There are an increasing number of excellent historical podcasts available on the Internet. Here is a selection of some of the ones I listen to most frequently. Try them out when you get a little bit of time:
In Our Time: almost like a mini university lecture with a team of experts being quizzed by Melvyn Bragg on a variety of subjects covering History, Philosophy, Science, Religion and Culture.
Great Lives: A celebrity chooses a person who they believe lived a "Great Life" and discusses it with Matthew Parris and an expert on the subject. A wide range of figures from all aspects of history.
A History of the World in 100 Objects: A superb podcast that takes 100 different objects and uses them to analyse particular periods in history. Excellent, atmospheric explanation from Director of the British Museum, Neill MacGregor. Check out the
webpage too.
Witness: History as told by people who were there. Some great eye-witness accounts from the Spanish Civil War to 25 Years of the Simpsons.
History Extra: BBC History magazine's excellent bimonthly podcast on the latest historical research.
The Art of Monarchy: A virtual visit to the Royal Collection to understand some of the objects that have defined the history of the British monarchy.
Making History: A programme that looks at ordinary people's links with the past.
The House I grew up in: Influential Britons revisit their childhood homes and neighbourhoods. A good one for some social history.
Things we forgot to remember: Politician Michael Portillo looks at our collective memories from great events and characters of the past.
Tracing Your Roots: Family History stories and advice on how to trace your family tree.
More or Less:
Statistics sound like a dry subject, but this programme tries to cut
through the "spin" and get to the truth of the facts and figures that
are bandied around so frequently in the media. Interesting and
entertaining.