Best Real Crusades History Podcasts (2024)

1
Toilets through time | 1. Roman latrines 35:21

1h ago35:21

35:21

What was it like to do your business in a Roman communal toilet? In the first episode of our new mini-series, Toilets Through Time, David Musgrove begins his journey through the bathrooms of British history in the Roman era, with historian Dr Hannah Platts. They discuss dubious ancient ablutions, the confronting experience of sitting alongside your…

1
Assassinations that shaped US history 33:01

2h ago33:01

33:01

Following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump earlier in July, historian Adam Smith speak to Matt Elton about previous attempts to kill political leaders in the United States – and how these events changed the nation. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcas…

1
Is democracy doomed? History behind the headlines 41:11

1h ago41:11

41:11

In the latest episode of our monthly series exploring the past behind the present, Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter are joined by Professor Paul Cartledge to explore the long roots of recent tensions in democracies around the world. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit pod…

1
Catherine of Braganza: the Merrie Monarch's forgotten queen 41:21

43m ago41:21

41:21

Picture Charles II's court and you'll probably imagine a riot of excess, filled with drinking, games, and of course, mistresses. The queen by Charles' side, Catherine of Braganza, is often obscured by this scandalous picture. Speaking to Elinor Evans, Sophie Shorland discusses her new biography detailing the life of the often overlooked consort – f…

1
The Spanish Inquisition: everything you wanted to know 42:27

1h ago42:27

42:27

The era of the Spanish Inquisition is most commonly remembered as a period of widespread fear and paranoia, where communities turned on each other and torture was rife. But how true is this popular perception? Speaking to Emily Briffett, Giles Tremlett answers listener questions on the Spanish Inquisition, from the real history behind the sinister …

1
The Real Musketeers: Who Were the King's Guard? | Ep.71 51:35

1h ago51:35

51:35

Discover the real Musketeers and their legendary tales of bravery, loyalty, and intrigue at the court of Louis XIII. Explore the thrilling battles, personal rivalries, and political machinations that shaped their history and transformed them into enduring cultural icons. Dive into the timeless legacy of d'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis in thi…

1
1217: the year that (almost) changed English history 39:47

27m ago39:47

39:47

1217 is not one of the most famous years in English history. But with a major French invasion looming and a brutal war that wracked both towns and the countryside, this was a year that could have altered the nation's history beyond recognition. So, why aren't we more familiar with the events of 1217? Emily Briffett speaks to medievalist Catherine H…

1
Deeds not words | 6. Mission accomplished? 34:21

1h ago34:21

34:21

After an escalating campaign of bombing and arson attacks, the suffragette movement was brought to a sudden halt on the outbreak of war in 1914. In the final episode of our new series Deeds not words: the story of the suffragettes, Ellie Cawthorne speaks to expert historians about why and how the campaign came to its conclusion, and whether it achi…

1
Kindness & hostility: refugees in wartime Britain 33:32

16m ago33:32

33:32

Before and during the Second World War, Britain provided a safe haven for thousands of people fleeing Nazi persecution. But, as the author Paul Dowswell argues, this is not an entirely heroic story. In conversation with Rob Attar, Paul explains how huge numbers of Jews were denied entry to Britain and reveals how many of the refugees who were accep…

1
Catherine de' Medici: life of the week 49:32

17m ago49:32

49:32

Catherine de' Medici has gone down in history as the sinister 'serpent queen', who had a troop of female spies in her court and may have instigated the deadly St Bartholomew's Day massacre. But is this a fair judgement of the 16th-century queen and regent? In this 'Life of the week' episode, Emily Briffett speaks to historian Leah Redmond Chang to …

1
The suffragettes who fell in love 32:06

44m ago32:06

32:06

Evelina Haverfield and Vera Holme, known as Jack, were in love. Not only were they in love, but they also worked together – as suffragette protestors, during prison sentences, and on the wards of military hospitals abroad. Speaking to Lauren Good, Wendy Moore explores the fascinating adventures of these two women before and during the First World W…

1
Servants: everything you wanted to know 38:04

4d ago38:04

38:04

What was it like to be a servant in one of Britain's grand stately homes? How much were domestic staff paid? And what made maids revolt against wearing mopcaps? From daily drudgery to stories of scandal, in our latest Everything you wanted to know episode, historian Lucy Lethbridge speaks to Lauren Good about the reality of domestic service in the …

1
Anxieties of the Edwardian age 38:03

12d ago38:03

38:03

The Edwardian era is sometimes regarded as an uneventful stopgap between the cultural and technological innovations of the Victorian period and the seismic shifts brought about by the First World War. But is this a fair assessment? Alwyn Turner talks to Jon Bauckham about what life was really like during the reign of Edward VII, and how anxieties a…

51
Deeds not words | 5. Burning down the house 42:19

3d ago42:19

42:19

Smashing windows, burning down politicians’ homes and planting bombs in public places. As the suffragette movement progressed, it turned to increasingly extreme methods to further its cause. In episode five of our new series on the suffragettes, Ellie Cawthorne speaks to expert historians to reveal how the campaign became ever more militant and ask…

1
How the Plantagenets forged the English state 48:38

15d ago48:38

48:38

Between 1199 and 1399, English politics was packed full of high drama, as the Plantagenet monarchs reacted - and adapted - to plague, warfare, uprisings and economic crises. But, according to medieval historians Caroline Burt and Richard Partington in their new book //Arise, England//, the Plantagenet age is also one that shines a light on England'…

1
Justinian: life of the week 57:38

8d ago57:38

57:38

Justinian stands tall among the Byzantine rulers, as the 'sleepless emperor' whose religious fervour and legislative zeal saw him rebuild the eastern Roman empire from the ground up... until the 'four horsemen of the apocalypse' arrived and threatened it all. Peter Sarris talks to Kev Lochun about how the conniving and ruthless Justinian claimed po…

1
The woman who saved the children 37:05

6d ago37:05

37:05

Eglantyne Jebb was a woman who had no real love of children – but nevertheless worked tirelessly to campaign for their rights. Clare Mulley joins us to discuss the life and work of a pioneering fundraiser and the founder of the international Save the Children fund, whose unconventional personal life defied the strictures of her class. (Ad) Clare Mu…

1
Victorian crime and punishment: everything you wanted to know 51:04

7d ago51:04

51:04

Could children be hanged in Victorian Britain? Were the streets of Dickensian London haunted by organised gangs, or opportunistic pickpockets? What tricks and tools did Victorian police have at their disposal? And was it possible to get a fair trial in the 19th century? In our latest Everything You Wanted to Know episode, historian Dr Drew Gray ans…

1
How the Dreyfus Affair tore France apart 45:09

9d ago45:09

45:09

In 1894, French artillery officer Alfred Dreyfus was falsely accused of passing military secrets to Germany. These swirling accusations and the subsequent degradation and humiliation suffered by Dreyfus constitutes one of history's most notorious incidents of antisemitism. Maurice Samuels speaks to Danny Bird about why the military top brass were s…

1
Deeds not words | 4. Cat and mouse 37:09

10d ago37:09

37:09

The suffragettes’ relationship with the British establishment was fractious to say the least. As well as experiencing police brutality on the streets, the activists were subjected to violent force-feeding in response to hunger strikes in prison. But, as we reveal in the fourth episode of our new series Deeds not words, when faced with this oppositi…

1
The surprising lives of ancient women 43:39

11d ago43:39

43:39

Did you know that while Mark Antony was having an affair with Cleopatra, his wife, Fulvia, was fighting a battle on his behalf in Rome? Or that the first named author was a woman? What about the fact that the first female victor of the Olympic Games competed in her fifties? Speaking to Lauren Good, Daisy Dunn shines a light on these women in antiqu…

1
The Battle of Agincourt: England's Greatest Triumph | Ep.70 45:15

12d ago45:15

45:15

Explore the legacy of the Battle of Agincourt, from Henry V's strategic brilliance to the heroism and consequences that shaped medieval history. Discover how this pivotal clash influenced the Hundred Years' War, English and French military tactics, and national identities. Join us as we delve into the dramatic and enduring impact of Agincourt. Chap…

1
Boudica: life of the week 46:13

12d ago46:13

46:13

How much do we really know about the Iceni warrior leader who rose up against Rome? How close did she come to success? And can we know what she looked like? Speaking to Elinor Evans, archaeologist and writer Duncan Mackay traces the story of the freedom fighter Boudica, scourge of the Roman empire. (Ad) Duncan Mackay is the author of Echolands: A J…

1
How Stalin ran rings round the west 31:35

13d ago31:35

31:35

The wartime alliance between Josef Stalin, Winston Churchill and Franklin D Roosevelt was arguably the most important of the 20th century – and among the most fraught. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, Giles Milton explores a three-way relationship that was plagued by spats, backstabbing and duplicity – yet was absolutely critical to victor…

1
British general elections: everything you wanted to know 34:52

17d ago34:52

34:52

While it might seem unimaginable today, there was a time when who you voted for in a general election was a matter of public record - and if you were working class, or a women, you wouldn’t have been able to vote at all. Speaking to James Osborne, Professor Richard Toye outlines the history of the United Kingdom’s general elections. He reveals how …

1
Medieval keep fit 31:30

28d ago31:30

31:30

You might think that people in the Middle Ages did not exercise for fun. But that's not so, according to Professor Carole Rawcliffe of the University of East Anglia. She has studied medieval fitness guides and concluded that lots of people, certainly in religious institutions and the higher echelons of society, were in fact very interested in exerc…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Real Crusades History Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide