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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/

History Extra podcast

History is full of dysfunctional families, but few more so than the Carolingian ruling clan. The empire was at the height of its power under renowned ruler Charlemagne. But just two generations later, in the year 841 AD, his grandsons were locked in a vicious contest for power and control. This jockeying culminated in the bloody pitched battle of Fontenoy – a key moment in a civil war that shattered an empire and reshaped Europe, according to Professor Matthew Gabriele and David M Perry in their new book, Oathbreakers. David Musgrove spoke to them to find out more about the shocking aftermath of this crisis.

(Ad) Matthew Gabriele and David M Perry is the author of Oathbreakers: The War of Brothers That Shattered an Empire and Made Medieval Europe (HarperCollins, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Oathbreakers-Brothers-Shattered-Empire-Medieval/dp/0063336677/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.

The Carolingian king Lothar II was embroiled in a scandal that destroyed his reign and ended his kingdom – Professor Charles West shares the story: https://link.chtbl.com/v2GgAvSP.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Carolingians in crisis: the medieval civil war that shaped Europe

Monasteries and convents were a common sight throughout medieval Europe and beyond. But who were they for? What did they do? And how did religious life there change over the centuries? Speaking to Emily Briffett, Professor Andrew Jotischky traces the history of monastic life from its early origins in the fourth century right up to the 16th century. He explores the pivotal role these religious houses played as society's 'prayer factories', and examines the experiences of the monks and nuns who lived in them.

(Ad) Andrew Jotischky is the author of The Monastic World: A 1,200-Year History (Yale University Press, 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-monastic-world%2Fandrew-jotischky%2F9780300208566.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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How monasteries powered medieval Europe

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. 

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The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Drink, dance, death: wine in ancient Egypt

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.
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Archimedes: life of the week

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.
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The Renaissance: not such a golden age?

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

Fatherhood: a short history

Jane Rogoyska explains how more than 20,000 Polish prisoners-of-war were murdered on Stalin’s orders in 1940, and explores the decades-long coverup that followed
 
Historian and biographer Jane Rogoyska explains how more than 20,000 Polish prisoners-of-war were murdered on Stalin’s orders in the spring of 1940. Plus, she explores the decades-long coverup that saw the Soviet Union accuse its Nazi foes of committing the atrocity.
 
(Ad) Jane Rogoyska is the author of Surviving Katyn: Stalin’s Polish Massacre and the Search for Truth (Oneworld, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Surviving-Katyn-Stalins-Polish-Massacre/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod
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Uncovering the truth about WW2’s Katyn massacre

The Troubles is a chapter of history that many in Northern Ireland would rather forget, but 25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, its legacy can still be felt there today. A new Imperial War Museum exhibition, Northern Ireland: Living With the Troubles revisits the conflict through the eyes of those who were there at the time, as curator Craig Murray discusses with Ellie Cawthorne.
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Living through the Troubles

When did automatons first emerge? Which science-fiction depiction of robots is the most accurate? And why did so many people fall for a hoax machine called the "Mechanical Turk"? In conversation with Spencer Mizen, author and academic Kerry McInerney answers some of the most pressing questions on the history of robots.

Michael Wooldridge explores our fascination with – and fear of – AI: https://link.chtbl.com/vUZSSfjm.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Robot history: everything you wanted to know

In 1945, Germany lay in ruins – both physically and morally. Nearly 80 years after the Second World War, it has since been transformed into an economic powerhouse and a leader on the world stage. Historian Frank Trentmann discusses this remarkable journey with Danny Bird, exploring Germany's Cold War division, guilt over its Nazi past, the nation's deep-rooted approach to environmental matters, and the evolving political landscape since Reunification.

(Ad) Frank Trentmann is the author of Out of the Darkness: The Germans, 1942-2022 (Allen Lane, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Out-Darkness-1942-2022-Frank-Trentmann/dp/0241303494/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.

Listen to Daniel Cowling on Germany in the immediate aftermath of WW2 here: https://link.chtbl.com/Zn-AW5OQ.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Germany's postwar reinvention

Charles Dickens is one of the most famous figures in literary history. But, there's lots about the author that you might not know, from his obsessive workaholism and marital strife, to the fact he was involved in a train crash. In this 'Life of the week' episode, Ellie Cawthorne speaks to Dickens' expert Peter Orford to chart the life and work of the author who colourfully chronicled the Victorian age.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Charles Dickens: life of the week

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