History Extra podcast

2477 episoder

Æthelstan: the king who made England
26.12.2025 | 32 min.
Æthelstan was crowned in Kingston upon Thames 1100 years ago, in AD 925. He went on to extend his authority far beyond his initial powerbase of Wessex and Mercia to become the first king of England. David Musgrove talks to Professor David Woodman, author of The First King of England: Æthelstan and the Birth of a Kingdom, to hear why we should remember Æthelstan's reign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Did the WW1 Christmas truce really happen?
24.12.2025 | 34 min.
It’s one of the most romantic images of the First World War: British and German soldiers meeting in No Man’s Land on Christmas Day, 1914, for a spontaneous truce and a game of football. But did it actually happen? Historian Alex Churchill joins Rachel Dinning to discuss the famous event – and reveals what really happened in the trenches in December 1914. ––––– GO BEYOND THE PODCAST Don’t miss our six-episode HistoryExtra Academy course WW1: Myths and Misconceptions, in which Alex Churchill challenges the most significant misunderstandings about the global conflict: https://bit.ly/4aVy63a Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Father Christmas: life of the week
23.12.2025 | 42 min.
Father Christmas – or Santa Claus – is one of western culture’s most recognisable figures. But from his mysterious origins to quite how he ended up as owner of a North Pole workshop staffed by elves, much about the festive season’s main man remains a mystery. In this episode, Thomas Ruys Smith joins Matt Elton to discuss the cultural life and career of the benevolent gift-giver – and reveals when Santa Claus first had to battle Father Christmas for the crown of festive figurehead. ––––– GO BEYOND THE PODCAST Read Thomas Ruys Smith’s feature on the intertwined history of Father Christmas and Santa Claus on the HistoryExtra website: https://bit.ly/3MJN7LA ––––– Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
When was the best time in English history to be alive?
22.12.2025 | 29 min.
Did you know that Elizabethan Londoners were good kissers? That medieval drinkers used beer to fight off the flames of a raging inferno? And that Jane Austen doesn't paint an entirely accurate picture of the early 19th century? These are just some of the facts served up in Ian Mortimer's new book, Mortimer's A to Zs of English History. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, Ian takes us on an immersive tour of the nation in four periods: the 14th century, the Elizabethan age, the Restoration and the Regency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
“I am to flirt my last”: Jane Austen’s twenties
21.12.2025 | 33 min.
We might assume that Jane Austen led a quiet existence, writing dramatic plots instead of experiencing them herself – but that presumption is far from the truth. In this second episode of our four-part series on Austen's life and writing, Dr Lizzie Rogers and Lauren Good chart the author’s tumultuous twenties, an eventful period of her life during which she faced everything from a fleeting romance to sudden loss. ––––– GO BEYOND THE PODCAST Want to go further into the world of Jane Austen and her literary creations? HistoryExtra's Lauren Good rounds up some essential reading, listening and viewing from the HistoryExtra and BBC History Magazine archive to deepen your understanding of Austen's life, her work and the Regency era in which she wrote: https://bit.ly/49F9oUk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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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. 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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