Shakespeare is now a towering figure of global theatre. But in the 1590s, he was just an up-and-coming young playwright, trying to scratch out a living in Shoreditch's emerging theatre scene. Daniel Swift revisits this early stage of the Bard's career in his new book The Dream Factory, linking it with the story of a long-lost Shoreditch playhouse simply called 'The Theatre'. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, Daniel reveals what it would have been like to see one of Shakespeare's original productions, and how he may have been inspired by a terrible play called Hamlet. (Ad) Daniel Swift is the author of The Dream Factory: London's First Playhouse and the Making of William Shakespeare (Yale University Press, 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%2Fthe-dream-factory%2Fdaniel-swift%2F%2F9780300263541. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Plague, war, regicide, famine, revolt – during the 14th century, life for people in England was turned on its head. Historian Helen Carr charts this extraordinarily turbulent period through the lives of three very different monarchs, each with their own idea of what it meant to wield power. Exploring the humanity of those on the throne, she speaks to Emily Briffett to shed new light on this pivotal period of English history, and the people who lived through it. (Ad) Helen Carr is the author of Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century (Hutchinson Heinemann, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=1657&awinaffid=489797&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fsceptred-isle%2Fhelen-carr%2F9781529151657&clickref=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

As 17th-century Britain edged ever closer to civil war, two friends, Bulstrode Whitelock and Ned Hyde, found their relationship under increasing strain. Minoo Dinshaw tells Ellie Cawthorne about how these two companions found themselves on opposite sides of a political and ideological divide, and reflects on how the Civil War caused painful ruptures in many personal relationships. (Ad) Minoo Dinshaw is the author of Friends in Youth: Choosing Sides in the English Civil War (Penguin Books, 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%2Ffriends-in-youth%2Fminoo-dinshaw%2F9780241312827. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What drives people to commit atrocities? Few periods in history confront this question as starkly as the rise of the Nazis, whose crimes stand as a chilling testament to humanity’s capacity for darkness. By investigating the psychological and social forces that enabled such evil, can we uncover vital warnings about how prejudice, conformity and obedience can escalate into unimaginable cruelty? Historian and film-maker Laurence Rees explores these ideas in his latest book The Nazi Mind and in today's episode, he discusses the topic further with Danny Bird. (Ad) Laurence Rees is the author of The Nazi Mind: Twelve Warnings from History (Viking, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inside-Nazi-Mind-Laurence-Rees/dp/1541702336/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. Laurence Rees explains some of the short and long term causes of the Second World War: https://link.chtbl.com/ft3CDdo8. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fifty years on from the launch of the world’s first commercial home video game console – the Magnavox Odyssey – John Wills talks to Matt Elton about how videogames have reflected the world around them over the past half century, and the ways in which history and gaming increasingly overlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen delve into the history of libraries, from the humble book lover’s private selection to the most lavish literary collections. In conversation with Emily Briffett, they explore the innovations and ideas that made libraries what they are today. (Ad) Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen are the authors of The Library: A Fragile History (Profile Books, 2021). 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-library%2Farthur-der-weduwen%2Fandrew-pettegree%2F9781788163422 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest episode of our monthly series marking the centenary of the BBC, media historian David Hendy speaks to Matt Elton about the rise of television during the 1950s – and how the decade saw the BBC increasingly clash with the political world.   (Ad) David Hendy is the author of The BBC: A People’s History (Profile Books, 2022). 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-bbc%2Fdavid-hendy%2F%2F9781781255254%3Fawaid%3D3787%26utm_source%3Dredbrain%26utm_medium%3Dshopping%26utm_campaign%3Dcss%26gclid%3DCj0KCQiAip-PBhDVARIsAPP2xc2PCYX_d_582jtZj6du6A-9dNO8d8xXvVkPhP_Jmh1FuEm7Mui3xSYaAvwiEALw_wcB Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How much of a gamble did sending a task force to the South Atlantic represent for Margaret Thatcher? How close did Britain come to losing the conflict? And did victory change the nation’s relationship with its armed forces? Speaking to Spencer Mizen, Helen Parr answers listener questions about British troops’ campaign to retake the Falkland Islands four decades ago. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Would you like ad-free versions of our podcasts, early access to series and exclusive bonus content? Then check out our subscription podcast feed HistoryExtra Plus. Follow the link below to sign up now:  https://apple.co/3xNlgAM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ninety years on from the Kinder Mass Trespass, Ben Anderson speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about what this act of popular protest achieved in 1932, how it became mythologised as a key moment in the right-to-roam campaign, and how we should remember it today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lucy Ward speaks to Elinor Evans about the story of English Quaker doctor Thomas Dimsdale, who took up the risky challenge of inoculating Empress Catherine II against smallpox, as a powerful statement at a time when the disease was ravaging Russia and superstition held sway. (Ad) Lucy Ward is the author of The Empress and the English Doctor: How Catherine the Great defied a deadly virus (Oneworld Publications, 2022). 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-empress-and-the-english-doctor%2Flucy-ward%2F9780861542451 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stephen Bourne introduces Spencer Mizen to some of the pioneers of black British theatre, from Ira Aldridge, who in 1825 became the first black actor to play Othello, to the emergence of Britain’s black-led theatre companies. (Ad) Stephen Bourne is the author of Deep Are the Roots: Trailblazers Who Changed Black British Theatre (The History Press 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deep-Are-Roots-Trailblazers-Changed/dp/0750996293/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Natalia Nowakowska reveals the story of the Jagiellonians – one of the most successful dynasties that many people have never even heard of. Speaking with Emily Briffett, she discusses how they rose from pagan tribal origins in Lithuania to become one of the biggest Catholic dynasties in Europe, with an expansive empire and a legacy that can still be felt today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1943, British agents concocted a daring plot to trick Hitler, involving a dead body, fake love letters and a false identity. Speaking with Emily Briffett, author and historian Ben Macintyre discusses the real history behind Operation Mincemeat, a new film adapted from his 2010 book of the same name. Operation Mincemeat is in UK cinemas from 15 April. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sacagawea is remembered in US history as the Shoshone Native American woman who acted as interpreter to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the early 19th-century mission to chart territory in the American West after the Louisiana Purchase. But what impact did her contributions have on the success of this eventful journey? How did her presence influence interactions with the various Native American tribes the expedition party encountered? And how has her legacy been interpreted and commemorated in the years since? Speaking to Rebecca Franks, Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs delves into the life of Sacagawea – from what we know about her early years to what her story can reveal about broader cultural attitudes toward Indigenous people in American history. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Tracy Borman answers listener questions about the history of British royal residences, from imposing castles to decadent palaces. She speaks to Rachel Dinning about secret rooms, spooky hauntings, and her work as Joint Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A blood-splattered slice of Viking action arrives in UK cinemas today with the release of Robert Eggers’ new saga-inspired epic, The Northman. Professor Neil Price, archaeologist and historical consultant on the film, speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about the process of recreating the Viking world on screen, and some of the historical themes that inspired the story. The Northman is in UK cinemas from 15 April. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over time, we’ve viewed birds as pets, pests, natural delights and bad omens. Roy and Lesley Adkins tell Emily Briffett about our complex and lengthy relationship with birds – a story of changing landscapes, fluctuating tastes in food and fashion, enjoyment and exploitation. (Ad) Roy and Lesley Adkins are the authors of When There Were Birds (Little Brown, 2021). 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%2Fwhen-there-were-birds%2Froy-adkins%2Flesley-adkins%2F9781408713570 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What could you expect to hear in the atrium of a Roman home? What was everyday life like for the slaves who worked in the kitchens? And which emperor hosted the worst dinner party? In conversation with Emily Briffett, Dr Hannah Platts takes us on a multi-sensory tour of the ancient Roman home. (Ad) Hannah Platts is author of Multisensory Living in Ancient Rome: Power and Space in Roman Houses (Bloomsbury, 2019). Buy it now from Bloomsbury: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/multisensory-living-in-ancient-rome-9781350194496/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaking to Dave Musgrove, medieval historian Elizabeth Boyle reflects on life throughout the Covid lockdowns, using early Irish literature to explore how similar the emotions of people in the middle ages were to our own. (Ad) Elizabeth Boyle is the author of Fierce Appetites: Loving, Losing and Living to Excess in my Present and in the Writings of the Past (Sandycove, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fierce-Appetites-Loving-present-writings/dp/1844885445/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What was corruption like in the ancient world – and how can studying it help us make sense of shady dealings in the 21st century? Matt Elton speaks to Shushma Malik, Marta Garcia and Yehudah Gershon – three researchers behind a new project to reveal more about the murkier side of ancient Greece and Rome. