History Extra podcast

Harrison Christian explores the extraordinary life of his direct ancestor Fletcher Christian, who led the dramatic mutiny on HMS Bounty in 1789

As the Bank of England continues to hit the headlines in the UK, Professor Anne Murphy guides us through the 300-year history of one of Britain’s most important institutions

Professor Toby Green, Dr Sudhir Hazareesingh and Professor Olivette Otele explore how our understanding of imperial history has been transformed in recent years

On the anniversary of the battle of Hastings, Daniel Armstrong questions whether the pope really backed William of Normandy’s invasion of England in 1066

John Higgs reveals how two cultural giants – a gentlemanly spy and a gang of guitar-wielding young men – transformed modern British history

Ian McEwan considers the responsibility of historical novelists and explores how we collectively reflect on our past

JP Daughton shares the brutal story of the building of the Congo-Océan railroad – one of the deadliest construction projects in history

To wrap up our ‘15 minutes of fame’ series, a panel of experts discuss who gets remembered from the past and how we can highlight forgotten stories today

Hannah Cusworth answers listener questions on black British history – from Cheddar Man, to the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott

As The Lost King arrives in UK cinemas, ten years after the remains of Richard III were unearthed, Mike Pitts reflects on the astonishing discovery of the “king in the car park”