James Osborne

I’m James, a senior content producer at HistoryExtra. Working with leading historians, I research, write and edit features that answer the questions readers are genuinely curious about, and I’m always looking for engaging ways to help readers keep pace with the latest expert insights and discoveries from the history they’re interested in. As well as writing, I’m a host on the HistoryExtra podcast, where you’ll find me speaking with historians about some of my favourite historical topics; namely ancient history and the Viking Age! I also work behind the scenes on our videos, curate our medieval-focused newsletter for 15,000 subscribers, and write a monthly historical game review for our print magazine. I’m a qualified archaeologist with a BSc in Bioarchaeology from the University of York, specialising in archaeological science. I’ve worked in digital journalism for more than five years, covering culture and entertainment for a wide range of publications — and at one point I even ran my own website dedicated to prehistoric animals and extinction. Before joining HistoryExtra, I was a staff writer at Network N Media, reporting on film, TV and gaming, writing reviews and interviewing industry figures. As a freelance culture journalist, I’ve also contributed to outlets including Vulture, The AV Club, Radio Times, Digital Spy and GamesRadar.

This 1876 portrait by shows Frederick Douglass (1818–1895), the formerly enslaved man who became one of America’s leading abolitionists, orators, and reformers.

Victorian

Frederick Douglass escaped enslavement in 1838 – but here's why he was still far from true freedom

Hermann Göring in his office at the Reichstag, where he served as a leading figure of the Nazi regime. As Hitler’s deputy and head of the Luftwaffe, Göring wielded immense power during the Third Reich, later facing prosecution for war crimes at Nuremberg.

Second World War

Who was Hermann Göring? The truth about Hitler’s drug-fuelled enforcer who met his downfall at Nuremberg

A side-by-side comparison of the real Lucretia Garfield, alongside how she is seen in the Netflix series Death by Lightning.

Victorian

Who was the real Lucretia Garfield? Inside the forgotten life of a fleeting First Lady

Chester Arthur as played by Nick Offerman in Netflix drama Death by Lightning, and a photo of the real Chester Arthur

Victorian

Who was the real Chester Arthur – and what was his relationship with James Garfield?

This 3rd-century AD Roman mosaic shows two murmillones — gladiators named Symmachus and Maternus — locked in combat as their trainers watch from the arena’s edge.

Roman

Think you know what an ancient Roman gladiator looked like? The reality will make you think again

This 1605 print depicts Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot, a failed Catholic scheme to blow up the Houses of Parliament during the state opening by King James I.

Stuart

420 years ago, a deadly conspiracy to kill Britain’s king nearly succeeded. What if it had worked?

A woman looks on in fascination during a visit to the Paris Catacombs in the mid-1930s. (Photo by Getty Images)

General History

Living with the dead? You need to know these 7 gruesome facts about the history of human burial

This woodcut from 1521 depicts Martin Luther on his way to Worms, laying down his sword and opening the Bible in prayer as Christ descends to comfort him. The scene reflects Protestant legend surrounding Luther’s defiance before the Diet of Worms, where he refused to renounce his writings.

Medieval

Why did Martin Luther condemn the “hordes of peasants” fighting the war he helped inspire?

This detailed portrait captures a high-ranking woman of the Tudor court, her rich attire and elaborate jewellery reflecting the wealth and status of England’s ruling elite.

Tudor

This unassuming accessory gave the poor of Tudor England a vital way to survive

A depiction of an ensign and drummer recalls the German Peasants’ War of 1525, when rural rebels rose against feudal oppression.

Medieval

In 1525, an army of revolting peasants seemed unstoppable – but a brutal end was on the horizon

This 2nd-century AD Roman mosaic from Mérida’s Casa del Anfiteatro depicts workers treading grapes to make wine. Scenes like this captured the rhythms of daily life across the Roman world, celebrating both agricultural labour and the pleasures of wine culture.

Roman

The ingenious Roman invention that sparked the ancient empire’s obsession with luxury

A portrait of F Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby who evoked the glamour and restlessness of the Art Deco era in his fiction.

20th Century

Glitz, glamour and Gatsby? Not quite. Here’s why the Art Deco movement is darker than you think

A montage of moments and faces from history.

General History

What are the best history podcasts? These picks are the perfect way step into the past

A detail of a depiction of a lavish pageant staged in Paris in 1514 celebrated the royal entry of Mary Tudor, sister of Henry VIII, on her marriage to King Louis XII of France.

Tudor

Tudor England had no standing army, but this humble hobby kept its people ready for war

This portrait shows Elizabeth Vassall Fox, Baroness Holland (1771–1845), a prominent figure in early 19th-century British political and social circles. As the wife of Whig politician Henry Vassall-Fox, 3rd Baron Holland, she was known for her intelligence, influence — and for the controversy surrounding her affairs.

Georgian

She held wealth, power and prestige: so why did this Georgian aristocrat fake her daughter’s death?

This replica painting from the Cave of Altamira in northern Spain recreates some of the remarkable Upper Palaeolithic images created by early humans between 35,000 and 14,000 years ago. Celebrated for their vivid depictions of animals and handprints, Altamira’s cave paintings are among the earliest known examples of human artistic expression.

General prehistory

Think men were always the hunters? Stone Age women took down mammoths too – and that's not all

This 1st-century BC mosaic from the House of the Faun in Pompeii depicts a tragic dramatic mask, a powerful symbol of Roman theatrical culture. Masks like this were central to performances, allowing actors to embody gods, heroes, and emotions on stage.

Roman

Ancient Roman theatre was a powerful weapon of empire, so why were actors' lives so tragic?

Members of the Vanderbilt family return to Miami Beach aboard the yacht Alva, c.1930. Descended from one of America’s wealthiest dynasties, the Vanderbilts continued to symbolise privilege and opulence into the 20th century — long after the height of their Gilded Age power.

Victorian

Could you survive in the vicious Gilded Age? Here are the original influencer's secrets to success

This bust represents Hannibal, the famed general who led Carthaginian forces against Rome during the Second Punic War. As a descendant of Phoenician settlers, Hannibal embodied the military might and maritime legacy of Carthage.

General ancient history

The overshadowed ancient empire that rivalled Rome with maritime might and an iron fist

This illustration depicts Viking ships arriving in Britain. Though produced centuries after the earliest raids, it reflects how the impact of Norse invasions remained vivid in medieval memory and manuscript culture.

Viking

Forget the longships: this is the overlooked story of how the Vikings dominated eastern Europe

This 16th-century portrait depicts Vlad III, known as Vlad the Impaler (1431–1476), a Wallachian prince infamous for his brutal rule and defence against the Ottoman Empire.

Medieval

Vlad the Impaler was medieval Europe's bloodiest warlord, but is the scale of his murder just a myth?

This 6th-century matrix from Torslunda, Sweden, was used to create helmet plaques depicting armed figures — likely berserkers — wearing horned helmets with bird motifs and animal masks. Such imagery evokes the warrior culture later embraced by Viking champions like Thorkell the Tall, a famed Jomsviking commander known for his fierce loyalty and shifting allegiances during the early 11th century.

Viking

Who was Thorkell the Tall? The pragmatic Viking warrior who fought for (and against) all sides

On 27 January 1943, ARP wardens attend the funeral of victims killed in a daylight bombing raid — including several children and teachers. Such scenes were tragically common during the Second World War, as civilian areas remained vulnerable to Luftwaffe attacks despite improved air defences.

Second World War

Why were these British Second World War burials draped with Nazi flags?

This 1896 portrait shows Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish-American steel magnate whose fortune helped build libraries, universities, and cultural institutions across the English-speaking world.

Victorian

Skip the office and give your money away: a Victorian billionaire’s guide to financial triumph

On 31 August 1939, children from Chelsea line up with their belongings, ready to be evacuated from London as war looms. Part of a nationwide effort to move civilians — especially children — to safety, the evacuation began just days before Britain entered the Second World War.

Second World War

The biggest misconceptions about WW2 evacuees? This historian has the answers

Painting of Rurik and his brothers in helmets and chain mail, holding weapons beside a wooden longship with a carved animal-head prow.

Viking

Why does Putin think Ukraine should be Russian? It’s all to do with the Vikings

This print depicts men gathered in a Tudor alehouse, a lively hub of social life where people met to drink, gossip and discuss events. Alehouses were central to everyday life in 16th-century England.

Tudor

For ordinary Tudors, death lurked around every corner with these surprising ways to die

In this c.1891 stereoscopic image by Underwood & Underwood, a cowboy in woolly chaps demonstrates lasso techniques beside a covered wagon, as others look on. Scenes like this reflect the working life and performative culture of the late 19th-century American West.

Victorian

These three unsuspecting inventions won the American Wild West – but did they destroy it too?

This 19th-century illustration, based on ancient Greek vase imagery, depicts two mounted Amazons chasing after two fleeing youths. Scenes like this reflect classical fascination with the myth of warrior women.

Ancient Greece

Were the Amazons just a “male fantasy”? Here’s the truth behind the ancient world’s warrior women

English author Agatha Christie, pictured at a dinner in 1957. By this time, she was one of the world’s best-selling writers, renowned for her detective fiction featuring characters such as Hercule Poirot.

20th Century

A real Thursday Murder Club? How a team of crime fiction writers tried to save the genre (and solve crimes)

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