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Crail tackles popular internet search queries and listener questions about the history of Britain’s trade union movement and its attempts to secure better conditions for the country’s workers. He talks to Jon Bauckham about the 19th-century origins of the unions, their connection with the Labour Party, and their role in strikes through the centuries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wiretapping has a chequered past in the United States, from civil war soldiers who were seen as heroes for tapping enemy wires to the political scandals that rocked the 20th-century establishment. Brian Hochman, the author of The Listeners: A History of Wiretapping in the United States tells Rhiannon Davies about the history of electronic eavesdropping. (Ad) Brian Hochman is the author of The Listeners: A History of Wiretapping in the United States (Harvard University Press, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FListeners-History-Wiretapping-United-States%2Fdp%2F0674249283%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fqid%3D1643728025%26refinements%3Dp_27%3ABrian%2BHochman%26s%3Dbooks%26sr%3D1-1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Professor Terence Dooley, author of Burning the Big House, tells Ellie Cawthorne why so many of Ireland’s grand homes were subjected to arson during the early 20th century, revealing a complex web of disputes over land, protests against imperialism and IRA reprisals. (Ad) Terence Dooley is the author of Burning the Big House: The Story of the Irish Country House in a Time of War and Revolution (Yale University Press, 2022). 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%2Fburning-the-big-house%2Fterence-dooley%2F9780300260748 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns tells Elinor Evans about the life and accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin – a man who both loved Britain but became a key figure in American independence, and who was a slave-owner yet later campaigned for abolition. Burns also talks about the challenges and thrills of portraying complex histories on screen, and of finding voices that bring the past to life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The history of women's bodies is far from simple. Female anatomy and the ideas surrounding it – from breastfeeding to virginity – still cause contention today. From the surprising original Pandora myth to intact hymens being used as evidence in the court of law, Professor Helen King takes Lauren Good on a journey through the ever-changing cultural history of women's bodies. (Ad) Helen King is the author of Immaculate Forms: Uncovering the History of Women's Bodies (Profile Books, 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%2Fimmaculate-forms%2Fhelen-king%2F9781788163873. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Daisy Dunn tells Spencer Mizen how students at Oxford University – including Evelyn Waugh, Vera Brittain and John Betjeman – were buffeted by world events in the 1920s and 30s. (Ad) Daisy Dunn is the author of Not Far From Brideshead: Oxford Between the Wars (Orion Publishing, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones: http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=4746&awinaffid=489797&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fnot-far-from-brideshead%2Fdaisy-dunn%2F9781474615570&clickref=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

International history expert Professor Kristina Spohr talks to Matt Elton about the historical parallels of the current conflict in Ukraine – and why we shouldn’t see it as a new Cold War. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do we mean by the word ‘clan’? Were these Scottish kinship groups more often allies or enemies? And did they really wear tartan? Speaking with Emily Briffett, Professor Murray Pittock tackles popular search queries and listener questions about Scottish clans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lloyd Bowen shares the story of one remarkable 1601 duel with Elinor Evans. He reveals what the wealth of evidence around a single dispute can tell us about the codes of honour that governed elite violence in early modern England. (Ad) Lloyd Bowen is the author Anatomy of a Duel in Jacobean England: Gentry Honour, Violence and the Law (Boydell & Brewer, 2021). 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%2Fanatomy-of-a-duel-in-jacobean-england%2Flloyd-bowen%2F9781783276097 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Archaeologist Dominic Perring discusses what we know about London’s Roman past with Emily Briffett, examining the city’s key turning points and exploring how life there was affected by fire, plague and warfare. Using archaeological and historical records, he ties London’s story into the wider history of the Roman empire. (Ad) Dominic Perring is the author of London in the Roman World (Oxford University Press, 2022). 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%2Flondon-in-the-roman-world%2Fdominic-perring%2F9780198789000 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anna Keay introduces Spencer Mizen to the dramatic decade between the execution of Charles I in 1649 and the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. She reveals what life was like under Oliver Cromwell, as Britain embarked on its experiment with republicanism. (Ad) Anna Keay is the author of The Restless Republic: Britain without a Crown (William Collins, 2022). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Interregnum-Peoples-Republic-Anna-Keay/dp/0008282021/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Taylor Downing chronicles the events of the year 1942, which he contends was Britain’s lowest moment in the Second World War. Speaking to Rob Attar, he revisits some of the disasters that befell the country that year and highlights the crucial victory that transformed Churchill’s fortunes. (Ad) Taylor Downing is the author of 1942: Britain at the Brink (Little Brown, 2022). 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-stasi-poetry-circle%2Fphilip-oltermann%2F9780571331192 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Archaeologist Cat Jarman delves into the mysteries and debates surrounding the history of Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island. In conversation with Rob Attar, she explores the creation of the astonishing moai monuments and explains the seemingly dramatic collapse of the island’s population. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Health and beauty historian Lucy Jane Santos answers listener questions and popular online search queries about beauty throughout the ages. From early cosmetics apparently made for gladiators to whether Georgian women really did use mouse fur for false eyebrows, this whistle-stop tour highlights some of the past’s strangest – and most dangerous – beauty practices. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hannah Greig, a historical consultant to the hit series Bridgerton, takes us behind the scenes of season two. She speaks to Elinor Evans about the real history on screen, from Regency etiquette to the gentlemen’s clubs that gained popularity in the era. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you know your Sumerians from your Babylonians and your Akkadians? All these civilisations formed part of the story of ancient Mesopotamia, where city states were formed, writing flourished, the wheel was possibly invented, mathematics was practiced, and dogs were gods, pets and warriors. Speaking to David Musgrove for today's 'everything you wanted to know' episode, Dr Moudhy Al-Rashid answers listener questions on the ancient region. (Ad) Moudhy Al-Rashid is the author of Between Two Rivers: Ancient Mesopotamia and the Birth of History (Hodder & Stoughton, 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%2Fbetween-two-rivers%2Fmoudhy-al-rashid%2F9781529392128. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Suleyman the Magnificent became Sultan of the Ottoman empire in 1520, he was proclaimed the world’s most powerful man, who could use his armies to smite Christendom. But behind the facade, scheming favourites pulled the strings and worked tirelessly to fulfil their own endless ambitions. Rhiannon Davies spoke to Christopher de Bellaigue to uncover the truth about Suleyman’s fascinating reign. (Ad) Christopher de Bellaigue is the author of The Lion House: The Coming of A King (Vintage, 2022). 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-lion-house%2Fchristopher-de-bellaigue%2F9781847922397 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Winston Churchill looms large in the modern imagination. Everyone from Fidel Castro to George W Bush have cited him as an exemplar in times of crisis. Historian Geoffrey Wheatcroft talks to Spencer Mizen about the world’s fixation with the wartime leader, arguing that this obsession is neither healthy, nor necessarily merited. (Ad) Geoffrey Wheatcroft is the author of Churchill’s Shadow: An Astonishing Life and a Dangerous Legacy (Vintage, 2021). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-viewingguide&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fchurchills-shadow%2Fgeoffrey-wheatcroft%2F9781847925732 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Classicist and author Garrett Ryan talks to Kev Lochun about some of the biggest and most commonly asked questions surrounding ancient Greece and Rome. Why are all the statues naked? Who was the biggest drinker in the classical world? And why didn’t anyone go looking for the Greek gods on Olympus – or did they? (Ad) Garrett Ryan is the author of Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants (Prometheus, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Naked-Statues-Fat-Gladiators-Elephants/dp/1633887022/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the third episode of our monthly series marking the centenary of the BBC, media historian David Hendy tells Matt Elton how the BBC became an important part of the national fabric during the Second World War – and how the conflict changed the organisation forever. (Ad) David Hendy is the author of The BBC: A People’s History (Profile Books, 2022). 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-bbc%2Fdavid-hendy%2F%2F9781781255254%3Fawaid%3D3787%26utm_source%3Dredbrain%26utm_medium%3Dshopping%26utm_campaign%3Dcss%26gclid%3DCj0KCQiAip-PBhDVARIsAPP2xc2PCYX_d_582jtZj6du6A-9dNO8d8xXvVkPhP_Jmh1FuEm7Mui3xSYaAvwiEALw_wcB Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr Mike Rapport tackles popular search queries and listener questions about the 19th-century conflicts that tore Europe apart and triggered seismic political changes around the globe. He speaks to Jon Bauckham about the causes of the wars, the pivotal battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo, and the life of Napoleon Bonaparte himself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Lawrence Schrad speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about his book Smashing the Liquor Machine, which busts commonly held myths about prohibition, revealing how campaigns to ban alcohol weren’t just led by puritanical evangelicals in the US, but were also backed by progressive campaigners across the globe. (Ad) Mark Lawrence Schrad is the author of Smashing the Liquor Machine: A Global History (Oxford University Press, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Smashing-Liquor-Machine-History-Prohibition/dp/0190841575/ref=asc_df_0190841575/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=535049525184&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12530786669099962417&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006715&hvtargid=pla-995956505473&psc=1&th=1&psc=1&tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The history of fabric is interwoven with the story of humanity, from the sackcloth shirts that tore open the skin of pious medieval saints to cotton’s connections to colonisation and the Industrial Revolution. Rhiannon Davies spoke to Victoria Finlay to unravel these complex stories. (Ad) Victoria Finlay is the author of Fabric: The Hidden History of the Material World (Profile Books, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fabric-Hidden-History-Material-World/dp/178125706X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Professor John Martin speaks to Emily Briffett about Britain’s battle against starvation during the Second World War. From the invention of familiar myths about bread crusts and carrots, to the Dig for Victory and Ploughing Up campaigns, he examines the food shortages the government faced and the agricultural mission to ensure Britons had enough to put on the table. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr Eleanor Parker, author of Conquered: The Last Children of Anglo-Saxon England, talks to David Musgrove about the young people whose lives were upended by the momentous change of circumstances brought about by the Norman Conquest of 1066. She reveals how exploring their stories can offer a fresh approach to studying the Normans. (Ad) Eleanor Parker is the author of Conquered: The Last Children of Anglo-Saxon England (Bloomsbury, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Conquered-Parker-Eleanor/dp/1788314506/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During the Second World War, the British government imprisoned thousands of German and Austrian-born residents – many of them refugees from Nazi oppression – in makeshift internment camps on the Isle of Man. Acclaimed journalist Simon Parkin speaks to Jon Bauckham about the history of Hutchinson camp, which became home to a vibrant intellectual and artistic community. (Ad) Simon Parkin is the author of The Island of Extraordinary Captives: A True Story of an Artist, a Spy and a Wartime Scandal (Sceptre, 2022). 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-island-of-extraordinary-captives%2Fsimon-parkin%2F9781529347227 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Later this week marks 60 years since the death of Winston Churchill, on 24 January 1965. So we thought it would be interesting to bring back this episode with Professor David Reynolds from 2023. In it, he explores how Winston Churchill’s remarkable career saw him interact with other great figures of the age, many of whom had a profound impact on Britain’s wartime leader. Speaking to Rob Attar, David examines Churchill’s relationships with the likes of Stalin, Mussolini, Gandhi and Clement Attlee – and considers how these figures left their mark on the statesman. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who became a gladiator? Were they really the superstars of their day? And was giving a thumbs down for a death sentence a real thing? In this Everything you wanted to know episode, Emily Briffett speaks with Alison Futrell to answers your top questions about ancient Rome’s arena fighters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shelley Puhak delves into the lives of queens Fredegund and Brunhild, famed for their bitter and bloody rivalry which wracked the Frankish empire in the latter sixth century. Speaking with Emily Briffett, she reveals how their stories were suppressed, overlooked and used as political propaganda by subsequent rulers, and considers how they should be seen today. (Ad) Shelley Puhak is the author of The Dark Queens: A Gripping Tale of Power, Ambition and Murderous Rivalry in Early Medieval France (Apollo, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Queens-Bloody-Rivalry-Medieval/dp/180110915X/ref=asc_df_180110915X/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=570409167989&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17412272789854525338&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006715&hvtargid=pla-1570399930681&psc=1&th=1&psc=1&tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices