The HistoryExtra podcast brings you gripping stories from the past and fascinating historical conversations with the world's leading historical experts.
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Ghosts, witches, flying nuns, and spirits summoned from beyond the grave might seem to belong to a less rational age. But were our ancestors really so different from us in their beliefs? In this episode, historian Malcolm Gaskill joins Elinor Evans to discuss his new book, Worlds of Fear and Wonder, and reveals how emotions like grief and uncertainty have shaped our relationship with the supernatural for centuries.
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GO BEYOND THE PODCAST
You can hear more from Malcolm Gaskill, talking about Helen Duncan, also known as 'Hellish Nell', the last woman to be convicted and imprisoned under the 1735 Witchcraft Act, in this episode: https://bit.ly/4z11DRV
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How to build the ultimate medieval castle
Episode 2650
Tuesday, October 27, 2026 β’ Duration 40:35
If you had to survive a siege, which medieval fortress would you choose to be holed up inside? In today's episode, Dan Jones surveys the world's historic fortifications to cherry-pick the fashionable and functional features which he thinks would make the ultimate castle. Speaking to Charlotte Vosper, Dan guides us through the creation of his dream fortification, and reveals the most important principle for making a castle truly impregnable.
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GO BEYOND THE PODCAST
If you'd like to find out more about how castles have changed the shape of warfare over time β from ancient Troy to 19th-century America β then check out this article from Dan Jones: https://bit.ly/4if4znp
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Richard III's traumatic childhood
Episode 2649
Monday, October 26, 2026 β’ Duration 32:12
Richard III is one of the most divisive kings in all of English history β a man whose seizure of the throne in 1483 has provoked fierce debate for more than five centuries. But to what extent was his rise to power the product of his turbulent childhood? Chris Skidmore tells Spencer Mizen how a traumatic youth β witnessing war, rebellion and the brutal death of his father β shaped his reign.
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THE FULL STORY
Todayβs episode is a special preview of our new series, The Full Story, which offers in-depth, expert guides to some of historyβs most compelling moments. To hear the rest of the series β and unlock access to the brand new channel, enjoy ad-free listening, and receive our exclusive membership newsletter β become a HistoryExtra podcast member today.
Find out more and sign up here: https://historyextra.supportingcast.fm/
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How Ghosts makes history funny β without getting it wrong
Episode 2648
Thursday, October 22, 2026 β’ Duration 26:35
How do you make history hilarious without mangling the facts? As Ghosts: The Possession of Button House arrives on the big screen, co-creator, writer and actor Laurence Rickard (AKA Robin and Sir Humphrey Bone) reveals how the team brought the much-loved sitcom characters back to life for the feature film. Talking to Elinor Evans, he shares the teamβs approach to historical accuracy, discusses why our understanding of the past is always changing, and explains how Ghosts has become an unexpected source of comfort for many.
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GO BEYOND THE PODCAST
Find out more about the real history behind the stories on the big screen, with our guides to the latest movie releases β from Sense and Sensibility and Pressure to The Uprising: https://bit.ly/4hDcR85
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America's anti-Chinese laws: a forgotten history
Episode 2647
Tuesday, October 20, 2026 β’ Duration 29:02
From the middle of the 19th century, Chinese people in the United States found themselves increasingly policed, as legislation was introduced that contained and controlled their economic and cultural lives. Historian Beth Lew-Williams tells Elinor Evans about her work uncovering this wide-reaching set of laws for her book John Doe Chinaman, and reveals how Chinese people resisted and avoided discrimination.
Bethβs book is a finalist for the 2026 Cundill History Prize β you can find more details at cundillprize.com.
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To find out more about the Chinese Exclusion Act, read this article: https://bit.ly/4ik36NB
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PRESSURE LIVE PODCAST
Join us tomorrow, Thursday, 22 October, for a live episode of the HistoryExtra podcast exploring the history behind recent WWII drama PRESSURE β the gripping untold story behind D-Day.
Weβve teamed up with STUDIOCANAL for a special event at the Royal Society of Arts in London, to celebrate the filmβs upcoming Home Premiere. The event features David Haig, the film's co-writer, in conversation with Catherine Ross, library and archive manager at the Met Office. Doors open at 6pm with the event starting at 7pm, and tickets are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Find out more and book your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/historyextra-live-uncovering-pressure-tickets-2003304436497?aff=oddtdtcreator
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
An African king in the Roman empire
Episode 2646
Monday, October 19, 2026 β’ Duration 36:38
He was barely a toddler when he was paraded as a captive in a Roman triumph in 46 BC, but young North African prince Juba went on to marry a daughter of Antony and Cleopatra, and rule an African kingdom. Andrew Kenrick, author of Rex Juba: 15 Glimpses of an African King, unravels his amazing life, in conversation with David Musgrove.
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GO BEYOND THE PODCAST
For more on Rome's history with Africa, check out the podcast with Philip Freeman on Rome and Carthage: https://bit.ly/3ROcNts
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Everyday life in a slave trading town
Episode 2645
Sunday, October 18, 2026 β’ Duration 30:00
In 1665 the Portuguese Inquisition arrested Crispina Peres, a powerful slave trader in the west African port of Cacheu. The records of her case provide a remarkable window into everyday life in 17th-century west Africa, and form the basis of Toby Green's latest book, The Heretic of Cacheu. In this episode he is joined by Rob Attar to explore the story of Crispina and the lost world she inhabited.
Go to β https://surfshark.com/historyextraβ or use code HISTORYEXTRA at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
From plague 'searchers' to strawberry birthmarks: a history of women's bodies
Episode 2644
Thursday, October 15, 2026 β’ Duration 34:33
What was 'nidgeting'? How did women know they were pregnant before modern tests? And what did people in the past believe a motherβs imagination could do to her unborn child? In this episode, Lauren Good speaks to historian Erin Maglaque about her book Presence, which explores the history of the female body β and society's longstanding beliefs about it.
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GO BEYOND THE PODCAST
To find out more about the history of women's bodies, why not listen to another of Lauren's interviews on the HistoryExtra podcast with Helen King, in which they explore how ideas surrounding female anatomy have long caused contention: https://bit.ly/4bpHjQX
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PRESSURE LIVE PODCAST
Join us next Thursday, 22 October, for a live episode of the HistoryExtra podcast exploring the history behind recent WWII drama PRESSURE β the gripping untold story behind D-Day.
Weβve teamed up with STUDIOCANAL for a special event at the Royal Society of Arts in London, to celebrate the filmβs upcoming Home Premiere. The event features David Haig, the film's co-writer, in conversation with Catherine Ross, library and archive manager at the Met Office. Doors open at 6pm with the event starting at 7pm, and tickets are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Find out more and book your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/historyextra-live-uncovering-pressure-tickets-2003304436497?aff=oddtdtcreator
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The country house at war
Episode 2643
Tuesday, October 13, 2026 β’ Duration 27:38
It might be assumed that the owners of Britain's country houses weren't hugely affected by the Second World War, and that they continued to live in luxury in their vast estates. However, as Judith S Lewis explains to Lauren Good, that wasn't the case. From the conscription of upper-class women to stories of great loss, she charts the roles that country houses and their occupants really played in the war effort.
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PRESSURE LIVE PODCAST
Join us next Thursday, 22 October, for a live episode of the HistoryExtra podcast exploring the history behind recent WWII drama PRESSURE β the gripping untold story behind D-Day.
Weβve teamed up with STUDIOCANAL for a special event at the Royal Society of Arts in London, to celebrate the filmβs upcoming Home Premiere. The event features David Haig, the film's co-writer, in conversation with Catherine Ross, library and archive manager at the Met Office. Doors open at 6pm with the event starting at 7pm, and tickets are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Find out more and book your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/historyextra-live-uncovering-pressure-tickets-2003304436497?aff=oddtdtcreator
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Go toβ β https://surfshark.com/historyextraβ β or use code HISTORYEXTRA at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The pioneering surgeon who stood up to Rasputin
Episode 2642
Monday, October 12, 2026 β’ Duration 48:26
She pioneered lifesaving battlefield surgery, challenged the medical establishment, stood up to Rasputin, and became the world's first female professor of surgery β yet today, few people have heard of Vera Gedroits. In today's episode, acclaimed biographer Miranda Seymour tells Elinor Evans about Vera's remarkable life and accomplishments β and why her story was erased.
Go toβ β https://surfshark.com/historyextraβ β or use code HISTORYEXTRA at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
HistoryExtra podcast, a podcast by Immediate - Stats, Episodes and Rankings - My Podcast Data