They wore WHAT? Medieval men dressed differently than you think
Join Dr Mortimer for the first instalment of the journey, travelling through A to D. Did you know medieval cows were a fraction of the size of today's? That men's…
Here’s what your medieval ancestors could REALLY afford to eat
In this HistoryExtra Academy, historian Ian Mortimer continues his A-Z of life in 14th-century England, exploring how dramatic changes in climate helped plunge communities into famine, why a skilled worker…
Ian Mortimer on the extraordinary scale of the Black Death and how its aftermath transformed England’s social order
Discover the terrifying diseases that people feared most, the extraordinary scale of the Black Death and how its aftermath helped transform England’s social order. Meet a famous medieval 'traveller', and…
Ben at the Chalke History Festival
explains this medieval illustration of a nun picking penises off a tree to History Extra
The history behind your favourite William Morris designs
At a time when factories were reshaping society, Morris and his contemporaries believed mass production was damaging not only the lives of workers, but also the beauty and meaning of…
HistoryExtra podcast: Attenborough: a life on screen
This May marks the 100th birthday of leading British documentary-maker and natural historian David Attenborough. But what's the longer history of wildlife broadcasting? What inspired Attenborough to report back from…
HistoryExtra podcast: How to pull off a Georgian dinner party
A dinner party in a beautifully decorated Georgian dining room might sound sophisticated, even romantic – but planning such events was not for the faint-hearted. Amy Boyington advises Lauren Good…
HistoryExtra podcast: George Orwell’s final chapter
Did you know that George Orwell only found national acclaim as an author in the final years of his life, as his health was worsening? Or that, with the growing…
HistoryExtra podcast: History’s most mysterious manuscripts
What do exploding bats and amphibious galleons have in common? They're both fascinating features of some of the world's most mysterious manuscripts, as revealed by journalist and author Garry J…
History Extra podcast: What your hands say about you – according to history
What do your hands reveal about you? Historian Alison Bashford joins Elinor Evans to explore the extraordinary history of how people have interpreted the human hand. From ancient divination to…