The Battle of Britain has gone down in history as an epic dogfight between the RAF and the Luftwaffe – one where Britain faced overwhelming odds and the threat of an almost inevitable invasion. However, according to Dr Victoria Taylor, this wasn’t exactly the case. In conversation with Emily Briffett, Victoria answers listener questions on the battle, and unpicks some of the most enduring myths surrounding it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the late 1970s, NASA admitted women onto their space programme for the first time. Six women were chosen as the first cohort, and would endure unprecedented media attention alongside the agency’s rigorous training. Speaking to Elinor Evans, Loren Grush shares more about these pioneering women who forged a new chapter for America’s space programme. (Ad) Loren Grush is the author of The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women in Space (Scribner, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Six-Untold-Story-Americas-Astronauts/dp/1982172800/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest in our series charting the contested reputations of key historical figures, Laura O’Brien and David Andress discuss the life and afterlife of Napoleon Bonaparte, and explore why his story – including his rise to power and his role as the driving force in the bloodshed of the Napoleonic Wars – can still provoke heated debate two centuries later The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We think of English houses as idyllic locations for an afternoon out, but as Stephanie Barczewski reveals, many have a more turbulent and violent history than we might expect. From the wholesale destruction of the Reformation and the damage caused by the Civil War, to financial instability and the influence of empire, Stephanie tells Elinor Evans more about the fascinating hidden histories of these beloved beauty spots. (Ad) Stephanie Barczewski is the author of How the Country House Became English (Reaktion Books, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Country-House-Became-English/dp/1789147603/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thomas Smallwood, a formerly enslaved shoemaker, helped hundreds of people to flee from slavery in the American South in the 1840s. Speaking to Elinor Evans, Scott Shane shares Smallwood’s remarkable story, and reveals how he was known for writing a cache of anonymous satirical letters that included the first use of the term ‘underground railroad’. (Ad) Scott Shane is the author of Flee North: A Forgotten Hero and the Fight for Freedom in Slavery’s Borderland (Celadon, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flee-North-Forgotten-Slaverys-Borderland/dp/1250843219/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices