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HistoryExtra Home of Britain’s bestselling history magazine and award-winning podcast 2026-10-21T10:00:08.000Z https://www.historyextra.com/content-classification/video-podcast/feed/atom James Osborne <![CDATA[How Alfred the Great saved the Anglo-Saxons from the Vikings]]> https://www.historyextra.com/membership/how-alfred-great-saved-anglo-saxons-from-vikings-podcast/ 2026-10-21T10:00:08.000Z 2026-10-21T10:00:08.000Z As the Viking Great Heathen Army advanced to the borders of Wessex, the conquest of Anglo-Saxon England appeared all but complete.

In the third episode of this four-part series on the Viking invasion of Anglo-Saxon England in the latter half of the ninth century, James Osborne is joined by historian Dr Eleanor Barraclough to examine how Alfred the Great rose from the cusp of defeat, to a stunning military victory at the battle of Edington.

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Want to know more about the struggle between Alfred and the Vikings? James Osborne rounds up essential reading from the HistoryExtra archive that explores this pivotal moment in Viking and Anglo-Saxon history – including insights into Viking culture, the everyday experience of Anglo-Saxon communities, Alfred’s use of religion and learning as tools of political renewal, and the long legacy of the Danelaw on English identity and culture. Go beyond the podcast

]]> James Osborne <![CDATA[The rise of Alfred the Great]]> https://www.historyextra.com/membership/alfred-vs-vikings-podcast-episode-two/ 2026-10-14T09:00:11.000Z 2026-10-14T09:00:11.000Z As the Viking Great Heathen Army refused to leave Anglo-Saxon England, the pressure mounted on the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to respond, placing the future of the land in the hands of Alfred the Great.

In this second episode of our four-part HistoryExtra podcast series on the Viking invasion of ninth-century England, James Osborne and historian Dr Eleanor Barraclough explore the regions overrun by Viking forces and the rise of Alfred the Great amid the collapse of Anglo-Saxon resistance.

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]]> James Osborne <![CDATA[How the Vikings pushed Anglo-Saxon England to the brink]]> https://www.historyextra.com/membership/alfred-vs-vikings-podcast-episode-one/ 2026-10-07T08:00:16.000Z 2026-10-07T08:00:16.000Z During the latter decades of the ninth century, the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms faced an existential threat as Viking forces launched an assault on a scale never seen before.

In this opening episode of a four-part series on how the Viking Great Heathen Army pushed Anglo-Saxon England to the brink, James Osborne is joined by Dr Eleanor Barraclough to discuss the coming of the Great Heathen Army and take a closer look at the everyday lives and motivations of the people who would soon lay waste to much of Anglo-Saxon England.

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]]> Rachel Dinning <![CDATA[Was Elizabeth I's reign really a 'golden age'?]]> https://www.historyextra.com/membership/elizazbeth-i-reign-golden-age-podcast/ 2026-09-30T08:11:11.000Z 2026-09-30T08:11:11.000Z As Elizabeth I entered the final chapter of her reign, questions of ageing, succession, and legacy loomed large.

In this final episode of our four-part Sunday Series on the Tudor monarch, Rachel Dinning is joined by historian Nicola Tallis to explore the queen’s later years, her reluctance to name an heir, and the political uncertainty that followed her death. They also examine how Elizabeth’s image was carefully crafted in her lifetime and beyond, helping to transform her into the enduring symbol of the ‘Golden Age’ that still captivates popular imagination today.

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Want to know more about Elizabeth I and her remarkable reign? Rachel Dinning rounds up essential reading from the HistoryExtra archive that explores Elizabeth's early life, rise to power, court intrigues, and the legacy that made her one of history's most iconic monarchs. Go beyond the podcast.

]]> Rachel Dinning <![CDATA[Elizabeth’s enemies: plots, rivals and the Spanish Armada]]> https://www.historyextra.com/membership/elizabeth-i-enemies-podcast/ 2026-09-23T08:11:06.000Z 2026-09-23T08:11:06.000Z Elizabeth I’s reign was defined by constant threat, both at home and abroad.

In this third episode of our four-part Sunday Series on the Tudor monarch, Rachel Dinning is joined by historian Nicola Tallis to examine the rivals and conspiracies that endangered the queen's security on the throne.

From the long and fraught conflict with her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots to the intricate spy networks that uncovered treasonous plots, they chart the mounting tensions that culminated in one of the most famous maritime perils England ever faced: the Spanish Armada of 1588.

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Want to know more about Elizabeth I and her remarkable reign? Rachel Dinning rounds up essential reading from the HistoryExtra archive that explores Elizabeth's early life, rise to power, court intrigues, and the legacy that made her one of history's most iconic monarchs. Go beyond the podcast.

]]> Rachel Dinning <![CDATA[Elizabeth I: a woman in a man’s world]]> https://www.historyextra.com/membership/elizabeth-i-episode-two/ 2026-09-16T08:00:13.000Z 2026-09-16T08:00:12.000Z By 1559, Elizabeth I had secured the crown – but holding on to power would prove far more challenging. In this second episode of our four-part Sunday Series on the Tudor monarch, Rachel Dinning is joined by historian Nicola Tallis to explore Elizabeth’s early reign, from her coronation and the urgent task of stabilising a divided kingdom to the pressures of ruling as a female monarch in a deeply patriarchal society.

They also examine the influential figures who shaped her court and the high-stakes marriage negotiations that helped forge the enduring image of the ‘Virgin Queen’.

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]]> Rachel Dinning <![CDATA[Young Elizabeth I: the making of a queen]]> https://www.historyextra.com/membership/elizabeth-i-episode-one/ 2026-09-09T08:00:13.000Z 2026-09-09T08:00:13.000Z Elizabeth I is one of history's most iconic monarchs, but her path to the throne was anything but secure.

In this first episode of our four-part Sunday Series on the 16th-century royal, Rachel Dinning is joined by historian Nicola Tallis to explore Elizabeth’s turbulent early years – from the execution of her mother, Anne Boleyn, to the political and personal dangers she faced as she navigated childhood, illegitimacy, and the treacherous Tudor succession. Together, they uncover how these formative experiences helped shape the woman who would become a formidable queen.

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Want to know more about Elizabeth I and her remarkable reign? Rachel Dinning rounds up essential reading from the HistoryExtra archive that explores Elizabeth's early life, rise to power, and the legacy that made her one of England’s most iconic monarchs. Go beyond the podcast.

]]> Mike Soutar <![CDATA[Joan of Arc: The truth behind the legend]]> https://www.historyextra.com/membership/joan-of-arc-the-truth-behind-the-legend/ 2026-09-09T11:31:57.000Z 2026-09-07T11:27:30.000Z From peasant to martyr, rebellious teenager to national icon, Joan of Arc’s story is one of the most remarkable chapters of medieval history. But how much is it grounded in reality? And what does her meteoric rise, and equally dizzying decline, tell us about the importance of persuasion, self-belief, and leadership authority?

In this episode, Mike Soutar is joined by historian, author and broadcaster Janina Ramirez to explore those questions and more – and to investigate just how far having the courage of your convictions can take you.

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For more on the life of Joan of Arc, don’t miss our curated collection of articles, podcasts and videos

]]> Kev Lochun <![CDATA[The Odyssey’s forgotten epilogue]]> https://www.historyextra.com/membership/odyssey-podcast-series-episode-4/ 2026-09-04T09:00:09.000Z 2026-09-04T09:00:09.000Z Why did Alexander the Great sleep with a copy of the Odyssey under his pillow? In this final episode of our four-part series, Kev Lochun and classicist Daisy Dunn explore the astonishing cultural legacy of a poem that has been shaping how we think about home, heroism and hospitality for nearly 3,000 years. Plus, they consider what its portrayal of women reveals about power in the ancient world.

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Go beyond the podcast

Want to know more about ancient Greece? Kev Lochun has curated a collection of essential reading, listening and viewing from the HistoryExtra vaults to help you explore life in ancient Greece.

]]> Elinor Evans <![CDATA[What did the American Revolution really achieve?]]> https://www.historyextra.com/membership/american-revolutionary-war-podcast-series-episode-four/ 2026-09-02T08:00:20.000Z 2026-09-02T08:00:20.000Z How revolutionary was the American Revolution, and how far do 18th-century arguments about liberty and property still shape US politics today? In the final episode of HistoryExtra’s four-part series, Elinor Evans is joined by Adam IP Smith to explore the end of the American Revolutionary War and the complicated legacy that followed.

Beginning with Cornwallis’s surrender at Yorktown, they discuss Britain’s decision to cut its losses, the 1783 Treaty of Paris, the global consequences of the conflict, and the winners and losers of independence.

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Go beyond the podcast

For all the further reading mentioned in this series, which includes archive podcast episodes and video clips on battles, key figures and more.

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