Podcast
HistoryExtra podcast
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The HistoryExtra podcast brings you gripping stories from the past and fascinating historical conversations with the world's leading historical experts.
HistoryExtra is a free history podcast, with episodes released six times a week. Subscribe now for the real stories behind your favourite films, TV shows and period dramas, as well as compelling insights into lesser-known aspects of the past.
We delve into global history stories spanning the ancient world right up to the modern day. You’ll hear deep dives into the lives of famous historical figures like Cleopatra, Anne Boleyn and Winston Churchill, and explorations of intriguing events from the past, such as the Salem witch trials, the battle of Waterloo and D-Day.
Expect fresh takes on history, helping you get to grips with the latest research, as we explore everything from ancient Roman archaeology and Viking mythology to Renaissance royals and Tudor kings and queens.
Our episodes touch on a wide range of historical eras – from the Normans and Saxons to the Stuarts, Victorians and the Regency period. We cover the most popular historical subjects, from the medieval world to the Second World War, but you’ll also hear conversations on lesser-known parts of our past, including black history and women’s history.
Looking at the history behind today’s headlines, we consider the forces that have shaped today’s world, from the imposing empires that dominated continents, to the revolutions that brought them crashing down. We also examine the impact of conflict across the centuries, from the crusades of the Middle Ages and the battles of the ancient Egyptians to World War One, World War Two and the Cold War.
Plus, we uncover the real history behind myths, legends and conspiracy theories, from the medieval murder mystery of the Princes in the Tower, to the assassination of JFK.
Featuring interviews with notable historians including Mary Beard, Tracy Borman, James Holland and Dan Jones, we cover a range of social, political and military history, with the aim to start conversations about some of the most fascinating areas of the past.
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536episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
When did Roman Britain really end?
Apr 2600:32:20Summary readyHow did England – and Englishness – emerge from the final days of Roman Britain? And what separated Englishness from Britishness? Emeritus professor Nicholas Higham –whose latest book is How England Began: From Roman Britain to the Anglo-Saxons – speaks to James Osborne to explore the twisting and turning tale of England's origins from post-Roman Britain: a story of clashing cultures, religion, and migration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary
How the Vikings reshaped Anglo-Saxon England
Apr 2500:35:12Summary readyAlfred the Great’s victory over the Vikings at the battle of Edington brought the campaign of the Great Heathen Army to an end – but it didn't conclude the wider story. In the final episode of our Sunday Series on the ninth-century Viking invasion of Anglo-Saxon England, Dr Eleanor Barraclough and James Osborne trace how the outcome of the battle rewrote the future of Anglo-Saxon England. ––––– GO BEYOND THE PODCAST To deepen your understanding of this pivotal moment in Viking and Anglo-Saxon history, James Osborne has selected some essential reading and listening from our archives: https://bit.ly/412VTIB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary
Preview: The surprising history of pizza
Apr 2400:14:05Summary readyIt's now among the world's most popular foods – but what do we know about the origins of pizza? Today on the HistoryExtra podcast, we're bringing you a slice of our new series, History's Greatest Dishes, that serves up a feast of facts about some of the past's most remarkable delicacies. Food historian Annie Gray tells Emily Briffett about its genesis as humble street treat, the currents of migration and innovation that transformed it into a cultural icon, and truth behind that most controversial of pizza toppings: pineapple. To listen on, search for History's Greatest Dishes or find the full episodes and follow the feed here: https://play.megaphone.fm/pw_5oanmtdswsp80w0rl0q Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryA short history of running
Apr 2300:35:43Tap to summarizeWhy do people run marathons in their thousands these days? Carl Morris, in conversation with Dave Musgrove, traces the origins of running as a sport back to the heyday of 19th-century pedestrianism. These Victorian competitors were superstars of their day and performed in front of huge crowds – and from that starting line, we can chart the growth of the modern passion for marathons. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST To find out more about the strange story of long-distance wheelbarrow pedestrianism, check out the HistoryExtra podcast series The Tiger Tamer who Went to Sea: https://bit.ly/4db4D6L Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Mary Beard on why the classics still matter
