HistoryExtra Long Reads

It’s human nature to believe that history repeats itself – but might our instinct to look for echoes of the past in the present be misguided, and even dangerous? This Long Read, written by Robert Blackmore, explores why such comparisons can be deceptive.

Today’s feature originally appeared in the August 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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In Ireland, many thousands condemned as ‘fallen women’ were detained indefinitely in Magdalene laundries, forced to toil in harsh conditions. This Long Read written by Louise Brangan – author of The Fallen – reveals how church and state colluded to cast a shroud of silence over traumas inflicted behind closed doors in the 20th century.

Today's feature originally appeared in the August 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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The collapse of Roman rule in Britain, followed by the emergence of kingdoms established by Germanic tribes, marks one of the most turbulent periods in Britain’s history. But what factors drove this dramatic transformation? This Long Read written by Nick Higham chronicles the rise of the Anglo-Saxons.

Today’s feature originally appeared in the July 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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In the 1920s and 1930s, Weimar was rife with contradictions, embracing both utopian modernism and Nazism. This German town’s interwar story reveals how democratic dreams can die in the face of economic ills and polarising politics, as this Long Read written by Katja Hoyer explains...

Today's feature originally appeared in the July 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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In 480 BC, Athens and Sparta joined forces to repel one of the greatest invasion forces the world had seen. Yet just a few decades later, they faced off against each other – with dire results for the people of Greece. This Long Read written by Adrian Goldsworthy reveals how these great cities, once allies, became deadly foes.

Today's feature originally appeared in the June 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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