Seventy years since James Watson and Francis Crick first revealed DNA’s double-helix structure, Dr Kersten Hall shares the story of the scientist who almost beat them to their major discovery: molecular biologist William Astbury. Speaking with Emily Briffett, Kersten details how, despite missing this major opportunity, Astbury forged a new discipline, made pioneering steps in the field of X-ray crystallography – and also wore a coat made of peanuts. (Ad) Kersten Hall is the author of The Man in the Monkeynut Coat: William Astbury and How Wool Wove a Forgotten Road to the Double-Helix (Oxford University Press, 2014). 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-man-in-the-monkeynut-coat%2Fkersten-t-hall%2F9780198704591 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Eliot is hailed as one of the greatest novelists of the 19th century. And in many ways the writer’s life was just as fascinating as her work. She repeatedly challenged the restrictive norms of Victorian society by eloping with a married man, writing fiction under a male pseudonym and marrying someone 20 years younger than her. Professor Clare Carlisle tells Ellie Cawthorne about the author’s unconventional experience of marriage and her fascination with philosophy, and how these may have influenced her books. (Ad) Clare Carlisle is the author of The Marriage Question: George Eliot's Double Life (Penguin, 2023). 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-marriage-question%2Fclare-carlisle%2F9780241447178 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the Second World War raged, King George VI faced not only a battle for the nation’s survival, but also for the royal family’s reputation. And that reputation came under threat from close quarters, when figures within the royal orbit, including the king’s own brother, were either linked with or sympathetic to Nazi Germany. Alexander Larman tells Ellie Cawthorne about the threat these connections posed to Britain’s royals, at a moment of national crisis. (Ad) Alexander Larman is the author of The Windsors at War: The Nazi Threat to the Crown (Orion, 2023). Buy it now from Waterstones: http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=4746&awinaffid=489797&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-windsors-at-war%2Falexander-larman%2F9781474623933&clickref=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Indian subcontinent, North America, south-east Asia and continental Europe all saw vicious fighting in the 1750 and 1760s as part of a major conflict now known as the Seven Years’ War. But did it really last for seven years? What role did George Washington play in its outbreak? And can it be described as history’s first truly global conflict? In conversation with Spencer Mizen, Jeremy Black answers listener questions on the Seven Years’ War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The story of Henry VIII’s six wives is a tale of political crisis and personal tragedy, sacrifice and survival, sex and death, scandal, love and betrayal. But, after centuries of myth have built up around this story, has it clouded our view of the real women involved? In this brand new podcast series, we’ll be peeling back the layers of mythmaking to take another look at these fascinating women, who shaped the course of Henry’s reign – and the history of England.  To access all six episodes ad-free now, subscribe to HistoryExtra Plus, on Apple subscriptions.  https://link.chtbl.com/T82VCEDM   Episodes will be released weekly on this feed from 20 April.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices