Episodes

  • Edward Colston: life of the week

    Edward Colston: life of the week
    Jul 13 2026
    Edward Colston was a philanthropist and slave trader in the 17th and 18th centuries. He is infamous today for the fact that a statue of him was pulled down by a crowd of protestors in central Bristol in 2020 and dumped in the river. Richard Stone explores his life, in conversation with David Musgrove, and considers how we should understand his complex legacy today. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST If you'd like to know more about the impact of the Barbary pirates on British society, check out this fascinating article by Adam Nichols detailing a personal story of an Englishwoman who was captured by them: https://bit.ly/3PXXrlf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    40 mins
  • Was Elizabeth Báthory really a serial killer?

    Was Elizabeth Báthory really a serial killer?
    Jul 12 2026
    Elizabeth Báthory is history's most prolific female serial killer and took pleasure in bathing in the blood of virgins... or so the story goes. In this episode, Shelley Puhak challenges that idea. Speaking to Isabel King, Shelley describes the complex campaign of disinformation that Elizabeth faced, and reveals the truth behind the legend. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST To find out more about accusations of 'witchcraft' throughout history, don't miss our HistoryExtra Academy course: https://bit.ly/4sH8VaM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    40 mins
  • What did the American Revolution really achieve?

    What did the American Revolution really achieve?
    Jul 11 2026
    How revolutionary was the American Revolution, and how far do 18th-century arguments about liberty and property still shape US politics today? In the final episode of HistoryExtra’s four-part series, Elinor Evans is joined by Adam IP Smith to explore the end of the American Revolutionary War and the complicated legacy that followed. Beginning with Cornwallis’s surrender at Yorktown, they discuss Britain’s decision to cut its losses, the 1783 Treaty of Paris, the global consequences of the conflict, and the winners and losers of independence. ––––– GO BEYOND THE PODCAST To find all the further reading mentioned in this series, head to our curated list, which includes archive podcast episodes and video clips on battles, key figures and more, all available in the HistoryExtra app: https://bit.ly/42OYGpt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    35 mins
  • The captain's wife who took command

    The captain's wife who took command
    Jul 9 2026
    In the middle of the 19th century, the world's fastest ships raced across oceans carrying cargo, and the fortunes of ambitious young sea captains. In this episode, author Tilar J Mazzeo explores one voyage that produced an unlikely maritime legend. Speaking to Elinor Evans, Mazzeo shares the remarkable life of Mary Ann Patten, who found herself commanding a clipper ship after her husband fell gravely ill during a perilous passage around Cape Horn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    46 mins
  • What could you eat in Georgian London?

    What could you eat in Georgian London?
    Jul 7 2026
    Much of what was eaten by inhabitants of Georgian London is, perhaps surprisingly, familiar to us today. In this episode, Peter Ross takes Lauren Good on a culinary journey through the city – from people pocketing baked potatoes on their way home in the small hours to explaining why jelly was considered an aphrodisiac. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST To find out more about what was eaten in the Georgian period, listen to another of Lauren's interviews on the podcast, with Amy Boyington, where they explore the weird and wonderful dishes in the dining rooms of the wealthy: https://bit.ly/3QFSZI1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • Pablo Picasso: life of the week

    Pablo Picasso: life of the week
    Jul 6 2026
    From his birth in 1881 to his death in 1973, Pablo Picasso lived a life as revolutionary as his art. A child prodigy who transformed modern art, his story is one of genius, reinvention, scandal and relentless creativity. In this episode, Danny Bird speaks to Sue Roe about the passions and upheavals that shaped the pioneer behind Cubism and masterpieces such as Guernica. They explore Picasso’s rise from the bohemian streets of Paris to global fame, his turbulent relationships with the women who inspired his work, and the restless imagination that defined him until the very end. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST To find out more about Picasso’s masterpiece Guernica, the Spanish Civil War and the history behind the atrocity that inspired him to paint it, head over to the HistoryExtra website where you can read a feature written by historian, Paul Preston: https://bit.ly/4xeYOwB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    44 mins
  • When football became a weapon of the Cold War

    When football became a weapon of the Cold War
    Jul 5 2026
    The Cold War cast a shadow over all aspects of life – including the world's favourite sport. All sides of the ideological divide used football to score political goals. Tony Shaw and Alan McDougall talk Spencer Mizen through some of the most explosive Cold War footballing clashes in a story that takes in Pele, Eusebio, North Korean upsets and a galloping major. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST To listen to our podcast with journalist David Horspool about Britain’s long love affair with sport – from medieval jousts to the mega-bucks premier league – go to: https://bit.ly/44faORD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • How Britain lost America

    How Britain lost America
    Jul 4 2026
    After declaring independence, the United States still had to survive a brutal conflict. In the third episode of HistoryExtra's four-part series on the American Revolutionary War, Elinor Evans and Adam IP Smith explore the military realities of the American Revolution: George Washington’s leadership, the importance of France, and the turning points that changed the conflict. ––––– GO BEYOND THE PODCAST To find all the further reading mentioned in this series, head to our curated list, which includes archive podcast episodes and video clips on battles, key figures and more, all available in the HistoryExtra app: https://bit.ly/42OYGpt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    36 mins