Life Lessons from History

History Extra

How can the experience of the Babylonians and Assyrians ease our worries now? Can we look to a Tudor queen for advice on procrastination? How can we harness the ancient fear of faeries and witches to add a bit of enchantment to our lives today?

What’s this all about? It’s a simple concept. I find a great historian or archaeologist and I ask them to propose a Life Lesson from History – some learning from their study of the past that will help us today to live better, happier, healthier, or more productive lives.

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22 episodes
weekly
Avg 29 min
English

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S2 · E6
Sunday · 23 min
Be more confident, like a WW2 secret agent
Become a secret agent and throw yourself into life-or-death situations because if it doesn’t kill you, it’ll make you stronger. That’s not very helpful or practical advice for most of us, but if you do want to build your confidence, Roderick Bailey tells David Musgrove that we can take something from the experiences of WW2 SOE agents and how they grew as people from the challenging situations they found themselves in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
S2 · E5
September 13 · 29 min
Never give up, even in the face of terrible odds
If you don’t think you can carry on with something, take a moment to consider the resilience of 17th-century patients. Sick people in the 1600s were remarkably resilient, even when the chances of them recovering from illnesses were slim. They still plugged on and kept trying cures to bring them round. In this episode of Life Lessons from History, from HistoryExtra, Alun Withey reveals to David Musgrove how he takes inspiration from that in his life today, when facing up to illness and in general life resilience. On an unrelated note, this conversation also includes advice on effective beard maintenance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
S2 · E4
September 6 · 35 min
Argue like a medieval Irish monk
Medieval Irish monks knew how to disagree respectfully. That’s a skill that we sorely need these days, as social media nudges us into binary anger. According to medievalist Elizabeth Boyle, in conversation with David Musgrove, we can learn a lot from the monastic habit of arguing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
S2 · E3
August 30 · 26 min
Always look on the gloomy side of life
According to Prof James Romm’s reading of the wisdom of the ancient Greek philosopher Sophocles, if you prepare well for gloom, you can enjoy the sunshine more readily. This episode of Life Lessons from History is all about mental fortitude, and how an awareness that things might not go well allows you to cope with the slings and arrows of bad fortune, and to revel robustly when things do go your way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
S2 · E2
August 23 · 40 min
Go for a walk to free your mind
What if the best way to solve a problem isn't to think harder, but simply to go for a walk? In this episode of Life Lessons from History, explorer and geographer Nicholas Crane joins Dave Musgrove to uncover the remarkable history of Britain's footpaths and explain why walking has always been far more than a means of getting from A to B. From prehistoric routeways and medieval travellers to Charles Dickens and modern neuroscience, Crane argues that humans are hardwired to roam, and that walking frees the mind, deepens our understanding of the landscape, strengthens communities and restores perspective. It's a conversation about history, geography and wellbeing that suggests one of the oldest human behaviours remains one of the most valuable in the modern world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
S2 · E1
August 16 · 34 min
Master the Medieval Art of Knowing Yourself
The Seven Deadly Sins are often dismissed as a list of religious prohibitions, but medieval historian Peter Jones reveals they were originally something much more profound: a practical guide to self-knowledge. Drawing on centuries of medieval thought, he explains how concepts like pride, envy and sloth were understood as recurring patterns of human behaviour rather than moral failings, offering people a structured way to examine themselves with honesty and compassion. In conversation with Dave Musgrove, Jones explores why confession functioned as a form of psychological reflection, how medieval thinkers anticipated many modern ideas about wellbeing, and why learning to recognise our own blind spots may be one of history's most enduring life lessons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
#15
March 9 · 43 min
Let’s talk about death more honestly
We should be better at talking about death, and maybe we could also do with being comfortable with the personal rituals that would allow that to happen. That’s what Helen Gittos suggests in this new Life Lessons from History podcast, as she explains how medieval people let rituals run throughout their lives, and how we might benefit from doing the same. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
#14
March 2 · 21 min
Seek out silence, like a Tudor
Do you ever actively seek out silence? Maybe you should, suggests historian of the early modern era Professor Mark Stoyle, in this latest Life Lessons from History episode, which explores the ways in which people reacted to noise, or the lack of it, in early modern England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
#13
February 23 · 25 min
Build your own stone circle
The people who constructed Stonehenge seem to have had a very communal society, in which they came together to work as one on these great megalithic building projects. Susan Greaney’s Life Lesson from History is that we should try to adopt more communal, less individualistic lives, and harness the spirit of Stonehenge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
#12
February 16 · 16 min
Love learning like Æthelstan
The Anglo-Saxon king Æthelstan, who did much to establish the idea of England, was also a keen learner. He impressed on his people the importance of deep study, and that’s something we could do with embracing today in our world of distractions, says David Woodman in this Life Lesson from History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
#11
February 9 · 36 min
Be wary of labour-saving devices
Don’t let your life be ruled by your vacuum cleaner, says celebrated historian of the Industrial Revolution Emma Griffin in this episode of our Life Lessons from History series. She also shares some helpful observations about how we might deal with the challenges of the AI revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
#10
February 2 · 23 min
Hug a tree like a medieval pagan
Paganism hung on in eastern and northern Europe for a lot longer than you might expect. According to historian and folklorist Francis Young, that’s partly because people there took a very flexible and personal approach to spirituality, which often included a deep respect for trees and nature. This episode of Life Lessons from History explores how we might benefit from that today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
#9
January 26 · 34 min
Love your neighbour, like an ancient Roman
Good neighbours become good friends. If you ever watched the long-running Australian drama series Neighbours, you’ll recognise that ditty. According to Roman historian Dr Jess Venner, we could take a lesson on neighbourliness from ancient Rome – more specifically, ancient Pompeii. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
#8
January 19 · 34 min
Find wonder in the world around you
The Anglo-Saxons had a deep sense of wonder – they saw magic in the mundane, and expressed it through riddles. Eleanor Parker’s Life Lesson from History is that we, too, should seek out wonder in the world around us, and that a little bit of riddle-writing might help us find it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
#7
January 12 · 44 min
Paint a pot like an ancient Etruscan
Be yourself and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. That’s one of the lessons that archaeologist Dr Lucy Shipley says we can take from the approach to life of the ancient Etruscans. These historical inhabitants of the Italian peninsula seem to have had a very self-confident attitude – one which we could learn from today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
#6
January 5 · 38 min
Live locally, live sustainably
We know we should all be living sustainably if we can. Bestselling historian Ian Mortimer suggests that we should look back to the medieval period – an era in which people took a very local attitude to life – to seek inspiration for sustainable living. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
#5
Dec 29, 2025 · 21 min
Don’t worry, be Babylonian
Do you wake up in the middle of the night worrying? If so, you’re definitely not alone. But if you want to manage the anxieties of modern life, Selena Wisnom argues that you could take a leaf out of the book of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
#4
Dec 22, 2025 · 29 min
Get personal with your poo, like a samurai
Are we too quick to flush? In Edo Japan, people were much more mindful of how they dealt with sewage and rubbish than we are today. Chris Harding’s Life Lesson from History is that we should think more carefully about how we deal with our waste products, in the spirit of the samurai. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
#3
Dec 15, 2025 · 38 min
Tudor sleep lessons
In the early modern period, people considered a good night’s sleep to be fundamental to a good life – they thought about it a lot, and deployed plenty of techniques to ensure they slept well. Sasha Handley explains what we can learn from the Tudors about sleep, including why we might want to pop a chilled apple on our heads at night, in this Life Lesson from History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
#2
Dec 8, 2025 · 30 min
Let a little magic into your life
We live in a modern disenchanted world. That’s why, in this episode of Life Lessons from History, Ronald Hutton suggests that we might benefit from seeking out a spot of magic. Could we all do with a bit more of the thrill of the supernatural? Listen to this conversation to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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