HistoryExtra podcast

You may be familiar with the name of Marco Polo – the 13th-century Venetian merchant who travelled along the Silk Road, journeyed through Asia and spent time at the court of Mongol emperor Kublai Khan. Famously, he documented his experiences in a detailed account that has inspired many travellers since. Emily Briffett and Sharon Kinoshita follow in Polo's footsteps, exploring the medieval world through his eyes. (Ad) Sharon Kinoshita is the author of Marco Polo and His World (Reaktion Books, 2024). 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%2Fmarco-polo-and-his-world%2Fsharon-kinoshita%2F%2F9781789149371. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For much of the 20th century, six sisters from Britain’s minor aristocracy had a knack for making headline after scandalous headline. They were Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Jessica and Deborah Mitford. Now, the sisters' incredible shared story has been adapted into a TV drama called ‘Outrageous’ – based on the best-selling biography by Mary S Lovell. In this first of two episodes, Mary explores the sisters’ lives up to the end of the Second World War in 1945. Speaking to Danny Bird, she covers the hedonistic 1920s, the ideological rupture between fascism and communism in the 1930s, and how the sisters seemed to be on the frontlines of history, wherever it was happening. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When you think of the First World War, what springs to mind? Is it trench warfare? The myth that troops would be home by Christmas? Or perhaps the idea that the whole thing began because of the assassination of an Austro-Hungarian archduke? In this episode, we’re going beyond these narratives to consider alternative perspectives of the opening weeks of the conflict. Rachel Dinning is joined by historian Alex Churchill – co-author of new book 'Ring of Fire' alongside Nikolai Eberholst – to consider fresh perspectives of the conflict, highlighting the voices of ordinary people caught up in the war, as well as how it unfolded across the globe. Alex is the presenter of the new HistoryExtra academy series WW1: Myths and Misconceptions – which is out now and available to watch on the HistoryExtra App. In the series, Alex unpacks some of the most enduring myths about World War One – exploring topics such as the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the complexities of wartime neutrality, why the war didn’t truly end on 11 November 1918, and much more. Download the HistoryExtra App to watch Alex's new academy series WW1: Myths and Misconceptions: https://bit.ly/4ljbLyQ. (Ad) Alexandra Churchill and Nicolai Eberholst are the authors of Ring of Fire: A New Global History of the Outbreak of the First World War (Bloomsbury, 2025). 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%2Fring-of-fire%2Falexandra-churchill%2Fnicolai-eberholst%2F9781035903429. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did the Roman legions actually wear red? How often was their famous 'tortoise' formation actually used? How did military leaders maintain control of an army spread across such a massive empire? And what exactly was it that made that army so formidable? Speaking to Emily Briffett, Dr Adrian Goldsworthy answers listener questions on the ancient superpower's attitude to warfare, as well as its tactics, strategy and logistics. If you’re interested in finding out more about Roman military history, Adrian recently appeared on History's Greatest Battles to chart five epic clashes of the Roman empire – from naval showdowns and brutal sieges to disastrous defeats and tales of betrayal. Listen to that now: pod.link/1794311126 The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the first episode of season 2 of History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Twomey joins Rob Attar to tackle the "back door to war" conspiracy theory, explaining why many Americans have been willing to believe in a president's treachery. Find the full episode and listen to the whole series by heading to History's Greatest Conspiracy Theories or following this link: https://link.chtbl.com/HGCTHEX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From her introduction into the royal family to the tragic circumstances of her death, Diana, Princess of Wales was never far away from a newspaper front page or TV headline. She was a media sensation, a national talking point, and a cultural icon. Speaking to Matt Elton, Edward White, author of Dianaworld: An Obsession, argues that the mythologisation of the 'people's princess' reveals a great deal about the world of the late 20th century – from Britain's relationship with its monarchy to the dominance of American culture. (Ad) Edward White is the author of Dianaworld: An Obsession (Allen Lane, 2025). 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%2Fdianaworld%2Fedward-white%2F%2F9780241562680. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On first glance, what might you notice about a medieval manuscript? Maybe the material it's made from, the elaborate script, or ornamental illustrations. But, look a little closer, and there's a lot more to discover. In fact, as historian and curator Michelle P Brown explains, these medieval artefacts offer a portal to the past. Emily Briffett speaks to Michelle to unravel some of their secrets and find out what they can tell us about the Middle Ages. (Ad) Michelle P Brown is the author of Illumino: A History of Medieval Britain in Twelve Illuminated Manuscripts (Reaktion, 2025). 