HistoryExtra Long Reads

The gunpowder plot: how to build a radical Mar 03, 2025

The experiences that radicalised Guy Fawkes and his gunpowder plot co-conspirators into violent extremists sound all too familiar today. This Long Read, written by Lucy Worsley, tells a story of religious clashes, state-sanctioned torture and comrades-in-arms willing to die for the cause.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the January 2025 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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The battle of Monte Cassino: a hill to die on Feb 24, 2025

In early 1944, the Allied advance in Italy was brought to a halt at a rocky outcrop called Monte Cassino. This Long Read, written by historian James Holland, explores how flawed leadership was to blame for the bloodbath that followed.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the January 2025 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Why sex was a sin in the Middle Ages Feb 17, 2025

Celibacy barely merits a mention in the Bible. Yet, by the early Middle Ages, it was being celebrated as a shortcut to a seat next to God. In this Long Read written by Diarmaid MacCulloch, we explore Christianity’s long love affair with sexual abstinence.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the Christmas 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Ptolemy XII: Cleopatra's father from hell Feb 10, 2025

The tragic fate of Cleopatra has long overshadowed her predecessor, Ptolemy XII. But, as this Long Read written by Diana T Nikolova explains, it’s impossible to understand the daughter’s downfall without exploring the father’s hapless reign.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the Christmas 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Keep smiling: the history of happiness Feb 03, 2025

What can history teach us about how to find joy? In this Long Read written by Katie Barclay, we share five lessons from the past about the pursuit of happiness – from the warmth family can provide to the pleasures of curling up with a good book.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the Christmas 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Winston Churchill: still the greatest? Jan 27, 2025

Of all the figures in the pantheon of British history, Winston Churchill is consistently ranked amongst the greatest. But how far does this legendary legacy stretch? In this Long Read written by David Reynolds, we ponder whether the wartime leader continues to remain top dog.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the Christmas 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Influencers of the medieval age Jan 20, 2025

Women in the Middle Ages rarely wielded political or economic power – yet, a little like the most persuasive doyennes of social media today, their words could shape minds and lives far beyond their own circles. In this Long Read, written by Hetta Howes, we introduce four female literary and spiritual trailblazers.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the December 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Thomas Cromwell: hero to zero Jan 13, 2025

Thomas Cromwell’s final six months were a Greek tragedy of hubris and political venom – all presided over by a tyrannical king. This Long Read, written by Diarmaid MacCulloch, charts Cromwell’s rapid descent from the very pinnacle of power to the executioner’s block.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the December 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Introducing History's Greatest Scandals | New Podcast Jan 07, 2025

Poisoned sweets. Criminal misdeeds. And a sex scandal involving… the prime-minister.

Listen to HistoryExtra's new podcast History’s Greatest Scandals, delving into the murky underworld of The Victorians. Ellie Cawthorne and historian Professor Rosalind Crone take a journey through the backstreets of 19th-century Britain to explore the darker side of Victorian life. Sneaking into private parlours, descending into candlelit mines, frequenting grim workhouses and paying a visit to an unscrupulous confectioner, uncovering some of the biggest scandals of the day – and explore what they can reveal about Victorian age.

Series 1 launches 7 Jan 2025.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40kQYTz

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/33plhOIkO9rtli5btfziHE

Listen everywhere else by searching: History's Greatest Conspiracy Theories

You can listen ad-free, access episodes early and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here:https://apple.co/4fgRA1d.

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Sarah Biffin: extraordinary artist Jan 06, 2025

One of the most famous British painters of the first half of the 19th century was a woman born without arms or legs. This Long Read, written by Alice Loxton, explores the life and work of an ambitious artist who became a favourite of royalty and was immortalised by Charles Dickens.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the December 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Lord Lucan: what really happened to the missing earl? Dec 30, 2024

Fifty years ago, the notorious peer Lord Lucan vanished following the murder of his children’s nanny, Sandra Rivett. This Long Read, written by Laura Thompson, reviews the case of the disappearing earl – and explores what it reveals about social attitudes of the time.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the December 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Gladiators: tales from the Roman arena Dec 23, 2024

How did gladiators supercharge the rise of Julius Caesar? And why were they seen as sex symbols? As the new film directed by Ridley Scott, Gladiator II, arrives in cinemas, this Long Read written by Guy de la Bédoyère tells the story of this brutal form of mass entertainment through six of its most significant and surprising moments.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the December 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Audacious lady swindlers, con-women and hustlers Dec 16, 2024

New BBC series Lady Swindlers with Lucy Worsley tells the stories of female criminals from the 18th to 20th centuries. Their chicanery often earned them great riches, yet, their schemes didn’t always go to plan… This Long Read, written by series consultant Rosalind Crone, examines six case studies that reveal a dark criminal underworld of drug-deals, sly-grog and a queen of thieves.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the November 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Edward of Warwick: the other prince in the tower Dec 09, 2024

The 1499 execution of Edward of Warwick snuffed out the final embers of the Wars of the Roses. In this Long Read written by Sarah Norton, we introduce the last male heir to the House of York – and explain why he “had to perish” to secure the crown for Henry VII.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the November 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Mysterious mummification myths Dec 02, 2024

Booby-trapped tombs, eviscerated corpses and terrifying curses – countless ‘facts’ swirl around the burial practices of ancient Egyptians. But which are based in fact, and which are a tissue of lies? In this Long Read written by Campbell Price, we unwrap the truth about mummies.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the November 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Henry V's brutal youth Nov 25, 2024

Dan Jones reveals how Henry V's youth helped shape him into the pious warrior king we know today

Held hostage at 12, deciding the fate of captives at 14, maimed in battle at 16 – by the time he reached adulthood, the future King Henry V had already learned a series of violent but valuable leadership lessons. In this Long Read, written by Dan Jones, we trace the evolution of ‘Prince Hal’ into a medieval warrior monarch.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the October 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Pigs in the medieval city Nov 18, 2024

Dolly Jørgensen considers why the pig was so vital to urban life in the Middle Ages

They killed children, exhumed dead bodies and caused an almighty stink. So why, asks this Long Read written by Dolly Jørgensen, were our medieval ancestors so dependent on the urban pig?

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the October 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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How we found our bearings: the origins of the four compass points Nov 11, 2024

Jerry Brotton explores the origins of the four points of the compass

Why did the ancient Chinese associate north with power? And what led early Muslims to pray to the south? This Long Read, written by Jerry Brotton, takes us on a journey through the history of the four points of the compass.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the October 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Reading the runes: uncovering the everyday lives of the Vikings Nov 04, 2024

Eleanor Barraclough reads the runes to find out more about day-to-day life during the age of the Vikings

Mysterious characters inscribed on stone, wood and bone have revealed little-known details of everyday Viking life. This Long Read, written by historian Eleanor Barraclough, deciphers the runes to recount tales of love, lust, travel and tragedy from a millennium ago.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the October 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Tales from history's toilets Oct 28, 2024

David Musgrove takes a tour of the historic water closet to uncover how our toilets habits have changed over the centuries

From Roman latrines and medieval communal privies to modern flushing cisterns, the toilet has been completely transformed over the past two millennia. In this Long Read, written by David Musgrove, we head down the u-bend in the company of leading historical experts to explore four different aspects of our changing toilet habits.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the October 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Medieval England's political miracle Oct 20, 2024

From Magna Carta to Parliament, taxation to the law courts, the 13th and 14th centuries laid the foundations for the modern British state. In this Long Read, written by Caroline Burt and Richard Partington, we explore the political revolution that transformed a nation under medieval monarchs from King John to Richard II.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the September 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Dudley Clarke: the spy who hoodwinked Hitler Oct 13, 2024

Dummy tanks at El Alamein, bogus generals in Algiers, sham armies on D-Day – all were ruses masterminded by World War II's master of deception Dudley Clarke. This Long Read, written by Robert Hutton, tells the story of the British soldier who made an art form of duping the Nazis.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the September 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Henry VII: the king they couldn't kill Oct 06, 2024

Why is Henry VII remembered as an intensely suspicious king, wracked by paranoia? According to Nathen Amin, the answer lies in his death-defying rise to power. In this Long Read, written by Nathen, we delve into the turbulent youth of the first Tudor monarch.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the September 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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The suffragettes: masters of PR Sep 29, 2024

The suffragettes crafted a brilliant PR campaign, driven by everything from marching bands to branded marmalade. But did their quest for publicity eventually backfire? In this Long Read, written by Ellie Cawthorne, we revisit the campaigners' battle for hearts and minds.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the September 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Robert the Bruce: the man, the myth, the murderer Sep 22, 2024

Robert the Bruce is famed as a national hero, and lauded for his military exploits against the old enemy of England. But how true is this perception? As Scotland marks Bruce's 750th birthday, this Long Read, written by Fiona Watson, reveals the shadowy side of a ruthless noble who schemed and slaughtered his way to the throne.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the August 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Oliver Cromwell's postal spies Sep 15, 2024

When you place a letter in the hands of your local postal worker, you have faith that they won't take a sneak peek at your messages – but what if these well-trusted characters were secretly spies of the state? Well, that's exactly what people had to be wary of in Cromwell's England. This Long Read, written by Nadine Akkerman and Pete Langman, tells the story of a 17th-century intelligence gathering unit which deployed an array of cunning tricks to intercept and decode enemy communications.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the August 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Dark knights and crusading criminals Sep 08, 2024

The crusades sparked centuries of violence and chaos, and not just on the battlefield. This Long Read, written by Steve Tibble, examines the surge in criminality, from petty theft to cold-blooded murder, that accompanied the warring armies to the Holy Land.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the August 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Women of the Greco-Persian Wars Sep 01, 2024

For so long, women have been excluded from ancient tales of extraordinary world-changing events. Writing them back into the narrative, this Long Read, written by classicist Daisy Dunn, tells the story of the Greco-Persian Wars through the deeds of the extraordinary female figures who shaped them.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the July 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Oradour-sur-Glane: one of WW2's most infamous massacres Aug 25, 2024

On the morning of the 10 June 1944, the residents of Oradour-sur-Glane were going about their lives as normally as was possible in occupied France. Cooking, washing, shopping, playing. Little did they know that they were about to become the victims of one of the most infamous massacres of the Second World War. In this Long Read written by Robert Pike, we record that fateful day eighty years ago.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the July 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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From Tudor to Stuart: a brand new era? Aug 18, 2024

The passing of the English crown from Elizabeth I to James VI and I was welcomed by a nation hungry for change. But, as historian Susan Doran argues in today's Long Read, it wasn't long before tensions began to rise between the incoming king and his new subjects.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the July 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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The madcap Paris Olympics: how chaos nearly derailed the 1900 Games Aug 11, 2024

With the 2024 Summer Olympics taking place in Paris, this Long Read, written by David Goldblatt, describes how the 1900 Games, the first held in the French capital, almost defeated the Olympic ideal before it was even out of the starting blocks.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the August 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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The West Africa Squadron: Britain's war on slave ships Aug 04, 2024

In the early 19th century, a Royal Navy squadron was sent to West Africa to hunt down ships carrying enslaved people to the Americas. The operation was hailed as an act of pure, unselfish philanthropy. Yet, argues this Long Read written by Mary Wills, the reality was far more tangled.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the July 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Club AD 130: a Roman holiday Jul 28, 2024

From cruising down the Nile to carving names into historical monuments, ancient leisure habits don't seem too far from our own. This Long Read, written by Mary Beard, describes what happened when a party of elite Roman holidaymakers – led by the emperor Hadrian – descended on ancient Egypt’s tourist hotspots in AD 130.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the June 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Airborne assault: the spearhead of the D-Day invasion Jul 21, 2024

Hours before the assault on Normandy’s beaches got under way on 6 June 1944, British airborne troops launched an attack on targets in the French countryside. And as Saul David writes in this Long Read marking the 80th anniversary of this pivotal moment, the success of the entire D-Day landings was at stake.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the June 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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The women behind Henry VIII's queens Jul 14, 2024

Banished. Exiled. Died. Widowed. Berated. Survived. The ladies-in-waiting to Henry VIII’s wives were serious political operators with unparalleled access to the royal inner sanctum. In this Long Read written by Nicola Clark, we reveal how six of the most influential navigated the vipers’ nest that was the Tudor court.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the June 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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The Normandy campaign's forgotten naval heroes Jul 07, 2024

Ferrying troops to the beaches wasn’t the only contribution sailors made during the Allied invasion of Normandy. In this special Long Read written by Nick Hewitt, we mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day by revealing how the Allied navies played a pivotal – and often overlooked – role in the Normandy invasion.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the June 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Victorian scandals: sex, sadism & sugared death Jun 30, 2024

Breaking news coverage of outrageous, taboo-busting or immoral behaviour has horrified - and captivated - societies for centuries. And the Victorians were no different. In this Long Read written by historian Rosalind Crone, we investigate eight scandals that shocked Victorian Britain, from widespread panic about a "killer sweet" to an adultery trial that threatened to bring down the prime minister.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the May 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Roman slaves: the hidden lives of the empire's invisible labour force Jun 23, 2024

Rome’s slaves were brutalised, mocked, exploited – or simply ignored. Yet, writes Guy de la Bédoyère in this Long Read, the Roman empire could hardly have functioned without the labours of this captive population.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the May 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Cumbria: the forgotten Anglo-Saxon kingdom Jun 16, 2024

William of Normandy sailed across the Channel and swiftly conquered England in 1066 – or at least that’s how the story goes. But, in this Long Read written by Sophie Thérèse Ambler and James Morris, we reveal how the northern stronghold of Cumbria remained untouched for another 26 years.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the May 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Emily Anderson: codebreaking pioneer Jun 09, 2024

The work of Britain's wartime cryptanalysts is now well known, but there is one woman whose contribution has gone largely unrecognised – Emily Anderson. In this Long Read, written by Jackie Uí Chionna, we examine the life of the linguist and musicologist who became the nation's most senior female codebreaker.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the April 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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1924's British Empire Exhibition: the empire’s last hurrah? Jun 02, 2024

When the British Empire Exhibition opened its doors in Wembley a century ago – featuring exotic pavilions, sporting spectacles and even a replica of Tutankhamun’s tomb – it wowed visitors. But, as we explore in this Long Read written by Matthew Parker, it also spoke of a superpower in decline.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the May 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Beastly Victorians: battling animal abuse in the 19th century May 26, 2024

Helen Cowie marks the RSPCA's 200th anniversary by returning to its roots campaigning against vicious Victorian animal cruelty

They rescued mutilated dogs, prosecuted bull baiters, and denounced the slaughter of exotic birds. As the RSPCA marks its 200th anniversary, this Long Read, written by Helen Cowie, reveals how campaigners took the fight to animal abusers in the 19th century.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the April 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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The battle of Meggido: ancient Egypt at war May 19, 2024

Nicky Nielsen traces the progress of a brutal 15th-century BC battle that saw supercharged the rise of Egypt's greatest warrior pharaoh

Recovering the stories of ancient battles that happened thousands of years ago can be very difficult. But as one of the first battles to have been recorded in relatively reliable detail, the brutal battle of Megiddo, fought in 15th century BC, stands out in the historical record. In this Long Read written by Nicky Nielsen, we tell the story of a battle that supercharged the rise of Egypt's greatest warrior pharaoh.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the April 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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WW1's Eastern Front: the forgotten theatre of war? May 12, 2024

Nick Lloyd considers why, despite its scale and legacy, the First World War's Eastern Front has been overshadowed by its Western counterpart

In both scale and ferocity, the fighting on the Eastern Front from 1914 to 1917 outdid even the Western Front. So why has Eastern Europe become the forgotten theatre of the First World War? In this Long Read, written by Nick Lloyd, we explore an understudied, but equally horrifying, side to the conflict.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the April 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Life beyond the margins: female diarists through time May 05, 2024

Sarah Gristwood delves into the diaries of women that have previously been lost to time to reveal what they can tell us about the past

From meditations on grief to musings on motherhood, diaries can reveal a great deal about women's lives over the centuries. In this Long Read written by Sarah Gristwood, we turn the pages of some of history's most fascinating and overlooked examples.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the April 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Knights! Camera! Action!: the Middle Ages on film Apr 28, 2024

From the heroic glamour of Henry V to the heady nationalism of Braveheart, the medieval era has proven a rich source of material for film directors. In this Long Read, Robert Bartlett charts Hollywood's long obsession with the Middle Ages.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the March 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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From the Knights Templar to the killing of JFK: the enduring power of conspiracy theories Apr 21, 2024

Who shot JFK? Was Elizabeth I a man? And did aliens really land at Roswell? Conspiracy theories abound in modern society – but these kinds of rumours and speculations have also been pervasive in the past. In this long read, Rob Attar, host of the HistoryExtra podcast series Conspiracy, draws on the expertise of leading historians to investigate the enduring power of conspiracy theories.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the March 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Mary vs Elizabeth: sisters at war Apr 14, 2024

By the end of her reign, Mary I’s relationship with her half-sister and successor, Elizabeth, was at an all-time low. But had the Tudor siblings always been such bitter enemies? In this Long Read, Nicola Tallis reveals how the duo’s bond was both broken and strengthened by events beyond their control.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the March 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Alexandria: the ancient world's greatest city Apr 07, 2024

When Alexander the Great founded a settlement at the junction of three continents in 331 BC, he created a metropolitan powerhouse that would shape global history. In this Long Read, Islam Issa hails the genius of ancient Alexandria – a colourful, multicultural and thoroughly modern city.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the March 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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The war on grey squirrels Mar 31, 2024

The grey squirrel’s domination of Britain’s woodland over the past 150 years has enraged everyone from gamekeepers to prime ministers. In today's Long Read, written by Peter Coates, we discover how the ‘American tree rat’ became the furry mammal that Britons loved to hate.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the February 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Medieval breastfeeding: an act of love Mar 25, 2024

What can the history of breastfeeding tell us about medieval society? In this Long Read, written by Hannah Skoda, we explore stories of miracle cures, bizarre beliefs and caring communities.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the February 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Death and alcohol on Victorian canals Mar 18, 2024

Today, Britain’s canals are ideal places to enjoy a leisurely cruise – but in the 19th century, they had a vastly different reputation. In this Long Read, written by Susan Law, we reveal how these waterways once served as the settings for brutal acts of alcohol-fuelled violence.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the February 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Wonderlust: exploring the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Mar 11, 2024

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were daring and dazzling constructions that have burned bright in the human imagination right up to the modern day. In this Long Read written by Bettany Hughes, we follow in the footsteps of the ancients to explore their remarkable stories.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the February 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Labour’s leap to power Mar 04, 2024

In January 1924, Ramsay MacDonald entered 10 Downing Street as Britain’s first Labour prime minister. As Richard Toye reveals in today's Long Read, MacDonald's rapid rise stunned his rivals, but it wasn’t long before they were preparing their revenge...

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the January 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Shakespeare: playing with the past Feb 26, 2024

Recently, we marked the 400th anniversary of the publication of the First Folio, a collection of plays by William Shakespeare. To celebrate this landmark in literary history, in today's Long Read, eight historical experts offer their takes on what the Bard's plays reveal about enduring themes including love, death, power and money.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the January 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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The Bloomsbury Group: the new radicals Feb 19, 2024

The Bloomsbury Group transformed British culture in the early 20th century – and its impact can still felt across the world today. So, how did this small set of artists, writers and thinkers become so influential? In today's Long Read, Frances Spalding argues that the answer lies in the strong bonds between its members.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the January 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Lady Killers: what murder scandals reveal about Victorian society Feb 12, 2024

What can brutal murders reveal about society at the time they were committed? And what additional insights can we gain when those killings were committed by women? In today's Long Read, Rosalind Crone, historical consultant on the BBC series Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley, reveals what six murder cases can tell us about women’s lives in the 19th century.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the January 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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The long death of the Roman Republic Feb 05, 2024

Julius Caesar's murder is often seen as the event that ushered in the age of emperors. Yet, argues Shushma Malik in today's Long Read, structural weaknesses had plagued Rome's republic long before his death.