Apr 2100:41:34Tap to summarizeWhat's the role of the classical past in the modern day? In this episode of the HistoryExtra podcast, internationally renowned classicist Mary Beard reflects on her long career, and discusses the ongoing importance of the subject. Speaking to Charlotte Vosper about her new book, Talking Classics: The Shock of The Old, Mary explores her relationship with antiquity – and explains why the ancient past is still relevant today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Elizabeth II: life of the week
Apr 2000:49:44Tap to summarizeThis April marks the centenary of the birth of Elizabeth II. In this special episode of our Life of the Week series, historian Kate Williams guides Charlotte Vosper through the late Queen’s life, picking a key moment from each decade that illuminates the monarch's personality, public role, and private life. How did she feel when she unexpectedly became heir apparent to the throne? What did she really think about the media furore that surrounded her and her family? And how should we look back on her reign, almost four years on? ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST Join Professor Kate Williams for a six-part HistoryExtra series uncovering the little-known stories behind some of history’s most famous queens. You’ll meet Cleopatra, the brilliant strategist who fought Rome for Egypt’s survival; Marie Antoinette, the queen blamed for a revolution she couldn’t control, and Elizabeth II, whose image shaped modern royalty. Across millennia, we’ll explore how royal women navigated power, politics, and expectation and how their legacies were shaped long after their deaths. Find out more at historyextra.com/academy. And all videos are available now, on the HistoryExtra app – click here to learn more and join today: https://www.historyextra.com/app?utm_source=HistoryExtra+podcast&utm_medium=podcast+feed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Retracing Eleanor of Castile's final journey
Apr 1900:39:09Tap to summarizeAt the end of the 13th century, England was gripped by grief as news of the queen's death shook the nation. Eleanor of Castile's funeral procession from Lincoln to London would become one of the most remarkable journeys in medieval English history – and would also be immortalised in stone through the famous Eleanor Crosses. More than seven centuries later, Alice Loxton has retraced that historic route on foot – and, in her latest book, Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England's Lost Queen, she explores the landscapes that connect us to this past. Emily Briffett caught up with Alice to find out more about how 12 stone crosses act as enduring testaments to royal love – and the history that we can uncover for ourselves by simply stepping outside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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How Alfred the Great saved the Anglo-Saxons from the Vikings
Apr 1800:33:15Tap to summarizeAs the Viking Great Heathen Army advanced to the borders of Wessex, the conquest of Anglo-Saxon England appeared all but complete. In the third episode of our Sunday Series on the Viking invasion of Anglo-Saxon England in the ninth century, James Osborne is joined by historian Dr Eleanor Barraclough to examine how Alfred the Great rose from the cusp of defeat to a stunning military victory at the battle of Edington. ––––– GO BEYOND THE PODCAST To deepen your understanding of this pivotal moment in Viking and Anglo-Saxon history, James Osborne has selected some essential reading and listening from our archives: https://bit.ly/412VTIB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →How to find a billion-dollar shipwreck
Apr 1600:36:19Tap to summarizeIn 1708, the Spanish galleon San José was sunk by a British warship off the coast of Colombia, vanishing beneath the waves with a treasure trove of unimaginable riches. The wreck's exact location remained a mystery for centuries – until a maritime archaeologist named Roger Dooley made it his life’s mission to find it. In this episode, Julian Sancton tells Jon Bauckham about Dooley’s incredible search, set against a backdrop of secrecy, sacrifice and Cold War tensions. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST Don't miss our alternate history feature on the War of the Spanish Succession, and what might have happened had Charles II produced an heir: https://bit.ly/4lUL7h1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →A fantastical history of fairies
Apr 1400:29:01Tap to summarizeWhen picturing a fairy, you might imagine a childlike creature with wings. But this is a far more modern image than we might think. In this episode, Matthias Egeler tells Lauren Good about the ways in which our perceptions of elves and fairies have changed throughout history – and how these changes reveal so much about the society around them. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST Find out more about the Cottingley fairies in this HistoryExtra article: https://bit.ly/3PFLos3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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