why did Americans think that banning booze would ever work? In the latest episode in our series on history’s biggest topics, historian Timothy Hickman responds to listener questions and popular internet search queries on the ban on booze in 1920s America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr Ben Raffield explains how in the ninth and tenth centuries, Scandinavian laws and customs prevailed across a swathe of what’s now northern and eastern England In the ninth and tenth centuries, Scandinavian laws and customs prevailed across a swathe of what’s now northern and eastern England called the Danelaw. Dr Ben Raffield considers what the Danelaw actually was, and how Scandinavian settlers interacted with the early English kingdoms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Harriet Atkinson takes us back to 1951’s Festival of Britain, a celebration of a nation rising from the ashes of war The Festival of Britain of 1951 was a nation’s attempt to show off its best side to the world – a great celebration of a people rising from the ashes of conflict. Harriet Atkinson reveals how this four-month-long carnival of patriotism was in fact, to a large extent, built around the genius of foreign-born designers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 was a key moment in the reign of King Richard II. New research is revealing just how well-organised an operation it was The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 was a key moment in the troubled reign of King Richard II. New research is revealing how, far from being an ill-disciplined explosion of rage, it was actually organised with military precision. Professor Adrian Bell and Dr Helen Lacey tell us more. You can find out more about the Estuary Festival here: https://www.estuaryfestival.com/event/detail/the-people-of-1381-outdoor-exhibition.html 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 our new series on the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most, Dominic Sandbrook champions Stanley Baldwin In the second episode of our new series profiling the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most during their time in 10 Downing Street, historian and broadcaster Dominic Sandbrook champions three-time 20th-century leader Stanley Baldwin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Judy Batalion describes how a group of young Jewish women fought back against their Nazi oppressors in occupied Poland. Author and historian Judy Batalion discusses her new book The Light of Days, which recounts how a group of young Jewish women fought back against their German oppressors in Nazi-occupied Poland during the Second World War. (Ad) Judy Batalion is the author of The Light of Days: Women Fighters of the Jewish Resistance (Virago, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Light-Days-Fighters-Jewish-Resistance/dp/0349011567/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From daily routines to whether inmates really ate gruel, Peter Higginbotham responds to listener questions about the workhouse What was the daily routine in a British workhouse? Who would end up there? How accurate was Charles Dickens’ depiction of workhouse life? And did the inmates really eat gruel? In the latest in our series exploring history’s biggest topics, Peter Higginbotham responds to listener questions and popular internet search queries about the workhouse. (Ad) Peter Higginbotham is the author of Life in a Victorian Workhouse (Pitkin, 2014) and The Workhouse Cookbook (The History Press, 2008). Buy them now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Victorian-Workhouse-Peter-Higginbotham-ebook/dp/B00APDQQ1Y/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Workhouse-Cookbook-Peter-Higginbotham/dp/0752447300/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Linda Colley discusses her new book The Gun, the Ship and the Pen, which explores how written constitutions, together with warfare, forged the modern world. She talks about constitutions across the globe, from the United States and France, to Russia and the Pitcairn Islands. (Ad) Linda Colley is the author of The Gun, the Ship and the Pen: Warfare, Constitutions and the Making of the Modern World. Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Charters-Land-Britain-Written-Constitution/dp/1846684978/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nathen Amin discusses his latest book, Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders, which explores the conspiracies and plots that challenged Henry VII’s crown. He talks about the prominent ‘pretenders’ who declared themselves to be royal claimants, including Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck. (Ad) Nathen Amin is the author of Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders: Simnel, Warbeck and Warwick. Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Henry-VII-Tudor-Pretenders-Warbeck/dp/1445675080/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Bourke, who has been delivering a series of Gresham lectures on six different ‘evil women’ through history, explores what ideas about evil and femininity can tell us about changing societal values over time. 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 our new series profiling the prime ministers that experts believe accomplished most during their time in 10 Downing Street, historian and author Jeremy Black celebrates Britain’s first prime minister – pioneering 18th-century statesman Robert Walpole. