HistoryExtra podcast

Playwright Jonathan Lichtenstein talks to us about his new book, The Berlin Shadow, which describes how he accompanied his father on a journey back to Berlin, retracing the steps he took in 1939 on the Kindertransport. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest of our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, historian Caroline Dodds Pennock responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the Mesoamerican civilisation, including a discussion of the practice of human sacrifice. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a talk he delivered at our 2019 BBC History Magazine History Weekend in Winchester, historian, author and broadcaster Dominic Sandbrook explores the history of Britain in the early 1980s. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian John Dickie, author of the new book The Craft: How the Freemasons Made the Modern World, sifts fact from fiction in the history of a much misunderstood organisation. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Author and broadcaster Afua Hirsch, who is presenting the new BBC Four series African Renaissance: When Art Meets Power, discusses the histories of Ethiopia, Kenya and Senegal, and how contemporary artists in these countries are responding to the past. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Clement Knox, author of the recent book Strange Antics: A History of Seduction, explores ideas of sex, courtship and power from the 18th century until the present day. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest of our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, historian Paul Preston responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the conflict that tore Spain apart from 1936–39. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a talk he delivered at our 2019 BBC History Magazine History Weekend in Winchester, military historian and author Peter Caddick-Adams reflects on the 1944 invasion of Normandy and considers the risks of the operation. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we approach the 75th anniversary of VJ Day, historian Jonathan Fennell describes how the British and Commonwealth forces turned the tide against Japan in the Burman campaign. Historyextra.com/podcas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Medieval historian James Chetwood explores the origins of people’s names in the Middle Ages and how trends in naming changed dramatically over the centuries. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Author and biographer Sarah LeFanu discusses her recent book, Something of Themselves, which examines the involvement of three British writers – Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle and Mary Kingsley – in the Anglo-Boer war at the turn of the 20th century. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest of our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, historian Adam IP Smith responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the conflict between the Union and the Confederacy that devastated America in the 1860s. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a talk she delivered at our 2019 BBC History Magazine History Weekend in Winchester, historian, author and broadcaster Janina Ramirez brings to life lesser-known heroines from across the medieval period. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The distinguished journalists and broadcasters Peter Snow and Ann MacMillan talk about their new book, The Treasures of World History, which compiles some of the most important documents to have shaped human civilisations, covering everything from the Rosetta Stone to Apollo 11. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Five years after the publication of his landmark book The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, historian Peter Frankopan explores some of the major themes in global history and how they relate to life in 2020. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Robert Bartlett explores how medieval royal families sought to retain their grip on the throne and explains why some dynasties thrived, while others collapsed. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest of our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, ancient historian Paul Cartledge responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about one of the most renowned and influential ancient civilisations. Part 1 of this interview aired last Sunday. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a talk she delivered at our 2019 BBC History Magazine History Weekend in Winchester, historian and author Lauren Johnson discusses the tragic life of Henry VI whose catastrophic reign led to the bloodshed of the Wars of the Roses. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today’s episode we reveal the winner in our History’s Greatest Mystery poll: the fate of the princes in the Tower. Historian Nathen Amin considers some of the possible explanations for their disappearance in 1483 and whether Richard III was behind their murder. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All this week we are counting down the top five of our History’s Greatest Mysteries poll. In second place is Stonehenge, and in today’s episode archaeologist Mike Pitts considers how and why the monument was created, more than 4,000 years ago. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All this week we are counting down the top five of our History’s Greatest Mysteries poll. In today’s episode, historian and author Tom Holland explores historical and religious explanations as to what may have happened to Jesus’s body following his crucifixion in the 1st century AD. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All this week we are counting down the top five of our History’s Greatest Mysteries poll. In today’s episode, historian Misha Ewen delves into the mysterious disappearance of a group of English settlers in North America in the late 16th century. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All this week we are counting down the top five of our History’s Greatest Mysteries poll. In today’s episode, historian Elma Brenner discusses the 500-year-old Voynich Manuscript, whose mysterious text has baffled some of the greatest code-breakers. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest of our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, ancient historian Paul Cartledge responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about one of the most renowned and influential ancient civilisations. Part 2 of this interview will follow next Sunday. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a talk she delivered at our 2019 BBC History Magazine History Weekend in Winchester, historian and author Nicola Tallis describes the remarkable life of a pivotal figure in the Wars of the Roses and Tudor eras. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the Portable Antiquities Scheme records it’s 1.5 millionth find, we speak to Michael Lewis, who is head of the scheme, about some of the most remarkable archaeological discoveries in its history, and how metal detectorists are contributing to our understanding of Britain’s past. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Hannah-Rose Murray describes how Frederick Douglass and other African American abolitionists toured Britain in the 19th century to campaign against slavery in the United States. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Archaeologist and author Chris Gosden explores delves into the history of magical beliefs and practices from ancient times until the present day. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr Elena Woodacre is an expert on medieval and early modern queens and queenship at the University of Winchester. In this podcast, she answers the most popular listener and internet search questions about medieval queens, in our ‘Everything you want to know series’. Who was the most beautiful queen, how much power did queens have, and how did they balance motherhood and royal life, are just some of the questions posed. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Professor Louise Wilkinson, a medievalist at the University of Lincoln talks about her research into the household accounts of Eleanor de Montfort, a key figure in the mid-13th century civil war. The conversation particularly discusses what these accounts tell us about day-to-day life in an aristocratic household – what people ate and drank, what they wore, and what they did on a daily basis – as well as how they inform us about the ramifications of the political upheavals that occurred at the time. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The past few months have seen vigorous debates about the future of statues to contested historical figures, typically related to the colonial era and the Confederacy. In this episode, historian Simon John considers whether we need to broaden the discussion out to include the medieval era and in particular the violent actions of the 12th-century English king Richard the Lionheart. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian and author Alexander Larman is joined by popular historian Dan Jones to discuss his new book, The Crown in Crisis, which explores Edward VIII’s relationship with Wallis Simpson and how it led to the British king’s abdication. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Roman historian Shushma Malik discusses the infamous crimes of the emperor Nero and considers whether he is deserving of his monstrous reputation. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest of our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, historian Mark White responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the Cold War nuclear confrontation between the US and the USSR. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Pauline Stafford shares the latest research and thinking on some of the most important historical sources from Early Medieval England. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Alice Procter discusses her recent book The Whole Picture, which explains how modern museums often have problematic colonial histories and offers some ideas about how we should be rethinking these institutions. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian David Abulafia discusses his latest book, The Boundless Sea: A Human History of the Oceans, which was recently declared the winner of the prestigious Wolfson History Prize. Our conversation focuses in particular on the maritime history of the medieval era. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Laurence Grissell, producer of the recent BBC Radio 4 series The Californian Century, explores some of the key moments in the Golden State’s modern history, from the age of Hollywood to the rise of Silicon Valley. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest of our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, historian Iain MacInnes responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the Anglo-Scottish military conflicts of the 13th and 14th centuries. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gordon Noble and Nicholas Evans, co-authors of The King in the North, discuss the latest thinking about the culture that flourished in what’s now Scotland in the first millennium AD. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Natasha Hodgson explores the many different aspects of women’s involvement in the medieval campaigns fought in the Holy Land. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian and author Keith Lowe speaks to us about his new book Prisoners of History, which tells the stories of 25 monuments to the Second World War from across the globe and explains why many have become highly controversial. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Medical historian and journalist Mark Honigsbaum, author of The Pandemic Century, compares the current Covid-19 pandemic, and our responses to it, to previous diseases outbreaks over the past 100 years. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest of our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, historian Kate Smith responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about British society during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Emily Ward, co-editor of a new book on the conquests of 1016 and 1066, explains how the earlier Danish invasion of England is crucial to our understanding of what happened 50 years later. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian and novelist Nicola Cornick discusses the life and mysterious death of Tudor gentlewoman Amy Robsart, wife of Elizabeth I’s chief favourite, Robert Dudley. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of war on the Korean peninsula, historian Grace Huxford describes the key events of the conflict and explains how it played out in Britain. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Helen McCarthy, author of the new book Double Lives, considers how women in Britain have sought to balance the demands of work and childcare over the past century. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest of our series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, historian and battlefield guide Julian Humphrys responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the locations of some of Britain’s most important clashes. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the final talk from our virtual Medieval Life and Death Day event, historian Sally Dixon-Smith explores the history of romantic love and marriage practices in the Middle Ages. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices