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 bas-relief fragment from the Ptolemaic period portrays Cleopatra VII, the last active ruler of ancient Egypt. As both a Greek-speaking monarch and a pharaoh, Cleopatra embodied the cultural fusion of Hellenistic Egypt

General ancient history

On the steps of a sacred temple, Cleopatra's feud with her sister came to a blood-soaked end

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How did the Vikings shape Russia and Ukraine?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

This 19th-century facsimile shows the Duke of Salisbury, John Montacute, arriving at Conwy Castle from Ireland — a scene from Le Prinse et mort du Roy Richart. Just a year later, in 1400, Owain Glyndŵr would launch his rebellion, with castles like Conwy becoming key flashpoints in the Welsh fight against English rule.

Medieval

It’s one of the most famous revolts in medieval history – but has the Glyndŵr rebellion been misnamed?

This 13th-century illustration from the Chronique d’Outremer shows the departure of the Templars. While rooted in the eastern Crusades, such imagery also echoed in the Northern Crusades, where the Teutonic Knights led campaigns to Christianise the pagan Baltic. expanding the crusading ideal far beyond Jerusalem.

Medieval

The clever medieval trick that destroyed the last stand of stubborn paganism in Europe

James Monroe served as the fifth president of the United States (1817–1825). His name is most famously linked to the Monroe Doctrine, asserting US opposition to European interference in the Americas, a cornerstone of 19th-century foreign policy.

Georgian

Is this the secret to understanding US foreign policy? How a powerful doctrine from 1823 reshaped America

This 1877 painting by Oscar Wergeland depicts Norwegian settlers arriving in Iceland in 872. Fleeing the unification of Norway under Harald Fairhair, these early migrants laid the foundations of a unique Norse society on the island’s volcanic shores.

Medieval

Could you survive on the Vikings’ furthest frontier? Here’s the dark reality of Norse life on the edge

This illustrated map traces the route of Venetian merchant Marco Polo along the Silk Road to China in the 13th century. His travels opened up new vistas of Asia to Europe and became one of the most influential accounts of the medieval world.

Medieval

Step onto the medieval Silk Road and you'll witness its intense wonders – and its hidden horror

A woman in a grey cloak holds a swaddled infant to her shoulder

Anglo-Saxon

Edith the Fair: the life of Harold Godwinson’s first wife

Luther Ford as Tostig Godwinson in BBC drama King and Conqueror

Anglo-Saxon

How Tostig Godwinson’s brotherly betrayal hastened the fall of the Anglo-Saxons

This posthumous portrait of William I, known as the Conqueror, was painted c.1590–1610 and is held by the National Portrait Gallery, London. Though created centuries after his death, it reflects early modern interest in the legacy of England’s first Norman monarch. (Photo by Getty Images)

Norman

Meet the real William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy who reshaped England

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From dodos to 'lost' tribes: a history of extinction. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

On 10 March 1945, Tokyo residents who lost their homes in the devastating US air raid gather amid the ruins. Known as Operation Meetinghouse, the raid was the most destructive bombing in history, part of a wider firebombing campaign during the Pacific War. (Photo by Getty Images)

Second World War

Before the atomic bombs, the USA hit Japan with one of the most overlooked (but deadly) campaigns in WW2

This stone relief from the palace of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh (668–627 BC) shows the Assyrian king leading a lion hunt — a dramatic display of dominance that reinforced royal authority in the Late Assyrian Empire.

General ancient history

Would you kidnap a god? This ancient Mesopotamian empire did – and for a genius reason

A woman stands next to a plough, with a house in the distance behind her. A man is standing next to the house

Victorian

“The motors of the wagon train”: meet the forgotten women who upended gender norms to win the Wild West

Statue of Mesopotamian king Ashurbanipal

General ancient history

He tried to conquer knowledge itself – instead this ancient Mesopotamian king resorted to rule with terror

Woodcut of a man swimming in a river, while another man stands on the bank

Tudor

The most common accidental way to die in Tudor England reveals surprising truths about daily life

American physicist J Robert Oppenheimer arrives at Orly Airport in Paris to lecture at the Faculté des Sciences. Once a leading figure in the Manhattan Project, Oppenheimer’s postwar career was marked by international engagement and growing controversy. (Photo by Getty Images)

Second World War

How Nazi secrets triggered the ultimate moral dilemma – and led to Oppenheimer’s atomic bomb

This illustration from the Codex Manesse (c.1300) shows Konrad von Altstetten, a Swiss ministerial, reclining with his beloved after a hunt. The lavish manuscript, compiled in Heidelberg, preserves the courtly poetry and romantic ideals of the German medieval nobility. (Photo by Getty Images)

Medieval

Wandering womanisers? These charismatic bards took the medieval world (and its women) by storm

This floor mosaic from a Roman villa in Carthage depicts a boy hunting leopards

Roman

Could today’s kids survive in ancient Rome? Here’s the harsh reality of life as a Roman child

This scene depicts Clovis I, founder of the Merovingian dynasty, executing a soldier who defied him over the famed Vase of Soissons around AD 480. The story, preserved by Gregory of Tours, became a legendary example of royal authority and vengeance in early medieval France.

Medieval

This dynasty of medieval kings had a secret weapon – and you probably have it too

This striking wall painting, known as The Blue Ladies, comes from the Minoan palace at Knossos on Crete. Dating to around 1600 BC, the fresco reflects the sophistication of Minoan art and offers rare insight into fashion and ceremonial life in the Bronze Age Aegean.

Ancient Greece

Three thousand years ago, the ancient Greeks turned an even older civilisation into a monster

This illustration from the Arnamagnæan Collection in Denmark depicts Eric the Red, the Norse explorer who founded the first Norse settlement in Greenland around AD 985.

Viking

A thousand years ago, the Vikings had a shock encounter with Native Americans that ended in disaster

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Erik the Red: life of the week. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Michelle Akers-Stahl, who scored twice in the final, celebrates with teammates Julie Foudy and Carin Jennings after the United States won the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup on 30 November 1991, defeating Norway 2–1. The tournament marked a turning point in the global recognition of the women’s game.

20th Century

How a forgotten law helped women’s football conquer the world – but only by accident

In a televised address on 15 August 1973, President Richard Nixon proclaimed his innocence in the Watergate affair and urged Americans to reject efforts to exploit the scandal. This photograph was taken after the broadcast, as cameras were barred during the speech.

Cold War

Watergate is the ultimate American conspiracy – but what if we’ve been misunderstanding it all along?

In this early 20th-century illustration, Roman Emperor Nero watches the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64 from the Tower of Maecenas, said to be singing of Troy’s destruction. Though likely apocryphal, such stories helped shape Nero’s enduring reputation for cruelty and excess.

Roman

One of ancient Rome’s most notorious emperors murdered his own mother, and there's a dark reason why

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Iron Mountain: the conspiracy that duped America. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Captain Robert S. Johnson, a former cabinet-maker from Oklahoma, stands beside his aircraft during the Second World War. With 25 confirmed kills, he was the US Air Force’s leading fighter ace in the European theatre and the recipient of numerous decorations.

Second World War

On one of WW2’s deadliest air routes, pilots’ biggest fear was surviving a crash – here’s why

This 19th-century chromolithograph depicts flagellants in Tournai in 1349, publicly scourging themselves in response to the Black Death. Known as the Brothers of the Cross, such groups believed self-punishment could help cleanse society of divine wrath.

Medieval

It felt like the end of the world, but this medieval ‘apocalypse’ left a legacy no one saw coming

Lucius Marcius Septimus, a Roman officer active during the Second Punic War in 3rd-century BC Hispania.

Period

Could you have survived as a Roman soldier? Here's the surprising truth about life in the ancient army

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