History Extra Podcast

From the Roman economy and Angkor Wat to the spread of Buddhism and the numerical system we use today, ancient India was one of the great seedbeds of human civilisation. Indian art, religion, technology and ideas were exported across a vast territory, influencing several Eurasian cultures. Speaking to Danny Bird, bestselling historian William Dalrymple discusses his latest book, The Golden Road, which highlights India's profound impact on global history and uncovers its forgotten role at the heart of the ancient world. (Ad) William Dalrymple is the author of The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World (Bloomsbury, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Golden-Road-Ancient-India-Transformed/dp/140886441X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Hittites were one of the most powerful civilisations in the Near East, building a vast empire that encompassed much of modern-day Turkey. But aside from a few vague references in ancient texts, proof of their existence was not established until the 20th century, when the discovery of more than 10,000 clay tablets laid bare the story of the Hittite kingdom and its rulers. Historian Mark Weeden talks to Jon Bauckham about the rise and fall of this elusive people, and reveals what we can glean from the surviving physical evidence. Listen to our episode with Zainab Bahrani, where she tackles listener questions about the ancient Mesopotamian city of Babylon: https://link.chtbl.com/9xMgWiPX The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In May 1980, TV coverage of the world snooker final was interrupted by live footage of men in black balaclavas abseiling down the walls of the Iranian Embassy in London. This was Operation Nimrod, a daring SAS plan to free dozens of hostages who'd been held captive in the building for almost a week by a group of gunmen. In his new book, bestselling author Ben Macintyre tells the story of the Iranian Embassy siege, from its roots in the Middle East to its incredibly dramatic conclusion. He spoke to Rob Attar about this defining event of Margaret Thatcher's premiership. (Ad) Ben Macintyre is the author of The Siege: The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama (Viking, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Siege-Remarkable-Story-Greatest-Hostage/dp/0241675677/?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

Nothing is more synonymous with ancient Egypt than mummification. But why was this postmortem practice actually performed? And what other rituals and beliefs surrounded death in the ancient civilisation? In the fourth episode of Ancient Egypt: the big questions, Emily Briffett and Campbell Price meet the pantheon of Egypt’s gods and goddesses and take a deep dive into the ancient underworld. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The story of Native American societies decimated by European arrival is a familiar one. But, while undoubtedly important, that’s only one part of the story. In her new book Native Nations, Kathleen DuVal looks back at 1,000 years of the history of North America's Indigenous people to uncover a richer, more complex picture. The book is shortlisted for the Cundill History Prize, of which HistoryExtra is a media partner – Ellie Cawthorne spoke to Kathleen to find out more. (Ad) Kathleen DuVal is the author of Native Nations: A Millennium in North America (Random House, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Native-Nations-Millennium-North-America/dp/0525511032/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. Listen to another fascinating conversation on Native American history with Ned Blackhawk here: https://link.chtbl.com/J6bICRQg. To find out more about the Cundill History Prize and the books shortlisted in 2024, head to www.cundillprize.com The HistoryExtra podcast is prod

From pioneering railways and awe-inspiring bridges to ocean-spanning passenger ships and flatpack hospitals, there was no engineering challenge too ambitious for Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The impressive creations of this cigar-chomping polymath changed the face of Victorian Britain, but, as Tim Bryan tells Ellie Cawthorne in today's 'Life of the week' episode, not all of his innovative ideas were a success. (Ad) Tim Bryan is the author of Iron, Stone and Steam: Brunel's Railway Empire (Amberley, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Iron-Stone-Steam-Brunels-Railway/dp/1398112690/ref=sr_1_1?crid=6ZGR6WI6DAVX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9TpLNZDaoSmGAiUuw0Z9Wg.kwSt3aLudrlvenUjG2s6OxnOA9-x0sffJJYdBG6EzaQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=Iron%2C+Stone+and+Steam+tim+bryan&qid=1722596505&s=books&sprefix=iron+stone+and+steam+tim+bryan%2Cstripbooks%2C76&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

Recent developments in the Russia-Ukraine war have seen Kursk make headlines – provoking parallels with the Second World War battle that took place in the region. But are such links helpful? And how important was the 1943 clash to the wider war? Matt Elton caught up with historian and author Peter Caddick-Adams to find out more. Listen to a 2022 conversation with Keith Lowe, as he discusses how today’s conflict between Russia and Ukraine can be traced back to the Second World War: https://link.chtbl.com/3MLn9TgZ. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why were people tortured in the Middle Ages? Was it ever legal? Did the infliction of physical pain play as large a role in medieval prosecutions as we might think? And did anyone actually experience the deadly embrace of the Iron Maiden? Speaking to Charlotte Hodgman, historian Professor Hannah Skoda answers a range of listener questions on torture in the medieval era. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just how far does our understanding of the medieval past rely upon written sources? And what happens when these precious fragments of knowledge are destroyed? Taking in shocking cases of destruction and disaster, Robert Bartlett tells Emily Briffett about the material that has been lost down the centuries, and the heroic efforts made by scholars and archivists to preserve fragile slivers of information about a past that would be forgotten without them. (Ad) Robert Bartlett is the author of History in Flames: The Destruction and Survival of Medieval Manuscripts (Cambridge University Press, 2024). 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%2Fhistory-in-flames%2Frobert-bartlett%2F9781009457156. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What would an average ancient Egyptian citizen's relationship have been with the pyramids? Why did they wear gooey wax cones on their heads? And what was it like to attend an Egyptian religious ritual? In this third episode of our series Ancient Egypt: the big questions, Emily Briffett and Egyptologist Campbell Price delve into the vibrant world of ancient Egyptian culture – taking in the art, architecture, fashion and festivals. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Were hunter-gatherer societies among the most equal in history? What impact did the French and American Revolutions have on the concept of equality? And has equality been on the retreat over the past three decades? Darrin M McMahon, author of Equality: The History of an Elusive Idea, talks to Spencer Mizen about humanity's enduring obsession with egalitarianism. (Ad) Darrin M McMahon is the author of Equality: The History of an Elusive Idea (Bonnier, 2024). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-HistoryiPad&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fequality%2Fdarrin-mcmahon%2F9781804186831) The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From his famed statue of David to the extraordinary paintings that adorn the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo’s work still inspires awe. In this episode, Professor Catherine Fletcher speaks to Rachel Dinning about the life, legacy and extraordinary artistic output of the Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect and poet. Hear Catherine Fletcher discuss the history of Florence, and offer her tips on Renaissance sites to visit in the city here: https://link.chtbl.com/I4AXl_kl. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The battle of Megiddo is one of the most important battles you've (probably) never heard of. When an army led by Pharaoh Thutmosis III clashed with a coalition of enemy forces 35 centuries ago, Egypt's status as a regional superpower was on the line. Luckily for the Egyptians – as Nicky Nielsen tells Spencer Mizen - Thutmosis had a few surprises up his sleeve… The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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

Ever wondered where an ancient Egyptian did their food shop? Or how crocodile dung could cure your ailments? In this second episode of our series Ancient Egypt: the big questions, Emily Briffett and Egyptologist Campbell Price turn their attention to the day-to-day experiences of ordinary Egyptians, painting a vivid picture of life along the Nile – from family relationships to food and medicine. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From false rumps and fake teeth to toxic skincare and insect-laden wigs, over the past 400 years, British women have resorted to extraordinary lengths in the pursuit of beauty. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, Margarette Lincoln delves into some of these past beauty practices, and considers their impact on the women who engaged in them. (Ad) Margarette Lincoln is the author of Perfection: 400 Years of Women's Quest for Beauty (Yale University Press, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfection-Years-Womens-Quest-Beauty/dp/0300264585/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The year AD 69 found the Roman empire in a state of chaos. Three emperors had come and gone. Civil war reigned supreme. Rome's enemies smelled blood. Enter Vespasian. In the latest instalment of our 'life of the week' series, Guy de la Bédoyère tells Spencer Mizen about an outsider emperor, who helped conquer Britain, crushed the Jewish Revolt and returned peace and prosperity to an empire on the brink. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On 20 December 1848, Ellen Craft placed a top hat on her head, slipped her arm into a sling, and perched dark green glasses on her nose. Once her disguise was complete, Ellen and her husband William embarked on almighty journey. The couple were enslaved, and had assumed fake identities in order to make a bold bid for freedom. But the journey they faced was more than 1,000 miles long, and fraught with danger. Ilyon Woo, author of a Pulitzer-prize winning biography of the Crafts, tells Ellie Cawthorne more about how they managed to make it undetected. (Ad) Ilyon Woo is the author of Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom (Bonnier books, 2024). 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%2Fmaster-slave-husband-wife%2Filyon-woo%2F9781804184851. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcast

The Abbasid caliphs sat at the head of a vast Islamic empire that stretched from Tunisia to the frontiers of India, which they ruled over for several centuries. But how did they first come to power? What tools did they utilise to control such a significant swathe of land? And to what extent were they responsible for a 'Golden Age of Islam'? Speaking to Emily Briffett, Hugh Kennedy charts the rise and fall of a multicultural medieval empire and answers your top questions – on everything from the harem of the strictly structured court to the enormous amount of scholarship that flowed through the caliphate. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices