History Extra podcast

Tiya Miles explores what an embroidered sack bearing a heart-wrenching inscription can reveal about women’s experiences of slavery in South Carolina

Paul Craddock unravels the delicate yet dangerous history of surgery – from the folk practices of ancient Mesopotamia right up to transformative modern-day developments

On 16 October 1962, US President John F Kennedy was made aware of the presence of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles away from the shores of the United States. The 13 October days that followed were some of the most dangerous in modern history, as the world stood on the brink of mutually assured nuclear destruction.

This HistoryExtra podcast series marks the 60thanniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, exploring the long roots of the nuclear standoff, and the perspectives of the nations and figures at its centre.

Episodes will be released in this feed weekly.

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Andrew Scull reflects on the history of psychiatry in the US, and the patients who often suffered through destructive treatments

In episode six of our Mary Rose series, we explore the ship’s extraordinary afterlife, and the incredible conservation efforts to preserve the Tudor treasure trove for future generations

Historians Fiona Snailham and Anna Maria Barry reveal why the creator of Sherlock Holmes was so obsessed with contacting the dead. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, they discuss the rise of spiritualism in Britain, Harry Houdini’s crusade to unmask fraudulent mediums, and why Arthur Conan-Doyle believed that fairies had been caught on camera.

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Dan Gretton examines the psychology of individuals who organised and implemented some of the worst crimes against humanity

Rosemary Goring explores the ill-fated years Mary, Queen of Scots spent in her home country, revealing her connections to Scotland’s grand palaces and dank battlefields

As the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup begins, Professor Matthew Taylor tackles listener questions about the history of the biggest football tournament on the planet

Peter Stothard charts the eventful life of Marcus Licinius Crassus, an enormously wealthy politician and general, who rivalled Caesar and Pompey in late Republican Rome