History Extra podcast

As the fifth series of the BBC historical drama is about to air, we talk to historian Andrew Davies about the real Birmingham gangsters who inspired the programme, and discover how late-Victorian society contributed to a rise in gang violence. Historyextra.com/podcast For information regarding your data privacy, visit

Babita Sharma explores the history of the British corner shop, explaining how Asian immigrants transformed these local businesses. Historyextra.com/podcast For information regarding your data privacy, visit

Ahead of the 200th anniversary of Peterloo, we speak to Robert Poole, author of a major new history of the massacre. He explores the history of 19th-century radicalism that fed into the Manchester demonstration and then reveals why a peaceful meeting ended in death and injury. Historyextra.com/podcast For information regarding your data privacy, visit

Archaeologist and writer Mike Pitts discusses some of the major archaeological finds that have shaped the way we understand the early history of the British Isles. For information regarding your data privacy, visit

Former prime minister Gordon Brown discusses the American businessman Andrew Carnegie, who gave away most of his fortune at the turn of the 20th century. Historyextra.com/podcast For information regarding your data privacy, visit