How did the politically neutral Catholic church come to have dealings with the fascist regimes of Mussolini and Hitler? In this episode, Ambrogio Caiani tells Charlotte Vosper why the Curia was enticed by authoritarianism, and what these deals with dictators meant for ordinary Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

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The arresting gaze, the stark monobrow, the intricate ribbons woven through the dark hair – Frida Kahlo's unmistakable image is recognised around the world today. Yet the woman behind the vivid self-portraits was far more complex than the icon she became. In conversation with Danny Bird, historian Patience Schell explores how trauma, politics and extraordinary artistic vision transformed Kahlo into one of the most influential cultural figures of the modern age.

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What did Tudor England really gain from its early encounters with the Americas? In this episode, Elinor Evans speaks to historian Dr Lauren Working about her new book A Golden World, exploring the overlooked exchange of ideas, materials and knowledge between Indigenous peoples and Renaissance England. From brilliant red dyes made from insects, to tobacco, pearls and exotic animals, Working reveals how English society was profoundly shaped by American influences, challenging long-held assumptions about colonial history.

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How can the past help us live better, happier, healthier and more productive lives today? That's the question at the heart of our series Life Lessons from History, which is back for a new run – and today on the HistoryExtra podcast, we're bringing you a taste of what's on offer. In this episode, historian Peter Jones tells David Musgrove about why the seven deadly sins were more a guide to practical self-knowledge than a list of religious prohibitions – and how medieval thinkers anticipated many modern ideas about wellbeing.

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You might assume that women were prevented from pursuing sexual pleasure in the classical world. However, as Dr Jean Menzies discusses with Lauren Good, this is not the case. They explore how women were active in pursuing and expressing sexual fulfilment, from erotic magic to some particularly graphic graffiti in Pompeii.

Please note that this episode features discussion of some adult topics.

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Lauren has also spoken to Daisy Dunn on the HistoryExtra podcast in an episode that challenges common assumptions about women in antiquity. You can listen to that episode ad-free here: https://bit.ly/4fram9I

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Hotels, have perhaps surprisingly, played a large role in our history. They have found themselves in divorce papers, inspired a new genre of fiction – and even facilitated murder. Speaking to Lauren Good, Professor Eloise Moss explores some of the complex stories that have played out in the world’s lodges and guesthouses.

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Hedy Lamarr starred in dozens of movies, but her life may have been more dramatic than any of them. She was the teenage actor who portrayed the first character to have an on-screen orgasm. The Austrian Jew whose husband sold arms to the fascists. The refugee from Nazism who became a Hollywood megastar. And the pioneering inventor whose work anticipated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. In today's episode Professor Ruth Barton, Fellow Emeritus in Film Studies at Trinity College shares Hedy's remarkable story with Rob Attar.

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For decades, the history of the Second World War has been told through predominately western eyes. That, writes historian Hans van de Ven, simply has to change. Hans's new book, Blood Dawn, sets out to reset the focus, exploring the conflict's story from an Asian perspective. In this episode, Hans tells Spencer Mizen how WW2 supercharged the fight for independence from European domination across India, China and Indonesia – and, in doing so, transformed a continent

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 If you'd like to delve further into why the Second World War in Asia is often overlooked, then check out a podcast we ran with the broadcaster Kavita Puri in 2025: https://bit.ly/4nRYOOS

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As recent years attest, royal scandals have a habit of coming to light. But what if the mother of all royal scandals is still waiting to be revealed? Could it be that an heir to the British throne, Prince Albert Victor, lived a double life as a serial killer? Today on the HistoryExtra podcast, we’re bringing you a taste of the first episode of our new series, History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories, in which crime historian Dr Drew Gray tells Rob Attar about the explosive suggestion that a British prince got away with multiple murders in the 19th century.

To listen on, search for History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories or find the full episodes and follow the feed here: https://play.megaphone.fm/4xo_fufltzut49cj60jcla

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Opium has been a painkiller, a vice and the fuel for at least two wars. But what makes it such a powerful global commodity? Benjamin Robert Siegel takes Isabel King through this complex history, exploring how opium shaped capitalism, medicine and global power from ancient poppy fields to the modern opioid crisis.

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Want to know why Britain went to war with China in the 19th century to protect the interests of drug dealers? To find out more, check out our 'Everything you wanted to know' episode on the Opium Wars: https://bit.ly/4wPh4eM

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For hundreds of years, people have gathered after dark to drink, dance and escape the pressures of everyday life. But how did 'going out' become a habit across the world? Jon Bauckham chats to Imogen Willetts about the hedonistic history of partying, journeying from 17th-century Japan to Weimar Germany, Cold War Las Vegas and beyond.

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To learn more Berlin, including its role in shaping nightlife, don't miss this episode of our History's Greatest Cities series: https://bit.ly/4hb5Gp1

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