HistoryExtra Long Reads

Lucy Bolton reveals how the star became a cultural icon not just through her glamorous image, but through fierce ambition, talent and relentless hard work

The heart-shaped face. The iridescent blonde hair. And who can forget that billowing white dress? Image was key to Marilyn Monroe’s meteoric rise but, as this Long Read written by Lucy Bolton explains on the star’s centenary, her success was only possible because of raw talent, ambition and a ferocious work ethic.

Today's feature originally appeared in the June 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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The Black Death is infamous for ravaging the population of Europe – yet it was most lethal in the Muslim world, leaving such a trail of devastation that bodies were abandoned to rot in the streets. This Long Read written by Thomas Asbridge investigates why plague took such a heavy toll in the Near East...

Today's feature originally appeared in the June 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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Featuring Cyclopes, Lotus-Eaters and goddesses that turn men into pigs, the Odyssey reads like a fantastical adventure story. Yet, argues this Long Read written by Daisy Dunn, Homer’s epic poem – now a Hollywood blockbuster – offers a fascinating lens onto the reality of life in Bronze Age Greece.

Today’s feature originally appeared in the August 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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What happens when football becomes far more than a game? As the 2026 World Cup unfolds, this Long Read written by Tony Shaw and Alan McDougall revisits four matches played during the Cold War that turned the beautiful game into a battleground of ideology, identity and state power.

Today's feature originally appeared in the July 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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The Enlightenment was an era of open-eyed progress, of the advance of science and reason – right? So why, in the 18th and early 19th centuries, did British people continue to be hoodwinked? This Long Read written by Madeleine Pelling exposes eight frauds and forgeries from a golden age of hoaxes.

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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