Inside Venice’s Jewish ghetto

In the early 16th century, Venice confined its Jewish population to a restricted quarter on an island in the city. It was the first settlement to bear the name 'ghetto' – a word that would go on to shape the history of Jewish persecution and segregation. Alexander Lee explores this history in his book The First Ghetto, which is a finalist for the 2026 Cundill History Prize, and in this episode he talks to Emily Briffett about what life was like within its walls – from its vibrant culture to fragile relationship with the Venetian authorities. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST With the Inquisition active throughout much of Europe, the first half of the 16th century was a perilous time for Jewish people. Andreé Aelion Brooks explores how the fabulously wealthy Doña Gracia worked tirelessly to protect her community: https://bit.ly/4xMFmq5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1944, the Allies unleashed an offensive in Burma – a brutal campaign spearheaded by 3 Commando Brigade alongside the Indian and West African troops of XV Corps. Against a ruthless enemy and in one of the world’s most unforgiving environments, these men launched daring amphibious assaults deep into Japanese-held territory, turning the tide of the Burma campaign and delivering a devastating blow to the Imperial Japanese Army. Military historian Lucy Betteridge-Dyson has written a book on the subject, Jungle Commandoes, and Emily Briffett spoke to her to find out more. Go to ⁠⁠⁠https://surfshark.com/historyextra⁠⁠⁠ or use code HISTORYEXTRA at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mia Hansson has spent 10 years making an exact replica of the Bayeux Tapestry. In conversation with Dave Musgrove, she explains what her modern remake experience can teach us about the women who made the original artefact in the 11th century, and the secrets she has spotted in her decade of close attention to the embroidery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Henry VII is often remembered as a cold, calculating and penny-pinching monarch whose relentless pursuit of an ever-tightening grip on the throne overshadowed his achievements. But how fair is that reputation? And what can the real history behind this popular perception tell us about the challenges, anxieties and realities of Henry's kingship? Speaking to Emily Briffett, Sean Cunningham reassesses the first Tudor king's critical reputation, exploring the delicate balancing act that defined his reign as he sought to reward loyalty, root out treason and secure a fragile new dynasty. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST Curious to find out more about the battle that gave rise to Henry VII? Check out this series of History's Greatest Battles, where Lauren Johnson explores the most momentous clashes of the Wars of the Roses, the 15th-century struggle for the English throne that ushered in the Tudor dynasty: https://bit.ly/4gUGQcR Go to ⁠⁠⁠https://surfshark.com/historyextra⁠⁠⁠ or use code HISTORYEXTRA at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1981, a Soviet spy walked into MI6 HQ in Tehran and offered to defect to Britain – if, in return, Britain could help him improve his performance in bed. In this episode, Ben Macintyre introduces Spencer Mizen to an extraordinary agent with a sexual secret – a secret that changed the course of Iranian history and may, just may, have averted nuclear war. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST If you’d like to hear more from Ben Macintyre on the HistoryExtra podcast, why not listen to the episode in which he tells the incredible story of Oleg Gordievsky, the double agent who was sensationally exfiltrated from the Soviet Union in 1985: https://bit.ly/4i3FsW7 Go to ⁠⁠https://surfshark.com/historyextra⁠⁠ or use code HISTORYEXTRA at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1781, more than 130 enslaved Africans were deliberately thrown from a ship called the Zorg into the Atlantic. The horrifying story of this slave ship – long mistakenly known as the Zong – was to have consequences far beyond its murderous voyage. In this episode, historian and author Siddharth Kara speaks to Elinor Evans about the brutal economics of the Atlantic slave trade, the extraordinary court case that followed the massacre, and how the Zorg helped galvanise the abolitionist cause. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST Find out more about the massacre and its place in the fight for abolition, from Professor Hannah Greig and Professor James Walvin: https://bit.ly/4x8ks5b Go to ⁠https://surfshark.com/historyextra⁠ or use code HISTORYEXTRA at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens to English history when you view it through a local lens, rather than a national one? Did people even notice when the Romans left Britain? Was 1066 really that important outside of London? And did the Black Death affect the English population equally? In this episode, Ian Mortimer guides Charlotte Vosper through the past 1,500 years of English history, viewed from the perspective of his own medieval home in Devon... ------ GO BEYOND THE PODCAST If you'd like to hear more from Ian about what ordinary life was like in the past, then check out his HistoryExtra Academy series. Across six videos, Ian guides us through a fascinating A to Z of medieval life. You can find those videos here: https://bit.ly/4x76tMh Go to ⁠https://surfshark.com/historyextra⁠ or use code HISTORYEXTRA at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Middle East has, for decades, been riven by violent conflict. But what are the roots and ongoing causes of this violence? In this episode, Simon Sebag Montefiore discusses The Cauldron, his new book exploring the forces and figures that forged the region. Speaking to Charlotte Vosper, Simon takes us from the creation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through the decline of the imperial powers and the rise of Pan-Arabism, to 9/11 and the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST For more on how the past shapes today’s world, don’t miss our fortnightly podcast series History Behind the Headlines: https://bit.ly/3SSjdbq Go to ⁠https://surfshark.com/historyextra⁠ or use code HISTORYEXTRA at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joan of Arc's story is one of the most remarkable chapters in medieval history: that of a rebellious teenage peasant girl rising to become a military leader, before suffering an equally precipitous fall from favour. But what leadership qualities contributed to her success? In today's episode, which originally featured in our History's Greatest Leaders series, entrepreneur and author of Next-Gen CEO Mike Soutar talks to historian Janina Ramirez about Joan's story, and the lessons it could offer for today's leaders. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST Don't miss more of Mike Soutar's conversations about some of the past's most powerful people – just search for History's Greatest Leaders or follow the feed here: https://play.megaphone.fm/xim3wnhes9qxso8n8kjlaa Go to ⁠https://surfshark.com/historyextra⁠ or use code HISTORYEXTRA at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who were the people who financed Britain’s transatlantic slave trade – and how did their money transform the nation? Elinor Evans speaks to historian William A Pettigrew, who has led a landmark project identifying some 13,000 investors connected to the trafficking of 3.2 million enslaved African people. William reveals how profits and networks associated with the trade influenced Britain’s politics, industry, culture and institutions, from the Royal Navy and canal building to theatres and charities. He also reveals the work behind a new register of the traders and how our ancestors' involvements can be tracked in more detail than ever before. Don't miss a new BBC television series, Finding Britain’s Slave Traders with David Olusoga, which explores these stories. The first episode airs at 9pm on Monday 21 September on BBC Two, with all episodes also available on BBC iPlayer. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST To hear more about how the ruthless exploitation of people and resources supercharged the Industrial Revolution in Britain, listen to our interview with Edmond Smith, who was also one of the historians who worked on the project to surface the wider roles of Britain's slave traders: https://bit.ly/4gAfNlh Go to ⁠https://surfshark.com/historyextra⁠ or use code HISTORYEXTRA at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices