Today, we think of the seven deadly sins as outdated definitions of moral flaws prohibited by the church. But as this Long Read written by Peter Jones reveals, these vices were originally conceived to provide medieval solutions to universal human problems.

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

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The eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79 buried Pompeii and its citizens beneath pumice, stone and ash for centuries. But, as this Long Read written by Jess Venner reveals, we can now reconstruct the lives of its citizens before the catastrophe.

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

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Nell Gwyn became famous for her love affair with Charles II, and for her love of drinking, gambling and carousing. Yet, as this Long Read written by Sophie Shorland explores, this upwardly mobile celebrity was also a canny political operator who wielded substantial power in court.

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

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It’s a tale of slavery, racism and naked imperial power. This Long Read written by Barnaby Phillips traces the fate of the exquisite golden treasures looted by British forces from the kingdom of Asante 150 years ago.

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

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In the Middle Ages, the bearing and raising of children defined women’s lives. But, as this Long Read written by Elinor Cleghorn explains, there were women who had other ideas and boldly challenged attitudes towards motherhood.

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

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From Romulus’s open-city policy to Claudius’s reforms, citizenship was used by Rome as both a reward and a weapon. As this Long Read written by Shushma Malik explains, it enabled the burgeoning empire to build power and define identity.

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

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It’s 80 years since the war victor and ex-prime minister Winston Churchill delivered his ‘Iron Curtain’ speech, sounding the alarm for a perilous new age. The speech, given as tensions with Stalin soared, is among the most famous in modern history. Yet, asks this Long Read written by Richard Toye, has it been misunderstood?

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

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Dark or brunette? Fair or swarthy? A paragon of beauty or a refined charmer? Our picture of Henry VIII’s ill-fated second queen has become distorted over five centuries – but new research by Owen Emmerson and others comes closer to revealing her true appearance. This Long Read, written by Owen, explains more.
Today's feature originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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The 20th century was a golden age for organised crime groups. This Long Read written by Ryan Gingeras reveals how gangs from the Sicilian Mafia to Mexico’s cartels capitalised on political chaos, economic upheaval and mass migration to spread their tentacles around the world.

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

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Shakespeare and his peers served up hearty helpings of diverse dishes and ingredients – many of them spiced with forgotten meanings. This Long Read written by Sam Bilton reveals how food allusions illustrate five key themes of everyday life.
Today's feature originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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