The Fifth Crusade: triumph, disaster and the battle for Egypt
In 1217, crusaders launched an ambitious campaign to conquer Egypt, believing it held the key to reclaiming Jerusalem and securing the Holy Land. Historian and author Thomas Smith tells Emily Briffett...
2 Aug 45min
Is the Odyssey myth or memory?
The Odyssey is a tale of impossible monsters, angsty gods and the unquiet dead – but does that mean it holds no truth? In this third episode of HistoryExtra's four-part series, Kev Lochun and classici...
1 Aug 43min
Renaissance Italy's firearm revolution
Long before the modern debates over gun control, Renaissance Italy was grappling with many of the same questions. As firearms became smaller and easier to conceal, guns spread rapidly through society:...
30 Jul 40min
How blood banks saved Britain in WW2
How did the sign of the Red Vampire help British surgeons during the Second World War? Roderick Bailey, author of 'The Life Savers', explains to David Musgrove how Britain led the way in blood banks d...
28 Jul 35min
Pericles: life of the week
Ancient Athenian statesman Pericles was a remarkable figure, renowned for promoting democracy, championing the arts, and shaping the fate of the Athenian empire. Yet his legacy of military mistakes an...
27 Jul 49min
Did Churchill save the monarchy?
Winston Churchill was a passionate defender of Britain’s monarchy – but that didn’t mean he always saw eye to eye with the royals themselves. Jon Bauckham talks to Ted Powell about Churchill’s complex...
26 Jul 37min
Gods and monsters: the hidden stories of the Odyssey
Twenty years away from home: 10 of them spent fighting a war, and 10 more spent battling monsters, gods and his own worst instincts. In the second episode of HistoryExtra's four-part series on the Ody...
25 Jul 46min
Preview: Was Elizabeth I one of history’s greatest leaders?
From her defeat of the Spanish Armada to her iconic portraiture and status as the ‘Virgin Queen’, Elizabeth I is one of the past’s most famous figures – but what made her such an effective leader? Tod...
24 Jul 12min