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%2Fillumino%2Fmichelle-p-brown%2F9781836390374. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Famed for his dramatic and determined revolt against English rule in the early 15th century, as well as his bold vision for an independent Wales, Owain Glyndŵr has gone down in history as a symbol of Welsh resistance and a national hero. Speaking to Emily Briffett, historian Gideon Brough charts the medieval nobleman's emergence as a warrior and a statesman, to uncover the man behind the enduring myth. (Ad) Gideon Brough is the author of The Rise and Fall of Owain Glyn Dŵr: England, France and the Welsh Rebellion in the Late Middle Ages (I.B. Taurus, 2017). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rise-Fall-Owain-Glyn-D%C5%B5r/dp/1784535931/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Metal detectorists and members of the general public have contributed hugely to our understanding of Britain's past, through the artefacts they have found hidden in the ground. Speaking to David Musgrove, Michael Lewis and Ian Richardson revisit some of the everyday discoveries that have reshaped history – from a Bronze Age cup with magical properties and a Roman cavalry helmet that would have been very hard to see out of, to a hoard of gold coins that tells us a lot about resistance to the Normans after 1066. (Ad) Michael Lewis and Ian Richardson are authors of Beneath our Feet: Everyday Discoveries Reshaping History (Thames & Hudson, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beneath-our-Feet-Discoveries-Reshaping/dp/0500027528/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From parachuting into Nazi-occupied France to silent assassinations and exploding rats, many of the missions undertaken by the Special Operations Executive during the Second World War sound like the events of a high-octane spy thriller. Dr Kate Vigurs tells Elinor Evans more about the organisation dubbed 'Churchill's Secret Army', answering listener questions on the men and women trained to take on these dangerous, high-stakes secret operations. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latter half of the 19th century, Europe was dazzled by the beauty, charm and sensibility of two empresses: Eugénie, Empress of the French via her marriage to Napoleon III; and Elisabeth (or 'Sisi'), consort to the Austrian emperor, Franz Joseph. Author Nancy Goldstone speaks to Danny Bird about the lives of these two women, revealing how they broke boundaries and redefined what a royal consort could be. (Ad) Nancy Goldstone is the author of The Rebel Empresses: Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France, Power and Glamour in the Struggle for Europe (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rebel-Empresses-Nancy-Goldstone/dp/139960399X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Millions of tourists flock to London each year, eager to snap a selfie in front of Buckingham Palace or Big Ben. But beyond the crowds lies a darker – and distinctly stranger – side to the city: a gothic metropolis haunted by tales of demons, poltergeists and murders most foul. Jon Bauckham talks to author and historian Clive Bloom about some of the capital’s spookiest stories, and why he believes that the eeriest encounters tend to unfold in the most mundane of places. (Ad) Clive Bloom is the author of London Uncanny: A Gothic Guide to the Capital in Weird History and Fiction (Bloomsbury, 2025). 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-uncanny%2Fclive-bloom%2F9781350424036. From the terror of being strangled by violent thieves to tales that the sewers were infested with a squealing band of pigs, 19th-century Londoners spent much of their time living in fear. Here, Emma Butcher and Tim Blythe reveal what seven such scare-mongering stories can tell us about the psyche of the capital: https://www.historyextra.com/membership/victorian-london-dangers-what-was-life-like/. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest episode of our monthly series charting the historical background of current news events, regular panellists Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter look back at centuries of challenges to international security – and how previous generations tackled rough sleeping and homelessness. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Mercia played an important role in the development of England. Although it was sandwiched between the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Northumbria and Wessex, unlike those two places, it lacks a great historical chronicle. And, according to Max Adams, this means it's been somewhat overlooked in the story of the birth of the Anglo-Saxon state. Talking to David Musgrove, Max explains why we ought to know more about Mercia. (Ad) Max Adams is the author of The Mercian Chronicles: King Offa and the Birth of the Anglo-Saxon State, AD 630–918 (Bloomsbury, 2025). 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-mercian-chronicles%2Fmax-adams%2F9781838933258. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Professor James Palmer guides us through the 300-year reign of the Merovingians, the Frankish dynasty whose legacy helped birth the very idea of France. Speaking to Kev Lochun, he explores how they used violence, myth, and immaculate hair to maintain power – until the pope brought the dynasty to its knees. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This summer it's 80 years since the greatest conflict in human history came to an end. To mark the anniversary, the military historian, author and broadcaster James Holland has co-written a book that tells the story of the final moments of The Second World War through the Axis surrenders that brought the conflict to a close. In this episode James revisits these dramatic episodes in the company of Rob Attar. (Ad) James Holland is the author of Victory '45: The End of the War in Eight Surrenders (Bantam, 2025). 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%2Fvictory-45%2Fjames-holland%2Fal-murray%2F2928377317966. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The science of health and wellbeing is a hot topic of modern life, and it was no different for the ancient civilisations of Greece and Rome. From what you should eat, to how you should exercise, and when you should (and shouldn't) have sex, these cultures developed their own highly specific set of rules to live by to maximise health and happiness. In this episode, Claire Bubb examines the logic behind these health tips alongside James Osborne, and reveals what insights they give us into the Greco-Roman mindset. (Ad) Claire Bubb is the author of How to Eat: An Ancient Guide for Healthy Living (Princeton University Press, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Eat-Ancient-Healthy-Readers-ebook/dp/B0DNGXR1VQ/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thomas Aquinas was a 13th-century Dominican theologian whose groundbreaking ideas set medieval Europe aflame – and continue to resonate today. As 2025 marks the 800th anniversary of Aquinas's birth, Emily Briffett speaks to Professor Robert Pasnau to find out more about the man behind some of medieval Europe's most significant philosophical and theological works. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bogus sex parties, fake corpses, exploding tin cans and belligerent pigs. If you thought that James Bond's fictional escapades were outrageous, then the real-life experiences of his creator, Ian Fleming, are arguably even more extraordinary. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, Edward Abel Smith reveals how Fleming's work as a wartime intelligence officer inspired the plotlines in his world-famous spy novels. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does it mean to be a father? When did people first start talking about men as 'father figures'? And how has the concept of fatherhood changed over the millennia? In conversation with David Musgrove, Augustine Sedgwick charts the story from the ancient near east right through to the modern father figure today. (Ad) Augustine Sedgwick is the author of Fatherhood: A History of Love and Power (Picador, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fatherhood-History-Power-Augustine-Sedgewick/dp/103503574X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During the Cold War, the CIA book programme was a covert campaign to smuggle books into the Eastern Bloc using everything from balloon drops to baked bean tins. But why was literature such a significant weapon in the culture wars between east and west? Lauren Good speaks to author Charlie English about his book The CIA Book Club: The Gripping New History of the Best-Kept Secret of the Cold War. (Ad) Charlie English is the author of The CIA Book Club: The Gripping New History of the Best-Kept Secret of the Cold War ( William Collins, 2025). 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-cia-book-club%2Fcharlie-english%2F9780008495121. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Michelangelo's David and Machiavelli's The Prince to the plays of Shakespeare, the Renaissance produced some of history's most astounding works of culture, art and innovation. But can focusing on these glittering creations obscure the messy and often violent reality of actually living through the era? Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, Ada Palmer highlights the complexities of this so-called 'golden age' – including corrupt popes, devastating plagues and why Michelangelo hated painting. (Ad) Ada Palmer is the author of Inventing the Renaissance: Myths of a Golden Age (Bloomsbury, 2025). 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%2Finventing-the-renaissance%2Fada-palmer%2F9781035910120. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He’s best known for his Eureka moment, but Archimedes was far more than a naked man in a bathtub. Speaking to Kev Lochun, Professor Michael Scott takes us through the wild imagination of this Ancient Greek polymath, who dreamt up war machines, water screws and a giant claw – but not, as legend has it, a death ray. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Between 1939 and 1945, the Nazis killed nearly 300,000 people with learning disabilities or psychiatric illnesses. Some 400,000 more were forcibly sterilised. Historian Dagmar Herzog speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about how decades of eugenic theorising and propaganda led so many institutions to become complicit in this programme of sterilisation and mass murder – and why Germany took so long to fully recognise it as a crime. (Ad) Dagmar Herzog is the author of The Question of Unworthy Life: Eugenics and Germany’s Twentieth Century (Princeton University Press, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Question-Unworthy-Life-Eugenics-Twentieth/dp/0691261709/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when you step inside a fairy ring? Where did the figure of the Green Man come from? And why have so many East Anglians been terrorised by a menacing, dog-like creature called Black Shuck? Emily Briffett speaks to folklorist and historian Francis Young to uncover more about the myths and historical traditions of England – from iconic characters such as Robin Hood and King Arthur to fantastical tales of shapeshifters and mermaids. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shakespeare is now a towering figure of global theatre. But in the 1590s, he was just an up-and-coming young playwright, trying to scratch out a living in Shoreditch's emerging theatre scene. Daniel Swift revisits this early stage of the Bard's career in his new book The Dream Factory, linking it with the story of a long-lost Shoreditch playhouse simply called 'The Theatre'. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, Daniel reveals what it would have been like to see one of Shakespeare's original productions, and how he may have been inspired by a terrible play called Hamlet. (Ad) Daniel Swift is the author of The Dream Factory: London's First Playhouse and the Making of William Shakespeare (Yale University Press, 2025). 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-dream-factory%2Fdaniel-swift%2F%2F9780300263541. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Plague, war, regicide, famine, revolt – during the 14th century, life for people in England was turned on its head. Historian Helen Carr charts this extraordinarily turbulent period through the lives of three very different monarchs, each with their own idea of what it meant to wield power. Exploring the humanity of those on the throne, she speaks to Emily Briffett to shed new light on this pivotal period of English history, and the people who lived through it. (Ad) Helen Carr is the author of Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century (Hutchinson Heinemann, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=1657&awinaffid=489797&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fsceptred-isle%2Fhelen-carr%2F9781529151657&clickref=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest episode of our monthly series charting the past behind the present, historians Rana Mitter and Hannah Skoda explore the ways the Second World War continues to shape the world of today. Plus the medieval manuscripts hitting the headlines, and an express history of rail nationalisation. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From merriment to mummification, new year revelries to funerary rites, wine played a key role in ancient Egyptian culture. Islam Issa speaks to Matt Elton about why the alcoholic drink was so important – and how it inspired everything from a wine vending machine to the Festival of Drunkenness. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ ⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/hepod⁠⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In everything from the social sciences and technology to art and architecture, 18th-century Scotland saw a flowering of ideas and innovation. But what made the Enlightenment in Scotland different to the rest of Europe? Who were some of its key thinkers? And why were so few women involved? Historian Craig Smith, from the University of Glasgow, runs Ellie Cawthorne through the key inventions and individuals of the Scottish Enlightenment. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During the Second World War, a promise by President Roosevelt to provide supplies to nationalist China led to the creation of an ill-fated air supply route from India, across a perilous stretch of the Himalayan foothills known as 'the hump'. Caroline Alexander tells Elinor Evans about the young American pilots who braved the world’s most dangerous skies, facing deadly weather, jungle crashes, and psychological collapse. (Ad) Caroline Alexander is the author of Skies of Thunder: The Deadly World War II Mission Over the Roof of the World (Bonnier Books, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/skies-of-thunder/caroline-alexander/9781804189870. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Victoria, Ella, Irene and Alix of Hesse were four young European princesses and granddaughters of Queen Victoria, whose marriages would change the face of early 20th-century Europe. Speaking to Elinor Evans, Frances Welch introduces the four sisters. She explores their relationships with one another, and reveals how their stories stretch from the court of their respected 'Grandmama Queen', to revolutionary Russia. (Ad) Frances Welch is the author of The Lives and Deaths of the Princesses of Hesse: The Curious Destinies of Queen Victoria's Granddaughters (Hachette, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lives-Deaths-Princesses-Hesse-granddaughters/dp/1780725213#:~:text=Drawing%20on%20hundreds%20of%20previously,Revolution%2C%20and%20through%20both%20World. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calamity Jane roars into the popular imagination atop the Deadwood Stage with a 'whip-crack-away' and her pistol ready-loaded. A bold and resourceful frontierswoman, Calamity held her own among the men of the American West. But she was also instrumental in the making of her own myth. Emily Briffett spoke to historian Karen Jones to piece together what is known about the humble origins of the woman who became the “heroine of the plains”. (Ad) Karen Jones is the author of Calamity: The Many Lives of Calamity Jane (Yale University Press, 2020). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Calamity-Many-Lives-Jane/dp/0300212801/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tahra Bey became a celebrity with his apparent ability to control his pulse, stab himself without pain and even bury himself alive. Dr Dahesh, meanwhile, was a spiritualist who sparked an entire religious movement. Speaking to Lauren Good, Raphael Cormack explores the lives of these two figures who made a name for themselves in the occult scene of the 1920s – and what their stories can reveal about the anxieties of the age. (Ad) Raphael Cormack is the author of Holy Men of the Electromagnetic Age: A Forgotten History of the Occult (C Hurst & Co, 2025). 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%2Fholy-men-of-the-electromagnetic-age%2Fraphael-cormack%2F9781805262749. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nothing beats a well-loaded cheeseboard. But while so many of us enjoy a stinky stilton and ripe brie, or chuck a reliable old cheddar into our basket at the supermarket each week, what do we actually know about the history of the cheese we eat? From sustaining Roman troops to becoming a staple in lunchboxes across the globe, the history of cheese is a fascinating - and surprising - story that spans thousands of years and many continents. In this 'everything you wanted to know' episode, Isabel King is joined by cheesemonger and author Ned Palmer to explore the development of various flavourful fromages and how they have shaped societies worldwide. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As 17th-century Britain edged ever closer to civil war, two friends, Bulstrode Whitelock and Ned Hyde, found their relationship under increasing strain. Minoo Dinshaw tells Ellie Cawthorne about how these two companions found themselves on opposite sides of a political and ideological divide, and reflects on how the Civil War caused painful ruptures in many personal relationships. (Ad) Minoo Dinshaw is the author of Friends in Youth: Choosing Sides in the English Civil War (Penguin Books, 2025). 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%2Ffriends-in-youth%2Fminoo-dinshaw%2F9780241312827. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The stories of ancient Rome are littered with despicable women, and those of the Julio-Claudian dynasty are especially infamous. But where do these stories come from? And why have they endured for centuries? Speaking to Elinor Evans, Joan Smith explores how Roman misogyny, mistranslations, and modern historians have shaped a distorted narrative – casting influential historical women as villains, nags and nymphomaniacs. (Ad) Joan Smith is the author of Unfortunately, She was a Nymphomaniac: A New History of Rome's Imperial Women (William Collins, 2024). Buy it now from Waterstones: http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=6388&awinaffid=489797&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Funfortunately-she-was-a-nymphomaniac%2Fjoan-smith%2F9780008638801&clickref=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Few 19th-century leaders have a CV quite like Otto von Bismarck's. This formidable statesman's cunning, charisma and eye for an opportunity helped him drive the unification of Germany and engineer a stunning defeat of France in 1871. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, Katja Hoyer introduces a man whose rise would change the face of European geopolitics forever. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ ⁠https://nordvpn.com/hepod⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the summer of 1944, as the German forces were retreating in northern Italy, a small group of soldiers made a detour to a remote villa in search of Albert Einstein's cousin. Robert Einstein posed no threat to the Nazi regime, but nonetheless they were determined to hunt him down. The tragic events that followed are the basis of a new book by the bestselling author Thomas Harding – he spoke to Rob Attar about an appalling crime and the decades-long hunt for justice that followed. (Ad) Thomas Harding is the author of The Einstein Vendetta: Hitler, Mussolini, and a True Story of Murder (Michael Joseph, 2025). 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-einstein-vendetta%2Fthomas-harding%2F9780241658482. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who were the Beaker People? What was their contribution to the building of Stonehenge? And did their arrival in Britain really lead to the obliteration of the indigenous population? Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, Mike Parker-Pearson answers the most pressing questions on the prehistoric culture that changed Britain for good. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the seventh century BC, the ancient Assyrian king Ashurbanipal created a gigantic library in his capital city – one that contained centuries of wisdom. And this vast wealth of ancient knowledge can reveal a lot about how the people of the Near East thought about their gods. Dr Selena Wisnom tells David Musgrove more about the Assyrians' religious views, including how they tried to keep gods – and other supernatural entities – happy. (Ad) Selena Wisnom is the author of The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of History (Penguin, 2025). 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-library-of-ancient-wisdom%2Fselena-wisnom%2F%2F9780241519639. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What has prompted humans throughout history to risk life and limb to conquer some of the world's highest mountains? Author and climber Daniel Light talks to Rachel Dinning about why humans have always been drawn to mountains, the evolution of mountaineering as a sport, and the stories of the individuals who risked everything to make it to the top of nature’s most formidable peaks. (Ad) Daniel Light is the author of The White Ladder: Triumph and Tragedy at the Dawn of Mountaineering (Oneworld, 2024). 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-white-ladder%2Fdaniel-light%2F9780861548163. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Showbusiness, spying and civil rights - the extraordinary life of Josephine Baker had it all. From difficult beginnings, Baker transformed herself into the world's first black superstar, before turning her talents to espionage on behalf of the French Resistance. Hanna Diamond tells Ellie Cawthorne more about Baker's showbiz lifestyle, tireless campaigning, troupe of 12 adopted children and pet cheetah. (Ad) Hanna Diamond is the author of Josephine Baker's Secret War: The African American Star Who Fought for France and Freedom (Yale University Press, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Josephine-Bakers-Secret-War-American/dp/0300279981/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From rainmaking queens to dogged isolationists, the lives and reigns of Africa’s female rulers have long been shrouded in mystery, misunderstanding and misogyny. Over the centuries and throughout the continent, these individuals navigated the rigid traditions of their own cultures to wield power – even to the detriment of their subjects. Speaking to Danny Bird, Paula Akpan traces the lives of 12 influential African women, challenging prevailing narratives to reveal a continent shaped by matriarchy and contested memories. (Ad) Paula Akpan is the author of When We Ruled: The Rise and Fall of Twelve African Queens and Warriors (Trapeze, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/When-We-Ruled-African-Warriors/dp/1398719897/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's considered to be the bloodiest civil war in history, but there's a fair chance you've never heard of it. The Taiping Rebellion convulsed China from 1850 to 1864, leading to over 20 million deaths and severely weakening the Qing dynasty, but it remains little known outside of China today. Speaking to Rob Attar, Professor Stephen R Platt answers listener questions about the rebellion and explains why it hasn't received the attention it deserves. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/hepod Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All eyes have been on the Vatican in recent days, as the conclave have decided who will be the next pope. But how does the process today compare to that of past centuries? What have been some of the most dramatic papal elections down the centuries? And was there ever really a female pope? Matt Elton caught up with expert in papal history Rebecca Rist to find out more. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nazi Germany had finally been defeated. And, for 24 hours, Britons could let their hair down and celebrate. But not everyone was in the mood to party. As 2025 marks the 80th anniversary, John Willis tells the story of VE Day via the experiences of ordinary Britons who lived through it. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, he discusses what these testimonies reveal about the state of mind of a nation after six long years of war. (Ad) John Willis is the author of The People’s War: Unheard Voices: Life on the Battlefront and at Home in World War II (BBC Books, 2025). 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-peoples-war%2Fjohn-willis%2F9781785949005. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nikola Tesla is remembered as an enigmatic, eccentric genius who harnessed the power of electricity. But if we strip away some of this myth, what can we really say about the inventor's life and legacy? For this Life of the Week episode, Iwan Morus joins Ellie Cawthorne to reveal how Tesla believed he could invent a death ray, whether he was really a recluse, and how he would feel about Elon Musk's company using his name today. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1840s, famine hit Ireland with devastating consequences. But what were the circumstances that turned a potato blight into a catastrophe that shattered societal structures and caused around a million deaths? Padraic X Scanlan speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about the causes and impact of the famine, linking the disaster to the economic structures of the British empire. (Ad) Padraic X Scanlan is the author of Rot: A History of the Irish Famine (Basic Books, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rot-History-Padraic-X-Scanlan/dp/1472146875/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1861, the kingdom of Italy was proclaimed, unifying the various Italian states under one national banner. But what did it mean to be 'Italian' in the mid-19th century? How did the pope react to the concept of a united Italy? And why did so many British women fall in love with Garibaldi? In conversation with Spencer Mizen, historian David Laven answers listener questions on the campaign to unify Italy: the Risorgimento. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices