History Extra podcast: Bandits & blasphemers: crime in 17th century Scotland
Which crimes were most common in Scotland in the 17th century – and what can those crimes reveal about society at the time? In today's episode, we're delving into a…
History Extra podcast: Art Deco: everything you wanted to know
In the interwar period, a movement emerged that brought together architecture, fashion, and even typography that echoed the hopes, anxieties and ambitions of the early 20th century. Charting the rise…
Ghosts, vampires & Abba holograms: an uncanny history of London
Millions of tourists flock to London each year, eager to snap a selfie in front of Buckingham Palace or Big Ben. But beyond the crowds lies a darker – and…
Fatherhood: a short history
What does it mean to be a father? When did people first start talking about men as 'father figures'? And how has the concept of fatherhood changed over the millennia?…
Dangerous delights: Victorian Britain’s cocaine habit
In the 19th century, a magic new drug took the medical community by storm, riding a wave of scientific endeavour. But, as this Long Read written by historian Douglas Small…
Daily life in the age of Queen Elizabeth I
Join Professor Tracy Borman as she uncovers the vibrant world of 16th-century life—from the Tudor queen's unusual habits and her dazzling dress sense to the lavish lifestyles of courtiers and…
Why Africa’s history is more than just the slave trade
Has our focus on the impact of the transatlantic slave trade blinded us to the diversity and complexity of Africa's past? That's one of the arguments at the heart of…
The Great Stink: everything you wanted to know
Why, in the 1850s, was the excrement of thousands of people being deposited straight into the Thames? How lethal were Victorian London's cholera outbreaks? And why is Joseph Bazalgette one…
Robot history: everything you wanted to know
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…
The Indian Rebellion of 1857: everything you wanted to know
What ignited resentment at British rule in India into outright violence? How brutal was British troops' suppression of the uprising? And how did the events of 1857 poison relations between…