Welcome to the HistoryExtra podcast club
Emily Briffett, Podcast Editorial Assistant
Thanks for visiting our podcast club page, and welcome! This is a space where we’ll be bringing you updates from behind the mic, offering up recommendations for finding out more about the subjects we cover, and giving you a sneak peak of what’s coming up.
Our ‘Everything you wanted to know’ series would be nothing without the brilliant questions we get in from you every week (which often leave me thinking “why didn’t I ask of that?”). Below, there’s a form where you can submit the burning questions you’d like to see answered by our experts. Make sure you check back in regularly, as we’ll update the subjects we’re grilling the historians on for our ‘Everything you wanted to know’ series and any other special episodes we’ve got planned.
No podcast is an island, and as I’m sure many of you already know, it’s just one part of what we do here at HistoryExtra. As well interviewing historians for the podcast, our team have years of experience working on articles for our magazines BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed, and this website, HistoryExtra.com. In fact, we’ve got a veritable treasure trove of historical content at our fingertips, so below we’ll also be offering up some suggestions for fascinating further reading based on recent podcast episodes.
And if you want to be even more in the know, make sure to sign up below for our podcast newsletter, for news, updates and lots more recommendations every other week!
What’s on the podcast now
Believe it or not, we are not only celebrating our 15th anniversary this year but also our 1500th episode! And to mark the occasion, we asked Jerry Brotton to give us a whistlestop tour of the world in the year 1500AD – from the dominating dynasties of Eurasia and the rich culture of Ming dynasty China to the melting pot of Constantinople. If you’re intrigued by the shifting power balances in Africa or want to know more about this moment when the Americas stood on a precipice, this is the episode for you.
Or if our series are more your style, why not check out our latest, celebrating another significant milestone – the 60th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis. When US President John F Kennedy was made aware of the presence of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba on 16 October 1962, the world suddenly stood on the brink of mutually assured nuclear destruction. Listen in as Elinor Evans uncovers how the Cold War confrontation unfolded, from the perspectives of those right in the middle of it.
Coming soon on the HistoryExtra podcast
This Christmas we’ll be dusting off our tin foil hats as we delve the real history behind five historical conspiracy theories – from whether aliens built the pyramids and the moon landings were faked, to whether Adolf Hitler secretly survived in South America or Shakespeare wrote the plays attributed to him. Joined by expert historians, Rob Attar will be exploring why these conspiracies have emerged and, importantly, the extent to which they are – or aren’t – based on historical reality.
We’re also excited to let you in on a little secret – we’re now working on our first series of the new year! Ellie Cawthorne has recently been joined by a raft of top Tudor historians to uncover the dramatic lives of the six wives of Henry VIII, from their own perspectives. You’ll be able to hear that turbulent tale in early 2023.
Step into the 16th century…
Discover more about dynastic dramas
Discover more
Listen to our latest podcast series
About the podcast team
Ellie Cawthorne
Podcast editor, HistoryExtra
Ellie is HistoryExtra’s podcast editor. She also regularly contributes to BBC History Magazine, runs the podcast newsletter and has hosted several live and virtual BBC History Magazine events. Ellie’s podcast recordings generally feature a cup of fruit tea (berry mix), a microphone balanced precariously on a stack of history books and a dress-making mannequin lurking ominously in the background.
Emily Briffett
Podcast editorial assistant, HistoryExtra
Emily is HistoryExtra’s podcast editorial assistant. She also contributes to BBC History Magazine and the HistoryExtra website. Emily usually records her interviews from the comfort of her cosy armchair with her cat pawing determinedly at the door, desperate to be let back in.