History Extra podcast

How did the British army keep order among troops and officers during the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century? And were the rank and file really as rough and ready as you might imagine? Speaking with David Musgrove, Dr Zack White details the most common crimes and punishments in the armies of the Duke of Wellington and his contemporaries, considering whether the effective imposition of discipline helped the British and their allies finally defeat Napoleon on the battlefield of Waterloo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You might think that the crusades were a largely male enterprise. But while that may have been the case on the battlefield, it certainly wasn’t elsewhere. Speaking with Emily Briffett, medieval historian Helen Nicholson delves into the archives to uncover just how vital a role women played in crusading campaigns, in recruitment, support, patronage and prayer. (Ad) Helen Nicholson is the author of Women and the Crusades (Oxford University Press, 2023). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Patriarchs-How-Men-Came-Rule/dp/000841811X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Although 19th-century thinkers promoted the narrative that Christianity and science have always been at each other’s throats, in reality, argues Nicholas Spencer, the two have existed for centuries in a state of relative harmony – with some notable spikes in tension. Rhiannon Davies speaks to Nicholas to explore this intertwined relationship. (Ad) Nicholas Spencer is the author of Magisteria: The Entangled Histories of Science & Religion (Oneworld, 2023). 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%2Fmagisteria%2Fnicholas-spencer%2F9780861544615 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the glories of early medieval Northumbria to the urban powerhouses of the industrial revolution, northern England has long had an identity of its own. In his book Northerners, Brian Groom traces the story of the North from the Ice Age to the present day. He tells Ellie Cawthorne about some of the key moments in the history of the region – and how the North-South divide goes back further than you might think. (Ad) Brian Groom is the author of Northerners: A History, from the Ice Age to the Present Day (HarperCollins, 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%2Fnortherners%2Fbrian-groom%2F9780008471200 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What did ancient pagans actually believe? Why were they fascinated by the divinity of nature? And why did paganism capture the imagination of the Romantics? Speaking to Emily Briffett, Professor Ronald Hutton answers your questions on the complex history of paganism, from difficulties of definition to recent revivals and popular misconceptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Canteen dining conjures up visions of plastic trays, hard benches and bowls of beige slop. But as the hardships of the Second World War began to bite, punters flocked to an idealistic establishment called the “British Restaurant” for good food, good prices and good company. Bryce Evans tells Ellie Cawthorne about these healthy, economical establishments, and explores what lessons they could hold for us today. Read a feature by Bryce Evans on British Restaurants here: https://www.historyextra.com/period/second-world-war/british-restaurants-ww2-rationing-canteens/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 19th century, one businesswoman shocked, horrified and fascinated New York society more than any other. Madame Restell was a celebrity and self-made millionaire known for her diamonds and love of oyster breakfasts. How did she make this fortune? By selling birth control pills and abortions from her Fifth Avenue Brownstone boarding house. Jennifer Wright tells Ellie Cawthorne about what Restell’s story can reveal about attitudes towards abortion, motherhood and the role of women in American society at the time. (Ad) Jennifer Wright is the author of Madame Restell: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Old New York’s Most Fabulous, Fearless, and Infamous Abortionist (Hachette, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FMadame-Restell-Resurrection-Fabulous-Abortionist%2Fdp%2F0306826798 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For centuries, people have been dazzled by the illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages. But how much do we know about the countless makers, collectors and connoisseurs who took care of them behind the scenes? Speaking with Emily Briffett, Christopher de Hamel introduces some of these extraordinary people – from a Norman monk and a Florentine bookseller to a rabbi from central Europe, a Greek forger and an American woman with a spectacular library. (Ad) Christopher de Hamel is the author The Posthumous Papers of the Manuscripts Club (Penguin, 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-posthumous-papers-of-the-manuscripts-club%2Fchristopher-de-hamel%2F9780241304372" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Queen Njinga, the 17th-century ruler of Ndongo and Matamba, in modern-day Angola, established an impressive reputation for her skills as a warrior and diplomat. At a time when Portuguese colonists were ramping up operations in the region, Njinga had to fight tooth and nail for survival, and make difficult decisions to protect her people. Luke Pepera tells Kev Lochun more about this formidable leader, whose story has been brought to life in a new Netflix docu-drama, African Queens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the dangers of childbirth to female sexuality, myths and legends about female monsters like mermaids and sirens can tell us a lot about different societies’ attitudes towards women over time. Speaking with Rachel Dinning, Sarah Clegg, author of the new book Woman’s Lore, examines the portrayal of women as seductive, child-killing monsters through history – from Lamashtu and Gello, to Lamia and Lilith. (Ad) Sarah Clegg is the author of ​​Woman's Lore: 4,000 Years of Sirens, Serpents and Succubi (Apollo, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Womans-Lore-Sirens-Serpents-Succubi/dp/1803280271/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the Second World War raged across the world, what was life like for those back home in Britain? How did families make it through the terror of bombing raids? How many people took part in black market dealings? And what was it like to open up your home to an evacuated child? In our latest “Everything you wanted to know” episode, Professor Dan Todman speaks to Lauren Good to answer listener questions about Britain’s home front during the Second World War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Headlines have been made recently by proposed changes to the Treasure Act in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The changes would see more historical and archaeological artefacts defined as “treasure”, and could help museums acquire historically significant items. Speaking to Matt Elton, Lord Parkinson, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Arts and Heritage in the UK, discusses the thinking behind these proposals, and some of the other issues facing heritage in the UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Women blown up like balloons about to burst; leaders carving up the globe like a plum pudding; a drunken, bloated prince sprawled surrounded by unpaid invoices – the art of satirists like James Gillray, Thomas Rowlandson and Isaac Cruikshank gives us an unfiltered look at the preposterous highs and grisly lows of Georgian society. Alice Loxton tells Ellie Cawthorne how these artists pricked the pomposity of politicians, mocked the outlandish fashions of the aristocracy and gave the people of London a good laugh while doing so. (Ad) Alice Loxton is the author of Uproar: Satire, Scandal and Printmakers in Georgian London (Icon Books, 2023). 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%2Fuproar%2Falice-loxton%2F9781785789540 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1580s, the remote Essex village of St Osyth was beset by poverty and social tensions – and when a servant accused her neighbour of witchcraft, it sparked a crisis that engulfed the entire community. Speaking with Charlotte Hodgman, Marion Gibson explores what this late 16th-century witchcraft trial can tell us about life in early modern England. (Ad) Marion Gibson is the author of The Witches of St Osyth: Persecution, Betrayal and Murder in Elizabethan England (Cambridge University Press, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Witches-St-Osyth-Persecution-Elizabethan/dp/1108494676/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In March 2003, a coalition of troops from nations including the United States and the United Kingdom mounted an invasion of the Republic of Iraq, with the stated aim of removing weapons of mass destruction apparently held by the nation. Twenty years on, BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera tells Matt Elton about his new BBC Radio 4 series considering the causes and consequences of the Iraq War – and discusses whether now is the right time to view the conflict as history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For thousands of years, humans have been in thrall to climate – it has dictated the crops we grow, the water we drink and even the diseases to which we might succumb. Rhiannon Davies speaks to Peter Frankopan about his new book that examines this crucial relationship, The Earth Transformed, to explore whether lessons from the past might help us navigate a potentially frightening future. (Ad) Peter Frankopan is the author of The Earth Transformed: An Untold History (Bloomsbury, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dress-Diary-Mrs-Anne-Sykes/dp/178474381X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1616, when the first English embassy was installed in Mughal India, England was a minor player on the global stage rather than a leading actor. Nandini Das explores what the challenges of this embassy can tell us about England’s unequal relationship with India at the time – and reveals how the future dominance of the British empire was far from a foregone conclusion. (Ad) Nandini Das is the author of Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire (Bloomsbury, 2023). 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%2Fcourting-india%2Fnandini-das%2F9781526615640 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What chores did medieval women have to get through each day? How could plucking your eyebrows in the Middle Ages land you in hell? And why did people believe that older women’s looks could kill? In our latest “Everything you wanted to know” episode, medievalist Dr Eleanor Janega answers listener questions about the lives and livelihoods of women in the Middle Ages. Speaking to Emily Briffett, she touches on everything from the trials of childbirth to the best places for women to party in the medieval period. (Ad) Eleanor Janega is the author of The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval on Women’s Roles in Society (WW Norton & Co, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Once-Future-Sex-Medieval-Society/dp/0393867811/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve just launched a brand-new podcast series, History’s greatest cities, offering the chance to roam the streets and sights of some of Europe’s most fascinating metropolises. Join travel writer Paul Bloomfield and a host of expert historians as they chart the history of vibrant cities, sharing some top travel tips along the way. Here’s a taste of what you can expect, as Dr Eleanor Janega delves into the story of the City of a Hundred Spires – Prague. To listen to the full episode, and subscribe to the series as a whole, search for “History’s greatest cities” wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the mid 19th century, a team of explorers set off in search of an elusive goal – the source of the River Nile. Set against a backdrop of imperial expansion into Africa, the expedition was led by Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke – two men who should have been great partners, but became bitter rivals. Candice Millard tells Ellie Cawthorne about Burton and Speke’s gruelling, dangerous journey, and the guide who made it possible – Sidi Mubarak Bombay. (Ad) Candice Millard is the author of River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile (Swift Press, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/River-Gods-Genius-Courage-Betrayal-ebook/dp/B0B6MXG1CZ/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The name David Ingram isn’t well known, but his story is extraordinary. This Tudor explorer embarked on a remarkable 3,600-mile trek across North America in the 1560s, encountering sights and sounds that no other English people had ever experienced before. Speaking with Spencer Mizen, Dean Snow explores how Ingram’s incredible journey across North America in the early years of Elizabeth I’s reign changed the course of the continent’s history. (Ad) Dean Snow is the author of The Extraordinary Journey of David Ingram: An Elizabethan Sailor in Native North America (Oxford University Press, 2023). 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-extraordinary-journey-of-david-ingram%2Fdean-snow%2F9780197648001 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you grew up watching pantomimes, then you’ll likely be familiar with the story of Richard “Dick” Whittington – the poor country boy who ends up becoming three-times Lord Mayor of London. But did you know that Whittington was a real person? Michael McCarthy tells Jon Bauckham about the wealthy merchant who inspired the tale, and explains why – on the 600th anniversary of his death – he deserves to be remembered today. (Ad) Michael McCarthy is the author of Citizen of London: Richard Whittington – The Boy Who Would Be Mayor (Hurst, 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%2Fcitizen-of-london%2Fmichael-mccarthy%2F9781787387911 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2016, fashion historian Kate Strasdin was given an extraordinary object – an album of richly coloured and brightly patterned fabric scraps, all collected by one woman across the Victorian age. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, Kate reveals what Anne Sykes’ dress diary can tell us about style, culture and the experiences of ordinary women in the era – and how it led her to poisonous stockings and pirates in Borneo. (Ad) Kate Strasdin is the author of The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes: Secrets from a Victorian Woman’s Wardrobe (Chatto & Windus, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dress-Diary-Mrs-Anne-Sykes/dp/178474381X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At a time when male homosexuality was illegal in Britain, celebrated playwright Oscar Wilde became embroiled in a scandal that ultimately saw him put on trial for “gross indecency”. As Professor Joseph Bristow tells Lauren Good, it’s a story of danger and betrayal, which not only tells us about the writer’s life, but also about the prejudices of society at the time.    (Ad) Joseph Bristow is the author of Oscar Wilde on Trial: The Criminal Proceedings, from Arrest to Imprisonment (Yale University Press, 2023). 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%2Foscar-wilde-on-trial%2Fjoseph-bristow%2F9780300222722 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What was it like to be a peasant in the Middle Ages? Did they live well, with access to sufficient food, water and shelter, or were their lives characterised by poverty, pain and hard labour? Did they wash regularly, what did they do for fun, and could they better themselves in society? Speaking to David Musgrove, Professor Christopher Dyer answers listener questions about medieval peasants, from diets and dentistry to leisure and life expectancy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we are featuring episode one from our brand new series, History's greatest cities. If you enjoy this episode and want to listen to the rest of the series make sure you follow the feed where ever you get your podcasts. Search 'History's greatest cities' or click the link below. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/historys-greatest-cities/id1660929072 In this series exploring the sights and stories of Europe’s most historic cities, Rory MacLean traces the German capital from medieval origins to the modern day In episode one of this new series exploring the sights and stories of Europe’s most beautiful, intriguing and historic cities, travel journalist Paul Bloomfield is joined by historian and author Rory MacLean for a trip around Berlin. They delve into the city’s origins as a medieval settlement before fast-forwarding through the centuries, exploring theatres, churches and nightclubs, and tracing the infamous wall that divided the city for nearly 30 years. Plus, Rory offers up some top advice for history-loving globetrotters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was an enterprise that helped transform a marginalised language into a global powerhouse. Lydia Zeldenrust tells Spencer Mizen how, some 550 years ago, a middle-aged merchant called William Caxton did something that would change the course of literary history: he produced the first book ever printed in the English language. She also explores the challenges Caxton faced – from defying the hegemony of Latin and French to deciding which of England’s many regional dialects to plump for – in order to go where no printer had gone before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Middle Ages have often been shrouded in myth and mystery, but was it actually as unchanging, uncivilised and muddy as we might think? Historian and author Ian Mortimer challenges these popular perceptions, arguing how the period has often been overlooked in favour of later centuries. Speaking to Emily Briffett, Ian highlights how the medieval period was an age of transformation, from society’s understanding of power to their views on war and exploration. (Ad) Ian Mortimer is the author of Medieval Horizons: Why the Middle Ages Matter (Vintage Publishing, 2023). 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%2Fmedieval-horizons%2Fian-mortimer%2F%2F9781847927446%3Fawc%3D3787_1676460802_b9418547f7d8d6875187a36ad8f30923%26utm_source%3D259955%26utm_medium%3Daffiliate%26utm_campaign%3DGenie%2BShopping%2BCSS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Oedipus complex to the Freudian slip, the theories of Sigmund Freud are still familiar to us today. But how much do we know about his life? Seamus O’Mahony tells the story of the founder of psychoanalysis, and unravels how it was intertwined with those of two other doctors, Ernest Jones and Wilfred Trotter. In conversation with Rachel Dinning, he reveals the impact the three made on science and medicine against the intellectual and bohemian backdrop of early 20th-century London. (Ad) Seamus O’Mahony is the author of The Guru, the Bagman and the Sceptic: A story of science, sex and psychoanalysis (Apollo, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guru-Bagman-Sceptic-science-psychoanalysis/dp/1803285656/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Breastfeeding may seem like an innate human experience that transcends history. But, according to art and cultural historian Joanna Wolfarth, experiences of feeding babies have always been embedded in social and cultural customs. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne about her new book Milk, Joanna examines how attitudes to breastfeeding have changed over time, touching on ancient baby bottles, the moral dangers of wetnursing, and why the Virgin Mary was sometimes depicted with a breast on her shoulder. (Ad) Joanna Wolfarth is the author of Milk: An Intimate History of Breastfeeding (Orion Publishing Co, 2023). Buy it now from Waterstones: http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=4746&awinaffid=489797&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fmilk%2Fjoanna-wolfarth%2F9781474623216&clickref=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The story of the Roman emperor Heliogabalus is filled with sex, death, decadence and religious extremism, but it also touches on some key questions about imperial Rome. What were the limits of political power? How far should a ruler intervene in the life of his subjects? And what was a Roman emperor actually expected to do? Harry Sidebottom talks to Rachel Dinning about the emperor’s short but extraordinary reign. (Ad) Harry Sidebottom is the author of The Mad Emperor: Heliogabalus and the Decadence of Rome (Oneworld Publications, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mad-Emperor-Heliogabalus-Decadence-Rome/dp/0861542533/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How ‘roaring’ were the roaring twenties for ordinary britons? Did views of the British empire change after the first world war?And what caused the economic woes of the 1930s? Speaking to Elinor Evans, Matt Houlbrook answers your top questions about British life in the period that lay between the two devastating world wars of the early 20th century. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Uncovering and telling the stories of LGBTQ+ people in history can be rewarding, important work, but it’s also often challenging and complex. How far is it possible to understand the sexualities of people in the past from our 21st-century vantage point? And which stories do we forget about? To mark LGBT+ History Month in the UK, Matt Elton hosts a panel of experts – Florence Scott, Fleur MacInnes, Tim Wingard, Channing Joseph and Anthony Delaney – to discuss issues of representation in the past. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Wife of Bath is a stand-out figure in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. The only ordinary woman in the procession of pilgrims heading to Thomas Becket’s shrine, Alison is a sexually active, outspoken and funny working woman whose voice leaps from the page. Speaking with Emily Briffett, Marion Turner explores the Wife of Bath’s tale, revealing what it can tell us about the reality of women’s lives in the fourteenth century, and how its themes still resonate today. (Ad) Marion Turner is the author of The Wife of Bath: A Biography (Princeton University Press, 2023). 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-wife-of-bath%2Fmarion-turner%2F9780691206011 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian and author William Dalrymple and BBC journalist Anita Anand join us to discuss their new history of the Koh-i-Noor, the famed Indian diamond, which was controversially brought to Britain in the 19th century Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anglo-Saxon king Æthelstan was the first West Saxon leader to effectively rule over all of England. And with Alfred the Great as a grandfather, he had quite the family legacy to live up to. Speaking with Rachel Dinning, historian and broadcaster Michael Wood gives us the lowdown on the 10th-century ruler. Watch a video version of this interview, along with other video content, at historyextra.com/video Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Cleopatra took her own life in 30 BC it marked the conclusion of Egypt’s ruling dynasty, but not the end of her family line. Classicist Jane Draycott tells the little-known story of Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony, who overcame her parents’ tragic deaths to become a powerful ruler in her own right. Speaking to Rob Attar, Jane explains how Cleopatra Selene trod a fine line between appeasing Rome and honouring her mother’s legacy. (Ad) Jane Draycott is the author of Cleopatra's Daughter: Egyptian Princess, Roman Prisoner, African Queen (Bloomsbury, 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%2Fcleopatras-daughter%2Fjane-draycott%2F9781800244801 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marie Antoinette is a historical figure who has been much mythologised – as callous, superficial, extravagant and out of touch with reality. But if we go back to the original sources and examine her own letters, what kind of woman emerges? Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, Catriona Seth reveals what the Queen of France’s correspondence can tell us about her life and character – from her early years as a teenaged royal bride, to her eventual downfall in the French Revolution.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who were the Romantics? And how did they shake up society and culture at the turn of the 19th century? Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, Daisy Hay answers your top questions on the rebellious literary movement whose members’ lives were as unconventional as their art, touching on the intense but difficult collaboration between Wordsworth and Coleridge, the outrageous reputation of Lord Byron, and the literary significance of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. (Ad) Daisy Hay is the author of Young Romantics: The Shelleys, Byron and Other Tangled Lives (Bloomsbury, 2011). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Young-Romantics-Shelleys-Byron-Tangled/dp/1408809729/?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 summer of 1936, Spain descended into a brutal civil war between its democratically elected government and a nationalist insurgency led by General Francisco Franco. Sarah Watling tells Jon Bauckham about the fearless female writers and activists who joined the fight against Franco and sought to alert the world to Spain’s plight – from famed journalist Martha Gellhorn to nursing pioneer Salaria Kea. (Ad) Sarah Watling is the author of Tomorrow Perhaps the Future: Following Writers and Rebels in the Spanish Civil War (Vintage, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tomorrow-Perhaps-Future-Following-Writers/dp/1787332403/?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

Defeat in the First World War dealt the Ottoman empire a terrible blow, but it wasn’t terminal. Ryan Gingeras tells Spencer Mizen that it was what happened next – between 1918 and 1922 – that condemned the empire to its fate. (Ad) Ryan Gingeras is the author of The Last Days of the Ottoman Empire (Allen Lane, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Days-Ottoman-Empire/dp/0241444322/?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

Shakespeare’s plays are peppered with characters from across the social spectrum, from kings and nobility down to servants, soldiers and shepherds. Speaking to Rhiannon Davies, theatre director and author Stephen Unwin explores the bard’s portrayal of working people, and investigates how far his characters reflected the reality of living and working in Elizabethan England. (Ad) Stephen Unwin is the author of Poor Naked Wretches: Shakespeare's Working People (Reaktion 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%2Fpoor-naked-wretches%2Fstephen-unwin%2F9781789146615 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Western Rising of 1549 was the most catastrophic event to occur in Devon and Cornwall between the Black Death and the Civil War. What started as an argument between two men and their local vicar grew into a determined attempt by ordinary English people to halt the Reformation. Speaking with Emily Briffett, Mark Stoyle reveals how thousands of 16th-century men and women rebelled to defend their faith. (Ad) Mark Stoyle is the author of A Murderous Midsummer: The Western Rising of 1549 (Yale University Press, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Murderous-Midsummer-Western-Rising-1549/dp/0300266324/?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

Many of the agents who played a crucial role in establishing the organisation now known as the Central Intelligence Agency – or CIA – were women. And yet, in the early days of the agency in post-WW2 America, they had to fight hard for career progression, status and recognition. Speaking with Elinor Evans, Nathalia Holt shares the lives of four women who undertook life-threatening missions and harnessed crucial intelligence in the early days of the agency. (Ad) Nathalia Holt is the author of Wise Gals: The Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage (Icon Books, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wise-Gals-Changed-Future-Espionage/dp/1785789589/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3C67LDSXDE5DV&keywords=nathalia+holt&qid=1674218071&s=books&sprefix=nathalia+holt%2Cstripbooks%2C72&sr=1-1&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 palaeolithic period stretches across a vast period of space and time, but if there’s one thing that really brings the prehistoric era to life for us today, it’s cave art. Professor Paul Pettitt answers your top questions on what we can learn from the extraordinary prehistoric paintings and engravings found at places like Lascaux and Altamira. Speaking to David Musgrove, he delves into when and why this art was made, who made it, and how. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What would have happened if Josef Stalin, Winston Churchill and Franklin D Roosevelt had all been assassinated at the height of World War Two? Speaking with Elinor Evans, Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch discuss the complex tale of a little-known Nazi plot to kill the ‘Big Three’ during the 1943 summit in Tehran – regarded by some as a close call that could have changed world history, and others as a murky Soviet scam to garner secret intelligence. (Ad) Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch are the authors of The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill (Flatiron Books, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FNazi-Conspiracy-Secret-Roosevelt-Churchill%2Fdp%2F1250777267" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Common land – land which wasn’t settled or farmed – used to exist right across Britain, and provided a vital shared resource for local communities. However, it was also seen by some as a wild place for wild people, and over the centuries, was gradually ‘improved’ or enclosed. Speaking with David Musgrove, Professor Angus Winchester highlights common land’s rich and complex history, arguing that it provided a key resource for fuel, building materials, foraging and hunting, as well as being a place where communities gathered, games were played, fairs were held, and political dissent occurred. (Ad) Angus Winchester is the author of Common Land in Britain: A History from the Middle Ages to the Present Day (Boydell & Brewer, 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%2Fcommon-land-in-britain%2Fangus-j-l-winchester%2F9781783277438 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Welsh history, the period that lies between the medieval era of resistance to English occupation, and the rapid industrialisation of the 18th and 19th centuries, is often forgotten. Yet, there was much more going on in Wales in the early modern period than might initially meet the eye. Speaking with Elinor Evans, Lloyd Bowen describes the ambiguities in Welsh identity and nationhood that arose in the decades following the Acts of Union in the early 16th century, including the impact of the Reformation on the Welsh language, and Wales’s changing relationship with the monarchy. (Ad) Lloyd Bowen is the author of Early Modern Wales c.1536–c.1689: Ambiguous Nationhood (University of Wales Press, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Early-Modern-Wales-c-1536-1689-Nationhood/dp/178683958X/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1669716512&refinements=p_27%3ALloyd+Bowen&s=books&sr=1-1&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

During the Second World War, six talented mathematicians were brought together to make history. These women had one mission: to program the world’s first and only supercomputer. Speaking with Rachel Dinning, Kathy Kleiman explores the vital but overlooked role the “Eniac 6” played in the history of computing during and after the Second World War. (Ad) Kathy Klieman is the author of Proving Ground: The Untold Story of the Six Women Who Programmed the World's First Modern Computer (Hurst, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Proving-Ground-Untold-Programmed-Computer/dp/178738862X/?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

Throughout history, people have got tattooed for a huge range of reasons, whether religious devotion, artistic expression, or to demonstrate cultural belonging – or cultural difference. Dr Matt Lodder talks to Charlotte Hodgman about 5,000 years of tattooing history, exploring everything from the punishment tattoos of ancient China to the pilgrim tattoos adopted by Victorian aristocrats, including a future king. (Ad) Matt Lodder is the author of Painted People: Humanity in 21 Tattoos (HarperCollins). 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%2Fpainted-people%2Fmatt-lodder%2F9780008402068 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What was it like to travel on the earliest trains, before open carriages, and even toilets? When was the first rail accident? And how did railways transform nations and continents? Christian Wolmar answers listener questions on the history of the railways. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, he touches on industrial innovation, passengers’ experiences on early train journeys, and the role of railways in imperialism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

According to historian Dan Stone, popular understanding of the Holocaust, in all of its horror and complexity, is often incomplete or fractured. Speaking with Matt Elton, Dan explores some of the overlooked and misunderstood aspects of the Holocaust, from the scope of international collaboration to the ways its horrors reverberated for decades afterward. (Ad) Dan Stone is the author of The Holocaust: An Unfinished History (Pelican, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Holocaust-Unfinished-History-Pelican-Books/dp/0241388708/?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

On 23 January 1978, Baron Édouard-Jean Empain was snatched from the streets of Paris, in an audacious kidnapping attempt. Before long, a ransom of 80 million francs was demanded. And to show they meant business, the kidnappers chopped off the baron’s little finger – with the disturbing warning that more body parts would follow. In conversation with Emily Briffett, Tom Sancton charts the two tangled months of the kidnapping case, which led to a bloody shootout and ultimately triggered the fall of an industrial giant, the Empain dynasty. (Ad) Tom Sancton is the author of The Last Baron: The Paris Kidnapping That Brought Down an Empire (Dutton, 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%2FLast-Baron-Kidnapping-Brought-Empire-ebook%2Fdp%2FB099MMKDPZ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Imagine an ancient Greek or Roman body, and the first picture that pops into your head is probably made of marble or stone – perhaps an austere bust, or a gleaming, musclebound sculpture, polished, cold and pale. But what about the experience of living in a real body, in all its pleasure, pain and flaws, during antiquity? Speaking with Elinor Evans, Caroline Vout presents the flesh and blood realities of life – and death – in ancient Greece and Rome. (Ad) Caroline Vout is the author of Exposed: The Greek and Roman Body (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%2Fexposed%2Fcaroline-vout%2F9781788162906 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1946, Churchill declared that “from Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an Iron Curtain has descended across the Continent”. But what exactly did this rhetorical border look like during the Cold War, and what’s happening along it today? Timothy Phillips tells David Musgrove about his experiences travelling the length of the border between east and west, exploring the borderlands where a clash of ideologies was at its most intense. (Ad) Timothy Phillips is the author of The Curtain and the Wall: A Modern Journey Along Europe's Cold War Border (Granta 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-curtain-and-the-wall%2Ftimothy-phillips%2F9781783785766 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1917, the Russian Revolution saw scores of Russian aristocrats and artists flee to Paris to escape Bolshevik brutality. Speaking to Matt Elton, Helen Rappaport highlights some of their stories, exploring the dramatic shift in circumstances that many endured, and revealing what the city’s inhabitants made of the new arrivals. (Ad) Helen Rappaport is the author of After the Romanovs: Russian exiles in Paris between the Wars (Scribe 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%2Fafter-the-romanovs%2Fhelen-rappaport%2F9781914484292 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When was the word “atheist” first used? How dangerous was it to question the existence of God in the Middle Ages? And how successful were communist regimes of the 20th century at stamping out religion? More than 2,000 years since the Greek philosopher Socrates was accused of atheism, Spencer Mizen speaks to Professor Alec Ryrie to answer your top questions on the history of unbelief. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Franklin Delano Roosevelt assumed the presidency of the United States in 1933, he became the head of a nation facing immense hardship and disenchantment amid the Great Depression. No president, except Abraham Lincoln, had come to office in more challenging circumstances, says Iwan Morgan. Speaking to Elinor Evans, he discusses his new biography of FDR, and how he transformed the role of president between the Great Depression and the Second World War. (Ad) Iwan Morgan is the author of FDR: Transforming the Presidency and Renewing America (Bloomsbury, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/FDR-Transforming-Presidency-Renewing-America/dp/075563716X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2QB83NOYQD92C&keywords=iwan+morgan+FDR&qid=1662116942&sprefix=iwan+morgan+fdr%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-1&tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histipad Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When we think about the first encounters between Europe and the Americas, we’ve traditionally imagined a one-sided story of “Old world” Europeans voyaging to the “New World” of the Americas. But what about the reverse? Caroline Dodds Pennock discusses her book On Savage Shores, which explores the stories of indigenous Americans who journeyed to Europe following Columbus’s 1492 voyage. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, she explores the varied experiences of indigenous Americans in Europe – from enslavement and abuse to diplomacy and family ties. (Ad) Caroline Dodds Pennock is the author of On Savage Shores: How Indigenous Americans Discovered Europe (Orion, 2023). Buy it now from Waterstones: http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=4746&awinaffid=489797&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2F9781474616904&clickref=historyextra-social-histboty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Japanese city of Nagasaki is probably best known for being the target of the world’s second-ever nuclear attack in August 1945. Yet the city was also home to hundreds of Allied prisoners of war, forcibly put to work to support the Japanese war economy. In conversation with Spencer Mizen, John Willis shares the incredible – and largely forgotten – story of the PoWs who had survived the brutal camps of the far east, were transported to the Japanese mainland on so-called hell-ships and were later witnesses to a bomb that would help bring the Second World War to a conclusion. (Ad) John Willis is the author of Nagasaki: The Forgotten Prisoners (Mensch Publishing, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nagasaki-Forgotten-Prisoners-John-Willis/dp/1912914425/?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

