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John Milton: Your Guide To The Life & Work of 'Paradise Lost' Author | HistoryExtra
From his hugely influential epic poem of God and Satan to his fiery political polemics, the 17th-century writer and statesman John Milton left a legacy that stirs literary debate even today. Matt Elton profiles the man who dared to question authority
Trump Tarriffs: Nothing New, Historically | HistoryExtra
Tariffs and trade wars have hit the headlines in recent months as US president Donald Trump pursues aggressive economic policies. But are they really so unprecedented? Frank Trentman spoke to Matt Elton about centuries of ‘discriminatory taxes’
A “desperate leap for liberty”: how Ellen and William Craft made a daring escape from slavery | HistoryExtra
Born into slavery in the 19th century, Ellen and William Craft made a daring bid for freedom when they disguised themselves as a white man and his manservant and travelled 1,000 miles across America. Historian Ilyon Woo shares the extraordinary story of the husband and wife team with HistoryExtra podcast editor Ellie Cawthorne
The radio revolution: how Britain found its frequency | HistoryExtra
When radios first appeared in British homes in the early 20th century, one thing soon became clear: domestic life would never be the same again. Beaty Rubens tracks Britons’ reaction to this extraordinary new technology via seven cartoons.
The shockingly simple question historian Tom Holland would ask Julius Caesar | HistoryExtra
Given the chance to interrogate one of history’s most famous figures, what would you ask? Speaking on the HistoryExtra podcast, British historian and The Rest is History podcast host Tom Holland gave an unexpected answer
The triumph of the Anglo-Saxons: how the kingdom of Mercia powered the rise of England | HistoryExtra
Battered by the Vikings, outshone by King Alfred, Mercia has long been painted as the also-ran of the Anglo-Saxon world. Yet, writes Max Adams, this mighty Midlands kingdom was at the very heart of the emergence of England.
Atomfall's Windscale Disaster | What Really Happened In The Fire | HistoryExtra
When a routine procedure went wrong in October 1957, a fire broke out at the Windscale nuclear power station in Cumbria, UK. By the time it was put out, radiation had been sent across Britain and Europe. Jonny Wilkes reveals what happened, and why we should be grateful that it wasn’t much worse
A medieval mystery: the green-coloured children found in an English village | HistoryExtra
In the 12th century, two strange children suddenly appeared in a Suffolk village. Why, the villagers wondered, were they completely green? The story of the otherworldly children of Woolpit has long been treated as folklore – but, as John Clark explains, the tale may not be as fanciful as it seems...
Monsters of Rome: do emperors such as Nero and Caligula deserve their reputations? | HistoryExtra
Suetonius’s Lives of the Caesars, a key source for the early Roman emperors, has just been translated anew by historian Tom Holland. He reveals what insights it yields into these titans of ancient history
The strange story of the Nazi obsession with this legendary artefact still isn't over | HistoryExtra
The Nazis loved the Bayeux Tapestry. They loved it so much that they tried (and failed) to steal it away to Germany at the end of the Second World War, and now it’s been revealed that they also removed a fragment from it.
Aethelred II: Why Was The English King 'Unready'? Rule, Life & Facts | HistoryExtra
Aethelred failed to prepare for the Viking raids and invasions that would later bring Cnut to the throne of England, forging a reputation that would be encapsulated in his nickname. But, as Matt Elton, explores, that does not tell the whole story of the ‘unready’ king…
The profits of slavery: the dire impact of empire on Britain's countryside | HistoryExtra
We know that enslaved Africans and their descendants suffered in the distant colonies of empire. But, as Corinne Fowler explains, the colonial system also led to significant changes for the countryside and its people of the ‘motherland’
47 Ronin | The Real History Behind The Legend | HistoryExtra
The tale of a band of samurai who, after their master dies, take an oath to seek vengeance is an important story that offers a window into the history of Japan. Jonny Wilkes tells the thrilling story of the 47 Rōnin and explores why it continues to resonate with audiences over three centuries later
The Victorians’ cocaine habit: why 19th-century Britain couldn't get enough of the 'miracle' drug | HistoryExtra
In the 19th century, a magic new drug took the medical community by storm, riding a wave of scientific endeavour. But, writes Douglas Small, it wasn’t long before the dark side of this miraculous substance began to emerge