HistoryExtra Long Reads

Mob rule: the rise of the mafia

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 23:00:00 -0000

The 20th century was a golden age for organised crime groups. This Long Read written by Ryan Gingeras reveals how gangs from the Sicilian Mafia to Mexico’s cartels capitalised on political chaos, economic upheaval and mass migration to spread their tentacles around the world.

Today's feature originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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What Shakespearean food reveals about early modern England

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 23:00:00 -0000

Shakespeare and his peers served up hearty helpings of diverse dishes and ingredients – many of them spiced with forgotten meanings. This Long Read written by Sam Bilton reveals how food allusions illustrate five key themes of everyday life.
Today's feature originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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A Victorian murder mystery

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 23:00:00 -0000

By 1889, Jack the Ripper's grisly murders had sparked terror throughout London. So when the mutilated body of a woman was found beneath railway arches near the Thames, a coded alert was dispatched to warn metropolitan police divisions: "Another Whitechapel." But her killer wasn't Jack. Following her recent BBC Two series, this Long Read, written by Lucy Worsley, investigates the horrifying crimes of the Thames Torso murderer.

Today's feature originally appeared in the February 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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How empires end

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 23:00:00 -0000

How do civilisations collapse? That was the question at the heart of Edward Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Two hundred and fifty years after it was published, this Long Read, written by Guy de la Bédoyère, argues that Gibbon's magnum opus remains a landmark in the writing of history.

Today's feature originally appeared in the February 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Why Britain turned its back on the goose step

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0000

Extremism was on the march across continental Europe in the 1920s and 1930s – yet Britons chose a different, more moderate path. This Long Read, written by Alwyn Turner, explores why Britain largely tuned out the strongman theatrics and held to a more moderate course.

Today's feature originally appeared in the February 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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1066: not just the Norman Conquest

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0000

1066 is synonymous with the battle of Hastings. Yet while Duke William of Normandy was launching his conquest of England, the rest of Europe had its own crises to contend with. This Long Read written by Charles West takes us on a tour of the continent during this dramatic year.

Today's feature originally appeared in the January 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Medieval England’s terror of the living dead

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0000

At the turn of the 12th century, two men from a Staffordshire village died suddenly. Their lifeless bodies were taken to the local graveyard and solemnly laid to rest – but a few days later, they were apparently spotted walking around the village, with their coffins on their backs. This Long Read written by John Blair investigates the medieval terror of the living dead.

Today's feature originally appeared in the January 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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How the SAS reinvented itself after WW2

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0000

Britain’s War Office thanked the SAS for its remarkable efforts in WW2 by abolishing it – yet soon realised the error of its ways. This Long Read written by Gavin Mortimer tells the story of how the elite unit reinvented itself to confront the challenges of the postwar world.

Today's feature originally appeared in the January 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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How the Vikings menaced the Mediterranean

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0000

Killing, burning, pillaging, enslaving. Even when heading to sunnier climes, Viking raiders deployed the same tactics that they had used along the shores of northern and western Europe, as this Long Read written by Thomas Williams reveals.

Today's feature originally appeared in the January 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Victorian murders most female

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0000

Women accused of violent murders have often faced assumptions about their motives and disbelief that the ‘gentle sex’ could commit such bloody crimes. This Long Read written by Rosalind Crone investigates four such cases from the 19th century.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from HistoryExtra Magazine, the new name for BBC History Magazine. Today’s feature originally appeared in the Christmas 2025 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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The bizarre beginnings of the Winter Olympics

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0000

Boxing and football? In a Winter Olympics? In October? Held in 1908, the first ever Winter Games was an experimental affair – but, according to this Long Read written by Martin Polley, it was one that sowed the seeds for future and snowier competitions.

Today's feature originally appeared in the February 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Air raids and arias: Britain's WW2 operatic obsession

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0000

As the conflict with Nazi Germany raged on, British tram drivers tuned in to Tchaikovsky and waitresses revelled in Wagner. But why? This Long Read written by Alexandra Wilson explores the surprising Second World War obsession with opera.

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How many Bayeux Tapestries were there?

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0000

David Musgrove investigates whether the iconic embroidery was simply one of many

A new theory, put forward by Professor John Blair, questions whether the world-famous embroidery was unique. In this Long Read, David Musgrove asks the experts whether there could have more than one ‘Bayeux Tapestry’.

Today’s feature originally appeared in the December 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Julius Caesar: he came, he saw, he crucified pirates...?

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0000

Ancient accounts of Julius Caesar’s early life depict an all-action hero who outwitted tyrants and terrorised bandits. But can they be trusted? This Long Read written by David S Potter investigates...

Today’s feature originally appeared in the December 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Margaret Beaufort: schemer or opportunist?

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0000

Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII, is often characterised as a domineering woman who plotted her son’s rise to the throne. But how true is that depiction? This Long Read, written by Lauren Johnson, explores the life of the founding matriarch of the Tudor dynasty.

Today’s feature originally appeared in the December 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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How Spain became a democracy

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0000

Spain's transition from dictatorship to democracy in the late 1970s surely counts as one of modern Europe’s most remarkable stories. On the 50th anniversary of General Franco’s death, this Long Read written by Paul Preston explores how pluralism arose from the ashes of tyranny.

Today’s feature originally appeared in the December 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Beyond Jane Austen

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0000

Jane Austen was a brilliant observer of Georgian Britain – but she couldn’t speak for everyone. The author’s books depict an evocative slice of early 19th-century life, but many aspects of the Regency era are only hinted at in her novels, as this Long Read written by Lizzie Rogers reveals.

Today’s feature originally appeared in the Christmas 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Santa Claus vs Father Christmas

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0000

The true identity of the white-bearded, red-robed figure who fills children’s stockings at Christmas has long been debated. This Long Read written by Thomas Ruys Smith sizes up the merry contenders.

Today’s feature originally appeared in the Christmas 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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WW2's U-boat war: a theatre of hate?

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0000

Did German U-boats conduct a ‘clean’ campaign during the Second World War? Or were they guilty of routinely murdering survivors in the water? In this Long Read, written by Roger Moorhouse, we weigh up the evidence.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the November 2025 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Doctor, doctor: remarkable medieval medical cures

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 16:00:00 -0000

What did medieval physicians prescribe for stomach ache? Could weasels’ testicles really help you conceive? In this Long Read. written by James Freeman, we delve into the sources to find eight curious cures from the Middle Ages.

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Spectral beasts and hounds from hell

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0000

From infernal black dogs attacking churches to ravening, red-eyed brutes on remote roads, Britain has long been haunted by fearsome canine phantoms. This Long Read, written by Karen R Jones, explores what these stories can tell us about societies past.

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The slippery truth of the Dreyfus Affair

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0000

The wrongful conviction for treason of a Jewish army captain in France in the late 19th century exposed antisemitism and virulent nationalism – and also, as this Long Read written by Mike Rapport reveals, sparked a flood of fake news that presaged the worst of the modern media landscape.

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1066: who was the rightful king?

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0000

Which of four main contenders for the English throne in 1066 had the strongest claim? Was it the Anglo-Saxon strongman, the Norman duke, the ‘Thunderbolt of the North’ or a callow teenager? This Long Read, written by Caitlin Ellis, sizes up the rivals...

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the October 2025 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Carthage: the making of Rome's monster

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0000

In the second century BC, Roman troops razed the city of Carthage and obliterated its civilisation. So why, asks this Long Read written by Eve MacDonald, did the victors remain obsessed by their conquered foes for the next 200 years?

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Treachery, deceit and the death of the Tudor dynasty

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0000

Did James I 'steal' Elizabeth I's crown? This Long Read, written by Tracy Borman, considers evidence that the transition from Tudor to Stuart dynasties may not have been quite as seamless as we've been led to believe.

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The Assassins: a reign of terror

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0000

In the 12th century, a sect of killers spread fear across the Middle East, executing a series of high-profile political murders. This Long Read, written by Steve Tibble, introduces the original Assassins.

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Victoria's secret love affair

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 23:00:00 -0000

There have long been whispers of a romance between Queen Victoria and her Scottish servant John Brown, but nothing concrete to support them. This Long Read – written by historian Dr Fern Riddell, author of an explosive new book on the subject – reveals how she turned sleuth to track down evidence of their secret passion.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the September 2025 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Æthelstan: England's colossus

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 23:00:00 -0000

The rise of Æthelstan was as important a moment in English history as 1066 and Magna Carta. On the 1,100th anniversary of his coronation, this Long Read, written by David Woodman, salutes a king who forged a nation.

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Hiroshima's atomic plague

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 23:00:00 -0000

In the wake of the nuclear attacks on Japan, the official Allied line was that radiation sickness was not a danger. Yet, as this Long Read written by Steve O'Hagan reveals, the first Western journalist to witness the effects on the people of Hiroshima told a very different story.

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The sinister secrets of Samuel Pepys

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 23:00:00 -0000

His diaries are revered for their kaleidoscopic evocation of Restoration England. Yet a fresh analysis of Pepys’ world-famous journals – carried out by Guy de la Bédoyère – reveals a man with a proclivity for coercion and sexual violence. This Long Read written by Guy explores this dark side to the famous diarist.

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Horses: medieval war machines

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 23:00:00 -0000

From William the Conqueror’s battle-winning cavalry to Richard III’s fatal final charge, this Long Read written by Oliver H Creighton and Robert Liddiard explores five moments when horsepower changed the course of medieval military history.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the August 2025 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Victorian boxing sensations

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 23:00:00 -0000

From unholy fights in the most sacred of spaces to downing glasses of sherry for breakfast, this Long Read written by Sarah Elizabeth Cox introduces the pugilists who punched their way into Britons’ affections during the dying days of bare-knuckle prize-fighting.

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Mary of Modena: a queen in the eye of a storm

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 23:00:00 -0000

She was an Italian Catholic in a ferociously anti-papist English court. An aspiring nun in a hotbed of hedonism. In this Long Read written by historian Breeze Barrington, we follow the extraordinary trials and tribulations of James II & VII’s second wife, Maria of Modena.

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Art deco: designs for life

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 23:00:00 -0000

In the interwar era, artists and designers embraced a sleek modern style that embodied the optimism and elegance of the age. On the centenary of the Paris expo that launched Art Deco on the international stage, this Long Read written by historian Emma Bastin explores its origins and impacts.

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Elizabeth I's forbidden love

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 23:00:00 -0000

In 1579, Queen Elizabeth I embarked on a romance with a French duke she affectionately dubbed her “frog”. The pair seemed destined for marriage. Yet, writes historian Elizabeth Tunstall in this Long Read, the people of England had other ideas…

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the July 2025 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Swings and roundabouts: a history of British playgrounds

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 23:00:00 -0000

We all have childhood memories of playgrounds. But what can the evolution of outdoor play in Britain tell us about the experience of being young over the past 200 years? This Long Read, written by historian Jon Winder, serves up a history of sandpits, bombsites and battles with cars.

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Julius Caesar's funeral drama

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 23:00:00 -0000

The assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC drove tensions sky-high in ancient Rome. As this Long Read written by historian Jessica Clarke reveals, plays staged at his funeral were carefully chosen to inflame anger and incite revenge on his killers.

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Live Aid at 40

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 23:00:00 -0000

When Bob Geldof exhorted audiences to fill Wembley Stadium and empty their pockets for famine relief in Ethiopia, he changed the face of charity fundraising – and of live music. Forty years on, this Long Read written by David Hepworth – one of the BBC presenters on the day – explores the legacy of Live Aid.

