47m ·
Published
23 Apr 23:00
Were the Aztecs really obsessed with death and sacrifice? Did they have a pantheon of deities similar to the ancient Greeks or Romans? And how did a magical gem change the fortune of the Aztec people? Speaking to Emily Briffett, Camilla Townsend delves into their myths, legends and folklore to reveal a society bursting with life and colour. (AD) Camilla Townsend is the author of The Aztec Myths: A Guide to the Ancient Stories and Legends (Thames and Hudson). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aztec-Myths-Ancient-Stories-Legends/dp/0500025533/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
41m ·
Published
22 Apr 23:00
David Lloyd George regularly features in lists of Britain’s greatest prime ministers. Born in Manchester and raised in rural Wales, the Liberal luminary helped lay the foundations of the modern welfare state and went on to lead the nation during the final two years of the First World War. But there is far more to Lloyd George’s life and career, as Professor Richard Toye tells Jon Bauckham in this episode of our 'Life of the Week' series. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
44m ·
Published
21 Apr 23:00
From etchings scratched into the earliest monuments, to the spray can designs that appear on structures today, the urge to leave our mark is universal. But in 18th-century Britain, the nature of graffiti changed; both exploding in popularity and becoming much more radical in nature. Speaking to Elinor Evans about her new book, Writing on the Wall, Madeleine Pelling explores this shift. She investigates the stories behind scraps of graffiti, from chalk markings made by soldiers and sex workers, to glyphs scratched onto windows by famed poets, and reveals what they can tell us about life in 18th-century Britain. (AD) Madeleine Pelling is the author of Writing on the Wall: Graffiti, Rebellion and the Making of 18th-century Britain (Profile). 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%2Fwriting-on-the-wall%2Fmadeleine-pelling%2F%2F9781800811997. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
27m ·
Published
20 Apr 23:00
Were highwaymen really as dashing and gentlemanly as the stories would have us believe? How did these bandits pick the best locations to rob from the rich? And how much of the legend surrounding Dick Turpin is actually true? Speaking to Lauren Good, Bob Shoemaker answers listener questions on highwaymen – and reveals the truth behind their glamorous reputations. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
37m ·
Published
18 Apr 23:00
Africa's story has long been presented in western narratives as one that only 'began' with the arrival of non-Africans – yet modern science has revealed that the African continent was, in fact, the cradle of humanity itself. Zeinab Badawi speaks to Danny Bird about her new book that puts Africans firmly in charge of the telling of their continent's rich history – one that spans millennia of great civilisations, long-overlooked deeds of great men and women, and the African instinct to thrive in adversity. (Ad) Zeinab Badawi is the author of An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence (WH Allen, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/African-History-Africa-Humanity-Independence/dp/0753560127/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.URp_LAKHkzuEJR64At4TXjVGAbKt5Qodjj-n3C0sjpiwi7X6VuFyx4DXO3-3AygZ.eiBWV_si59ZvHOJy8XNzCx0ordvmcgBBG5e3_rMxkck&dib_tag=se&qid=1711628678&refinements=p_27%3AZeinab+Badawi&s=books&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
45m ·
Published
17 Apr 23:10
In the summer of 1940, the skies over Britain filled with the sounds as of engines and gunfire, as the battle of Britain saw the RAF and Luftwaffe go head-to-head in a fight for air dominance. For the British pilots, the objective could not have been more critical – protect their nation from the threat of Nazi invasion. But were the British pilots really the plucky underdogs in this fight? And could Germany have launched an invasion if they had won the air battle over Britain? In the first episode of this five-part series on the greatest battles of WW2, Rachel Dinning explores those questions and more with military historian James Holland. James Holland is a military historian and the author of several books on the Second World War including The Battle of Britain: Five Months that Changed History. He's the co-founder of the Chalke History Festival - which runs from 24-30 June this year. Find out more about the festival's extensive programme of history talks and events at chalkefestival.com. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
40s ·
Published
17 Apr 23:00
Did Allied victory in the Second World War really hinge on the battle of the Atlantic? What made Stalingrad such a pivotal victory for the Soviet Union? And how did forces adapt to desert warfare at El Alamein? In our new five-part series, WW2's Greatest Battles, we're charting five of the pivotal moments that shaped the course of the conflict, with author and military historian, James Holland. New episodes will drop every Thursday, on the HistoryExtra podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
39m ·
Published
16 Apr 23:00
Henry Kissinger, who died in November 2023 at the age of 100, was one of the most significant, and controversial, figures of the 20th century. Matt Elton spoke to historian Rana Mitter about the American diplomat’s life and legacy. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
37m ·
Published
15 Apr 23:00
Famously branded "mad, bad and dangerous to know", Lord Byron captured the imagination – and attention – of early 19th-century Britain with his soul-bearing poetry, decadent lifestyle and torrid love affairs. In this Life of the Week episode, Corin Throsby speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about how the Romantic poet became the era's most scandalous celebrity. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
32m ·
Published
14 Apr 23:00
Since it first hit TV screens back in 2009, Horrible Histories has brought Terry Deary and Martin Brown’s hugely successful series of books to an entire generation of children. As it marks its 15th anniversary, Matt Elton speaks to three members of the team behind the show that mixes comedy songs, gruesome deaths and a talking rat. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
