History Extra podcast

When Greek soldiers captured the royal command tent of the Persian king during the Greco-Persian wars, they were stunned by what they saw. Their mighty adversary’s seat of power was absolutely dripping with dazzling decadence – and, to the Greeks, indulging in this luxurious lifestyle was the reason for the Persians’ downfall. Speaking to Emily Briffett, curators Jamie Fraser and Kelly Accetta Crowe explain what a new British Museum exhibition can reveal about how the Persians and Greeks thought about luxury, wealth, democracy and power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the recent past will attest, the discovery of vaccines can not only save lives, but also change the course of human history. Speaking with Matt Elton, Simon Schama explores the story of inoculation, charting the individuals and organisations who played a pivotal role in its use against deadly diseases including plague, smallpox and cholera. (Ad) Simon Schama is the author of Foreign Bodies: Pandemics, Vaccines and the Health of Nations (Simon & Schuster, 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%2Fforeign-bodies%2Fsimon-schama%2F9781471169892 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When were the first attempts to summit Mount Everest? Did Mallory really say he wanted to climb it just “because it’s there”? How did climbing expeditions spark diplomatic crises in the 20th century – and what was the ‘Affair of the Dancing Lamas’? To mark the 70th anniversary of the first summit of Everest on 29 May 1953, Dr Jonathan Westaway answers listener questions on the history of Everest mountaineering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re always looking to improve, so it’s really important to us to give you a voice in what we do next. Are you listening during a commute, while you potter around in the garden, or in a nice comfy chair with a cup of tea? We’d love to know how the podcast fits into your life. Have you always wanted us to cover a certain topic, or interview your favourite expert? This is your chance to tell us, so we can give you more of what you want. https://immediateinsiders.com/uc/admin/b7a7/?a=1&b=&c=2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The relationship between politics and history has long been a fraught one – particularly in recent years, when concerns that a political agenda may be shaping our view of the past have been rife. Speaking to Matt Elton, Zareer Masani details his thoughts on whether our view of the past is becoming distorted by present-day political concerns, and discusses his involvement in the scholarly group History Reclaimed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Katherine Parr was not just the “survivor”. She was also a ground-breaking intellectual, passionate religious reformer and canny political player. In episode six of our new series on the dramatic marital history of England’s most notorious monarch, Dr Estelle Paranque and Dr Tracy Borman join Ellie Cawthorne to share the tumultuous life story of Henry VIII’s final wife. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The history of the British empire has often been told as the story of an all-conquering spread of British values and influence across the globe. But, according to historian David Veevers’ new book The Great Defiance, in its early years the progress of the colonial project was much more halting – characterised by resistance, violence and, often, failure. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, David highlights places across the globe where local people put up fierce resistance to Britain’s imperial aims. (Ad) David Veevers is the author of The Great Defiance: How the World Took on the British Empire (Ebury, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Defiance-world-British-Empire/dp/1529109957/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

William the Conqueror famously defeated King Harold at the battle of Hastings in 1066. But in order to achieve this victory, he first had to get his army (and some 2000 horses) across the sea from Normandy. So how exactly did he manage that gargantuan task? Speaking to David Musgrove, Rebecca Tyson reveals how a wealth of maritime knowledge and experience was required to pull off this extraordinary feat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Black Death unquestionably wrought a horrific death toll in the mid-14th century, but did it also sweep in social and cultural changes that eventually led to the rise of Europe? Professor James Belich certainly thinks so, and he lays out his argument in new book The World The Plague Made. Speaking to David Musgrove, James considers how the inventiveness required in a depopulated world led to global changes with long-term consequences. (Ad) James Belich is the author of The World the Plague Made: The Black Death and the Rise of Europe (Princeton University Press, 2022). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/World-Plague-Made-Black-Europe/dp/0691215669/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The first half of the 19th century witnessed the rise of an extraordinary working-class campaign for political reform: Chartism. What made this movement so remarkable was its size and sophistication – and the level of anxiety it provoked among the British establishment. But who were the Chartists? Why was the authorities' reaction to them so draconian? And did they actually achieve any of their aims? Speaking with Spencer Mizen, Joan Allen answers your top questions about Chartism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before being scattered across different kingdoms, Catherine de’ Medici, Elisabeth de Valois and Mary, Queen of Scots spent many years of their formative years at the French court. Speaking to Lauren Good, Leah Redmond Chang explores the bonds between these extraordinary women and considers how French king Henry II’s death changed the course of their futures in unexpected ways. (Ad) Leah Redmond Chang is the author of Young Queens: Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power (Bloomsbury, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Young-Queens-Three-Renaissance-Women-ebook/dp/B0B4DP7TMZ/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Catherine Howard was a teenaged bride who captivated King Henry VIII, but was brought down by secrets from her past that refused to remain buried. In episode five of our new series on the dramatic marital history of England’s most notorious monarch, Ellie Cawthorne is joined by Kate McCaffrey and Dr Tracy Borman to rehabilitate the executed queen’s image. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ramesses II is the only pharaoh in history to be known as ‘the great’, but does he deserve that title? Was he the pharaoh in the Exodus story? And was his mummy really given a passport when he travelled to France? Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson has just written a new biography of Ramesses and he answered these questions and more in conversation with Rob Attar. (Ad) Toby Wilkinson is the author of Ramesses the Great: Egypt's King of Kings (Yale University Press, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ramesses-Great-Egypts-Kings-Ancient/dp/0300256655/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Look at a Tudor family portrait, and you’ll often find children depicted like miniature adults, standing confidently alongside their parents in their doublets and dresses. But how far is this an accurate portrayal of what childhood was like in the 16th century? Nicholas Orme, author of new book Tudor Children, joined Emily Briffett to talk about the lives of young people in the era, from nursery rhymes and moralistic bedtime stories, to playtime, punishment and more. (Ad) Nicholas Orme is the author of Tudor Children (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%2Ftudor-children%2Fnicholas-orme%2F9780300267969 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was Richard I homosexual, and would it matter if he was? Although he was known to have shared a bed with the King of France, according to Dr Gabrielle Storey, that was part and parcel of being a king in the Middle Ages. Speaking to Kev Lochun, she unpicks the debates surrounding Richard I’s sexuality, explores what his life tells us about concepts of masculinity in the medieval era, and considers why we need to be careful about applying modern labels to historical figures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was the decade that saw the fall of the Soviet Union, the rise of Tony Blair and the landmark Good Friday Agreement. But what was behind the landslide victory of New Labour? How did the death of Princess Diana change the monarchy? And was ‘Cool Britannia’ really that cool? Speaking to Spencer Mizen, Alwyn Turner answers listener questions on Britain in the 1990s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The story of East Germany has been largely told in the context of Cold War geopolitics. But while the country may have been an ideological battleground, ordinary life there still carried on regardless – people picked up supplies at the local shop, took their kids to school and enjoyed trips to the cinema. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, Katja Hoyer reexamines the experiences of ordinary people in the GDR to uncover a new perspective on the communist state. (Ad) Katja Hoyer is the author of Beyond the Wall: East Germany, 1949-1990 (Penguin, 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%2Fbeyond-the-wall%2Fkatja-hoyer%2F9780241553787 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anne of Cleves is remembered as a comedy anecdote, a figure of mockery who repulsed King Henry VIII on first sight. But her reputation deserves to be rescued from this myth. In episode four of our new series on the dramatic marital history of England’s most notorious monarch, Dr Elizabeth Norton and Dr Tracy Borman join Ellie Cawthorne to reveal how the so-called “Flanders mare” was in fact a much-admired woman with a full, fascinating and independent life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1848, a tidal wave of revolution swept across Europe – from Sicily to Paris, Berlin to Vienna. But what sparked this cascade of unrest, and how can we explain its apparent synchronicity? Speaking to Matt Elton, Christopher Clark charts the causes of the uprisings, and explores the consequences on the continent in the following decades. (Ad) Christopher Clark is the author of Revolutionary Spring: Fighting for a New World 1848-1849 (Penguin, 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%2Frevolutionary-spring%2Fchristopher-clark%2F9780241347669 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we take it for granted that we can meet friends at an agreed time, work a set amount of paid hours, or catch a train before it leaves. But so much of the fabric of our modern lives is entirely dependent on one thing: the ability to accurately tell the time. Watchmaker and author Rebecca Struthers joins Ellie Cawthorne to chart the long history of watches and other timekeepers, and reveals how they have revolutionised humanity’s perception of time. (Ad) Rebecca Struthers is the author of Hands of Time: A Watchmaker's History of Time (Hodder & Stoughton, 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%2Fhands-of-time%2Frebecca-struthers%2F9781529339031 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices