History's Greatest Battles

HistoryExtra
HistoryExtra
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History’s Greatest Battles returns with a new run, focusing on that blood-soaked 15th-century struggle for the English throne: the Wars of the Roses. In the company of historian Lauren Johnson, Emily Briffett revisits five of the most gripping clashes of this dynastic showdown. Along the way, they spotlight the decisive moments and power players who flipped fate on its head, and explore what these brutal encounters reveal about power, propaganda and survival in late medieval England. How might history have twisted differently if a single charge, arrow or act of treachery had gone another way? GET MORE WITH MEMBERSHIP  Become a HistoryExtra podcast member and unlock access to The Full Story podcast, plus enjoy ad-free listening, early access to other podcast episodes, and a member-exclusive newsletter.  ⁠⁠⁠ Sign up here ⁠⁠⁠ EXPLORE MORE For more fascinating stories from the past, head to HistoryExtra, the home of ‘History’s Greatest’ podcasts. Find out more at ⁠⁠historyextra.com/podcast⁠⁠. GET IN TOUCH We'd love to know what you think about the podcast, so leave us a review and let us know the topics you think we should be covering. Or, follow us on ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠X⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠ or ⁠YouTube⁠ to keep in touch.

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  1. Mar 24

    The battle of Bosworth: Richard III v Henry VII

    In 1485, England stood at a crossroads, scarred by decades of civil war. Against this grim backdrop, two armies headed for a fateful confrontation: one led by a battle-hardened king determined to ensure the success of a dynasty he had fought to protect for years; the other by a new challenger in an old conflict.In this final episode of our History’s Greatest Battles series charting the Wars of the Roses, Emily Briffett is joined by historian and author Lauren Johnson to explore how, in one fateful meeting on one remarkable day, a new king would be crowned – and history would never look the same again.-----GO BEYOND THE PODCASTCurious to find out more about the Wars of the Roses? Check out HistoryExtra’s archive of essential reading, listening and watching here: https://bit.ly/4qCI8KQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    The battle of Bosworth: Richard III v Henry VII

  2. Mar 17

    The battle of Tewkesbury: blood and brutality

    Survivors desperately fleeing to the apparent safety of a nearby abbey. A young prince on the brink of death. A dynasty on the precipice. The battle of Tewkesbury, which played out during May 1471, certainly had its fair share of high drama, and high stakes, as armies clashed and the Lancastrian cause was shattered. In this fourth episode of our History’s Greatest Battles series charting the Wars of the Roses, Emily Briffett joins historian and author Lauren Johnson to consider those remarkable events – and their legacy. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST Curious to find out more about the Wars of the Roses? Check out HistoryExtra’s archive of essential reading, listening and watching here: https://bit.ly/4qCI8KQ ------ HISTORY'S GREATEST DISHES Don't miss HistoryExtra's new podcast series, History's Greatest Dishes, which will offer a feast of facts about some of the past's most remarkable delicacies. The first episode is served on 13 April – click here to find out more and follow the series: https://play.megaphone.fm/pcu-1bwer3mzabgf50tomg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    The battle of Tewkesbury: blood and brutality

  3. Mar 10

    The battle of Barnet: the fog of war

    April 1471: a thick, blinding fog smothered the fields near Barnet, swallowing banners, muffling orders and turning friend into foe. Opposing armies became disoriented – and then one mistake proved fatal.In this third episode of our History’s Greatest Battles series charting the Wars of the Roses, Emily Briffett joins historian and author Lauren Johnson to chronicle the clash at Barnet, in which lines buckled and trust collapsed.–––––GO BEYOND THE PODCASTCurious to find out more about the Wars of the Roses? Check out HistoryExtra’s archive of essential reading, listening and watching here: https://bit.ly/4qCI8KQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  4. Mar 3

    The battle of Towton: frost and fury

    In the bitter spring of 1461, the freezing fields of Yorkshire became a blood-soaked battlefield in which two rivals fought for the throne of a divided nation. But who would emerge victorious? In this second episode of our History’s Greatest Battles series charting the Wars of the Roses, Emily Briffett joins historian and author Lauren Johnson at the 1461 battle of Towton. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST Want to find out more about the Wars of the Roses? Check out HistoryExtra’s archive of essential reading, listening and watching here: https://bit.ly/4qCI8KQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    The battle of Towton: frost and fury

  5. Feb 24

    The First Battle of St Albans: the Wars of the Roses ignites

    History’s Greatest Battles is back! This time around, Emily Briffett and historian and author Lauren Johnson will be chronicling the most momentous clashes of the Wars of the Roses. In this first episode, they explore 1455’s First Battle of St Albans, a bitter brawl that sparked a dynastic struggle and set in motion a chain of events that would redefine power in England for centuries to come. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST Curious to find out more about the Wars of the Roses? Check out HistoryExtra’s archive of essential reading, listening and watching here: https://bit.ly/4qCI8KQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    The First Battle of St Albans: the Wars of the Roses ignites

  6. Season 2 Trailer

    History's Greatest Battles is back!

    This new run delves into the Wars of the Roses, exploring the blood-soaked 15th-century struggle for the English throne. Across five dramatic episodes, Emily Briffett and historian Lauren Johnson offer expert insights into the decisive moments, power players and most gripping clashes, revealing what these brutal encounters tell us about survival and supremacy in medieval England. Listen to new episodes on this feed weekly from 24 February, or get them early and ad-free by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  7. 07/05/2025 ·  Bonus

    How to wage war like a Roman

    What was the Romans’ weakest link when it came to warfare? Do we underestimate the military might of other ancient civilisations in favour of Rome? And which battles from the imperial era have been overlooked? In this special bonus episode of History’s Greatest Battles, Emily Briffett is joined once again by Dr Adrian Goldsworthy to revisit the five epic clashes they explored in our first series on the Roman empire – from naval showdowns and brutal sieges to disastrous defeats and tales of betrayal. Together, they reflect on what these battles reveal about the Roman world – and consider whether they are really representative of the ancient civilisation’s military prowess. If you’re interested in finding out more about the military history of ancient Rome, Adrian recently appeared on the HistoryExtra podcast to answer listener questions on the tactics and strategy of the Roman war machine – from why soldiers didn’t always wear red to how and when their seemingly invincible army was defeated by a hedge: https://link.chtbl.com/HEXHGB History’s Greatest Battles is produced by HistoryExtra, the home of ‘History’s Greatest’ podcasts. Listen to our other podcasts History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories, History’s Greatest Scandals, History’s Greatest Cities, HistoryExtra Long Reads and the HistoryExtra podcast at historyextra.com/podcast. For more fascinating stories from the past, check out BBC History Magazine or head to HistoryExtra.com. We'd love to know what you think about the podcast, so leave us a review and let us know the topics you think we should be covering. Or, follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram or YouTube to keep in touch. You can listen ad-free to this episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: https://apple.co/4fgRA1d. This episode was hosted by Emily Briffett and produced by Jack Bateman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    How to wage war like a Roman

  8. 07/05/2025 · Subscribers Only

    How to wage war like a Roman

    What was the Romans’ weakest link when it came to warfare? Do we underestimate the military might of other ancient civilisations in favour of Rome? And which battles from the imperial era have been overlooked? In this special bonus episode of History’s Greatest Battles, Emily Briffett is joined once again by Dr Adrian Goldsworthy to revisit the five epic clashes they explored in our first series on the Roman empire – from naval showdowns and brutal sieges to disastrous defeats and tales of betrayal. Together, they reflect on what these battles reveal about the Roman world – and consider whether they are really representative of the ancient civilisation’s military prowess. If you’re interested in finding out more about the military history of ancient Rome, Adrian recently appeared on the HistoryExtra podcast to answer listener questions on the tactics and strategy of the Roman war machine – from why soldiers didn’t always wear red to how and when their seemingly invincible army was defeated by a hedge: https://link.chtbl.com/HEXHGB History’s Greatest Battles is produced by HistoryExtra, the home of ‘History’s Greatest’ podcasts. Listen to our other podcasts History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories, History’s Greatest Scandals, History’s Greatest Cities, HistoryExtra Long Reads and the HistoryExtra podcast at historyextra.com/podcast. For more fascinating stories from the past, check out BBC History Magazine or head to HistoryExtra.com. We'd love to know what you think about the podcast, so leave us a review and let us know the topics you think we should be covering. Or, follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram or YouTube to keep in touch. You can listen ad-free to this episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: https://apple.co/4fgRA1d. This episode was hosted by Emily Briffett and produced by Jack Bateman.

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History’s Greatest Battles returns with a new run, focusing on that blood-soaked 15th-century struggle for the English throne: the Wars of the Roses. In the company of historian Lauren Johnson, Emily Briffett revisits five of the most gripping clashes of this dynastic showdown. Along the way, they spotlight the decisive moments and power players who flipped fate on its head, and explore what these brutal encounters reveal about power, propaganda and survival in late medieval England. How might history have twisted differently if a single charge, arrow or act of treachery had gone another way? GET MORE WITH MEMBERSHIP  Become a HistoryExtra podcast member and unlock access to The Full Story podcast, plus enjoy ad-free listening, early access to other podcast episodes, and a member-exclusive newsletter.  ⁠⁠⁠ Sign up here ⁠⁠⁠ EXPLORE MORE For more fascinating stories from the past, head to HistoryExtra, the home of ‘History’s Greatest’ podcasts. Find out more at ⁠⁠historyextra.com/podcast⁠⁠. GET IN TOUCH We'd love to know what you think about the podcast, so leave us a review and let us know the topics you think we should be covering. Or, follow us on ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠X⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠ or ⁠YouTube⁠ to keep in touch.

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