The HistoryExtra podcast brings you gripping stories from the past and fascinating historical conversations with the world's leading historical experts.
HistoryExtra is a free history podcast, with episodes released six times a week. Subscribe now for the real stories behind your favourite films, TV shows and period dramas, as well as compelling insights into lesser-known aspects of the past.
We delve into global history stories spanning the ancient world right up to the modern day. You’ll hear deep dives into the lives of famous historical figures like Cleopatra, Anne Boleyn and Winston…
HistoryExtra's 46-minute episode explores disability in medieval and early modern Europe, challenging modern assumptions that the past was uniformly hostile to disabled people. Host Rae Gillibrand interviews Emily Briffett to examine how bodily difference was understood, what assistive technologies existed, and what…
Worth it if you're interested in social history, disability studies, or correcting assumptions about pre-modern life, and want a focused 46-minute introduction to how medieval societies actually supported disabled people.
HistoryExtra's 37-minute episode explores the surprisingly dramatic history of vanilla, challenging the modern association of the word with blandness. Host Matt Elton interviews Eric T Jennings, author of 'Vanilla: The History of an Extraordinary Bean' (shortlisted for the 2026 Cundill History Prize), who traces how…
Worth it if you enjoy food history, enjoy learning how everyday items have surprising backstories, or want a quick introduction to vanilla's role in colonial and commercial history.
HistoryExtra's episode on alchemy features historian and adventurer Kit Chapman discussing his award-winning book *The Age of Alchemy*, which won the 2026 Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize. Chapman, interviewed by host Emily Briffett, explores how alchemy—often stereotyped as bubbling vials and mystical…
Worth it if you're interested in Renaissance intellectual history, the origins of modern science, or want to understand alchemy beyond popular stereotypes.
