HistoryExtra podcast

Scientist and author Lewis Dartnell discusses his recent book Origins, which explores how Earth’s physical features have had a profound effect on human civilisations throughout history. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historians Sam Willis and James Daybell, creators of the Histories of the Unexpected books and podcast, take a sideways look at the Viking era, exploring how things like keys, butter and haircuts fit into their story. 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 new series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, archaeologist David Miles responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about Britain’s distant past. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Philippe Sands, author of the multi-award-winning memoir East West Street, talks to us about his new book, The Ratline, which charts his investigation into the dramatic life and mysterious death of the senior Nazi Otto von Wächter. Philippe reveals how Otto managed to escape justice after 1945 and examines his relationship with his wife, Charlotte. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Toby Green, author of the award-winning book A Fistful of Shells, explores the history of West Africa and its relations with the wider world, from the era of the slave trade to more recent times. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anne de Courcy discusses Coco Chanel, and some other famous faces who graced the French Riviera, during the interwar years and the era of Nazi occupation. 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 new series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, military historian Peter Caddick-Adams responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about one of the defining episodes of World War Two. 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 Emily Brand speaks about her new book, The Fall of the House of Byron, which explores the dramatic lives of the Georgian aristocratic family whose lives were blighted by scandal long before the arrival of the renowned poet. 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 Linda Porter talks about her new book Mistresses: Sex and Scandal at the court of Charles II, exploring the lives of the many women who shared the 17th-century monarch’s bed. 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 spy expert Henry Hemming discusses the real historical personalities who Ian Fleming drew on to create 007 and other major characters in the Bond novels. 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 third of our new series tackling the big questions on major historical topics, archaeologist Miles Russell responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the four centuries of Roman rule 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

Fifty years on from the NASA mission that almost ended in disaster, historian Tom Ellis revisits the dramatic story of the astronauts’ incredible battle to survive. Plus, he considers the state of the Cold War space race in the wake of the moon landing the year before. 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 seek to understand the broader impacts of Covid-19, historian Jane Whittle looks at how the devastating plague of the 1340s significantly reshaped the economy and society of England. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Renaissance historian Catherine Fletcher explores the remarkable life and art of the acclaimed 17th-century Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi, whose work was due to be celebrated with a major National Gallery exhibition this month. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tracy Borman responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the 16th-century English royal dynasty. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Johanna Katrin Fridriksdottir explores what everyday life was like for women in Norse society, the opportunities available to them and the challenges they faced. 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 75th anniversary of the battle of Okinawa, historian Saul David revisits one of the bloodiest clashes of the Pacific War and explains how it played a crucial part in the United States’ decision to use atomic weapons against Japan. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr Julie Wheelwright, author of the new book Sisters in Arms, explains the roles of female warriors 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

In a bonus Sunday episode, Marc Morris, author of an acclaimed history of the Norman Conquest, tackles some of the big questions about William the Conqueror and his followers, several of which were submitted by our listeners and social media fans. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Greg Jenner chats explores the changing nature of fame over the centuries and describes how celebrities have fared in the public glare. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sophy Roberts, author of The Lost Pianos of Siberia, explains how the instrument can illuminate the history of Russia, from the tsarist era to the decades of Soviet rule. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At a time when Britons are being asked to revisit the ‘Blitz spirit’, historian Jonathan Boff explains how ordinary people coped with the privations of World War II and considers what parallels can be drawn between the 1940s and the current Coronavirus crisis. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Acclaimed author James Shapiro considers why England’s foremost playwright has had such a profound impact on the United States, and how his words speak to contemporary concerns. Historyextra.con/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Helen Birkett explores communication networks and the spread of information and news in 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

As COVID-19 dominates the news, Laura Spinney draws historical parallels with other pandemics in history and asks what we might learn from disease outbreaks in 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

Simon Jenkins talks about his new BBC radio programme, Wales: A 20th-century Tragedy?, which explores the difficulties faced by the country in recent history, and offers some opinions on its future. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Priyamvada Gopal speaks about her book Insurgent Empire, which explores opposition to British colonial rule both within the empire and in Britain itself. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hadley Freeman speaks to us about her quest to uncover her family’s history through some of the most tumultuous events 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

Stonemason Andrew Ziminski talks about some of Britain’s most impressive buildings and monuments. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Frank Dikötter discusses his new book How to Be a Dictator, which explores the malevolent careers of eight 20th-century rulers. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Rachel B Hermann talks about her recent book No Useless Mouth, which explores how food and hunger played a critical role in the story of the American Revolutionary era. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The author Francesca Wade talks to us about her new book Square Haunting, which tells the stories of five remarkable women – among them Virginia Woolf and Dorothy L Sayers – who all lived on the same London square in the interwar years. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Archaeologist David Petts and Lisa Wilkins of DigVentures discuss an extraordinary Viking-era discovery that’s been made on the monastic site of Lindisfarne in Northumbria. The conversation also covers the latest trends in archaeological excavations and the broader history of the island. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Elma Brenner of the Wellcome Library examines the state of healthcare in the Middle Ages and reveals some unusual remedies that were offered for people with injuries or diseases. 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 200th anniversary of the Cato Street Conspiracy, Stephen Bates examines a failed attempt to murder the entire British cabinet in February 1820. He also explores the background and aftermath of this violent plot. historyextra.co m/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Eloise Moss, author of Night Raiders, explores a century of home intrusion in Britain, from the cat burglar phenomenon to Cold War espionage. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Frank McDonough discusses the first volume in his new two-part history of Nazi Germany. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The acclaimed popular historian and broadcaster Michael Wood talks to us about a photograph he discovered that links his family to the infamous Peterloo massacre of 1819. 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 75th anniversary of the Dresden raid, historical author Sinclair McKay explores one of the most controversial Allied actions of the Second World War. He describes the devastation caused by the bombing and considers whether it constitutes a war crime. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Andrew Roberts reflects on some of the greatest and most nefarious war leaders of the past – including Napoleon, Hitler, Churchill and Eisenhower – and considers what traits they shared. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Susan Neiman considers how Germany and the United States have sought to come to terms with histories of racism and violence. 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 Hardman discusses his new biography of the 18th-century French queen, exploring her role in the politics of the revolutionary era and explaining why she met a tragic end. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ahead of her new BBC Two series The Shock of the Nude, classicist Mary Beard discusses some of the thorny issues surrounding the naked body in western art over the centuries. Later on in the episode she is joined by art historian Janina Ramirez to share her thoughts on a few of the most intriguing pieces that appear in the programmes. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Karen Harvey explores the unusual case of Mary Toft who caused a sensation in 1726 by apparently giving birth to rabbits. Karen considers what the story and the reactions to it can tell us about Georgian Britain. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Morton-Jack, historian and author of The Indian Empire at War, reflects on the contributions made by the vast number of Indian soldiers who fought for Britain in the First World War. 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 Clare Wright reveals how Australian women battled for political equality in the early 20th century and helped inspire suffrage movements in other parts of the world. 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 the liberation of Auschwitz, historian Rebecca Clifford tells the stories of child survivors of the Holocaust who made their way to Britain after the war. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Sophie Ambler chronicles the dramatic life of Simon de Montfort, the 13th-century rebel who battled Henry III for mastery in England and established a revolutionary form of government. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian, author and broadcaster Colin Grant discusses his recent book, Homecoming: Voices of the Windrush Generation, which tells the stories of postwar immigrants to Britain from the Caribbean. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stephen Tomkins discusses the rise of Puritanism in England and the origins of the Mayflower voyage to North America in 1620. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices