HistoryExtra Long Reads

Latest Episodes:

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

Show notes

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sarah Biffin: extraordinary artist Jan 06, 2025

Show notes

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

Show notes

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gladiators: tales from the Roman arena Dec 23, 2024

Show notes

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

Show notes

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

Show notes

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mysterious mummification myths Dec 02, 2024

Show notes

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Henry V's brutal youth Nov 25, 2024

Show notes

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pigs in the medieval city Nov 18, 2024

Show notes

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?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

Show notes

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected