HistoryExtra podcast

HistoryExtra podcast

https://feeds.megaphone.fm/GLT5697813216
1.5K Followers 2.5K Episodes
The HistoryExtra podcast brings you gripping stories from the past and fascinating historical conversations with the world's leading historical experts. HistoryExtra 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. Y...
View more

Episode List

Culture and conflict: a historical tour of Dublin

Mar 17th, 2026 12:00 AM

Ireland's capital may be famous today for its nightlife and literature, but it has experienced more than its fair share of conflict and oppression alongside periods of great cultural and religious flourishing. To mark St Patrick's Day, we're revisiting an episode of our History’s Greatest Cities series, in which journalist and travel writer Paul Bloomfield is joined by historian Gillian O'Brien to chart Dublin’s remarkable story. ----- HISTORY'S GREATEST CITIES The new series of History's Greatest Cities launches next week, featuring expert historical insights into locations including Siena, Vienna and Kyoto. For more information and to catch up on past episodes, visit: https://play.megaphone.fm/c5cztjplrk-auflexxavta Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How Rasputin helped doom the Romanovs

Mar 16th, 2026 12:00 AM

The life of Grigori Rasputin, the Siberian peasant healer who wielded influence over the family of Russia’s last tsar, has fascinated the world for more than a century. Historian Antony Beevor speaks to Danny Bird about the man behind the myth and rumour, charting Rasputin’s humble origins in Siberia, his hold over Nicholas II and Alexandra, and his dramatic assassination at the hands of the imperial couple’s own relatives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Elizabeth I: a woman in a man’s world

Mar 15th, 2026 12:00 AM

By 1559, Elizabeth I had secured the crown – but holding on to power would prove far more challenging. In this second episode of our four-part Sunday Series on the Tudor monarch, Rachel Dinning is joined by historian Nicola Tallis to explore Elizabeth’s early reign, from her coronation and the urgent task of stabilising a divided kingdom to the pressures of ruling as a female monarch in a deeply patriarchal society. They also examine the influential figures who shaped her court and the high-stakes marriage negotiations that helped forge the enduring image of the ‘Virgin Queen’. ––––– GO BEYOND THE PODCAST Want to know more about Elizabeth I and her remarkable reign? Rachel Dinning rounds up essential reading from the HistoryExtra archive that explores Elizabeth's early life, rise to power, court intrigues, and the legacy that made her one of history's most iconic monarchs: https://bit.ly/4qfjCiO Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Life on the mean streets of 19th-century London

Mar 13th, 2026 12:00 AM

What can Charlie Chaplin's life tell us about the experiences of poor working-class people in 19th- and early 20th-century London? Quite a lot, it turns out. Speaking to Charlotte Vosper, author and historian Jacqueline Riding reveals the world of poverty, tragedy and joy that played out in the streets of Lambeth and Walworth – and how Chaplin can help us uncover other, less-well known stories. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST To learn more about the life and times of Charlie Chaplin, don't miss Rob Baker's HistoryExtra article exploring Chaplin's return to London as a famous film star after the First World War: https://bit.ly/4jyvQRJ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trailblazers and troublemakers: women who made French history

Mar 11th, 2026 12:00 AM

Have women been relegated to the footnotes of French history? Katherine Pangonis – whose latest book is A History of France in 21 Women – tells Charlotte Vosper about why their stories have been pushed to the sidelines, and highlights some of the pioneering personalities who deserve to be better known. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST For more on change-making historical women from Katherine Pangonis, you can read all about the formidable queens who ruled and fought in medieval Jerusalem in this HistoryExtra article: https://bit.ly/4jvr0Vi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get this podcast on your phone, Free

Create Your Podcast In Minutes

  • Full-featured podcast site
  • Unlimited storage and bandwidth
  • Comprehensive podcast stats
  • Distribute to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more
  • Make money with your podcast
Get Started
It is Free