It’s the HistoryExtra podcast’s 15th birthday, and to celebrate, we’ve asked 15 historians to nominate a figure from history they think deserves their ‘15 minutes of fame’. In this episode, Professor Margaret MacMillan nominates Babur. Speaking with Matt Elton, she considers the life and legacy of the 15th-century leader, who founded the Mughal empire – and ... Show More
Today
Ancient goddesses: love, violence and ecstatic experiences
What do goddesses of love have in common with goddesses of war? Historian Ronald Hutton argues that some of the ancient world’s most powerful female deities were united by a potent combination of sex, violence and ecstatic experience. Speaking to Danny Bird, Hutton traces a linea ... Show More
29m 56s
Oct 30
D-Day’s secret hero: the true story behind Pressure (In paid partnership with StudioCanal)
What comes to mind when you think D-Day? Perhaps it’s the tactical brilliance of the commanders, or the brutal combat fought by the troops. But, what about meteorologist James Stagg? He’s the subject of the new Second World War thriller Pressure, and to find out more about his co ... Show More
43m 4s
Nov 2024
204. Babur: The First Mughal Emperor
“To wander from mountain to mountain, hopeless and homeless, has nothing to recommend it” - Babur
Before he became the father of the Mughal dynasty, and the author of one of the most important memoirs in world history, Babur was a provincial young prince in modern-day Uzbekista ... Show More
50m 59s
Apr 2024
The History of the Mughal Empire - The Throneless Times
In this first episode of this bonus series, we hear about Timur's devastating raid of northern India, and then follow his descendant Babur through his adventurous early years.
For this episode, I found the following publications particularly useful:
William Dalrymple, The Anarc ... Show More
25m 37s
Feb 2025
Sketches in History | Buried in Time
<p>As promised, the 15-Minute History Podcast team is bringing you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure. Join Lottie Archer, as she dives into her extraordinary notebook where sketches from history come to li ... Show More
9m 55s