Episodes

  • Air raids and arias: Britain's WW2 operatic obsession

    Air raids and arias: Britain's WW2 operatic obsession
    Feb 2 2026
    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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    20 mins
  • How many Bayeux Tapestries were there?

    How many Bayeux Tapestries were there?
    Jan 26 2026
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    17 mins
  • Julius Caesar: he came, he saw, he crucified pirates...?

    Julius Caesar: he came, he saw, he crucified pirates...?
    Jan 19 2026
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    21 mins
  • Margaret Beaufort: schemer or opportunist?

    Margaret Beaufort: schemer or opportunist?
    Jan 12 2026
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    22 mins
  • How Spain became a democracy

    How Spain became a democracy
    Jan 5 2026
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    20 mins
  • Beyond Jane Austen

    Beyond Jane Austen
    Dec 29 2025
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    21 mins
  • Santa Claus vs Father Christmas

    Santa Claus vs Father Christmas
    Dec 22 2025
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    19 mins
  • WW2's U-boat war: a theatre of hate?

    WW2's U-boat war: a theatre of hate?
    Dec 15 2025
    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    20 mins