History Extra podcast

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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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.

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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

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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:

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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:

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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:

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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.

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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:

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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

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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:

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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.

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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:

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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.

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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:

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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

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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:

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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.

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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:

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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.

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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.

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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:

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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.

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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.

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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

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From books delving into hidden histories to eye-opening global stories and epic World War Two blockbusters, 2022 has been an excellent year for history books. Rhiannon Davies is joined by historians Michael Wood, Rana Mitter and Catherine Nixey to discuss some of their top picks.

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How did the world end up on the brink of nuclear disaster? In the first episode of our series on the Cuban Missile Crisis, Elinor Evans speaks to expert historians Alex von Tunzelmann, Mark White and William Taubman to explore the roots of the nuclear standoff, tracking the rise in tensions during the Cold War and introducing the key players in the looming confrontation.

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Debtors’ prisons were a major feature of Georgian society in England and Wales. But how did the idea of locking up debtors to make them pay their creditors actually work in reality? Dr Alexander Wakelam explains to David Musgrove why, and how, the system worked.

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The traditional story that’s told about Britain from the end of the Roman period through to the arrival of the Vikings is one of coalescing kingdoms, leading inexorably towards the rise of Wessex as the last man standing. However, the real story is much more complicated, as Thomas Williams tells David Musgrove in this new episode.

(Ad) Thomas Williams is the author of Lost Realms: Histories of Britain from the Romans to the Vikings (William Collins, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon:

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In 1850s South Carolina, an enslaved woman named Rose packed a sack containing a few precious items for her nine-year-old daughter Ashley. Ashley §was then separated from her mother and sold, and it’s likely the two never saw each other again. This heart-wrenching story is embroidered on a tattered cotton sack now held in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. In this episode, Professor Tiya Miles discusses her Cundill prize-shortlisted book on “Ashley’s sack” and what it can reveal about women’s experiences during slavery.

(Ad) Tiya Miles is the author of All That She Carried: The History of a Black Family Keepsake, Lost & Found (Penguin Random House, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon:

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Why was a transfusion of lamb’s blood believed to cure epilepsy? What surgical procedures could you get in ancient Egypt? And were medieval surgical practitioners really a help to patients – or a hindrance? Speaking with Emily Briffett, Paul Craddock unravels the long history of surgery, from its ancient roots right up to recent developments that have changed the practice forever, including antiseptics, antibiotics and lessons learned from farmers and embroiderers.

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On 16 October 1962, US President John F Kennedy was made aware of the presence of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles away from the shores of the United States. The 13 October days that followed were some of the most dangerous in modern history, as the world stood on the brink of mutually assured nuclear destruction.

This HistoryExtra podcast series marks the 60th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, exploring the long roots of the nuclear standoff, and the perspectives of the nations and figures at its centre. 

Episodes will be released in this feed weekly. 

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From the earliest asylums that sold themselves as restorative “retreats”, to the damaging vogue for lobotomies and electric shock therapy, psychiatry in America has gone through many iterations since its origins in the 18th century. Andrew Scull, author of Desperate Remedies, speaks to Rhiannon Davies about the discipline’s complex history.

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When the Mary Rose was first pulled from the Solent, you could be forgiven for thinking that what had been salvaged was just a “pile of old wood”. But, over the years, incredible developments in conservation and analysis have revealed the wreck to be a precious historical resource, allowing us to discover more than we could have imagined. In this final episode, Emily Briffett speaks to Christopher Dobbs, Professor Eleanor Schofield and Dr Alex Hildred to understand the complex conservation processes behind keeping the wreck alive.

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Historians Fiona Snailham and Anna Maria Barry reveal why the creator of Sherlock Holmes was so obsessed with contacting the dead. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, they discuss the rise of spiritualism in Britain, Harry Houdini’s crusade to unmask fraudulent mediums, and why Arthur Conan-Doyle believed that fairies had been caught on camera.

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Author Dan Gretton discusses his book I You We Them, which examines the psychology of individuals who organised and implemented some of the worst crimes against humanity, from the Holocaust to human rights violations in Nigeria. In conversation with Rachel Dinning, he introduces the concept of the ‘desk killer’ – a perpetrator who is responsible for murder without taking an active role in the killing.

(Ad) Dan Gretton is the author of I You We Them: Journeys Beyond Evil: The Desk Killer in History and Today (William Heinemann, 2019). Buy it now from Amazon:

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Mary, Queen of Scots became queen when she was only six days old, but her reign had collapsed by the time she was 24. Speaking to Rhiannon Davies, Rosemary Goring explores the queen’s tumultuous Scottish years, examining her reign through her connections to various locations in Scotland, from grand palaces to dank battlefields.

(Ad) Rosemary Goring is the author of Homecoming: The Scottish Years of Mary, Queen of Scots (Birlinn, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Men-Without-Country-Exploration-Rebellion/dp/1761150707/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histipad

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Throughout its 92-year existence, the FIFA Men’s World Cup has delivered its fair share of iconic moments – and controversies. But how did the competition originally begin? Who were its first heavyweights? And what does a dog named Pickles have to do with it? On the eve of the 2022 tournament in Qatar, Jon Bauckham caught up with Professor Matthew Taylor to answer your questions about the history of the football competition and how it has impacted on the “beautiful game” overall.

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Author Peter Stothard explores the eventful life of Marcus Licinius Crassus, an enormously wealthy politician and general, who rivalled Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great in late Republican Rome. In conversation with Rob Attar, Peter explores Crassus’s rise to wealth and influence, his key role in defeating the Spartacus Revolt, and the disastrous military campaign that ended in his humiliating death.

(Ad) Peter Stothard is the author of Crassus: The First Tycoon (Yale University Press, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon:

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Imagine yourself standing on-board the Mary Rose, surrounded by the crew – how do you picture the men around you? If you look at their faces, what do you see? In this episode, we’ll be introducing you to some of the crew who served on the Tudor warship. Speaking with Hannah Matthews, Dr Alex Hildred and Dr Onyeka Nubia, Emily Briffett investigates the secrets their bones have held for almost four and a half centuries.

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As part of our series of conversations with winners of the 2022 Dan David Prize, Dr Mirjam Brusius speaks with Helen Carr about her research into the global stories of museum artefacts, and how they can be better communicated to visitors.

The Dan David Prize is the world's largest history prize, which recognizes outstanding historical scholarship. Find out more at dandavidprize.org.

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When the Victorians imagined the 21st century, they pictured a world powered by the wonders of electricity, with smartly dressed men in impeccable suits whizzing around on flying machines, getting their food delivered electronically, dialling in to the opera, and even whisking their wives off for a romantic honeymoon in space. Iwan Rhys Morus speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about the 19th century’s grand ambitions in the realms of science and technology, and Victorian visions of innovations – both real and imagined – that would shape the future in their own image.

(Ad) Iwan Rhys Morus is the author of How the Victorians Took Us to the Moon (Icon, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon:

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The 14th century was an era of high drama in England – from the toppling of two kings and the Hundred Years’ War to the Black Death and Peasants’ Revolt. Speaking with Emily Briffett, bestselling historical author Alison Weir charts the dramatic lives and tangled legacies of five queen consorts during the turbulent ‘Age of Chivalry’.

Read more on the debate surrounding Edward I’s murder here: https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/the-big-debate-was-edward-ii-really-murdered/?utm_source=acast&utm_medium=acast.com&utm_campaign=Bitly

(Ad) Alison Weir is the author of Queens of the Age of Chivalry (Vintage, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones:

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The Crimean War of 1853-6 saw Russia clash with an alliance of forces including Britain, France and the Ottoman empire. But what were the causes of the conflict? Why does it still exert such a hold on the Russian imagination today? And how important a role did Florence Nightingale really play? Speaking with Matt Elton, Professor Andrew Lambert answers listener questions about the 19th-century conflict and the ways in which it shaped decades of European history.

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Recent years have seen a flurry of historical dramas and documentaries surrounding the modern monarchy, with historians and commentators debating whether or not they offer a fair depiction of the royal family – and whether or not it matters. But, how do scholars go about researching the full story of what happened during the Queen’s long reign? In conversation with Matt Elton, Professor Philip Murphy offers his views on why telling the recent history of Britain’s monarchy is so complicated.

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When the Mary Rose was rescued from the seafloor, it wasn’t just a large timber hull that was salvaged – more than 19,000 historical objects were dredged from the depths alongside it. These artefacts don’t just offer a window onto life aboard a 16th-century warship, they also tell a much greater story about the Tudor era. In this episode, we’re cracking open the treasure chest and peering inside, as Emily Briffett heads to the Mary Rose Museum to find out more from experts Hannah Matthews, Dr Alex Hildred and Christopher Dobbs.

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To mark HistoryExtra’s 1500th episode, Jerry Brotton takes Ellie Cawthorne on a whistle-stop tour around the world in AD 1500, from the powerful dynasties of Eurasia and the rich culture of Ming dynasty China to the melting pot of Constantinople. They discuss the shifting balance of power in Africa at the start of the 16th century, explore the origins of European slavery and colonialism, and reveal how the Americas stood on the precipice of a great transformation.

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How important is it for period dramas to accurately reflect the past? What ethical issues are raised by actors playing fictionalised versions of real people? And does the media depict historians and archaeologists fairly? Speaking with Matt Elton, historians Nicola Tallis and Fern Riddell discuss issues surrounding accuracy and morality raised by recent historical films and television shows including The Crown, The Lost King and Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.

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How exactly do you get children interested in history? Public historian Greg Jenner discusses his new children’s book You Are History, and explains to David Musgrove how you can build bridges to the past by exploring the weird and wonderful history behind relatable and everyday topics – from brushing your teeth to going to the toilet.

(Ad) Greg Jenner is the author of You Are History: From the Alarm Clock to the Toilet, the Amazing History of the Things You Use Every Day (Walker Books, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones:

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In Christian-dominated medieval Europe, what did it mean to be excommunicated? How much of an earth-shattering punishment was it, and what can excommunications tell us about the attitudes of people in the Middle Ages? In today’s episode, Dr Felicity Hill of the University of St Andrews explains all to David Musgrove.

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What drove a group of plotters to attempt to blow up the king on 5 November 1605? To what extent did the conspiracy sour relations between Protestants and Catholics? And why do we continue to be so fascinated by this extraordinary episode today? Speaking with Spencer Mizen, John Cooper answers listener questions about the gunpowder plot.

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Professor Christina Riggs talks to Kev Lochun about the legacy of ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. She looks beyond the glittering treasures of his tomb to discover how the young pharaoh became a cultural ambassador for a nation – and how colonialism, empire and politics all influenced the tale of Tutmania.

(Ad) Christina Riggs is the author of Treasured: How Tutankhamun Shaped a Century (Atlantic Books, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon:

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As Henry VIII stood along the walls of Southsea Castle on 19 July 1545, the air was hot and still. Yet, England was on the brink of disaster, as an enormous French fleet had arrived with revenge on their minds. In this episode, we’re zeroing in on the pivotal moment when the Mary Rose met its ignominious end at the battle of the Solent. Emily Briffett speaks to Hannah Matthews, Dr Dominic Fontana and Dr Tracy Borman to find out what caused the Tudor warship to sink on what should have been a short, easy voyage.

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What can modern scientists learn from historians? Dr Lindsey Fitzharris, Professor Sasha Hadley, Professor Sanjoy Bhattacharya and Professor Alice Roberts explore the often surprising connections between the two disciplines in a panel discussion chaired by Professor Alice Roberts and recorded live at the Royal Society, in association with the Wolfson History Prize.

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The Second World War saw Allied forces evolve from serial losers to a war-winning machine. Comedian and history buff Al Murray talks to Spencer Mizen about 10 commanders – from Bernard Montgomery to George Patton and Omar Bradley to Orde Wingate – whose experiences chart that transformation.

(Ad) Al Murray is the author of Command: How the Allies Learned to Win the Second World War (Headline, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Command-Allies-Learned-Second-World/dp/1472284593/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty

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How did witches transition from terrifying old crones to symbols of female empowerment? Was Count Dracula inspired by a real person? And why do ghosts wear white sheets? To explore the long history of all things that go bump in the night, Professor Owen Davies tackles listener questions with Ellie Cawthorne, on the unearthly history and evolving mythology of our most popular Halloween monsters – from forgotten monsters of the past, to the first photograph of a ghost.

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How did a Catholic religious celebration transform into a spooky, supernatural festivity? Why were turnips and swedes replaced by pumpkins? And what happened on ‘mischief night’? Speaking with Ellie Cawthorne, Professor Owen Davies uncovers the historical origins of popular traditions surrounding 31 October – from the malicious and downright dangerous beginnings of trick or treating to the ethereal inspirations for Jack-o’-lanterns.

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Christianity has been one of the dominant forces in European history, but according to historian Peter Heather, its rise to prominence wasn’t inevitable. In conversation with Emily Briffett, Peter confronts the idea of Christianity being a monolithic and consistently successful religion, and charts the changes it underwent between the late Roman and high medieval periods that allowed it to flourish.

(Ad) Peter Heather is the author of Christendom: The Triumph of a Religion (Allen Lane, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon:

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The Mary Rose had a long life before its fighting days were brought to an abrupt end as it sank to the bottom of the Solent. Rewinding back almost 500 years, Emily Briffett speaks to Dr Tracy Borman and Dr Dominic Fontana to revisit the Mary Rose in its heyday – from the first shots fired, through the political crises of the early 16th century, right up to its downfall.

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Bestselling historian Simon Sebag Montefiore discusses his major new book, which tells the entire history of the world through the prism of families. In conversation with Rob Attar, he delves into the stories of several significant dynasties – from ancient Egypt to the Trumps – and reveals how family life affects political power.

(Ad) Simon Sebag Montefiore is the author of The World: A Family History (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon:

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Ada Ferrer discusses her Cundill History Prize-nominated book, Cuba: An American History. In her account spanning five centuries, Ferrer takes Elinor Evans from the island’s colonisation by Europeans and its crucial location during the Golden Age of Sail, to its complex economic and political relationship with the United States.

(Ad) Ada Ferrer is the author of Cuba: An American History (Scribner, 2021). Buy it now from Amazon:

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At the bitter, drawn-out conclusion of the Second World War in 1945, Germany stood in ruins – both literally and psychologically. Cities had been reduced to rubble, millions were dead or displaced and there was a governmental power vacuum. Speaking with Ellie Cawthorne, Cundill History Prize-nominated author Harald Jähner reveals how the country began to rebuild itself following the chaos of war.

(Ad) Harald Jähner is the author of Aftermath: Life in the Fallout of the Third Reich (Ebury, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones:

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Why has the idea of a “utopia” been so compelling over the centuries? What major cultural shifts have been reflected by the sci-fi genre? And why have generations of sci-fi authors been so obsessed with politics, ecology and biology? Professor Roger Luckhurst answers listener questions on how sci-fi has imagined the future by reflecting the concerns of the past – from the pioneering work of authors including Mary Shelley and HG Wells right up to modern day.

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On 16 October 1962, US President John F Kennedy was made aware of the presence of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles away from the shores of the United States. The 13 October days that followed were some of the most dangerous in modern history, as the world stood on the brink of mutually assured nuclear destruction.

This new HistoryExtra podcast series marks the 60th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, exploring the long roots of the nuclear standoff, and the perspectives of the nations and figures at its centre.

To gain early, ad-free access to weekly episodes from 29 October, sign up to our premium subscription channel HistoryExtra Plus: https://apple.co/3fagZQB

Episodes will be released weekly on this feed from 1 December.

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Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the most famous figures in English literature, and remains widely lauded for his major works such as The Canterbury Tales and Troilus and Criseyde. However, a dark shadow looms over Chaucer’s story: a possible case of sexual assault. Dr Euan Roger of The National Archives and Prof Sebastian Sobecki of the University of Toronto, have just published some new findings that provide us with a new take on this – David Musgrove caught up with Euan to discover more. 

Find out more about the open access material in the Chaucer review at https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/psup/chaucer

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When Soviet forces mounted an invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979, they entered a nation already in the grips of a complex civil war. Speaking to Matt Elton, Elisabeth Leake reveals how the invasion and ensuing occupation would go on to shape not only modern Afghanistan but also the course of the Cold War and subsequent international relations.

(Ad) Elisabeth Leake is the author of Afghan Crucible: The Soviet Invasion and the Making of Modern Afghanistan (Oxford University Press, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Afghan-Crucible-Soviet-Invasion-Afghanistan/dp/0198846010/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histipad

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Forty years ago, when the Mary Rose was raised from the seabed on 11 October 1982, it was a momentous occasion, met with global broadcasts and cheers from excited bystanders. This daring feat of underwater archaeology was the culmination of over 17 years of hard work by a huge team of divers, archaeologists and scientists. But how did they manage to rescue this long-lost ship from the seafloor? In this first episode of our new series, Christopher Dobbs and Dr Alex Hildred tell Emily Briffett about the extraordinary search for the Tudor shipwreck and delve into the challenges of underwater excavation.

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From grisly medieval punishments to the justice doled out to celebrity criminals in the Victorian era, public executions were a spectacle that shaped the landscape of London for centuries. Curator Beverley Cook tells Ellie Cawthorne about a new Museum of London Docklands exhibition that delves into this history, examining some notorious criminal cases, and highlighting historical objects that shine a light on executions that took place in the capital, from artworks and ballad sheets to relics grabbed from the gallows.

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Sinclair McKay traces the history of the German city through the lives of its inhabitants, and how they weathered the tumult of the 20th century – from the wild hedonism of the Weimar years cut short by Nazism, to the fall of the famed wall that divided East and West.

(Ad) Sinclair McKay is the author of Berlin: Life and Loss in the City That Shaped the Century (Penguin, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histipad&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fberlin%2Fsinclair-mckay%2F9780241503171

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In 1789, a group of mutinous sailors seized control of HMS Bounty from its captain William Bligh in dramatic fashion. A new book by Harrison Christian explores the life of the author’s direct ancestor Fletcher Christian, who famously led the mutiny. Speaking with Rob Attar, Christian explains why the crew decided to overpower Bligh, during their Pacific voyage, and tells the extraordinary story of their blood-soaked colony on Pitcairn Island.

(Ad) Harrison Christian is the author of Men Without Country: The True Story of Exploration and Rebellion in the South Seas (Ultimo, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Men-Without-Country-Exploration-Rebellion/dp/1761150707/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histipad

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Why was the Bank of England created? Did it power the Industrial Revolution? And when did it become known as the “Old Lady”? As the Bank continues to hit the headlines in the UK, Professor Anne Murphy guides us through the 300-year history of one of Britain’s most important institutions.

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There has been an absolute sea change in the study of empire in recent years. But what are the challenges of grappling with often difficult imperial history, and how does it shape our view of the world today? Professor Toby Green, Dr Sudhir Hazareesingh and Professor Olivette Otele explore these pressing questions in a panel discussion chaired by Sir David Cannadine and recorded live at the V&A museum, in association with the Wolfson History Prize.

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On the anniversary of the battle of Hastings, Daniel Armstrong speaks to David Musgrove about the truth behind the story that Pope Alexander II granted a papal banner to William of Normandy in advance of his invasion of England in 1066.

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