With parachuting monkeys, volcanic eruptions and performances of Beethoven’s symphonies, Surrey Zoo was no ordinary Victorian attraction. Dr Joanne Cormac joins Rob Attar to discuss the story of this eye-opening pleasure park, and reveals what the rise of zoos can tell us about science, leisure and empire in the Victorian age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you feel unwell today you can pick up a prescription or head to a medical centre, but how did ill people treat their ailments in the Middle Ages? A major new project at Cambridge University Library aims to find out, by digitising, cataloguing and conserving over 180 medieval manuscripts, containing well over 8,000 medical recipes. Dr James Freeman speaks to Emily Briffett about what these weird and wonderful recipes – using ingredients like puppy stomachs and eel grease – can tell us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What was society’s attitude towards female writers in Regency England? How far did class affect the hopes of young couples looking to be wed? And did people really spend all day gossiping about grand fortunes, illustrious estates and ruinous affairs? Speaking with Lauren Good, Dr Lizzie Rogers answers listener questions on Jane Austen’s England – from the delights of a Regency ball to the flourishing ideal of marrying for love. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 19th century, Britain imagined itself as a bastion of beef-eating carnivores. But at a time when meat consumption was taken as a signifier of personal heartiness and national prosperity, a rebel alliance formed – a ragtag group of religious devotees, health enthusiasts, temperance campaigners, animal rights activists, political reformers and eccentrics. They were all united by one cause: vegetarianism. Dr James Gregory tells Ellie Cawthorne about how going meat-free became an organised movement in Victorian Britain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As part of our series of conversations with winners of the 2022 Dan David Prize, Dr Bart Elmore discusses his research into the environmental impacts of global capitalism through history with Helen Carr, from Coca-Cola and plastic use, to pesticides. The Dan David Prize is the world's largest history prize, which recognizes outstanding historical scholarship. Find out more at dandavidprize.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For millennia, humans have cut down trees to create buildings, ships, tools, weapons and everyday objects we still use around the home. Author and archaeologist Max Adams tells Jon Bauckham what studying this most resilient of materials can teach us about the history of our species. (Ad) Max Adams is the author of The Museum of the Wood Age (Head of Zeus, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Museum-Wood-Age-Max-Adams/dp/1788543505/ref=sr_1_10?crid=2N45LY77LGPE0&keywords=max+adams&qid=1665386697&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI0LjA2IiwicXNhIjoiMy44MyIsInFzcCI6IjMuNDQifQ%3D%3D&s=books&sprefix=max+ada%2Cstripbooks%2C649&sr=1-10&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 Hitler’s Germany, what you ate was not a personal matter – sacrificing luxury was a way for German citizens to demonstrate their patriotism, while hunger was weaponised as a tool of war and oppression in occupied territories. Historian Lisa Pine explains to Ellie Cawthorne why the Nazis were so eager to control the nation’s diet, and explores the devastating impact of their food policies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Justinian plague to the fall of the Maya, climate change has been connected to many of history’s great catastrophes. Environmental journalist Eugene Linden speaks to Rhiannon Davies about the longer history of our relationship with the environment, and how the situation has snowballed since 1979. (Ad) Eugene Linden is the author of Fire and Flood: A People's History of Climate Change, from 1979 to the Present (Penguin, 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%2Ffire-and-flood%2Feugene-linden%2F9780241565551 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 11 years between the execution of King Charles I in 1649 and the restoration of his son, Charles II, in 1660 are among the most turbulent in all of British history – and it was a period dominated by one man: Oliver Cromwell. But was it always Cromwell’s intention to execute Charles I? Why did he decide to readmit Jewish people to England? And did he really ban Christmas? Professor Ronald Hutton responds to your top questions on the rise and rule of the contentious Lord Protector. (Ad) Ronald Hutton is the author of The Making of Oliver Cromwell (Yale, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Oliver-Cromwell-Ronald-Hutton/dp/0300257457/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-Jan23iPad Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From kaleidoscopic hellscapes to portraits of cannibals and flying monks, Edward Brooke-Hitching introduces some of the strangest creations in art history. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, he takes us on a tour around this ‘madman’s gallery’ of scandalous and eccentric works, including a painting created with pigment made from mummified remains, artworks inspired by contacting the dead, and family portraits created by an algorithm. (Ad) Edward Brooke-Hitching is the author of The Madman's Gallery: The Strangest Paintings, Sculptures and Other Curiosities From the History of Art (Simon & Schuster, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Madmans-Gallery-Strangest-Sculptures-Curiosities/dp/1398503576/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&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

Decried by reformers as “wicked Noah’s arks” and “rotten leaky tubs”, prison hulks were a looming presence off the shores of 18th- and 19th-century Britain and its empire. Large former navy ships were docked on the Thames and elsewhere, housing convicts awaiting transportation, often in hideous conditions. Dr Anna McKay explains to David Musgrove why these floating prisons existed, what life was like on board, and why the system eventually fell out of use. 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, around 60,000 people in Britain registered as conscientious objectors, seeking an exemption from military service on the grounds of their religious conviction, political stance or moral conscience. Speaking with Ellie Cawthorne, Professor Tobias Kelly shares the stories of five such people and discusses the challenges they faced. (Ad) Tobias Kelly is the author of Battles of Conscience: British Pacifists and the Second World War (Chatto & Windus, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Battles-Conscience-British-Pacifists-Second/dp/1784743941/ref=sr_1_1?crid=21E6JEFFK6ZJV&keywords=tobias+kelly&qid=1657276881&s=books&sprefix=tobias+kelly%2Cstripbooks%2C64&sr=1-1&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

Legal historian Laura F Edwards discusses her new book on clothing and textiles in 19th-century America, Only the Clothes on Her Back. Speaking to Elinor Evans, she reveals the meaning and care that went into garments, and how clothes and textiles could lend subversive power to marginalised people. (Ad) Laura F Edwards is the author of Only the Clothes on Her Back: Clothing and the Hidden History of Power in the Nineteenth-Century United States (Oxford University Press, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Only-Clothes-Her-Back-Nineteenth-Century/dp/0197568572/?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

Ever since the Greeks supposedly hid inside a wooden horse to sneak into Troy, states have meddled in other nations’ affairs, turning to the dark arts of sabotage, propaganda and state-sanctioned killing to carry out their secret plans. Speaking to Rhiannon Davies, Rory Cormac delves into the murky history of covert action. (Ad) Rory Cormac is the author of How To Stage A Coup: And Ten Other Lessons from the World of Secret Statecraft (Atlantic, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Stage-Coup-Lessons-Statecraft/dp/1838955615/?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 final episode of our series on history’s most well-known conspiracy theories, we investigate the idea that a highly advanced civilisation existed many thousands of years ago, before being wiped out by a calamitous event. Rob Attar speaks to archaeologist Flint Dibble about the ancient Greek origins of the Atlantis legend and how it has been reimagined in more recent times, including in the Netflix series Ancient Apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the fifth episode of our new series on history’s most well-known conspiracy theories, we revisit a defining moment of the 20th century that many people believe never happened at all. Rob Attar is joined by space flight historian Francis French to examine why people doubt NASA’s greatest triumph and how this conspiracy theory ties in to the paranoia of the Cold War era. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In episode four of our new series on history’s most well-known conspiracy theories, we ask why many people don’t believe that William Shakespeare was the real author of the plays attributed to him. In conversation with Rob Attar, Shakespeare expert Dr Paul Edmondson discusses the alternative candidates that have been put forward and considers whether this is a legitimate debate to be having. 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 new series on some of history’s most well-known conspiracy theories, we examine the suggestion that one of Tsar Nicholas II’s daughters – Anastasia – survived the family’s murder by the Bolsheviks in 1918. Speaking with Rob Attar, historian Helen Rappaort explains why people believe that Anastasia escaped and what recent scientific and archaeological research has revealed about this tragic episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Continuing our series on some of history’s most well-known conspiracy theories, we delve into the idea that Ancient Egypt’s iconic monuments were built with extraterrestrial assistance. In conversation with Rob Attar, Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley explores the origins of the theory and explains what we know about how the pyramids really were constructed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did Adolf Hitler really make it out of the bunker alive at the end of the Second World War? In the first episode of our new series on some of history’s most well-known conspiracy theories, we explore the idea that Hitler outlasted the downfall of the Third Reich in 1945 and began a new life overseas in South America. In conversation with Rob Attar, historian Professor Richard J Evans explains the origins of this theory and reveals why it continues to have adherents today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alexander the Great didn’t become a brilliant warrior and empire-builder overnight. His talents were the product of an upbringing that encompassed political assassinations, a dysfunctional relationship with his father and the best martial training that money could buy. Historian Alex Rowson tells Spencer Mizen how Alexander the Great was shaped by the plotting and bloodletting that marred his youth. (Ad) Alex Rowson is the author of The Young Alexander: The Making of Alexander the Great (William Collins, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Young-Alexander-Alex-Rowson/dp/0008284393/?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 concluding episode of our series on the Cuban Missile Crisis, we trace how a tentative compromise coincided with the most dangerous moments of the stand-off, in an exchange of letters that threatened disaster. Elinor Evans speaks to expert historians Alex von Tunzelmann, Mark White and William Taubman to find out how the crisis reached a resolution, and the diplomatic fall-out from the 13 days. Plus, we track revelations that have come to light in the 60 years since the world was brought to the edge of a nuclear war. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dominic Janes discusses his new history of British dandies, which explores how such ‘dressy men’ – from fops and macaronis, to aesthetes – provoked both fascination and horror in their societies. Speaking with Elinor Evans, Dominic also considers the changing perceptions of famed aesthete Oscar Wilde. (Ad) Dominic Janes is the author of British Dandies: Engendering Scandal and Fashioning a Nation (Bodleian Library Publishing, 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%2Fbritish-dandies%2Fdominic-janes%2F9781851245598 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lucy Lethbridge discusses her new book on the emergence and boom of mass British tourism. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, she touches on early package holidays led by the fatherly Thomas Cook, the vomit-inducing travails of long-distance stagecoach journeys, the romance of camping and the hedonistic pleasures of 19th-century health spas. (Ad) Lucy Lethbridge is the author of Tourists: How the British Went Abroad to Find Themselves (Bloomsbury, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tourists-Lethbridge-Lucy/dp/1408856220/?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 Mongols were an unstoppable force through the 12th and 13th centuries, with an empire that stretched across huge swathes of land, from China to Europe. But its territory also included much of the Near East, where one aggressive power – the Mamluks – finally put a halt to their never-ending progress. Nicholas Morton explores the clash of these two major empires with David Musgrove. (Ad) Nicholas Morton is the author of The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East (Basic Books, 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%2FMongol-Storm-Breaking-Empires-Medieval%2Fdp%2F1541616308 Subscribe to BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed this season and receive a book of your choice worth up to £30* at https://www.buysubscriptions.com/subscribe2022 Listeners from outside the UK can also subscribe *Book promotion only available for UK residents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What’s the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage? Why was wine believed to be medicinal? And did medieval people actually get drunk from sipping beer all day? In our latest everything you wanted to know episode, Professor Phil Withington of the University of Sheffield answers listener questions on the history of alcohol. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, he discusses prohibitions, rituals and the deadly “gin craze”, and shares a 17th-century punch recipe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Turkey trot to the scandalously intimate moves of the Parisian tango, the 20th century saw Britain gripped by dance craze after dance craze. Performed in public halls up and down the country, ballroom took the nation by storm as people from all walks of life sashayed to the dancefloor with their partners. Hilary French tells Emily Briffett about ballroom’s dramatic surge in popularity, its decline in the 1960s and its recent resurgence with Strictly Come Dancing. (Ad) Hilary French is the author of Ballroom: A People’s History of Dancing (Reaktion Books, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ballroom-Peoples-History-Hilary-French/dp/1789145155/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Subscribe to BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed this season and receive a book of your choice worth up to £30* at https://www.buysubscriptions.com/subscribe2022 Listeners from outside the UK can also subscribe *Book promotion only available for UK residents 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 series on the Cuban Missile Crisis, we chart the first phase of the Cold War standoff. Elinor Evans speaks to expert historians Alex von Tunzelmann, Mark White and William Taubman to uncover how top-secret meetings descended into chaos, the American public was plunged into panic and a US naval ‘quarantine’ threatened to push the Soviets to the brink. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Pacific campaign featured some of the most brutal battles of the Second World War – Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and Okinawa among them. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, Saul David explores the pitiless struggle to wrest back control of the Pacific from the highly motivated soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army, via eyewitness accounts of the men of K Company, from the third battalion of the US fifth Marines, who were thrust into one of the cruellest arenas of the conflict. (Ad) Saul David is the author of Devil Dogs: First in, Last out – King Company from Guadalcanal to the Shores of Japan (HarperCollins, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://fortnum-and-mason.7eer.net/c/1236178/230388/3957?subId1=historyextra-social-histboty&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fdevil-dogs%2Fsaul-david%2F9780008395766 Subscribe to BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed this season and receive a book of your choice worth up to £30* at https://www.buysubscriptions.com/subscribe2022 Listeners from outside the UK can also subscribe *Book promotion only available for UK residents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the wake of the Second World War, Germany was a country on the brink of collapse. Despite the war’s end, the years to follow were turbulent, as Germans lived through the division of East and West, all while reckoning with their recent past. In her new book Shadowland: The Story of Germany Told by Its Prisoners, Sarah Colvin shares stories of the prisoners incarcerated in West and East Germany in the years between the Second War and reunification, revealing their different treatment on either side of the Iron Curtain. (Ad) Sarah Colvin is the author of Shadowland: The Story of Germany Told by Its Prisoners (Reaktion Books, 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%2FShadowland-Story-Germany-Told-Prisoners%2Fdp%2F1789146275 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Peter Stanford reflects on the meaning of pilgrimage across world history, considering whether we share anything in common with pilgrims of the past. Speaking with Emily Briffett, he traces different pilgrim routes and shrines across the globe to understand what drove people to undertake long, and often dangerous, holy journeys. (Ad) Peter Stanford is the author of Pilgrimage: Journeys of Meaning (Thames & Hudson Ltd, 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%2Fpilgrimage%2Fpeter-stanford%2F9780500252413 Subscribe to BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed this season and receive a book of your choice worth up to £30* at https://www.buysubscriptions.com/subscribe2022 Listeners from outside the UK can also subscribe *Book promotion only available for UK residents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From ingenious gadgets to audacious plots, historian Helen Fry answers listener questions on British espionage in the Second World War. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, she explores how agents were recruited and the ways spy networks worked, discusses just how dangerous espionage operations were, and delves into plots involving dummy corpses and exploding rats. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From political agitators and artist’s muses to composers, sailors, asylum inmates and the goddaughter of the queen herself, black people led a variety of fascinating lives in Victorian Britain. Dr John Woolf shares some of their stories – both ordinary and extraordinary – with Ellie Cawthorne. (Ad) John Woolf and Keshia N Abraham are the co-authors of Black Victorians: Hidden in History (Duckworth 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%2F9780715654453 Subscribe to BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed this season and receive a book of your choice worth up to £30* at https://www.buysubscriptions.com/subscribe2022 Listeners from outside the UK can also subscribe *Book promotion only available for UK residents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 1961 Bay of Pigs operation was a debacle for the United States that inflamed Cold War tensions to a new height. In the second episode of our series on the Cuban Missile Crisis, Elinor Evans speaks to expert historians Alex von Tunzelmann, Mark White and William Taubman to find out how the failed invasion set the stage for Khrushchev and Castro to form a pact that would lead the world to the brink of nuclear destruction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why wasn’t football banned on the home front when men were fighting and dying in France and Belgium? Did war halt the march of commercialisation in the sport? And why did the number of red cards surge between 1914 and 1918? From goal gluts to illegal player payments, Alexander Jackson tells Spencer Mizen how the First World War changed the face of English football. (Ad) Alexander Jackson is the author of Football’s Great War: Association Football on the English Home Front (Pen & Sword, 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%2Ffootballs-great-war%2Fjackson-alexander%2F9781399002202 Subscribe to BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed this season and receive a book of your choice worth up to £30* at https://www.buysubscriptions.com/subscribe2022 Listeners from outside the UK can also subscribe *Book promotion only available for UK residents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the 19th century onwards, waves of Irish emigrants left their home nation to begin new lives across the globe. Sean Connolly, author of On Every Tide, tells Ellie Cawthorne about the experiences of these emigrants, and charts the changing nature of Irish communities in the United States, Australia, Britain and even Argentina. (Ad) Sean Connolly is the author of On Every Tide: The making and remaking of the Irish world (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%2Fon-every-tide%2Fsean-connolly%2F9781408709511 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Author Kate Mosse shares inspirational stories of women from across global history – including the forgotten life of her great grandmother Lily Watson During lockdown, author Kate Mosse set out on her own detective story, investigating her family tree to unearth the forgotten life of a fellow novelist – her great grandmother Lily Watson. Drawing on her social media campaign, #womeninhistory, Kate soon uncovered many more lives that she felt were worth sharing, and has brought these unheard and little-known stories from women’s history together in her book Warrior Queens and Quiet Revolutionaries. She speaks to Emily Briffett about some of the many characters she encountered. (Ad) Kate Mosse is the author of Warrior Queens & Quiet Revolutionaries: How Women (Also) Built the World (Pan Macmillan, 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%2Fwarrior-queens-and-quiet-revolutionaries%2Fkate-mosse%2F9781529092196 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Where did the term “hippie” originate? What music best reflected a generation’s disaffection with the establishment, and opposition to the Vietnam War? And how did the culture wars of the sixties shape attitudes to race, gender equality and sexual liberation? Speaking with Spencer Mizen, Alwyn Turner answers listener questions on 1960s counterculture. Subscribe to BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed this season and receive a book of your choice worth up to £30* at https://www.buysubscriptions.com/subscribe2022 Listeners from outside the UK can also subscribe *Book promotion only available for UK residents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did Adolf Hitler really die in 1945? Did Ancient Egyptians really build the pyramids? And did Shakespeare really write the plays that bear his name? In our new upcoming HistoryExtra podcast series, Conspiracy, Rob Attar investigates some of history’s most popular and persistent conspiracy theories in the company of expert historians who are battling to set the record straight. From the ancient civilisation of Atlantis to doubts about the moon landing of 1969, we explore the origins of these forms of pseudo-history and explain why they are so difficult to defeat.    Episodes will be released in this feed weekly.   https://apple.co/3AHdBDF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices