HistoryExtra

Glitz, glamour and Gatsby? Not quite. Here’s why the Art Deco movement is darker than you think Art Deco became the defining style of the interwar years. But its bold glamour rested on a questionable patchwork of inspiration from across antiquity, from Tutankhamun’s glittering tomb to majestic A...

Art Deco became the defining style of the interwar years. But its bold glamour rested on a questionable patchwork of inspiration from across antiquity, from Tutankhamun’s glittering tomb to majestic Aztec temples

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https://bit.ly/47DKyCB

10 things you didn’t know about the history (and mystery) of Halloween What is the history of Halloween and when was it first celebrated? Why do we trick or treat? Why do we carve pumpkins? Here, Dr David Clarke from Sheffield Hallam University, an expert on British folk...

What is the history of Halloween and when was it first celebrated? Why do we trick or treat? Why do we carve pumpkins? Here, Dr David Clarke from Sheffield Hallam University, an expert on British folklore, brings you the facts...

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NEW PODCAST ALERT! 'Uprising: The Civil Wars' is the new show from historian @rebeccarideal.bsky.social, @historyextra.bsky.social and @histfest.bsky.social — we're very excited as our members provided some of the 'historical' voices for this series! Check it out: play.megaphone.fm/quvuyhkqs66t...

The ingenious Roman invention that sparked the ancient empire’s obsession with luxury Beneath the mosaic floors of Roman villas, an ingenious system of underfloor heating transformed warmth into a mark of power

Beneath the mosaic floors of Roman villas, an ingenious system of underfloor heating transformed warmth into a mark of power...

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Historian Mark Williams explores the history of Samhain, from its Celtic heritage to its association with modern Halloween… https://bit.ly/4hjMTW9

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The overshadowed ancient empire that rivalled Rome with maritime might and an iron fist Historian Josephine Quinn explores how the Phoenicians and their great colony, Carthage, built a maritime empire that once overshadowed both Greece and Rome

Historian Josephine Quinn explores how the Phoenicians and their great colony, Carthage, built a maritime empire that once overshadowed both Greece and Rome https://bit.ly/3J0JO0T

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History’s smallest billionaire? Meet the tiny titan who was, briefly, the richest man alive Andrew Carnegie stood at just 4 feet 10 inches tall, yet this Scottish immigrant reshaped American industry and philanthropy during the United States’ most explosive era of growth

Find out more about Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish immigrant who reshaped American industry and philanthropy during the United States’ most explosive era of growth https://bit.ly/471dlzI

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Could you survive in the vicious Gilded Age? Here are the original influencer's secrets to success Long before Blair Waldorf ruled Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Alva Vanderbilt was orchestrating social coups, courting scandals and forging feminist crusades that made her the undisputed queen of New Y...

Long before Blair Waldorf ruled Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Alva Vanderbilt was orchestrating social coups, courting scandals and forging feminist crusades that made her the undisputed queen of New York society... https://bit.ly/4hbdntk

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What did the Tudors think was ‘good’ sex? These tips and tricks were key to relationships in the 16th century From the importance of female pleasure to why you might need ribbons in the bedroom, historian Ruth Goodman explores the world of Tudor sex

From the importance of female pleasure to why you might need ribbons in the bedroom, historian Ruth Goodman explores the world of Tudor sex

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https://bit.ly/48z6X54

Ancient Roman theatre was a powerful weapon of empire, so why were actors' lives so tragic? They performed before thousands and could become celebrities, yet actors in ancient Rome were stripped of their civic rights. What was life really like for the men who took to the Roman stage?

They performed before thousands and could become celebrities, yet actors in ancient Rome were stripped of their civic rights. What was life really like for the men who took to the Roman stage?

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https://bit.ly/3IQ8ysV

Think men were always the hunters? Stone Age women took down mammoths too – and that's not all What were the lives of women like throughout the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods? Modern archaeology is only just beginning to provide a clear picture

What were the lives of women like throughout the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods? Modern archaeology is only just beginning to provide a clear picture...

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https://bit.ly/48Qh4Tp

She held wealth, power and prestige: so why did this Georgian aristocrat fake her daughter’s death? Elizabeth Vassall’s audacious deception highlights how wealth, slavery and patriarchy collided in Georgian Britain

Elizabeth Vassall faking her death highlights how wealth, slavery and patriarchy collided in Georgian Britain...

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https://bit.ly/4n5FTxS

The biggest misconceptions about WW2 evacuees? This historian has the answers Britain’s wartime evacuation scheme uprooted millions, but the familiar images of children clutching gas masks hides a much more detailed picture of what evacuees endured during the Second World War, ...

Britain’s wartime evacuation scheme uprooted millions, but the familiar images of children clutching gas masks hides a much more detailed picture of what evacuees endured during the Second World War, and who they were https://bit.ly/4mCZHbI

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Vlad the Impaler was medieval Europe's bloodiest warlord, but is the scale of his murder just a myth? Vlad III Dracula, the brutal warlord and inspiration for Bram Stoker’s genre-defining vampire, has long held a reputation as medieval Europe’s most terrifying ruler. Now, new research asks: how true a...

Vlad III Dracula, the brutal warlord and inspiration for Bram Stoker’s genre-defining vampire, has long held a reputation as medieval Europe’s most terrifying ruler. But how true are the stories of his horrifying crimes? https://bit.ly/4n3R0HP

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‎App of the Day: History Extra: Unlock the past ‎Learn about Discover Stories Textbooks Often Miss on Mac App Store. Download History Extra: Unlock the past and enjoy it on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Download now to watch exclusive episodes in our Tudor Life Academy with Ruth Goodman, plus access thousands of articles by expert historians, our complete archive of podcast miniseries, and discover the real history behind your favourite historical dramas: apps.apple.com/us/story/id1...

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Who was the real James Herriot? The true story behind All Creatures Great and Small The anecdotal works of the veterinarian James ‘Alf’ Wight have captivated readers for decades, been turned into a popular television series and even a must-see tourist attraction. Lauren Good explores...

Lauren Good explores the life and career of James 'Alf' Wight, known better as James Herriot

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Roman homes: everything you wanted to know Podcast Episode · History Extra podcast · 04/10/2025 · 47m

So delighted to have recorded this podcast with the fabulous Emily Briffett @historyextra.bsky.social. Really great to have been talking “all you could want to know about Roman houses”. 😃

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Forget the longships: this is the overlooked story of how the Vikings dominated eastern Europe How did the Norse adventurers of the Viking Age impose themselves upon eastern Europe? Not with longships and raids, says one historian, but through canny adaptation

How did the Norse adventurers of the Viking Age impose themselves upon eastern Europe? Not with longships and raids, says one historian, but through canny adaptation

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https://bit.ly/43fIcHx

An orange graphic with a white HistoryExtra logo in the top left corner. Text reads: Panjandrum (English, 19th century) A self-important person. Originally coined by playwright Samuel Foote

Have you heard of this word?

The overshadowed ancient empire that rivalled Rome with maritime might and an iron fist Historian Josephine Quinn explores how the Phoenicians and their great colony, Carthage, built a maritime empire that once overshadowed both Greece and Rome

Historian Josephine Quinn explores how the Phoenicians and their great colony, Carthage, built a maritime empire that once overshadowed both Greece and Rome https://bit.ly/3J0JO0T

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History’s smallest billionaire? Meet the tiny titan who was, briefly, the richest man alive Andrew Carnegie stood at just 4 feet 10 inches tall, yet this Scottish immigrant reshaped American industry and philanthropy during the United States’ most explosive era of growth

Andrew Carnegie stood at just 4 feet 10 inches tall, yet this Scottish immigrant reshaped American industry and philanthropy during the United States’ most explosive era of growth... https://bit.ly/471dlzI

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Tales of alien sightings and government cover-ups have captured American imaginations for decades – but few with such global appeal as the 'Men in Black'. David Clarke introduces the ufologist who popularised these shadowy space-age legends: https://bit.ly/47gnolE

Really glad you enjoyed it!

Is House of Guinness a true story? Here's the real history behind the Netflix drama Truth and fiction swirl like a recently poured pint of the ‘black stuff' in Netflix's new drama House of Guinness. Here, we unpick what's really known about the family at its centre, and explain the pivotal events in Irish history that are so important ...

Truth and fiction swirl in Netflix’s new drama 'House of Guinness'. Here, we unpick what’s really known about the family at its centre, and explain the pivotal events in Irish history that are so important to the action...

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https://bit.ly/46G9rfk

Were the Amazons just a “male fantasy”? Here’s the truth behind the ancient world’s warrior women Greek myths of the Amazons blended kernels of truth with male fantasy to create a legend that has lasted for millennia. Here’s the truth behind the Amazons, and why the notion of warrior women fascina...

Greek myths of the Amazons blended kernels of truth with male fantasy to create a legend that has lasted for millennia. Here’s the truth behind the Amazons, and why the notion of warrior women fascinated and unsettled the ancient world...

https://bit.ly/4n3Y0oS

These three unsuspecting inventions won the American Wild West – but did they destroy it too? Historian Karen Jones reveals how barbed wire and other surprising inventions transformed the frontier, reshaping the lives of settlers, as well as the land and its peoples

Historian Karen Jones reveals how barbed wire and other surprising inventions transformed the frontier, reshaping the lives of settlers, as well as the land and its peoples

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https://bit.ly/46dey7V

The biggest misconceptions about WW2 evacuees? This historian has the answers Britain’s wartime evacuation scheme uprooted millions, but the familiar images of children clutching gas masks hides a much more detailed picture of what evacuees endured during the Second World War, ...

Britain’s wartime evacuation scheme uprooted millions, but the familiar images of children clutching gas masks hides a much more detailed picture of what evacuees endured during the Second World War, and who they were... https://bit.ly/4mCZHbI

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For ordinary Tudors, death lurked around every corner with these surprising ways to die On the HistoryExtra podcast, historian Steven Gunn reveals what coroners' inquests tell us about everyday Tudor life, and how routine accidents on roads, fields and football pitches turned deadly

On the HistoryExtra podcast, historian Steven Gunn reveals what coroners’ inquests tell us about everyday Tudor life, and how routine accidents on roads, fields and football pitches turned deadly

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https://bit.ly/4nkWMp9

The conqueror's queen: meet the real Matilda of Flanders Matilda of Flanders sits in the shadow of her more famous husband but, writes Tracy Borman, she was an able political player who deserves to be better known

Matilda of Flanders sits in the shadow of her more famous husband but, writes Tracy Borman, she was an able political player who deserves to be better known https://bit.ly/46nLb2N

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