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Inside the Luftwaffe during the battle of Britain

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 23:00:00 -0000

When the Battle of Britain erupted, many Luftwaffe pilots anticipated a swift victory. Yet soon that confidence had been replaced by chronic fatigue and a crippling fear of drowning in “dirty water”. This Long Read written by aviation historian Victoria Taylor charts the mental disintegration of Hitler’s flyers.

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Spiked drinks, counterfeit coins and the lodgers from hell

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 23:00:00 -0000

Drugging, fraud, even murder – women couldn’t really commit such heinous crimes, could they? Written by historian Rosalind Crone, this Long Read explores five audacious female-led felonies from the 18th and 19th centuries which bust misconceptions about women's lives in the past.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the June 2025 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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The Ambassadors: painting on the precipice

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 23:00:00 -0000

Hans Holbein’s masterwork The Ambassadors is an exquisite portrait of two 16th-century diplomats. But, as well as being artistically impressive, the painting is also crammed with symbols and hidden messages. This Long Read written by historian Tracy Borman deciphers the clues hidden in Holbein's work that betray the turbulence of a fateful year.

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The women who shaped Malcolm X

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 23:00:00 -0000

Malcolm X became one of the most influential leaders in the US civil rights movement – thanks largely, explains this Long Read written by historian Ashley D Farmer, to the women who shaped his life and ideas.

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Spartacus: Rome's worst nightmare

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 23:00:00 -0000

When the Spartacus revolt erupted in 73 BC, it exposed a terrifying truth: that the cocksure Roman Republic was nowhere near as invincible as it liked to believe. This Long Read written by historian Guy de la Bédoyère takes up the story.

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Scotland's season of the witch

Sun, 22 Jun 2025 23:00:00 -0000

In 16th and 17th-century Scotland, many hundreds of ‘witches’ were put to death – 10 times the proportion executed in England. This Long Read written by Martha McGill asks what drove the killings.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the May 2025 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Why the Great Famine devastated Ireland

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 23:00:00 -0000

When blight began devastating potato crops across Ireland in 1845, British officials immediately recognised the dangers. And yet, within six years, the Great Famine had caused the deaths of at least 1 million people. This Long Read written by Padraic X Scanlan tells the story of how tangled Anglo-Irish relations and a profound devotion to market forces turned a crisis into a national catastrophe.

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Why the ancient Egyptians worshipped wine

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 23:00:00 -0000

For the ancient Egyptians, wine played a pivotal part in mythology, ritual and the natural processes that enabled their survival. This Long Read written by Islam Issa explores six key roles it fulfilled in their society over the millennia.

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Matchless monsters: female murderers in early modern Britain

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 23:00:00 -0000

Men committed the majority of violent crimes in Tudor and Stuart England. But when women murdered, the press had a field day. This Long Read, written by author and historian Blessin Adams, asks what drove society’s gleeful fascination with its “angels of death”.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the April 2025 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Richard III's remains: how science identified the king in the car park

Sun, 25 May 2025 23:00:00 -0000

When the remains of Richard III were rediscovered under a car park, Turi King led the verification team that worked on the skeleton – proving with 99.999% certainty that it was indeed that of the long-lost medieval king. As 2025 sees in the 10th anniversary of Richard’s reburial service, this Long Read written by King reflects on how science finally cracked this 500-year-old cold case.

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Josephine Baker: dancer, activist, spy

Sun, 18 May 2025 23:00:00 -0000

Today she’s widely remembered as a risqué entertainer – yet she was also involved in many of the earth-shaking events of her era. As 2025 sees the 50th anniversary of Josephine Baker’s death, this Long Read written by Anna Maria Barry tells the story of a 20th-century icon.

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Was Charles I a tyrant?

Sun, 11 May 2025 23:00:00 -0000

The reviled king was condemned to death as a “Tyrant, Traitor, Murderer and Public Enemy”. But, as 2025 marks the 400th anniversary of his accession, how fair does that judgment seem today? This Long Read, written by Jonathan Healey, offers his verdict...

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VE Day: was it really one big party?

Sun, 04 May 2025 23:00:00 -0000

It’s been 80 years since Britons heard the news that the war in Europe was over. But how did those who lived through VE Day remember the moment? With the help of the BBC WW2 People’s War archive, this Long Read written by John Willis reveals a day of partying, remembrance and continuing sacrifice.

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Dangerous delights: Victorian Britain's cocaine habit

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 23:00:00 -0000

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 reveals, it wasn’t long before the dark side of this miraculous substance began to emerge.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the March 2025 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Mercia: the lost kingdom

Sun, 20 Apr 2025 23:00:00 -0000

Battered by the Vikings, outshone by King Alfred, Mercia has long been painted as the also-ran of the Anglo-Saxon world. Yet, as this Long Read written by Max Adams considers, this mighty Midlands kingdom was at the very heart of the emergence of England.

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Did Ronald Reagan 'make America great again'?

Sun, 13 Apr 2025 23:00:00 -0000

This year has seen Donald Trump retake the US presidency, repeating his vow to ‘make America great again’. But he’s not the first to wield such a slogan, as this Long Read written by Phil Tinline explores. Back in the 1980s, Ronald Reagan stood for election with the same promise. Did he deliver?

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Fingers, frogs and fairies: fortune telling in early modern Britain

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 23:00:00 -0000

Fortune telling was all the rage in the 16th and 17th centuries, and practitioners would stop at nothing to tap in to the supernatural. This Long Read written by Martha McGill tells a story of Highland seers, tarot cards and encounters with the spirit world.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the February 2025 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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WW2 evacuees: when Britain escaped to the country

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 23:00:00 -0000

It was a moment of possibilities, dislocation – and dread. This Long Read, written by Dan Todman, tells the story of the 1.5 million urban Britons evacuated to the countryside at the start of the Second World War.

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500,000 years of African history

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0000

Slavery, exploitation and racism. These tragedies have long dominated histories of Africa. But there’s another way to tell this story. And, as this Long Read written by Luke Pepera explains, it’s one that puts Africans right at the centre of their continent’s extraordinarily rich and vibrant past.

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Henry III and the Magna Carta that mattered

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0000

King John’s sealing of Magna Carta at Runnymede in 1215 is one of the most feted moments of the Middle Ages. Yet, as this Long Read written by David Carpenter explains, it was in fact a charter issued by his son 10 years later that became fundamental to England’s history.

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Marco Polo's adventures: lands of make believe?

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0000

Marco Polo’s adventures in Asia earned him lasting fame. But are his accounts of these travels essentially works of fiction? In this Long Read, historian Peter Jackson investigates whether we can trust this medieval travel-writing superstar.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the January 2025 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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The gunpowder plot: how to build a radical

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0000

The experiences that radicalised Guy Fawkes and his gunpowder plot co-conspirators into violent extremists sound all too familiar today. This Long Read, written by Lucy Worsley, tells a story of religious clashes, state-sanctioned torture and comrades-in-arms willing to die for the cause.

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The battle of Monte Cassino: a hill to die on

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0000

In early 1944, the Allied advance in Italy was brought to a halt at a rocky outcrop called Monte Cassino. This Long Read, written by historian James Holland, explores how flawed leadership was to blame for the bloodbath that followed.

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Why sex was a sin in the Middle Ages

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0000

Celibacy barely merits a mention in the Bible. Yet, by the early Middle Ages, it was being celebrated as a shortcut to a seat next to God. In this Long Read written by Diarmaid MacCulloch, we explore Christianity’s long love affair with sexual abstinence.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the Christmas 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Ptolemy XII: Cleopatra's father from hell

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0000

The tragic fate of Cleopatra has long overshadowed her predecessor, Ptolemy XII. But, as this Long Read written by Diana T Nikolova explains, it’s impossible to understand the daughter’s downfall without exploring the father’s hapless reign.

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Keep smiling: the history of happiness

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0000

What can history teach us about how to find joy? In this Long Read written by Katie Barclay, we share five lessons from the past about the pursuit of happiness – from the warmth family can provide to the pleasures of curling up with a good book.

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Winston Churchill: still the greatest?

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0000

Of all the figures in the pantheon of British history, Winston Churchill is consistently ranked amongst the greatest. But how far does this legendary legacy stretch? In this Long Read written by David Reynolds, we ponder whether the wartime leader continues to remain top dog.

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Influencers of the medieval age

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0000

Women in the Middle Ages rarely wielded political or economic power – yet, a little like the most persuasive doyennes of social media today, their words could shape minds and lives far beyond their own circles. In this Long Read, written by Hetta Howes, we introduce four female literary and spiritual trailblazers.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the December 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Thomas Cromwell: hero to zero

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0000

Thomas Cromwell’s final six months were a Greek tragedy of hubris and political venom – all presided over by a tyrannical king. This Long Read, written by Diarmaid MacCulloch, charts Cromwell’s rapid descent from the very pinnacle of power to the executioner’s block.

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Introducing History's Greatest Scandals | New Podcast

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0000

Poisoned sweets. Criminal misdeeds. And a sex scandal involving… the prime-minister.

Listen to HistoryExtra's new podcast History’s Greatest Scandals, delving into the murky underworld of The Victorians. Ellie Cawthorne and historian Professor Rosalind Crone take a journey through the backstreets of 19th-century Britain to explore the darker side of Victorian life. Sneaking into private parlours, descending into candlelit mines, frequenting grim workhouses and paying a visit to an unscrupulous confectioner, uncovering some of the biggest scandals of the day – and explore what they can reveal about Victorian age.

Series 1 launches 7 Jan 2025.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40kQYTz

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/33plhOIkO9rtli5btfziHE

Listen everywhere else by searching: History's Greatest Conspiracy Theories

You can listen ad-free, access episodes early and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: https://apple.co/4fgRA1d.

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Sarah Biffin: extraordinary artist

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0000

One of the most famous British painters of the first half of the 19th century was a woman born without arms or legs. This Long Read, written by Alice Loxton, explores the life and work of an ambitious artist who became a favourite of royalty and was immortalised by Charles Dickens.

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Lord Lucan: what really happened to the missing earl?

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0000

Fifty years ago, the notorious peer Lord Lucan vanished following the murder of his children’s nanny, Sandra Rivett. This Long Read, written by Laura Thompson, reviews the case of the disappearing earl – and explores what it reveals about social attitudes of the time.

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Gladiators: tales from the Roman arena

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0000

How did gladiators supercharge the rise of Julius Caesar? And why were they seen as sex symbols? As the new film directed by Ridley Scott, Gladiator II, arrives in cinemas, this Long Read written by Guy de la Bédoyère tells the story of this brutal form of mass entertainment through six of its most significant and surprising moments.

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Audacious lady swindlers, con-women and hustlers

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0000

New BBC series Lady Swindlers with Lucy Worsley tells the stories of female criminals from the 18th to 20th centuries. Their chicanery often earned them great riches, yet, their schemes didn’t always go to plan… This Long Read, written by series consultant Rosalind Crone, examines six case studies that reveal a dark criminal underworld of drug-deals, sly-grog and a queen of thieves.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the November 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Edward of Warwick: the other prince in the tower

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0000

The 1499 execution of Edward of Warwick snuffed out the final embers of the Wars of the Roses. In this Long Read written by Sarah Norton, we introduce the last male heir to the House of York – and explain why he “had to perish” to secure the crown for Henry VII.

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Mysterious mummification myths

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0000

Booby-trapped tombs, eviscerated corpses and terrifying curses – countless ‘facts’ swirl around the burial practices of ancient Egyptians. But which are based in fact, and which are a tissue of lies? In this Long Read written by Campbell Price, we unwrap the truth about mummies.

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Henry V's brutal youth

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0000

Dan Jones reveals how Henry V's youth helped shape him into the pious warrior king we know today

Held hostage at 12, deciding the fate of captives at 14, maimed in battle at 16 – by the time he reached adulthood, the future King Henry V had already learned a series of violent but valuable leadership lessons. In this Long Read, written by Dan Jones, we trace the evolution of ‘Prince Hal’ into a medieval warrior monarch.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the October 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Pigs in the medieval city

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0000

Dolly Jørgensen considers why the pig was so vital to urban life in the Middle Ages

They killed children, exhumed dead bodies and caused an almighty stink. So why, asks this Long Read written by Dolly Jørgensen, were our medieval ancestors so dependent on the urban pig?

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How we found our bearings: the origins of the four compass points

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0000

Jerry Brotton explores the origins of the four points of the compass

Why did the ancient Chinese associate north with power? And what led early Muslims to pray to the south? This Long Read, written by Jerry Brotton, takes us on a journey through the history of the four points of the compass.

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Reading the runes: uncovering the everyday lives of the Vikings

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0000

Eleanor Barraclough reads the runes to find out more about day-to-day life during the age of the Vikings

Mysterious characters inscribed on stone, wood and bone have revealed little-known details of everyday Viking life. This Long Read, written by historian Eleanor Barraclough, deciphers the runes to recount tales of love, lust, travel and tragedy from a millennium ago.

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Tales from history's toilets

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0000

David Musgrove takes a tour of the historic water closet to uncover how our toilets habits have changed over the centuries

From Roman latrines and medieval communal privies to modern flushing cisterns, the toilet has been completely transformed over the past two millennia. In this Long Read, written by David Musgrove, we head down the u-bend in the company of leading historical experts to explore four different aspects of our changing toilet habits.

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Medieval England's political miracle

Sun, 20 Oct 2024 23:00:00 -0000

From Magna Carta to Parliament, taxation to the law courts, the 13th and 14th centuries laid the foundations for the modern British state. In this Long Read, written by Caroline Burt and Richard Partington, we explore the political revolution that transformed a nation under medieval monarchs from King John to Richard II.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the September 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Dudley Clarke: the spy who hoodwinked Hitler

Sun, 13 Oct 2024 23:00:00 -0000

Dummy tanks at El Alamein, bogus generals in Algiers, sham armies on D-Day – all were ruses masterminded by World War II's master of deception Dudley Clarke. This Long Read, written by Robert Hutton, tells the story of the British soldier who made an art form of duping the Nazis.

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Henry VII: the king they couldn't kill

Sun, 06 Oct 2024 23:00:00 -0000

Why is Henry VII remembered as an intensely suspicious king, wracked by paranoia? According to Nathen Amin, the answer lies in his death-defying rise to power. In this Long Read, written by Nathen, we delve into the turbulent youth of the first Tudor monarch.

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The suffragettes: masters of PR

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 23:00:00 -0000

The suffragettes crafted a brilliant PR campaign, driven by everything from marching bands to branded marmalade. But did their quest for publicity eventually backfire? In this Long Read, written by Ellie Cawthorne, we revisit the campaigners' battle for hearts and minds.

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Robert the Bruce: the man, the myth, the murderer

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 23:00:00 -0000

Robert the Bruce is famed as a national hero, and lauded for his military exploits against the old enemy of England. But how true is this perception? As Scotland marks Bruce's 750th birthday, this Long Read, written by Fiona Watson, reveals the shadowy side of a ruthless noble who schemed and slaughtered his way to the throne.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the August 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Oliver Cromwell's postal spies

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 23:00:00 -0000

When you place a letter in the hands of your local postal worker, you have faith that they won't take a sneak peek at your messages – but what if these well-trusted characters were secretly spies of the state? Well, that's exactly what people had to be wary of in Cromwell's England. This Long Read, written by Nadine Akkerman and Pete Langman, tells the story of a 17th-century intelligence gathering unit which deployed an array of cunning tricks to intercept and decode enemy communications.

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Dark knights and crusading criminals

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 23:00:00 -0000

The crusades sparked centuries of violence and chaos, and not just on the battlefield. This Long Read, written by Steve Tibble, examines the surge in criminality, from petty theft to cold-blooded murder, that accompanied the warring armies to the Holy Land.

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Women of the Greco-Persian Wars

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 23:00:00 -0000

For so long, women have been excluded from ancient tales of extraordinary world-changing events. Writing them back into the narrative, this Long Read, written by classicist Daisy Dunn, tells the story of the Greco-Persian Wars through the deeds of the extraordinary female figures who shaped them.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the July 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Oradour-sur-Glane: one of WW2's most infamous massacres

Sun, 25 Aug 2024 23:00:00 -0000

On the morning of the 10 June 1944, the residents of Oradour-sur-Glane were going about their lives as normally as was possible in occupied France. Cooking, washing, shopping, playing. Little did they know that they were about to become the victims of one of the most infamous massacres of the Second World War. In this Long Read written by Robert Pike, we record that fateful day eighty years ago.

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From Tudor to Stuart: a brand new era?

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 23:00:00 -0000

The passing of the English crown from Elizabeth I to James VI and I was welcomed by a nation hungry for change. But, as historian Susan Doran argues in today's Long Read, it wasn't long before tensions began to rise between the incoming king and his new subjects.

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The madcap Paris Olympics: how chaos nearly derailed the 1900 Games

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 23:00:00 -0000

With the 2024 Summer Olympics taking place in Paris, this Long Read, written by David Goldblatt, describes how the 1900 Games, the first held in the French capital, almost defeated the Olympic ideal before it was even out of the starting blocks.

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The West Africa Squadron: Britain's war on slave ships

Sun, 04 Aug 2024 23:00:00 -0000

In the early 19th century, a Royal Navy squadron was sent to West Africa to hunt down ships carrying enslaved people to the Americas. The operation was hailed as an act of pure, unselfish philanthropy. Yet, argues this Long Read written by Mary Wills, the reality was far more tangled.

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Club AD 130: a Roman holiday

Sun, 28 Jul 2024 23:00:00 -0000

From cruising down the Nile to carving names into historical monuments, ancient leisure habits don't seem too far from our own. This Long Read, written by Mary Beard, describes what happened when a party of elite Roman holidaymakers – led by the emperor Hadrian – descended on ancient Egypt’s tourist hotspots in AD 130.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the June 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Airborne assault: the spearhead of the D-Day invasion

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 23:00:00 -0000

Hours before the assault on Normandy’s beaches got under way on 6 June 1944, British airborne troops launched an attack on targets in the French countryside. And as Saul David writes in this Long Read marking the 80th anniversary of this pivotal moment, the success of the entire D-Day landings was at stake.

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The women behind Henry VIII's queens

Sun, 14 Jul 2024 23:00:00 -0000

Banished. Exiled. Died. Widowed. Berated. Survived. The ladies-in-waiting to Henry VIII’s wives were serious political operators with unparalleled access to the royal inner sanctum. In this Long Read written by Nicola Clark, we reveal how six of the most influential navigated the vipers’ nest that was the Tudor court.

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The Normandy campaign's forgotten naval heroes

Sun, 07 Jul 2024 23:00:00 -0000

Ferrying troops to the beaches wasn’t the only contribution sailors made during the Allied invasion of Normandy. In this special Long Read written by Nick Hewitt, we mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day by revealing how the Allied navies played a pivotal – and often overlooked – role in the Normandy invasion.

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Victorian scandals: sex, sadism & sugared death

Sun, 30 Jun 2024 23:00:00 -0000

Breaking news coverage of outrageous, taboo-busting or immoral behaviour has horrified - and captivated - societies for centuries. And the Victorians were no different. In this Long Read written by historian Rosalind Crone, we investigate eight scandals that shocked Victorian Britain, from widespread panic about a "killer sweet" to an adultery trial that threatened to bring down the prime minister.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the May 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Roman slaves: the hidden lives of the empire's invisible labour force

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 23:00:00 -0000

Rome’s slaves were brutalised, mocked, exploited – or simply ignored. Yet, writes Guy de la Bédoyère in this Long Read, the Roman empire could hardly have functioned without the labours of this captive population.

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Cumbria: the forgotten Anglo-Saxon kingdom

Sun, 16 Jun 2024 23:00:00 -0000

William of Normandy sailed across the Channel and swiftly conquered England in 1066 – or at least that’s how the story goes. But, in this Long Read written by Sophie Thérèse Ambler and James Morris, we reveal how the northern stronghold of Cumbria remained untouched for another 26 years.

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Emily Anderson: codebreaking pioneer

Sun, 09 Jun 2024 23:00:00 -0000

The work of Britain's wartime cryptanalysts is now well known, but there is one woman whose contribution has gone largely unrecognised – Emily Anderson. In this Long Read, written by Jackie Uí Chionna, we examine the life of the linguist and musicologist who became the nation's most senior female codebreaker.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the April 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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1924's British Empire Exhibition: the empire’s last hurrah?

Sun, 02 Jun 2024 23:00:00 -0000

When the British Empire Exhibition opened its doors in Wembley a century ago – featuring exotic pavilions, sporting spectacles and even a replica of Tutankhamun’s tomb – it wowed visitors. But, as we explore in this Long Read written by Matthew Parker, it also spoke of a superpower in decline.

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Beastly Victorians: battling animal abuse in the 19th century

Sun, 26 May 2024 23:00:00 -0000

Helen Cowie marks the RSPCA's 200th anniversary by returning to its roots campaigning against vicious Victorian animal cruelty

They rescued mutilated dogs, prosecuted bull baiters, and denounced the slaughter of exotic birds. As the RSPCA marks its 200th anniversary, this Long Read, written by Helen Cowie, reveals how campaigners took the fight to animal abusers in the 19th century.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the April 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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The battle of Meggido: ancient Egypt at war

Sun, 19 May 2024 23:00:00 -0000

Nicky Nielsen traces the progress of a brutal 15th-century BC battle that saw supercharged the rise of Egypt's greatest warrior pharaoh

Recovering the stories of ancient battles that happened thousands of years ago can be very difficult. But as one of the first battles to have been recorded in relatively reliable detail, the brutal battle of Megiddo, fought in 15th century BC, stands out in the historical record. In this Long Read written by Nicky Nielsen, we tell the story of a battle that supercharged the rise of Egypt's greatest warrior pharaoh.

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WW1's Eastern Front: the forgotten theatre of war?

Sun, 12 May 2024 23:00:00 -0000

Nick Lloyd considers why, despite its scale and legacy, the First World War's Eastern Front has been overshadowed by its Western counterpart

In both scale and ferocity, the fighting on the Eastern Front from 1914 to 1917 outdid even the Western Front. So why has Eastern Europe become the forgotten theatre of the First World War? In this Long Read, written by Nick Lloyd, we explore an understudied, but equally horrifying, side to the conflict.

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Life beyond the margins: female diarists through time

Sun, 05 May 2024 23:00:00 -0000

Sarah Gristwood delves into the diaries of women that have previously been lost to time to reveal what they can tell us about the past

From meditations on grief to musings on motherhood, diaries can reveal a great deal about women's lives over the centuries. In this Long Read written by Sarah Gristwood, we turn the pages of some of history's most fascinating and overlooked examples.

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Knights! Camera! Action!: the Middle Ages on film

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 23:00:00 -0000

From the heroic glamour of Henry V to the heady nationalism of Braveheart, the medieval era has proven a rich source of material for film directors. In this Long Read, Robert Bartlett charts Hollywood's long obsession with the Middle Ages.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the March 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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From the Knights Templar to the killing of JFK: the enduring power of conspiracy theories

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 23:00:00 -0000

Who shot JFK? Was Elizabeth I a man? And did aliens really land at Roswell? Conspiracy theories abound in modern society – but these kinds of rumours and speculations have also been pervasive in the past. In this long read, Rob Attar, host of the HistoryExtra podcast series Conspiracy, draws on the expertise of leading historians to investigate the enduring power of conspiracy theories.

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Mary vs Elizabeth: sisters at war

Sun, 14 Apr 2024 23:00:00 -0000

By the end of her reign, Mary I’s relationship with her half-sister and successor, Elizabeth, was at an all-time low. But had the Tudor siblings always been such bitter enemies? In this Long Read, Nicola Tallis reveals how the duo’s bond was both broken and strengthened by events beyond their control.

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Alexandria: the ancient world's greatest city

Sun, 07 Apr 2024 23:00:00 -0000

When Alexander the Great founded a settlement at the junction of three continents in 331 BC, he created a metropolitan powerhouse that would shape global history. In this Long Read, Islam Issa hails the genius of ancient Alexandria – a colourful, multicultural and thoroughly modern city.

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The war on grey squirrels

Sun, 31 Mar 2024 23:00:00 -0000

The grey squirrel’s domination of Britain’s woodland over the past 150 years has enraged everyone from gamekeepers to prime ministers. In today's Long Read, written by Peter Coates, we discover how the ‘American tree rat’ became the furry mammal that Britons loved to hate.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the February 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Medieval breastfeeding: an act of love

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0000

What can the history of breastfeeding tell us about medieval society? In this Long Read, written by Hannah Skoda, we explore stories of miracle cures, bizarre beliefs and caring communities.

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Death and alcohol on Victorian canals

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0000

Today, Britain’s canals are ideal places to enjoy a leisurely cruise – but in the 19th century, they had a vastly different reputation. In this Long Read, written by Susan Law, we reveal how these waterways once served as the settings for brutal acts of alcohol-fuelled violence.

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Wonderlust: exploring the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0000

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were daring and dazzling constructions that have burned bright in the human imagination right up to the modern day. In this Long Read written by Bettany Hughes, we follow in the footsteps of the ancients to explore their remarkable stories.

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Labour’s leap to power

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0000

In January 1924, Ramsay MacDonald entered 10 Downing Street as Britain’s first Labour prime minister. As Richard Toye reveals in today's Long Read, MacDonald's rapid rise stunned his rivals, but it wasn’t long before they were preparing their revenge...

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the January 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Shakespeare: playing with the past

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0000

Recently, we marked the 400th anniversary of the publication of the First Folio, a collection of plays by William Shakespeare. To celebrate this landmark in literary history, in today's Long Read, eight historical experts offer their takes on what the Bard's plays reveal about enduring themes including love, death, power and money.

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The Bloomsbury Group: the new radicals

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0000

The Bloomsbury Group transformed British culture in the early 20th century – and its impact can still felt across the world today. So, how did this small set of artists, writers and thinkers become so influential? In today's Long Read, Frances Spalding argues that the answer lies in the strong bonds between its members.

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Lady Killers: what murder scandals reveal about Victorian society

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0000

What can brutal murders reveal about society at the time they were committed? And what additional insights can we gain when those killings were committed by women? In today's Long Read, Rosalind Crone, historical consultant on the BBC series Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley, reveals what six murder cases can tell us about women’s lives in the 19th century.

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The long death of the Roman Republic

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0000

Julius Caesar's murder is often seen as the event that ushered in the age of emperors. Yet, argues Shushma Malik in today's Long Read, structural weaknesses had plagued Rome's republic long before his death.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the Christmas 2023 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Walter Cowan: Britain's oldest commando

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0000

For some servicemen hardened by a long military career, death in battle is preferable to simply fading away in old age. In this Long Read, Joshua Levine tells the story of one such man, a retired naval officer who leapt bravely back into the fray during the Second World War – at the age of 70.

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Matilda of Scotland: the queen behind the veil

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0000

Matilda of Scotland, wife of Henry I, did perhaps more than any other figure to bridge the chasm between the Anglo-Saxons and their Norman conquerors. So why, asks Joanna Arman in this Long Read, has she been written out of history?

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The Boston Tea Party

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0000

The Boston Tea Party is often cited as a model of peaceful civil protest. But, as Elinor Evans reveals in today's Long Read, on the 250th anniversary of this milestone in America's foundational story, it occurred against a backdrop of bloodshed.

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Race across the Atlantic: 1969's wackiest escapade

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0000

In 1969, everyone from Prince Michael of Kent to Billy Butlin competed in a dash between London and New York aboard tandems, sedan chairs and jump jets. In this Long Read, Rachel Harris-Gardiner recalls a madcap forerunner of BBC's popular reality competition Race across the World.

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The A to B of medieval travel

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0000

From dodging deceitful street hustlers and menacing bandits to dealing with the looming threat of food poisoning, sea sickness and even death, medieval travel could be a dangerous business. In today’s Long Read, Anthony Bale offers eight sage pieces of advice for those planning to pack their bags and embark on a journey to a foreign land in the Middle Ages.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the December 2023 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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The Munich beer hall putsch: a botched coup?

Mon, 25 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0000

From the mid-1920s, Adolf Hitler saw a dramatic transformation in the eyes of the German public – from the buffoon who had botched a coup, to a true patriot who could deliver Germany from chaos. A century on from the Munich Beer Hall Putsch, Frank McDonough explains how Hitler turned a bloody fiasco into a political triumph, in this Long Read.

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Cartoon Century: Disney at 100

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0000

As the Walt Disney Company celebrates its centenary, it seems a fitting time to reflect on the legacy of the iconic House of Mouse. In this Long Read, John Wills traces the company’s story from its early animations to global blockbusters – and the political controversies it courted along the way.

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The crusade against the odds

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0000

Powerful foes, chronic starvation, hostile landscapes – the First Crusade, an 11th-century armed pilgrimage to the holy city of Jerusalem, overcame seemingly insurmountable challenges. In today’s long read, Emily Briffett draws on the expertise of leading medieval historians to reveal how zeal, strategy, and sheer luck secured military success for this ambitious campaign.

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The hellish WW2 battle for Italy

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0000

The Allied invasion of Italy in 1943 was envisaged as a swift push on Rome. Yet, as James Holland explains in today’s long read, by the end of the year, the campaign was stymied by German defences far from the capital.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the November 2023 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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The siege of Calais: a medieval Stalingrad?

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0000

Edward III’s siege of Calais was a pivotal moment in the Hundred Years’ War. In today’s long read, Dan Jones argues that it bears comparison with one of the most brutal clashes of the modern era: the battle of Stalingrad.

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Empire on the brink

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0000

In September 1923, the British empire reached its maximum territorial extent – a staggering 460 million people lived within its borders. Yet just as the imperial project reached its apex, writes Matthew Parker in today’s long read, cracks were widening.

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Anne Boleyn’s fatal French connection

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0000

Anne Boleyn famously spent her youth learning the customs and etiquette of the French court. But how did this extensive education impact her later life, and her approach to queenship? Today’s long read, written by John Guy and Julia Fox, reveals how international diplomacy supercharged the rise of Henry VIII’s second wife – and hastened her fall.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the November 2023 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Eleanor Glanville: butterfly collector

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0000

Today, insects are seen as a vital part of our ecosystem, but in the late 17th century, they were largely overlooked by science. Today’s long read, written by Patricia Fara, tells the story of a groundbreaking lepidopterist whose research provided solace from a turbulent personal life.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the October 2023 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Dick Whittington: London’s golden boy

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 23:00:00 -0000

Over the past 200 years, Dick Whittington has become one of Britain’s best-loved pantomime heroes. Yet, as today’s long read explores, the real-life story that inspired Dick’s rags to riches tale is even more remarkable than the fiction. Based on his interview with author Michael McCarthy, Jon Bauckham considers how this fascinating medieval merchant morphed into an icon of the stage.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the October 2023 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Unearthing Pompeii’s streets

Sun, 15 Oct 2023 23:00:00 -0000

From cobbled alleys and snarky graffiti to bustling communal fountains and holy shrines, Pompeii was a city teeming with life. In today’s long read, written by Sophie Hay, we travel back 100 years to an archaeological dig that transformed our understanding of daily life on its streets.

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Templars on trial

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 23:00:00 -0000

From 1307, members of the Knights Templar were beaten, brutalised and put to death on charges of heresy, Satanism and mass murder. But, asks today’s long read, written by historian Steve Tibble, were this elite band of holy warriors fitted up for crimes they didn’t commit?

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8 scandals that rocked Georgian Britain

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 23:00:00 -0000

From the illicit affairs of high society to duels, crimes and even ghosts, Georgian Britain loved a scandal. Today’s long read, written by historian and author Emily Brand, charts eight of the most shocking.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the September 2023 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Tudor traders: keep calm and ignore the Armada

Sun, 24 Sep 2023 23:00:00 -0000

What did English merchants and mariners do when a Spanish invasion fleet menaced the South Coast in 1588? Well, as today’s long read written by Robert Blackmore reveals, they simply boarded their ships and carried on trading.

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Bannockburn: Scotland’s greatest victory

Sun, 17 Sep 2023 23:00:00 -0000

The image of plucky warriors sending a cocksure English army into flight has secured Bannockburn’s status in the annals of Scottish history. Today’s long read, written by public historian Helen Carr, chronicles how the 1314 clash transformed the balance of power between two warring nations.

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Could WW1 have ended in 1916?

Sun, 10 Sep 2023 23:00:00 -0000

From as early as 1914, powerful voices called for the First World War to end in a negotiated compromise. So, why were they ignored? That’s the question at the heart of today’s long read, written by historian Professor Holger Afflerbach.

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Pax Romana: peace at the point of a sword

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 23:00:00 -0000

Pax Romana brought stability and prosperity to Rome’s vast empire. Yet, argues today’s long read written by historian and broadcaster Tom Holland, behind the dazzling new cities and teeming sea lanes lay the threat of lethal, irresistible violence.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the August 2023 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Roger Mortimer: king of folly

Sun, 27 Aug 2023 23:00:00 -0000

In 1323, Roger Mortimer pulled off an audacious escape from the Tower of London before ejecting Edward II from the English throne. But, as today’s long read written by historian Paul Drybrugh reveals, the rebel baron’s designs on power were ultimately undone by his own big head.

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Britain’s love affair with the NHS

Sun, 20 Aug 2023 23:00:00 -0000

Since its faltering launch in 1948, the National Health Service has become a cherished part of British society. In today’s long read – written by historian Andrew Seaton – we explore how it attained that status.

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The original rogue heroes of the SAS

Sun, 13 Aug 2023 23:00:00 -0000

In today’s long read, we’re bringing you a story of extravagant lies, homemade bombs and adrenaline-pumped commandos, as historian Joshua Levine charts the formative years of the SAS through the exploits of four extraordinary servicemen – Mick Gurmin, Jock Lewes, Mike Sadler and John Tonkin.

HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the July 2023 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Ramesses II: the greatest pharaoh?

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 23:00:00 -0000

Ramesses II was a genius in the art of self-promotion. Epic palaces, jaw dropping temples and sycophantic scribes all projected his brilliance. But, asks author Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson in today’s long read, do the achievements of ancient Egypt's king of kings truly justify the hype?

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The forgotten history of Windrush

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 23:00:00 -0000

The famous voyage of HMT Empire Windrush from Jamaica to Britain 75 years ago did not come out of the blue – it was the product of a tumultuous century in Britain’s relationship with the Caribbean. In today’s long read, author and historian Christienna Fryar reveals how a region was transformed following emancipation.

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HistoryExtra Long Reads

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 23:00:00 -0000

Take a deep dive into the past as we bring you the very best of BBC History Magazine, Britain’s bestselling history magazine. With a new episode released every Monday, enjoy fascinating and enlightening articles from leading historical experts, covering a broad sweep of the centuries – from the scandals of Georgian society to the horrors of the First World War, revolutions, rebellions, and more.

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