Peaks, perils, and pioneers: the deadly history of mountaineering
HistoryExtra podcast
05/13/25
•35m
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What has prompted humans throughout history to risk life and limb to conquer some of the world's highest mountains? Author and climber Daniel Light talks to Rachel Dinning about why humans have always been drawn to mountains, the evolution of mountaineering as a sport, and the stories of the individuals who risked everything to make it to the top of nature’s most formidable peaks.
(Ad) Daniel Light is the author of The White Ladder: Triumph and Tragedy at the Dawn of Mountaineering (Oneworld, 2024). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-white-ladder%2Fdaniel-light%2F9780861548163.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Previous Episode
Josephine Baker: life of the week
May 12, 2025
•45m
Showbusiness, spying and civil rights - the extraordinary life of Josephine Baker had it all. From difficult beginnings, Baker transformed herself into the world's first black superstar, before turning her talents to espionage on behalf of the French Resistance. Hanna Diamond tells Ellie Cawthorne more about Baker's showbiz lifestyle, tireless campaigning, troupe of 12 adopted children and pet cheetah.
(Ad) Hanna Diamond is the author of Josephine Baker's Secret War: The African American Star Who Fought for France and Freedom (Yale University Press, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Josephine-Bakers-Secret-War-American/dp/0300279981/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Next Episode
In the seventh century BC, the ancient Assyrian king Ashurbanipal created a gigantic library in his capital city – one that contained centuries of wisdom. And this vast wealth of ancient knowledge can reveal a lot about how the people of the Near East thought about their gods. Dr Selena Wisnom tells David Musgrove more about the Assyrians' religious views, including how they tried to keep gods – and other supernatural entities – happy.
(Ad) Selena Wisnom is the author of The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of History (Penguin, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-library-of-ancient-wisdom%2Fselena-wisnom%2F%2F9780241519639.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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