HistoryExtra podcast

Professor Julia Lovell discusses her recent book Maoism: A Global History, which has just won the prestigious Cundill History Prize. In the conversation Julia explores the nature of Mao’s ideology and how it has shaped China and many other countries around 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

Jill Lepore, professor of history at Harvard, discusses her acclaimed recent book These Truths, which charts the highs and lows of American history since 1492 and considers how far the United States has lived up to its founding ideals. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lauren Johnson discusses the history behind the new Netflix film The King, considering how closely it follows the real events of Henry V’s life and reign. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Roland Emmerich, director of the new blockbuster Midway film, tells us about the process of bringing a major World War Two battle to the big screen. 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 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, author and editor Iain MacGregor revisits some of the most dramatic events associated with the history of the Cold War barrier, from its construction in 1961 to its modern afterlife. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As a major new exhibition of the pharaoh’s tomb arrives in London, we speak to curator Tarek El Awady about the remarkable artefacts buried with Egypt’s iconic boy king. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Professor Alexander Watson describes the dramatic battle for the fortress city of Przemysl, which pitted a multi-ethnic Habsburg force against the might of the Russian army in the early months of World War I. 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 and former Cabinet minister David Laws examines the life and dramatic death, in 1916, of Britain’s Secretary of State for War: Lord Kitchener. 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 Dominic Sandbrook joins us to discuss his new book, Who Dares Wins, which explores the pivotal early years of Margaret Thatcher’s premiership in Britain: 1979-1982. 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 Thomas Penn discusses the Wars of the Roses, the princes in the Tower and the start of the Tudor era as he reflects on the Yorkist dynasty and the reigns of Edward IV and Richard III. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special edition, produced by our friends from the Science Focus podcast, Dr Robert Elliott Smith examines the dark history of algorithms and considers how they affect all of our lives today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian James Walvin describes how enslaved people fought for their freedom and ultimately helped to bring down the Atlantic slave empires. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Peter Hennessy talks about his new book Winds of Change, which tells the story of Britain in the early 1960s and explores subjects such as the Cold War, decolonisation, the Profumo affair and the country’s failed attempt to join the EEC. 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 historian Helen Fry talks about her new book, The Walls Have Ears, which describes an ingenious British intelligence operation to bug German prisoners during the Second 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

William Dalrymple explains how a single London corporation took over the Mughal empire and became a major imperial power. 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 a major new TV drama about the Russian empress, historian Janet Hartley explores Catherine’s life and considers whether there is any truth behind the scandals that continue to damage her reputation. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando Figes describes the cultural transformations of 19th-century Europe through the lives of a remarkable menage a trois. 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 journalist Henry Hemming discusses his new book, Our Man in New York, which describes the adventures of British spymaster William Stephenson who plotted to bring the United States into 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

Daisy Dunn revisits the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and considers the history that was preserved at Pompeii and Herculaneum. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sir Max Hastings discusses his new book on the iconic World War Two raid, describing the ingenuity and courage of the operation, as well as the terrible cost. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Dan Jones about the lives of women in 16th-century France. 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 Tom Holland discusses his new book Dominion, which explores the history of Christianity and argues that it has had a transformative and enduring impact on the western mindset. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bestselling medieval historian Dan Jones discusses his new book Crusaders, which tells the stories of these religious conflicts through the people who were involved in them. He is joined in conversation by his fellow historian Helen Castor. 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 reach the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War Two, historian Roger Moorhouse tells the story of the 1939 battle for Poland that saw the country dismembered by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Professor Brendan Simms talks to us about his new biography of Adolf Hitler, which argues that the Nazi dictator’s main preoccupation was rivalry with Britain and America, rather than the Soviet Union. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr Emma Butcher and Dr Hannah Partis-Jennings explore the history of war trauma, discussing how it has affected soldiers and civilians in conflicts such as the Napoleonic Wars, the two world wars, and more recent campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Serhii Plokhy, author of an award-winning book on the 1986 Soviet nuclear disaster, explores the causes and consequences of the Chernobyl accident and offers his thoughts on the accuracy of the recent drama series. 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 fifth series of the BBC historical drama is about to air, we talk to historian Andrew Davies about the real Birmingham gangsters who inspired the programme, and discover how late-Victorian society contributed to a rise in gang violence. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Babita Sharma explores the history of the British corner shop, explaining how Asian immigrants transformed these local businesses. 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 the 200th anniversary of Peterloo, we speak to Robert Poole, author of a major new history of the massacre. He explores the history of 19th-century radicalism that fed into the Manchester demonstration and then reveals why a peaceful meeting ended in death and injury. 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 writer Mike Pitts discusses some of the major archaeological finds that have shaped the way we understand the early history of the British Isles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former prime minister Gordon Brown discusses the American businessman Andrew Carnegie, who gave away most of his fortune 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

Harry Potter explores the twists and turns in the history of the British penal system. 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 broadcaster Emma Dabiri explains how the history of black hair reflects broad themes of capitalism, slavery, colonialism and more. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former Foreign Office historian Gill Bennett explores how a forged letter by a Soviet leader in 1924 shocked Britain and helped undermine the Labour Party. 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, historical consultant for the BBC series Horrible Histories, talks about the series’ big screen outing, Rotten Romans. He also explores wider questions about history and comedy and the current state of popular history. Historyextra.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Professor Dame Janet L Nelson discusses Charlemagne, the 8th-century king of the Franks who became one of medieval Europe’s most important rulers. 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 after the Stonewall riots in New York City, historian Chris Parkes explores the background to the events and shows how the episode became a pivotal moment in LGBTQ+ history. 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 50th anniversary of the moon landing, historian Kendrick Oliver explores the space race that led to it and considers the legacy of the momentous events of July 1969. Historyextra.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Prashant Kidambi revisits the first Indian cricket tour of Britain, which took place in the summer of 1911 when the British empire was still at its height. Historyextra.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Sam Willis describes the dramatic 1805 British victory against French and Spanish fleets, while challenging misconceptions about the role of Nelson and the importance of the battle in the war against Napoleon. Historyextra.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Matthew Jenkinson tells the stories of Edward Whalley and William Goffe who fled to New England in the 17th century following their involvement in the execution of King Charles I. Historyextra.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

AC Grayling ranges through 2,500 years of history to explore the impact of great thinkers like Aristotle, Immanuel Kant and Bertrand Russell. historyextra.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Susan Oosthuizen explains why we should be reassessing what we think about the Anglo-Saxons. historyextra.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian and author Dr John Woolf explores the extraordinary and complex stories of 19th-century performers such as General Tom Thumb, who became stars in the age of PT Barnum and other circus pioneers. historyextra.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian and journalist Tim Bouverie discusses his new book Appeasing Hitler, which explores the failed diplomacy that led to World War Two and the Nazi domination of Europe. Historyextra.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian and broadcaster Tessa Dunlop shares the stories of women she interviewed who worked at Britain’s codebreaking centre during World War Two. Historyextra.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adrian Tinniswood explores the fascinating history of Britain’s royal households, from the Tudor period until today. historyextra.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Edward Carey discusses the life of Madame Tussaud, who created waxworks in the era of the French Revolution. historyextra.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Professor Jonathan Phillips is joined by medieval historian Dan Jones to discuss the life and legacy of the Muslim ruler Saladin, who famously captured Jerusalem and battled the crusaders during the 12th century. historyextra.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices