The unification of Italy: everything you wanted to know

In the 1840s, famine hit Ireland with devastating consequences. But what were the circumstances that turned a potato blight into a catastrophe that shattered societal structures and caused around a million deaths? Padraic X Scanlan speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about the causes and impact of the famine, linking the disaster to the economic structures of the British empire. (Ad) Padraic X Scanlan is the author of Rot: A History of the Irish Famine (Basic Books, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rot-History-Padraic-X-Scanlan/dp/1472146875/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1861, the kingdom of Italy was proclaimed, unifying the various Italian states under one national banner. But what did it mean to be 'Italian' in the mid-19th century? How did the pope react to the concept of a united Italy? And why did so many British women fall in love with Garibaldi? In conversation with Spencer Mizen, historian David Laven answers listener questions on the campaign to unify Italy: the Risorgimento. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's the difference between private and public life – and where should we draw the line between the two? Over the centuries, these boundaries have often been blurred, as Tiffany Jenkins explores in her book Strangers and Intimates. In this episode, she speaks to Lauren Good about everything from the rigid separation of public and personal spheres in ancient Athens, to the privacy-busting spectacle of Big Brother. (Ad) Tiffany Jenkins is the author of Strangers and Intimates: The Rise and Fall of Private Life (Pan Macmillan, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fstrangers-and-intimates%2Ftiffany-jenkins%2F9781529034165. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was Elizabeth I holding England back from establishing itself upon the global stage? Speaking to James Osborne, Professor Anna Whitelock explores how the accession of the new king James VI & I, and the arrival of the Jacobean era, tilted the Britain's gaze toward the future. (Ad) Anna Whitelock is the author of The Sun Rising: James I and the Dawn of a Global Britain (Bloomsbury, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sun-Rising-Dawn-Stuarts/dp/1408863510/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest episode of our monthly podcast series, regular panellists Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter are joined by Frank Trentmann to discuss the historical parallels behind recent developments in the global trade war – plus the tumultuous history of papal elections, and the surprising connection between Katy Perry and Alexander the Great. Hear more from Frank Trentmann on the history of tariffs: https://link.chtbl.com/3is-MbBu The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did the English take Manhattan from the Dutch in the 17th century without firing a single shot? Speaking to Elinor Evans, historian Russell Shorto explains a many-layered colonial history, including pragmatic deals, personal rivalries, and ideological divides, that led to the ultimately peaceful takeover of New Amsterdam in 1664. (Ad) Russell Shorto is the author of Taking Manhattan: The extraordinary events that created New York and shaped America (Swift Press, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Ftaking-manhattan%2Frussell-shorto%2F9781800754966. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Composing songs of courtly love and war in the High Middle Ages, the troubadours were the poet-musicians of western and southern Europe – especially southern France. But were they really the lovesick wandering minstrels popular culture would have us believe? Or was there more to their artistry? Speaking to Emily Briffett, Linda Paterson answers your top questions on the troubadours and their enduring poetic and musical legacy. (Ad) Linda Paterson is the author of The Troubadours (Reaktion Books, 2024). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-troubadours%2Flinda-m-paterson%2F9781789149197. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historians have counted lots of things in the Bayeux Tapestry – animals, ships, hands and plants. But nobody had counted the number of penises it contained until Oxford historian Professor George Garnett decided to take on the challenge. David Musgrove invites George to discuss his findings, and explain why this is, in fact, serious research that helps us better understand this vital account of the Norman Conquest of 1066. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the summer of 1565, the might of the Ottoman empire faced off against a few hundred Knights Hospitaller and their allies on the island of Malta. The outcome might have seemed inevitable but the events of the subsequent siege were far from predictable, as the defenders waged a desperate battle for their home and their lives. Speaking to Rob Attar, Professor Marcus Bull chronicles the events of a dramatic clash with far-reaching consequences. (Ad) Marcus Bull is the author of The Great Siege of Malta (Penguin Books, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-great-siege-of-malta%2Fmarcus-bull%2F9780241523650. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Richard the Lionheart is well-known for his travels to distant lands, time on crusade, and wrangling with international politics… But, less well known is the fact that his sister, Joanna Plantagenet (otherwise known as Joan of England, Queen of Sicily) led a life of adventure and danger to rival that of her famous brother. A princess, queen, prisoner and power player, she navigated the turbulent world of medieval politics with resilience and careful judiciousness. Emily Briffett speaks to author and historian Catherine Hanley to chart Joanna’s extraordinary life and uncover why she deserves the title of the medieval 'Lionessheart'. (Ad) Catherine Hanley is the author of Lionessheart: The Life and Times of Joanna Plantagenet (The History Press, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Flionessheart%2Fcatherine-hanley%2F9781803995168. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices