HistoryExtra
type: channel
link: https://www.historyextra.com
description: Home of Britain’s bestselling history magazine and award-winning podcast
date: 2025-11-26T08:55:16.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: Best history books 2025: BBC History Magazine’s Books of the Year
items: Not 1066 again! Should we ditch our obsession with dates?
items: November 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine out now!
items: Coming up in the December 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine
items: Kublai Khan: ruler of the waves
items: 57 history questions for your home pub quiz
items: Virtual museum and monument tours: how to explore the wonders of history from your home
items: Who is the greatest leader in world history?
items: In conversation at Kew Gardens, 4–7 September 2025
items: Explore our history quizzes

Best history books 2025: BBC History Magazine’s Books of the Year
type: item
date: 2025-11-20T15:13:49.000Z
subject: Magazine
subject: Period
subject: Trends-Entertainment
description: In the roster of laudable history books published in 2025, authors tackled topics as diverse as Gaza, Indian partition, extinction, medieval and Stuart monarchs – even historians themselves. Here, a panel of experts recommend the titles they most enjoyed
encoded: Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants' War (Basic Books) Lyndal Roper Hannah Skoda: Did you know that Thomas Müntzer, leader of the German Peasants’ War in 1525, used a rainbow flag to rally his followers? It’s an aptly exuberant image for the radical charisma of Müntzer, and for the hope and vision of the peasants. Religious change seemed to open up new ways of thinking about oppression and exploitation for those rebellious upstarts. In Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants’ War (Basic Books), Lyndal Roper works with sources mostly hostile to the peasants, but the result reads with nuance and acuity. We get a real sense of ordinary people longing for justice and a fairer set of relations to the land, alongside the sheer terrors of this war, which was put down with great ferocity. Buy now on Amazon, Waterstones or Bookshop.org A Short History of the Gaza Strip (Simon & Schuster) Anne Irfan Hannah Skoda: Anne Irfan’s A Short History of the Gaza Strip (Simon & Schuster) is a wonderfully informative account of the complexities of the situation. Beginning in 1948, she guides us through these tangled events with great clarity, drawing on a vast array of sources. The text is nuanced, humane and critical at a time when too many assumptions and untruths are floating around. It might helpfully be read alongside the new podcast series Empire: The History of Gaza, presented by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand, which explores Gaza’s deep history stretching back more than 4,000 years. Buy now on Amazon, Waterstones or Bookshop.org The Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz: A Story of Survival (Weidenfeld & Nicolson) Anne Sebba Hannah Skoda: The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz: A Story of Survival (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), by Anne Sebba, is an intensely moving book. At one point, the women’s orchestra at the Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp was led by Alma Rosé, niece of Gustav Mahler and an extraordinary musician in her own right. This music-making saved the lives of around 40…

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Not 1066 again! Should we ditch our obsession with dates?
type: item
date: 2025-11-19T13:00:01.000Z
creator: Dr Rob Blackmore
subject: General History
subject: Magazine
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Historical events
description: From 1066 to 1918, our obsession with battles, elections and even voyages of discovery risks distorting a true understanding of the past
encoded: In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. That, at least, is what the famous rhyme tells us. Memorising such dates is a common experience of being taught history – a cliché superbly lampooned by the witty 1930 book 1066 and All That. “History is not what you thought,” its preface suggested. “It is what you can remember.” Accordingly, as per its subtitle, it offered a “Memorable History of England, Comprising All the Parts You Can Remember, Including 103 Good Things, 5 Bad Kings and 2 Genuine Dates.” Conspicuously, though, “two out of the four dates originally included were eliminated at the last moment” because “they are not memorable.” Though evidently both humorists, the book’s authors – Punch writers WC Sellar and RJ Yeatman – were making a serious point. History has long been thought to be concerned with preserving the past. The 12th-century historian and Byzantine princess Anna Komnene observed how “time in its irresistible and ceaseless flow carries along on its flood all created things and drowns them in the depths of obscurity”. Her solution was the study of history, which “forms a very strong bulwark against the stream of time”. This is a powerful idea – one that perhaps moved King Charles I, moments before his execution in January 1649, to utter a last single word to William Juxon, the former bishop of London, instructing him: “Remember.” <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2025/11/1066-and-all-that-later-edition-CMYKWeb-Ready-dfb5326.jpg" width="2295" height="1530" alt="The cover of a book, with the title 1066 And All That across the top, and two men standing side by side in green and pink clothing" title="The 1930 book 1066 and All That wittily parodied the conventional approach to teaching history in schools at that time (Image by Amazon)" /> But do our efforts to remember really require us to do something so trivial as memorising dates? More radically, do the historical events these dates mark even matter? The Oxford Eng…

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November 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine out now!
type: item
date: 2025-10-02T06:00:24.000Z
subject: Magazine
encoded: Terror in the deep Did German U-boats fight fair or did they target the crews of ships they sank? Roger Moorhouse weighs the evidence Medieval medicine James Freeman explores how doctors and other healers diagnosed and treated disease during the Middle Ages Fake news and the Dreyfus affair Mike Rapport reveals how, after the wrongful exile of a Jewish army officer for treason, French media became a battlefield awash with bias and bile Spectral beasts and hounds from hell Why do ghostly dogs dominate tales of supernatural beasts roaming Britain’s landscapes? Karen R Jones tracks these creatures and their origins 1066: not all that Robert Blackmore questions whether our obsession with individual dates risks obscuring historical truths Star witness Louise Devoy explains how the Royal Observatory in Greenwich transformed our understanding of astronomy, navigation and time SUBSCRIBE TODAY to get our next issue: The December 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine is on sale from 30 October 2025. Look inside!

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Coming up in the December 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine
type: item
date: 2025-10-02T06:00:16.000Z
subject: Magazine
encoded: In our December 2025 issue, on sale 30 October 2025 Legendary women Janina Ramirez argues that celebrated figures like Joan of Arc and Isabella of Castile have been misrepresented throughout history Nazi propaganda Lisa Pine examines how the Third Reich used posters to reinforce both its policies and its rule An absent mother? Lauren Johnson revisits the relationship between Margaret Beaufort and the future Henry VII Young Caesar David Potter contends that we need to take a fresh look at the Roman leader’s early life Dictator to democracy Paul Preston reveals how Spain moved on from Franco’s authoritarian regime The surprising Tudors Ruth Goodman shares five things you probably didn’t know about the 16th century Subscribing to BBC History Magazine is quick and easy. Print and digital subscriptions are available, and ensure you’ll always receive your copy and save on the cover price. View our current subscription offers

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Kublai Khan: ruler of the waves
type: item
date: 2024-12-04T08:30:09.000Z
creator: Emily Briffett
subject: Magazine
subject: Medieval
subject: Period
description: Jack Weatherford explains how the Mongol leader became the emperor of China – and dominated the sea in the process
encoded: Genghis Khan may have built a formidable land empire, but his grandson Kublai Khan mastered the seas. So how did a nomadic leader come to have such a formidable navy – and conquer China in the process? Emily Briffett spoke to Jack Weatherford about his new book on the subject, Emperor of the Seas, to find out more. Jack Weatherford is the author of Emperor of the Seas: Kublai Khan and the Making of China (Bloomsbury Continuum, 2024) Buy now on Bookshop.org Buy now on Amazon Buy now on Waterstones

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57 history questions for your home pub quiz
type: item
date: 2020-07-21T10:05:05.000Z
subject: Magazine
subject: Quiz
subject: Trends-News
description: Planning a historical quiz for a celebration with family and friends? We’ve shared a selection of history questions perfect for your next trivia round…
encoded: In our current times, many of us are taking the opportunity to create a quiz from home to share with family and friends – but you might be stumped for the right questions. We have rounded up a selection of questions from across HistoryExtra; feel free to mix and match to create your own history pub quiz… (Answers on page 2) Which queen had the shortest reign of Henry VIII’s six wives? In 16th-century Japan, who was Yasuke? Who wrote the 12th-century account Historia regum Britanniae (The History of the Kings of Britain), which is often credited with making the legend of King Arthur popular? It is thought that Harriet Tubman directly rescued around 300 people from slavery and gave instructions to help dozens more. But in which conflict did she become the first woman to lead an armed assault? In which country is the Bay of Pigs? Which medieval queen was married to both Louis VII of France and Henry II of England? Who was the first human to journey into space? Whose body was exhumed from Westminster Abbey, more than two years after his death, to be ‘executed’ for treason? Who ultimately succeeded King Alfred the Great as ‘king of the Anglo-Saxons’? By what nickname is Edward Teach better known? Julius Caesar was assassinated on 15 March 44 BC, a date now often known by what term? Where did the Great Fire of London begin, on 2 September 1666? What German dance, which sees partners spinning together in close contact, was condemned as depraved when it was first seen in Regency society? Which king preceded Queen Victoria? Guy Bailey, Roy Hackett and Paul Stephenson made history in 1963, as part of a protest against a bus company that refused to employ black and Asian drivers in which UK city? Who famously duelled Alexander Hamilton on 11 July 1804, resulting in the founding father’s death? What, in the 16th and 17th centuries, was a ‘drunkard’s cloak’? What is considered the world’s oldest writing system? Who was the mother of Emperor Nero and the wife of Emperor Claudius?…

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Virtual museum and monument tours: how to explore the wonders of history from your home
type: item
date: 2020-04-21T13:29:16.000Z
subject: Magazine
subject: Period
subject: Exhibitions
description: Many museums have opened up their doors to the wonders of virtual reality, letting you ‘walk around’ and admire exhibitions from the comfort of your own home. Emma Slattery Williams of BBC History Revealed shares just a few of the museums, artefacts and historical spaces that you can explore from afar…
encoded: The Vatican Where? Vatican City What? A virtual reality tour You don’t need to be in Rome to visit the smallest sovereign state in the world. The Vatican has created a series of virtual tours that let you loose inside the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church – the home of the Pope and one of the most important churches in Christianity, St Peter’s Basilica.The Vatican City traces its history back to the fourth century, when a church was built over the tomb of St Peter – one of Jesus’s 12 apostles and widely regarded as the founder of the Catholic Church. In the 16th century, a new church replaced the 1,200-year-old one, and it’s still standing today. This is the current St Peter’s Basilica – and the tomb of St Peter is believed to be directly under the high altar. The basilica is a renowned piece of Renaissance architecture. A range of 360° virtual tours will transport you around some of the grand rooms and chapels within the Vatican, allowing you to admire the exquisite paintings and sculptures of one of the largest art collections in the world. You can also take a virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel; one of the highlights of a trip to the Vatican, the chapel is perhaps most famous for its impressive ceiling mural, painted by Michelangelo. It’s also where the papal conclave (the election of a new pope) typically takes place. The Vatican boasts many museums within its complexes, too, and it has opened up a number of these collections to virtual visitors. One that you can peruse through your phone is the Pio Clementino Museum. Named after the two popes who supervised its creation, Clement XIV and Pius VI, it houses ancient Greek and Roman sculptures as well as the finely-carved sarcophagus of St Helena – the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, who was famously the first Roman ruler to adopt the Christian faith. Petra Where? Petra, Jordan What? A virtual reality trek and tour The ancient city of Petra in Jordan is one of the world’s most valuable archaeologica…

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Who is the greatest leader in world history?
type: item
date: 2020-03-04T09:25:59.000Z
subject: Magazine
subject: Period
subject: Historical people
subject: Islam
description: Courage, tolerance, ruthlessness: which factors define an inspiring, effective figurehead? BBC World Histories Magazine asked historians including Rana Mitter, Margaret MacMillan and Gus Casely-Hayford to nominate the greatest leader – someone who exercised power and had a positive impact on humanity – and to explore their achievements and legacy. So who has topped the poll?
encoded: Maharaja Ranjit Singh, leader of the Sikh empire in the early 19th century, has topped a poll of the greatest leaders in world history. At the beginning of this year, BBC World Histories Magazine asked historians including Rana Mitter, Margaret MacMillan and Gus Casely-Hayford to nominate their ‘greatest leader’ – someone who exercised power and had a positive impact on humanity – and to explore their achievements and legacy. The list was voted on by more than 5,000 readers, and Singh has been named history’s greatest leader. You can read more about Singh’s life, successes and failures here. Taking more than 38 per cent of the vote, Maharaja Ranjit Singh was described by nominating historian Matthew Lockwood as a modernising and uniting force, whose reign “marked a golden age for Punjab and north-west India”. In second place, with 25 per cent of the vote, is African independence fighter Amílcar Cabral (nominated by Hakim Adi), who united more than one million Guineans to free themselves from Portuguese occupation and in turn propelled many other colonised African countries to rise and fight for independence. British prime minister Winston Churchill (nominated by Andrew Roberts) is in third position with 7 per cent of the vote for his sharp political manoeuvring that kept Britain in the war. Further down the list, American president Abraham Lincoln (nominated by Adam I P Smith) is in fourth place and British monarch Elizabeth I (nominated by Tracy Borman) is the highest ranked female leader in fifth position, with 4 per cent of the vote. Why did Amílcar Cabral come in second place? Hakim Adi offers his take… The readers of the poll undoubtedly had a variety of reasons for voting for Amílcar Cabral. They may have thought it important to vote for an African and there were not nearly enough African leaders for readers to choose from. Even though Africa is the world’s second largest continent with the oldest human history, the leaders selected by historians were predomin…

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In conversation at Kew Gardens, 4–7 September 2025
type: item
date: 2017-06-26T08:25:01.000Z
subject: General History
subject: Magazine
subject: Period

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Explore our history quizzes
type: item
date: 2010-05-05T14:48:31.000Z
subject: Magazine
subject: Period
description: Dummy article page for redirect – do not alter

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