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we approach the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s fateful invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, the historian, author and broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby revisits the dramatic, murderous struggle between the two totalitarian regimes. (Ad) Jonathan Dimbleby is the author of Barbarossa: How Hitler Lost the War (Penguin, 2021) Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Barbarossa-How-Hitler-Lost-War/dp/024129147X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Suez Crisis – sparked by an ill-fated Anglo-French-Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956 – is often viewed as a turning point in modern British history, when the nation finally lost its superpower status. Alex von Tunzelmann answers your questions on this diplomatic debacle, from why Anthony Eden thought the invasion a gamble worth taking, to how it changed the trajectory of the Cold War. (Ad) Alex Von Tunzelmann is the author of Blood and Sand: Suez, Hungary and the Crisis That Shook the World (Simon & Schuster, 2017). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Sand-Hungary-Crisis-Shook/dp/1847394604/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Author Roland Philipps talks about his latest book, Victoire: A Wartime Story of Resistance, Collaboration and Betrayal, which recounts the extraordinary exploits of Mathilde Carré, a double – possibly even triple – agent in the Second World War. (Ad) Roland Philipps is the author of Victoire: A Wartime Story of Resistance, Collaboration and Betrayal (Bodley Head, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Victoire-Wartime-Resistance-Collaboration-Betrayal/dp/1847925812/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Catherine Fletcher discusses what is known about the private life and relationships of the Renaissance polymath. She considers the gaps in the historical record, and the inspirations for the story in the new TV drama Leonardo, starring Aidan Turner. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian and author Catherine Ostler relates the tale of Elizabeth Chudleigh, a glamorous Duchess-Countess whose high-profile bigamy trial fascinated Georgian society. She also charts how Chudleigh managed to reinvent herself after this very public downfall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the final episode of the series, our panel considers the afterlife of the Tapestry, debating its differing legacies in France and Britain, whether it might be exhibited in Britain, and why it continues to fascinate. Dr David Musgrove and Professor Michael Lewis are joined in the discussion by Professor Michael Wood and Dr Janina Ramirez. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To mark HistoryExtra’s 1,000th episode, Dan Jones takes us on a whistlestop tour through the last millennium of British history, touching on some of the most memorable moments and reinterrogating the familiar stories we tell about our national past. (Ad) Dan Jones is the author of Crusaders: An Epic History of the Holy Land (Head of Zeus, 2019). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crusaders-Epic-History-Wars-Lands/dp/1781858896/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Professor Matthew Restall tackles listener questions and popular search queries about the central American civilisation Professor Matthew Restall tackles popular search queries and listener questions about the central American civilisation. Where did the Maya live? What did they eat? And did they really predict that the world would end in 2012? (Ad) Matthew Restall is the co-author (with Amara Solari) of The Maya: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2020). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maya-Very-Short-Introduction-Introductions/dp/0190645024/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Elaine Farrell shares the stories of incarcerated Irish women, from daily routines inside a convict prison to relationships with staff and contact with the outside world. She also asks what their experiences can tell us about the lives of working-class women in 19th-century Ireland more generally. (Ad) Elaine Farrell is the author of Women, Crime and Punishment in Ireland: Life in the Nineteenth-Century Convict Prison (Cambridge University Press, 2020). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Women-Crime-Punishment-Ireland-Nineteenth-Century/dp/1108839509/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sean McMeekin discusses his revisionist new history of the Second World War, which places Josef Stalin at the centre of the conflict Historian Sean McMeekin discusses his revisionist new history of the Second World War, which places Josef Stalin at the centre of the conflict. He shows how the Soviet dictator outmanoeuvred both enemies and allies to secure his own ends. (Ad) Sean McMeekin is the author of Stalin’s War (Allen Lane, 2021). Buy now from it Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stalins-War-History-Second-World/dp/0241366437/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1961 cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to journey into space. Stephen Walker delves into the supercharged battle between the Soviets and Americans to reach this milestone On 12 April 1961, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made history when he became the first man to journey into space. Stephen Walker delves into the story of Gagarin’s gruelling secret mission and the seismic battle between the world’s superpowers to conquer the new frontier: space. Stephen Walker is the author of Beyond: The Astonishing Story of the First Human to Leave Our Planet and Journey into Space (William Collins, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beyond-Stephen-Walker/dp/0008372500/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices