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Immediate Media

The History Extra podcast brings you gripping stories from the past and fascinating historical conversations with the world's leading historical experts.

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

Robert McNamara is best remembered as a key architect of the Vietnam War, a man who pushed for military escalation as thousands died on all sides of the conflict. In this episode of the HistoryExtra podcast, historians William and Philip Taubman speak with Elinor Evans about their landmark biography of one of the most powerful and controversial men in American history. Drawing on newly uncovered material, including Jackie Kennedy’s personal letters and a secret Pentagon aide’s diary, they reveal the inner world of a man who was often blamed for escalating the Vietnam War – while privately longing to end it.

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GO BEYOND THE PODCAST

Don't miss our podcast series on the Cuban Missile Crisis, in which Bill Taubman joined a panel of experts to tell Elinor Evans about a pivotal 13 days that saw diplomatic tensions escalate in a world on the brink of nuclear disaster. All four episodes are available now: https://bit.ly/45TLykN.

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(Ad) William and Philip Taubman are the authors of McNamara at War: A New History (WW Norton & Co, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=2400&awinaffid=489797&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fmcnamara-at-war%2Fwilliam-taubman%2Fphilip-taubman%2F9781324007166&clickref=historyextra-social-histboty.
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Robert McNamara: life of the week

In his latest book, The Hitler Years: Holocaust 1933–1945, Frank McDonough offers a heart-rending year-by-year narrative of the Nazis' escalating persecution of the Jews – from Hitler's rise to power to the death camps. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, Frank describes how a campaign of intimidation on the streets of Germany evolved into genocide.
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The road to the Holocaust

The Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum were wiped off the map within 24 hours of Vesuvius erupting, buried under volcanic debris that would entomb them for centuries. In this second episode of our four-part series, Kev Lochun is joined by historian Dr Jess Venner to explore the cataclysm with the help of the experiences of two men: Roman statesman Pliny the Elder, who sailed into danger never to return, and his nephew Pliny the Younger, whose letters provide the only known eyewitness account of the disaster. 

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GO BEYOND THE PODCAST

Want to know more about the story of Pompeii? HistoryExtra's Kev Lochun has curated a selection of essential reading from the HistoryExtra and BBC History Magazine archive to help you explore the story of the cataclysm, the Roman way of life and the nature of the Roman empire: https://bit.ly/4bjYKmE
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The final days of Pompeii

In the eyes of a German fighter pilot in the skies over English Channel in 1940, the Battle of Britain was as much a struggle of human endurance as it was of strategy and skill. Speaking to Emily Briffett, aviation historian Dr Victoria Taylor takes us inside the mind of the Luftwaffe, revealing the experiences of pilots, ground crews and support personnel as they faced the perils of aerial combat, the brutal pressure of Nazi ideology, and the relentless intensity demanded of them by those in command.
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Life in the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain

The roots of immigration detention in the US stretch back over a century. Speaking to Elinor Evans, historian Brianna Nofil explores how the US built a vast migrant detention regime. From jailing Chinese migrants in 1900s upstate New York to the private prison boom of the 1980s and beyond, she explores why detention remains a defining and deeply contested feature of American immigration policy.
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The hidden history of US immigration detention

While most of the other surviving Axis leaders were put on trial following the end of the Second World War, Japan's Emperor Hirohito never faced justice and, instead, continued to reign until his death in 1989. Debate continues about how far he was personally responsible for Japanese aggression in the 1930s and 40s, and in today's Life of the Week episode, Dr Christopher Harding guides Rob Attar through those arguments – and explores Hirohito's role in Japan's hugely successful postwar transition.
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Emperor Hirohito: life of the week

How did a muddy settlement on the banks of the river Tiber grow into the greatest empire the world had ever seen? Who was the more diabolical: Caligula or Nero? And was there really such a thing as Pax Romana? Speaking with Spencer Mizen, Edward Watts answers some of the most intriguing questions about this extraordinary culture – and considers just how Rome rose to dominate the ancient world.
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Secrets of the Romans' spectacular success

In AD 79, Pompeii and Herculaneum were subsumed by the eruption of Vesuvius, buried and preserved under metres of volcanic ash. Today, they are among the most famous ruins of the ancient world – and in this four-part Sunday Series, we’ll be exploring their secrets. In this first episode, historian Dr Jess Venner guides Kev Lochun through daily life in Pompeii and Herculaneum. They explore the myths surrounding the ‘mountain’, why pomegranates mean we can’t precisely date the disaster and how – implausible as it may seem today – the residents of these Roman cities had no idea they were living in the shadow of death. 

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GO BEYOND THE PODCAST

Want to know more about the story of Pompeii? HistoryExtra's Kev Lochun has curated a selection of essential reading from the HistoryExtra and BBC History Magazine archive to help you explore the story of the cataclysm, the Roman way of life and the nature of the Roman empire: https://bit.ly/4bjYKmE
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Before the volcano: life in ancient Pompeii

In the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, it fell to Britain to maintain the balance of power in continental Europe – but how could a small island manage such a task? How could it prevent the rise of another tricorned tyrant? That's the subject of Andrew Lambert's sweeping new book No More Napoleons. Speaking to Kev Lochun, he explains how Britain helped maintain peace in Europe without the need for huge armies, why Belgium was so important to maintaining stability on the continent, and why the idea of ‘Britannia Rules the Waves’ continues to be relevant today.
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How do you solve a problem like Napoleon?

The past 12 months have seen protests around the world make headlines and dominate social media feeds. But how have such popular demonstrations changed the course of history? In this episode, historians Katrina Navickas and Timothy Garton Ash join Danny Bird to explore centuries of people power – and the protests that had the most impact.
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What does history teach us about protest?

Sophie Duncan delves into the playwright’s world-famous tragedy to reveal what it tells us about youth in the Tudor era

The doomed romance of young lovers Romeo and Juliet has captured imaginations across the centuries – but what does William Shakespeare’s play tell us about the real experiences of youth at the time he was writing? Sophie Duncan offers her expert take.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Shakespeare: Past Master | 2. Romeo and Juliet

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