Episodes

  • Tempting treats & festive feats: christmas shopping down the ages

    Tempting treats & festive feats: christmas shopping down the ages
    Dec 11 2024
    As we get closer to Christmas, many people will be heading out to the shops to look for the perfect presents. And this mad dash in search of festive gifts is nothing new. In this episode, Annie Gray, author of The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker: A History of the High Street, takes Emily Briffett on a tour of our historical festive spending habits, from the horrors of visiting a Victorian butcher's shop to enormous seasonal turkey parades and outrageous stunts involving elephants. (Ad) Annie Gray is the author of The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker: A History of the High Street (Profile Books, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bookshop-Draper-Candlestick-Maker-History/dp/1800812248/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. Annie Gray takes listeners on a shopping trip through the history of Britain's high streets: https://link.chtbl.com/kTqN1EaD. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • Robert the Bruce: life of the week

    Robert the Bruce: life of the week
    Dec 10 2024
    Robert the Bruce may be lauded as a Scottish national hero, a noble warrior who fended off the English and claimed a spectacular victory at the battle of Bannockburn. But how to true to life is this glowing image? This year marks the 750th anniversary of Robert's birth, and Emily Briffett spoke to Fiona Watson to reveal how Robert's path to the throne was more ruthless and murky that it may initially seem. Helen Carr tells the story of the battle of Bannockburn here: https://link.chtbl.com/-qmj0G5R. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    54 mins
  • Germany's postwar reinvention

    Germany's postwar reinvention
    Dec 9 2024
    In 1945, Germany lay in ruins – both physically and morally. Nearly 80 years after the Second World War, it has since been transformed into an economic powerhouse and a leader on the world stage. Historian Frank Trentmann discusses this remarkable journey with Danny Bird, exploring Germany's Cold War division, guilt over its Nazi past, the nation's deep-rooted approach to environmental matters, and the evolving political landscape since Reunification. (Ad) Frank Trentmann is the author of Out of the Darkness: The Germans, 1942-2022 (Allen Lane, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Out-Darkness-1942-2022-Frank-Trentmann/dp/0241303494/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. Listen to Daniel Cowling on Germany in the immediate aftermath of WW2 here: https://link.chtbl.com/Zn-AW5OQ. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    46 mins
  • Robot history: everything you wanted to know

    Robot history: everything you wanted to know
    Dec 8 2024
    When did automatons first emerge? Which science-fiction depiction of robots is the most accurate? And why did so many people fall for a hoax machine called the "Mechanical Turk"? In conversation with Spencer Mizen, author and academic Kerry McInerney answers some of the most pressing questions on the history of robots. Michael Wooldridge explores our fascination with – and fear of – AI: https://link.chtbl.com/vUZSSfjm. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    37 mins
  • Britain's wild republican decade

    Britain's wild republican decade
    Dec 6 2024
    For some, it's hard to imagine Britain without a king or queen. Yet, nearly 400 years ago, that prospect became a reality. In January 1649, after a bloody civil war, King Charles I was put on trial, found guilty and beheaded. The 11 years that followed witnessed a bold republican experiment that dominated the lives of those across Britain and Ireland. In this episode, Danny Bird speaks to Alice Hunt about her new book on this revolutionary chapter in history. She discusses a transformative decade which saw some of the 17th century's greatest literary and scientific minds cut their teeth, busts some myths about Cromwell's puritan cronies, and reveals how Britain’s republican decade has left an indelible mark on its modern monarchy and constitution. (Ad) Alice Hunt is the author of Republic: Britain’s Revolutionary Decade, 1649-1660 (Faber & Faber, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Republic-Britains-Revolutionary-Decade-1649-1660/dp/0571303196/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. Ronald Hutton answers listener questions on Cromwell’s Protectorate: https://link.chtbl.com/9rP72VAb. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • Tudor England | 2. Daily life

    Tudor England | 2. Daily life
    Dec 5 2024
    What was the most popular pastime of the Tudor age? Why was bathing even once a month considered dangerous? And how could living alongside your pets help save on your heating bill in the 16th century? In this second episode of our series Tudor England: the big questions, Emily Briffett and Tracy Borman roam the towns and villages of Tudor England, painting a vivid picture of daily life – from fun and games to your chances of surviving the sweating sickness. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    43 mins
  • Kublai Khan: ruler of the waves

    Kublai Khan: ruler of the waves
    Dec 4 2024
    Genghis Khan may have built a formidable land empire, but his grandson Kublai Khan mastered the seas. So how did a nomadic leader come to have such a formidable navy – and conquer China in the process? Emily Briffett spoke to Jack Weatherford about his new book on the subject, Emperor of the Seas, to find out more. (Ad) Jack Weatherford is the author of Emperor of the Seas: Kublai Khan and the Making of China (Bloomsbury Continuum, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Emperor-Seas-Kublai-Making-China/dp/1399417738/?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
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    46 mins
  • Princes in the Tower: could this new discovery solve the mystery?

    Princes in the Tower: could this new discovery solve the mystery?
    Dec 3 2024
    The disappearance of the princes in the Tower in 1483 is one of British history's most enduring mysteries. But a brand new discovery made by Professor Tim Thornton may offer some more clues about what happened to the young royals – and who was responsible. Tim's findings are the subject of a new documentary Princes in the Tower: A Damning Discovery, airing on Channel 5 this evening. Joined by the show's presenter Tracy Borman, Tim shares more details of his discovery, and what it means for this centuries-old cold case, with Ellie Cawthorne. Find out more about the findings in Princes in the Tower: A Damning Discovery, which airs Tuesday 3 December, 9pm on Channel 5 & My5. Or you can find the full academic overview of Professor Thornton’s research and discovery here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1468-229X.13430 The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    36 mins