If you've ever visited one of the many prehistoric stone circles that dot the landscape of Britain and Ireland, you've probably come away with lots of questions. How were they built? When were they built? Why were they built? And what on earth were they for? In this 'everything you want to know' episode, we've got the answers – or at least some of them – for you, as Professor Vicki Cummings delves into the history of prehistoric stone circles with David Musgrove. (Ad) Vicki Cummings is co-author of Stone Circles: A Field Guide (Yale University Press, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stone-Circles-Field-Guide/dp/0300235984/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. Listen to our episode with Mike Pitts on Britain’s most famous prehistoric monument, Stonehenge, here:https://link.chtbl.com/iAT9Pelw. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In AD 165, the Roman empire was enjoying a period of seemingly unprecedented prosperity and stability. Then, the Antonine Plague arrived, bringing with it death, chaos, and fear. Speaking with James Osborne, Colin Elliott, author of Pox Romana, dissects the impact of this devastating plague on Roman society, and questions whether it was the cause of the empire's eventual demise. (Ad) Colin Elliott is the author of Pox Romana: The Plague That Shook the Roman World (Princeton University Press, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pox-Romana-Turning-Ancient-History/dp/069121915X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=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

The Soviet gulag was a place of brutality, exploitation and death. But it was also home to tens of thousands of medical personnel who had to overcome limited facilities, appalling conditions and political menace in a battle to save the inmates' lives. Professor Dan Healey, author of a new book on these Gulag doctors, talks to Rob Attar about their complex roles in the heart of Stalin's labour camps. (Ad) Dan Healey is the author of The Gulag Doctors: Life, Death, and Medicine in Stalin's Labour Camps (Yale University Press, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gulag-Doctors-Medicine-Stalins-Labour/dp/0300187130#:~:text=Dan%20Healey%20explores%20the%20lives,a%20proportion%20of%20their%20patients./?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=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

Every queen had ladies in waiting, but few of those royal companions witnessed such tumult as the women who served the six queens of Henry VIII. Speaking to Kev Lochun, Dr Nicola Clark discusses how these women navigated the competing demands of queen, country and family as the world was reshaped around them. (Ad) Nicola Clark is the author of The Waiting Game: The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens (Orion, 2024). Buy it now from Waterstones: .http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=4746&awinaffid=489797&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-waiting-game%2Fnicola-clark%2F9781474622202&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

Teachers Richard Kennett and Tom Allen discuss how they have worked with six other teachers to create a new textbook on this previously overlooked element of the city’s history, and its impact on Bristol today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Left traumatised by the horrors of the First World War, between the 1920s and 1940s people around the world set out to create “perfect” societies – with mixed results. Anna Neima, author of The Utopians: Six Attempts to Build the Perfect Society, charts their efforts.   (Ad) Anna Neima is the author of The Utopians: Six Attempts to Build the Perfect Society (Pan Macmillan, 2021). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-utopians%2Fanna-neima%2F2928377056346   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eugene Rogan answers listener questions on one of history’s most powerful – and long-lasting – empires   How did the Ottomans dominate swathes of Europe, Asia and Africa for up to seven centuries? How did their sack of Constantinople in 1453 change the course of history? And why did they back the wrong horse in the First World War? Eugene Rogan answers your questions on one of the world’s greatest empires.    (Ad) Eugene Rogan is the author of The Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East, 1914-1920 (Allen Lane, 2015). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fall-Ottomans-Great-Middle-1914-1920/dp/1846144388/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sue Pritchard, curator of a new exhibition of royal portraits at the National Maritime Museum, discusses how wigs were used to convey royal power   Sue Pritchard, curator of Tudors to Windsors, a new exhibition of royal portraits at the National Maritime Museum, discusses how monarchs used wigs to convey royal power and spark fashions, from Elizabeth I’s fiery false locks, to Charles II’s luxuriant cascading curls.  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, an estimated 2,000 babies were fathered by African-American GIs stationed in Britain. Lucy Bland reveals how these mixed-race children faced discrimination in the streets and ambivalence from the government, and why so many were given up by their mothers.    (Ad) Lucy Bland is the author of Britain's ‘Brown Babies’: The Stories of Children Born to Black GIs and White Women in the Second World War (Manchester University Press, 2019). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Britains-%60Brown-Babies-Stories-Children/dp/1526133261/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John Zubryzcki shares the story of the party-loving royals of the House of Jaipur, who turned to politics following Indian independence   In the 1950s and 60s, the House of Jaipur’s Jai and Ayesha were seen as India’s golden couple, rubbing shoulders with American film stars and British royalty. But as the princely states’ power was squeezed post-partition, the couple had to balance partying with politics. John Zubrzycki charts their tumultuous lives.   (Ad) John Zubryzcki is the author of The House of Jaipur: The Inside Story of India’s Most Glamorous Royal Family (C Hurst and co, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/House-Jaipur-Inside-Indias-Glamorous/dp/1787385566/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, and Marguerite Kaye join us to discuss their new historical romance novel, Her Heart for a Compass, which follows Victorian aristocrat Lady Margaret Montagu Scott, as she seeks to shake off the suffocating restrictions of the time.   (Ad) Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York and Marguerite Kaye are the co-authors of Her Heart for a Compass (HarperCollins, 2021). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fher-heart-for-a-compass%2Fsarah-ferguson-duchess-of-york%2F9780008383602 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Ronald Hutton discusses Oliver Cromwell’s early life and career, exploring the brilliance and cruelty of the future Lord Protector and explaining how he rose from obscurity to become one of the dominant figures of the age.   (Ad) Ronald Hutton is the author of The Making of Oliver Cromwell (Yale, due to be published 10 August). Preorder on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Oliver-Cromwell-Ronald-Hutton/dp/0300257457/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Martin Johnes tackles listener questions about the history of modern Wales, from the Industrial Revolution to devolution   In the latest episode in our series tackling major historical topics, Professor Martin Johnes answers listener questions about the history of modern Wales. He covers topics from the rapid industrialisation that transformed the nation’s landscape and culture in the 19th century to devolution at the turn of the 21st century.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Norman Davies introduces a long-maligned and overlooked monarch, George II, King of Great Britain and Ireland and Elector of Hanover, considering the legacy of his rule, the familial rifts that characterised his reign, and his role in the trade of enslaved people. (Ad) Norman Davies is the author of George II: Not Just a British Monarch (Penguin, 2021). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fgeorge-ii-penguin-monarchs%2Fnorman-davies%2F9780141978420 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was tragedy or comedy the crowd favourite of the ancient Greek stage? Were audiences raucous and rowdy, or quiet and civilised? And how much do modern theatrical productions draw on their ancient antecedents? Speaking to Emily Briffett, classicist Sarah Nooter answers your top questions about the theatrical antics of ancient Greece – from advice on stage management to scatological humour. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nick Hayes discusses the contested history of land ownership in England, from William the Conqueror to the Kinder trespass   Nick Hayes, author of The Book of Trespass, discusses the contested history of land ownership in England, from William the Conqueror to the Kinder trespass. He recounts moments from history when people have come to blows over whether our natural resources should belong to the many, or be accessed only by a privileged few.   (Ad) Nick Hayes is the author of The Book of Trespass: Crossing the Lines that Divide Us (Bloomsbury, 2021)   Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-book-of-trespass%2Fnick-hayes%2F9781526604729   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 16th century, Antwerp was a global centre of trade, talked about around the world. Michael Pye considers its rise and bloody fall   In the 16th century, Antwerp was a global city that was talked about around the world – a centre of commerce, trade, knowledge and innovation, plus one of scandal, murder, secrets and intrigue. Michael Pye, author of Antwerp: The Glory Years, considers its rise and bloody fall.   (Ad) Michael Pye is the author of Antwerp: The Glory Years (Allen Lane, 2021). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Antwerp-Glory-Years-Michael-Pye/dp/0241243211/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the Olympics underway in Tokyo, Chris Harding looks back at 1964 – the last time Japan hosted the competition   With the Summer Olympics underway in Tokyo, Chris Harding looks back to the 1964 games – the last time Japan hosted the competition. He explores how the competition redefined the nation on the world stage two decades after the Second World War.    (Ad) Christopher Harding is the author of The Japanese: A History in 20 Lives (Allen Lane, 2021). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-japanese%2Fchristopher-harding%2F9780241434505 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Meg Foster discusses the bandits that lived outside the law in Australia’s bush – from Ned Kelly to surprising lesser-known figures    Meg Foster discusses the bandits that lived outside the law in Australia’s bush, unpicking myth from reality in the stories of criminals who became folk heroes and national icons. She looks at the infamous bushranger Ned Kelly, and also shares surprising stories of lesser-known Aboriginal, black and women bushrangers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the world’s best athletes congregate in Tokyo for the 29th Summer Games, David Goldblatt answers your questions on the history of the Olympics   How violent were the ancient Greek Olympics? How did the Nazis react to Jessie Owens’ incredible performance in Munich, 1936? And what ranks as the greatest achievement in the history of the Games? David Goldblatt, author of The Games: A Global History of the Olympics, answers your questions on Olympic history.   (Ad) David Goldblatt is the author of The Games: A Global History of the Olympics (W W Norton & Company, 2017). Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Games-Global-History-Olympics/dp/0393292770 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr Freya Gowrley reveals how Georgian satirists used images of fatness to comment on the anxieties of the age    From Britain's heaviest man who became a much-loved celebrity, to rotund imperialists mocked in humorous prints, Dr Freya Gowrley reveals how Georgian satirists used images of fatness to comment on the anxieties of the age.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Burleigh discusses his book Day of the Assassins: A History of Political Murder, which considers what we can learn from looking at assassinations as a category of political violence. He also talks about some of the key assassinations through history, from Julius Caesar and Abraham Lincoln to the mysterious 1986 killing of the Swedish prime minister Olof Palme.   (Ad) Michael Burleigh is the author of Day of the Assassins: A History of Political Murder (Picador, 2021) Buy it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Day-Assassins-History-Political-Murder/dp/1529030137/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex Renton discusses his new book, Blood Legacy, which offers an unflinching account of his ancestors’ involvement in the slave trade. He also considers how best to deal with this unwanted inheritance, and how the long-lasting impact of slavery still affects the world today.    (Ad) Alex Renton is the author of Blood Legacy: Reckoning With a Family’s Story of Slavery (Canongate, 2021)   Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbooks%2Fsearch%2Fterm%2Fblood%2Blegacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For more than 300 years, the piano has captivated audiences, while composers have pushed the instrument’s boundaries. Susan Tomes, author of The Piano: A History in 100 Pieces, discusses some of the most impressive pieces of piano music ever written, and shares the stories of the composers who penned them.    (Ad) Susan Tomes is the author of The Piano: A History in 100 Pieces (Yale, 2021)   Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-piano%2Fsusan-tomes%2F9780300253924 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As statues of controversial historical figures continue to hit the headlines, Alex von Tunzelmann – author of Fallen Idols: Twelve Statues that Made History – looks at some of the most illuminating examples from across the centuries. She explores why the debate has proven so divisive, and gives her take on what should happen to controversial statues.   (Ad) Alex von Tunzelmann is the author of Fallen Idols: Twelve Statues that Made History (Headline, 2021) Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fallen-Idols-Twelve-Statues-History/dp/147228187X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is it ever appropriate to fictionalise the Holocaust? That's a question highlighted by the controversies surrounding The Tattooist of Auschwitz, a 2018 novel by Heather Morris, which sold millions across the globe but also received criticism from some in the historical community for the way it represents the reality of Auschwitz. As a new TV adaptation arrives on Sky, Professor Richard J Evans speaks to Rob Attar about the book and the challenges facing all writers and film-makers seeking to tell stories about one of the darkest episodes in history. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did medieval people have sex in churches? What was a boy bishop? And why did women have to sit in the ‘safe side’ of a church in the Middle Ages? In the latest episode of our everything you want to know series, Professor Nicholas Orme responds to author questions and popular internet search queries about the church in medieval England.   (Ad) Nicholas Orme is the author of the upcoming book Going to Church in Medieval England (Yale University Press, due 27 July) Preorder it now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Church-Medieval-England-Nicholas/dp/0300256507/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1897 the Belgian Antarctic Expedition set sail in search of the south magnetic pole, but their journey was scuppered by a long, arduous winter trapped in the pack ice. Malnourishment, madness, and the threat of murder loomed. Julian Sancton, author of Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night, charts their extraordinary journey.   (Ad) Julian Sancton is the author of Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night (Ebury, 2021)   Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fmadhouse-at-the-end-of-the-earth%2Fjulian-sancton%2F9780753553442 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Looted from Benin City in 1897, the Benin Bronzes are one of the most impressive collections of artworks ever created – and their future is under debate. While many of these artefacts are currently held in European museums and private collections, calls are being made to return them Nigeria. Bronwen Everill discusses the history of the bronzes, the culture that created them, and what their future might be. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Falklands to North America, British and French soldiers spent much of the 18th century locked in battle. Yet many influential thinkers believed that the two nations’ prospects were best served by cooperation not conflict. John Shovlin discusses the attempts to reset the dial on Anglo-French relations in the 18th century.   (Ad) John Shovlin is the author of Trading with the Enemy: Britain, France, and the 18th-Century Quest for a Peaceful World Order (Yale, 2021)    Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trading-Enemy-Britain-18th-Century-Peaceful/dp/0300253567/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Author and former Washington Post journalist Michael Dobbs talks about his new book King Richard, which charts 100 pivotal days as the Watergate scandal gained a grip on Richard Nixon’s presidency, eventually leading to his infamous downfall.   (Ad) Michael Dobbs is the author of King Richard: Nixon and Watergate, an American Tragedy (Scribe, 2021)    Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fking-richard%2Fmichael-dobbs%2F%2F9781913348731 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fern Riddell, author of Sex: Lessons from History, discusses what we can learn from looking at sexual culture in the past, and gives her thoughts on what we get wrong about the sex lives of our forebears, from contraception and sex work to the joy of sexual connection.   (Ad) Fern Riddell is the author of Sex: Lessons from History (Hodder & Stoughton, 2021)    Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sex-Lessons-History-Fern-Riddell/dp/1473666252/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who was to blame for the Highland Clearances? Why did they happen? And what became of those who were forcibly evicted? In the latest episode in our series on history’s biggest topics, historian Sir Tom Devine, author of The Scottish Clearances: A History of the Dispossessed, responds to listener questions on the causes and consequences of one of the most notorious episodes of Scottish history.   (Ad) Tom Devine is the author of The Scottish Clearances: A History of the Dispossessed, 1600-1900 (Allen Lane, 2018)    Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-scottish-clearances%2Ft-m-devine%2F%2F9780141985930 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jonathan Westaway explores why there was a boom in the popularity of endurance running following the First World War   Following the First World War, endurance athletes in the English Lake District and elsewhere devoted themselves to smashing long-distance running records. Jonathan Westaway explores how endurance running’s boom in popularity was in part a reaction to the horrors of the global conflict.    Read Jonathan Westaway’s article here: http://clok.uclan.ac.uk/7025/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During its heyday in the roaring 20s, Cairo’s nightlife district was the place to go for a world-class night out – from glitzy variety shows in smoky clubs to Arabic operas performed to adoring audiences. Raphael Cormack, the author of Midnight in Cairo: The Female Stars of Egypt’s Roaring ‘20s, discusses this glamourous scene and some of the enterprising women who dominated it.   (Ad) Raphael Cormack is the author of Midnight in Cairo: The Female Stars of Egypt’s Roaring ‘20s (Saqi, 2021)   Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Midnight-Cairo-Female-Egypts-Roaring/dp/0863563139/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Julian Richards discusses the Viking Great Army, which wreaked havoc on the kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England from 865-878   From 865-878, the Viking Great Army wreaked havoc on the kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England. Julian Richards, author of The Viking Great Army and the Making of England, reveals how new research can shed light on the story of Norse fighting force.   (Ad) Julian Richards and Dawn Hadley are the co-authors of The Viking Great Army and the Making of England (Thames & Hudson, 2021)   Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-viking-great-army-and-the-making-of-england%2Fdawn-hadley%2Fjulian-richards%2F9780500022016 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In October 1942, Axis and Allied forces went head-to-head in the North African desert. Fighting over access to the Suez Canal and crucial oil fields, tanks and infantrymen slogged it out across sand dunes and minefields, under the command of two of the most charismatic military leaders of the war. In the fourth episode of our series on WW2's Greatest Battles, military historian James Holland fills Ellie Cawthorne in on the story and significance of El Alamein, and the challenges of desert warfare. James Holland is the co-founder of the Chalke History Festival - which runs from 24-30 June 2024. As a media partner of the festival, we're offering an exclusive 15% off Chalke Festival day tickets for subscribers to either HistoryExtra or BBC History Magazine. Check out our spring offers and benefits at www.historyextra.com/pod The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Poverty and riots racked 19th-century rural England, but one eccentric Victorian cleric was convinced he had the solution – inventing a new language. Siân Rees introduces us to Reverend William Barnes, who developed a new version of English stripped of foreign words, which he was convinced would bind the nation together and return England to a state of harmony.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Professor Barry Doyle explains what kind of treatment you could expect If you were ill before the National Health Service was founded in 1948    If you were ill before the National Health Service was founded, what kind of treatment could you expect? Professor Barry Doyle discusses what hospitals and healthcare were like in Britain before 1948, revealing a surprisingly extensive and accessible system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did the Medici influence the Renaissance? Just how rich were they? And what dark family secrets were lurking in their past? In the latest episode in our series on history’s biggest topics, historian Catherine Fletcher responds to listener questions and popular online search queries on the Florentine dynasty, covering everything from the family’s exorbitant wealth to their alleged scandalous affairs.    (Ad) Catherine Fletcher is the author of The Beauty and the Terror: An Alternative History of the Italian Renaissance(Bodley Head, 2020)   Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beauty-Terror-Alternative-History-Renaissance/dp/184792509X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Elinor Cleghorn discusses her new book Unwell Women, which traces the long history of the misdiagnosis and mistreatment of women’s health issues, and highlights some of the women who fought back against medical sexism.   (Ad) Elinor Cleghorn is the author of Unwell Women: A Journey Through Medicine and Myth in a Man-Made World (Orion, 2021)    Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Funwell-women%2Felinor-cleghorn%2F9781474616850 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jacqueline Riding discusses her new biography of William Hogarth, which charts the life and work of the famed artist and satirist. Hogarth was a larger-than-life figure whose many engravings and portraits highlighted the morals and vices of the 18th century. (Ad) Jacqueline Riding is the author of Hogarth: Life in Progress (Profile, 2021). Buy it now at Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fhogarth%2Fjacqueline-riding%2F9781788163477 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From grizzled gold miners to fresh-faced boys in search of adventure, 100,000 prospectors set out for the remote Yukon in search of gold. Stephen Tuffnell delves into the Klondike gold rush, which saw millions of dollars’ worth of gold pulled from the ground – and ended as abruptly as it began.       Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Any illusions that the wartime entente between the western Allies and the Soviet Union would flourish in the new postwar world were shattered when the two sides came face to face on the streets of Berlin in the summer of 1945. Author Giles Milton reveals how spiralling tensions between Josef Stalin and his counterparts in the west over the fate of the German capital fired the starting gun on the Cold War. (Ad) Giles Milton is the author of Checkmate in Berlin: The Cold War Showdown that Shaped the Modern World (John Murray, 2021). But it now at Bookshop.org: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fuk.bookshop.org%2Fbooks%2Fcheckmate-in-berlin-the-cold-war-showdown-that-shaped-the-modern-world%2F9781529393156 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Following the release of the Pentagon’s much anticipated report on UFOs, Dr David Clarke explains how the idea of extra-terrestrials in mysterious flying saucers developed from its origins in the Cold War to become an enduring modern myth. (Ad) David Clarke is the author of How UFOs Conquered the World: The History of a Modern Myth (Aurum, 2015). Buy it now at Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-UFOs-Conquered-World-History/dp/1781313032/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest episode in our series tackling big historical topics, historian Donald Wright answers listener questions on the history of Canada, from the country’s indigenous population and its contribution to the two world wars, to the story behind the maple leaf flag and the reasons why Canada didn’t join the American Revolution. (Ad) Donald Wright is the author of Canada: A Very Short Introduction (OUP, 2020). Buy it now at Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fcanada-a-very-short-introduction%2Fdonald-wright%2F9780198755241   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bestselling author Daniel James Brown reveals how a group of young Japanese Americans overcame suspicion and prejudice to become some of the most decorated US soldiers in World War Two. (Ad) Daniel James Brown is the author of Facing The Mountain: The Forgotten Heroes of World War II (Viking, 2021). Buy it now at Bookshop.org: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fuk.bookshop.org%2Fbooks%2Ffacing-the-mountain-a-true-story-of-japanese-american-heroes-in-world-war-ii-9780241356586%2F9780241356586 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Based on the bestselling novels of CJ Sansom, Disney+'s new Tudor drama Shardlake is a 16th-century whodunnit that takes place during the tumult of the dissolution of the monasteries. The show's historical consultant, Peter Wagstaff, tells Kev Lochun about how Shardlake brings the story of a lawyer who solves crimes and mysteries for some of the most prominent members of Tudor society to the screen. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian and author Anne Sebba explores the life of Ethel Rosenberg, an American woman and mother of two who was executed for espionage in 1953 in one of the most sensational and controversial episodes of the Cold War.   (Ad) Anne Sebba is the author of Ethel Rosenberg: A Cold War Tragedy (Orion, 2021). Buy it now at Bookshop.org: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-hexpod&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fuk.bookshop.org%2Fbooks%2Fethel-rosenberg-a-cold-war-tragedy%2F9780297871002 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry Loftis details the life and work of Aline Griffith, a model-turned-spy who rose to the upper echelons of society in WW2 Spain, mingling with everyone from famous bullfighters to the Spanish aristocracy.   (Ad) Larry Loftis is the author of The Princess Spy: The True Story of World War II Spy Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones (Atria, 2021). Buy it now at Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Princess-Spy-Griffith-Countess-Romanones/dp/198214386X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-hexpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices