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Victorian visions of the future
Episode 1505
When the Victorians imagined the 21st century, they pictured a world powered by the wonders of electricity, with smartly dressed men in impeccable suits whizzing around on flying machines, getting th…
Published on 3 years, 1 month ago
Queens in the Age of Chivalry
Episode 1504
The 14th century was an era of high drama in England – from the toppling of two kings and the Hundred Years’ War to the Black Death and Peasants’ Revolt. Speaking with Emily Briffett, bestselling his…
Published on 3 years, 1 month ago
The Crimean War: everything you wanted to know
Episode 1503
The Crimean War of 1853-6 saw Russia clash with an alliance of forces including Britain, France and the Ottoman empire. But what were the causes of the conflict? Why does it still exert such a hold o…
Published on 3 years, 1 month ago
Writing the history of the modern monarchy
Episode 1502
Recent years have seen a flurry of historical dramas and documentaries surrounding the modern monarchy, with historians and commentators debating whether or not they offer a fair depiction of the roy…
Published on 3 years, 1 month ago
The Mary Rose | 4. inside the Tudor treasure trove
Episode 1501
When the Mary Rose was rescued from the seafloor, it wasn’t just a large timber hull that was salvaged – more than 19,000 historical objects were dredged from the depths alongside it. These artefacts…
Published on 3 years, 1 month ago
A whistle-stop tour around the world in AD 1500
Episode 1500
To mark HistoryExtra’s 1500th episode, Jerry Brotton takes Ellie Cawthorne on a whistle-stop tour around the world in AD 1500, from the powerful dynasties of Eurasia and the rich culture of Ming dyna…
Published on 3 years, 1 month ago
Are period dramas damaging history?
Episode 1499
How important is it for period dramas to accurately reflect the past? What ethical issues are raised by actors playing fictionalised versions of real people? And does the media depict historians and …
Published on 3 years, 1 month ago
Pharaohs' pants & knightly toilet troubles: teaching history to kids
Episode 1498
How exactly do you get children interested in history? Public historian Greg Jenner discusses his new children’s book You Are History, and explains to David Musgrove how you can build bridges to the …
Published on 3 years, 1 month ago
Medieval excommunication: eternal damnation or no big deal?
Episode 1497
In Christian-dominated medieval Europe, what did it mean to be excommunicated? How much of an earth-shattering punishment was it, and what can excommunications tell us about the attitudes of people i…
Published on 3 years, 1 month ago
The gunpowder plot: everything you wanted to know
Episode 1496
What drove a group of plotters to attempt to blow up the king on 5 November 1605? To what extent did the conspiracy sour relations between Protestants and Catholics? And why do we continue to be so f…
Published on 3 years, 1 month ago