Episodes

  • Toilets through time | 1. Roman latrines

    Toilets through time | 1. Roman latrines
    Jul 24 2024
    What was it like to do your business in a Roman communal toilet? In the first episode of our new mini-series, Toilets Through Time, David Musgrove begins his journey through the bathrooms of British history in the Roman era, with historian Dr Hannah Platts. They discuss dubious ancient ablutions, the confronting experience of sitting alongside your neighbours on the toilet, and why one gladiator reportedly stuck a toilet sponge down his own throat. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    35 mins
  • Assassinations that shaped US history

    Assassinations that shaped US history
    Jul 23 2024
    Following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump earlier in July, historian Adam Smith speak to Matt Elton about previous attempts to kill political leaders in the United States – and how these events changed the nation. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    33 mins
  • Is democracy doomed? History behind the headlines

    Is democracy doomed? History behind the headlines
    Jul 22 2024
    In the latest episode of our monthly series exploring the past behind the present, Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter are joined by Professor Paul Cartledge to explore the long roots of recent tensions in democracies around the world. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • Catherine of Braganza: the Merrie Monarch's forgotten queen

    Catherine of Braganza: the Merrie Monarch's forgotten queen
    Jul 21 2024
    Picture Charles II's court and you'll probably imagine a riot of excess, filled with drinking, games, and of course, mistresses. The queen by Charles' side, Catherine of Braganza, is often obscured by this scandalous picture. Speaking to Elinor Evans, Sophie Shorland discusses her new biography detailing the life of the often overlooked consort – from her vital political role in the 17th-century Portuguese struggle for independence to the scandalous power games in the court of the 'Merrie Monarch'. (Ad) Sophie Shorland is the author of The Lost Queen: The Surprising Life of Catherine of Braganza, Britain's Forgotten Monarch (Atlantic Books, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Queen-Surprising-Catherine-Forgotten-ebook/dp/B0CPRBBH3P/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • The Spanish Inquisition: everything you wanted to know

    The Spanish Inquisition: everything you wanted to know
    Jul 20 2024
    The era of the Spanish Inquisition is most commonly remembered as a period of widespread fear and paranoia, where communities turned on each other and torture was rife. But how true is this popular perception? Speaking to Emily Briffett, Giles Tremlett answers listener questions on the Spanish Inquisition, from the real history behind the sinister and bloodthirsty 'Black Legend' of Spain, to whether there was there any hope of survival for people singled out by the inquisitors... The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    42 mins
  • 1217: the year that (almost) changed English history

    1217: the year that (almost) changed English history
    Jul 18 2024
    1217 is not one of the most famous years in English history. But with a major French invasion looming and a brutal war that wracked both towns and the countryside, this was a year that could have altered the nation's history beyond recognition. So, why aren't we more familiar with the events of 1217? Emily Briffett speaks to medievalist Catherine Hanley, author of a new book on the year, to find out. (Ad) Catherine Hanley is the author of 1217: The Battles that Saved England (Osprey, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/1217-Battles-that-Saved-England/dp/147286087X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1186ABQSY87IU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.2k5Of41HS45niMd5aKIurQ0r_Z7VrEwwy_yn5kVQoBHyLNBCK2fvUpxfINQZTs7hvyEK2oSE3hfee227ietJUVPmnLkBZDW92hKkxZdKgdLGjGmbJM9cPy1M-fVr4qdZuMiK05Id--Me1aPX56OCOyE9Td0GXWVsjh1rBXFbF7hu0i3CAmXYBu59kQI514lrgkD8tDZvOVSQxGeQlbpi57fkWeLpIt0bcokaiksq4LM.yJINJKOdZoDoSLG_hRxVKodndVppC5U_Q5IdM1b3Y-A&dib_tag=se&keywords=1217&qid=1716893993&s=books&sprefix=1217%2Cstripbooks%2C62&sr=1-1&tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    40 mins
  • Deeds not words | 6. Mission accomplished?

    Deeds not words | 6. Mission accomplished?
    Jul 17 2024
    After an escalating campaign of bombing and arson attacks, the suffragette movement was brought to a sudden halt on the outbreak of war in 1914. In the final episode of our new series Deeds not words: the story of the suffragettes, Ellie Cawthorne speaks to expert historians about why and how the campaign came to its conclusion, and whether it achieved its aims. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    34 mins
  • Kindness & hostility: refugees in wartime Britain

    Kindness & hostility: refugees in wartime Britain
    Jul 16 2024
    Before and during the Second World War, Britain provided a safe haven for thousands of people fleeing Nazi persecution. But, as the author Paul Dowswell argues, this is not an entirely heroic story. In conversation with Rob Attar, Paul explains how huge numbers of Jews were denied entry to Britain and reveals how many of the refugees who were accepted received a hostile welcome. (Ad) Paul Dowswell is the author of Aliens: The Chequered History of Britain's Wartime Refugees (Biteback 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%2Faliens%2Fpaul-dowswell%2F9781785907937 The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    34 mins