2,035 episodes
History Extra podcast History Extra
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- History
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4.3 • 106 Ratings
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The History Extra podcast brings you gripping stories from the past and fascinating historical conversations with the world's leading historical experts.
Produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine, History Extra 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.
Unlock full access to HistoryExtra.com for 6 months for just 99p https://www.historyextra.com/join/
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Maria Theresa: life of the week
Maria Theresa defied expectations of what a female ruler could achieve in the 18th century. When she ascended the throne of the Habsburg empire in 1740, there were riots on the streets of Vienna, and Europe's major powers prepared to pounce. Yet, as Pieter Judson tells Spencer Mizen, over the next four decades Maria Theresa introduced wide-ranging social reforms, and turned Austria into a military force to be reckoned with.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Agent Zo: spying against the Nazis
Operating under the codename Agent Zo, Polish resistance fighter Elżbieta Zawacka was one of the most courageous intelligence agents of the Second World War. From running secret missives under the noses of the Nazis, to parachuting behind enemy lines, Clare Mulley recounts her dramatic story to Ellie Cawthorne.
(Ad) Clare Mulley is the author of Agent Zo: The Untold Story of Fearless WW2 Resistance Fighter Elżbieta Zawacka (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Agent-Zo-Fearless-Resistance-Elzbieta/dp/1399601067/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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The Terror: everything you wanted to know
Why did the French Revolution descend into a spiral of paranoia, finger-pointing and state violence? Were fears of treachery and counter-revolution justified? And how did the guillotine become a symbol of revolutionary justice? Speaking to Danny Bird, historian David Andress answers listener questions about 'the Terror' – a bloodthirsty phase of the French Revolution in which the new Republic descended into mass hysteria.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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The real Lady Whistledown & the golden age of gossip
Smash-hit historical romance Bridgerton returns this week. One of the series' key characters is the elusive Lady Whistledown – a savvy wordsmith with a penchant for causing mayhem among the Regency elite. But did an anonymous gossipmonger like Whistledown really exist in the Regency era? Emily Briffett speaks to public historian Professor Hannah Greig – historical consultant to the series – to delve into the outrageous world of Georgian scandal sheets and gossip rags, and learn more about those who dished the dirt.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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WW2's greatest battles | 5. Guadalcanal
Why did a remote Pacific island become one of the most fiercely fought-over locations in the Second World War? In the fifth and final episode of our series on WW2's Greatest Battles, military historian James Holland speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about the battle of Guadalcanal. He reveals why occupying the island was seen as key to victory in the Pacific arena, explores the challenges of conducting a coherent military campaign across land, air and sea, and explains how US forces were able to wrest control of Guadalcanal from the Japanese.
James Holland is the co-founder of the Chalke History Festival - which runs from 24-30 June 2024. As a media partner of the festival, we're offering an exclusive 15% off Chalke Festival day tickets for subscribers to either HistoryExtra or BBC History Magazine. Check out our spring offers and benefits at www.historyextra.com/pod
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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A surprising history of sex between men
Until recently, the history of sex between men was a taboo topic. But by delving into the historical archive, historian Sir Noel Malcolm has uncovered a more complex story of same-sex relationships and encounters in early modern Europe and the Ottoman world. He speaks to Rebecca Franks about his findings.
(Ad) Noel Malcolm is the author of Forbidden Desire in Early Modern Europe: Male-Male Sexual Relations, 1400-1750 (Oxford University Press, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forbidden-Desire-Early-Modern-Europe/dp/0198886330/?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
Customer Reviews
Please get rid of the iTunes ads
I love to listen to the podcast but PLEEEEASE get rid of those new ads. 😩
Escape from Colditz
Being German-English and thus part of me in the past permanently irritated with ‚Hogan’s Heroes’ and ‚Colditz’ TV programmes in the sixties and seventies, Ben Macintyre deserves a lot of praise for presenting a realistic and lively, balanced contribution towards better understanding! Thank you! Cordially!
I am convinced that the old way of presenting Germans in such series did so much harm because the average person allowed certain pictures to anchor in their brains which later on, without reflection - have negatively influenced our German-English relationships to a great extent until this very day.
Balanced con5ributiondiscuss one of the most infamous German prisoner of war camps of the Second World War. In conversation with Rob Attar he describes
Excellent Podcast
Thanks a lot for the great variety and the high quality of all these interesting recordings. It‘s always a pleasure to tune in!