HistoryExtra

1. How the work of American folk song collectors inspired The History of Sound

   In the early 20th century, armed with new-fangled recording devices, folklorists and ethnomusicologists set out on song-collecting expeditions across the US. Their work documented music that might otherwise have been lost or changed as it was passed on between generations. Jonathan Wright looks at their work and speaks with Oliver Hermanus, director of The History of Sound, about the inspirations from real history that informed the film

2. Was Homer a real person? Michael Wood on the surprising origins of The Iliad

   " Scholars have applied models used in genetic research to Homer’s Iliad", writes Michael Wood

3. Why Greenwich is the home of time

   Dr Emily Akkermans charts the story of how a small hilltop observatory became the centre of global timekeeping

4. Beyond the podcast: Magna Carta

   Want to dig into the drama behind Magna Carta? HistoryExtra’s Emily Briffett gathers together a shelf of essential reads to explore the crisis of King John’s reign, what was really hammered out at Runnymede in 1215, and why this medieval peace treaty grew into one of the most influential documents in the history of rights and government – and much more...

5. Beyond the podcast: Elizabeth I

   Want to know more about Elizabeth I and her remarkable reign? Rachel Dinning rounds up essential reads to explore her early life, rise to power, court intrigues, and the legacy that made her one of England’s most iconic monarchs.