Podcast
Dan Snow's History Hit
History! The most exciting and important things that have ever happened on the planet! Featuring reports from the weird and wonderful places around the world where history has been made and interviews with some of the best historians writing today. Dan also covers some of the major anniversaries as they pass by and explores the deep history behind today's headlines - giving you the context to understand what is going on today.
Episodes
Time's Monster with Priya Satia
Oct 21 2020
Priya Satia joined me on the podcast to discuss the dramatic consequences of writing history today as much as in the past. Against the backdrop of enduring global inequalities and debates about reparations and the legacy of empire, Satia offers us a hugely important and urgent moral voice.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom,...more
Nelson and the Slave Trade
Oct 20 2020
Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson died at Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. Recently there has been considerable interest in Nelson's views on the slave trade and the plantation economy of the West Indies. A letter of Nelson's written months before his death in 1805 to the infamous Jamaican slave owner Simon Taylor, was published years after his death in attempt to stop the abolition of the slave trade as the matter was before Parliament. Martyn Downer joined me on the podcast to discuss key phrases ...more
The Conquistadores
Oct 19 2020
Fernando Cervantes joined me on the podcast to reframe the story of the Spanish conquest of the New World, set against the political and intellectual landscape from which its main actors emerged. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Expulsion of Native Americans
Oct 18 2020
Claudio Saunt joined me on the podcast to discuss the United States' expulsion of Native Americans from the East to territories west of the Mississippi River. Justified as a humanitarian enterprise, the undertaking was to be systematic and rational, overseen by Washington’s small but growing bureaucracy. But as the policy unfolded over the next decade, thousands of Native Americans died under the federal government’s auspices, and thousands of others lost their possessions and homelands in an or...more
Saving Bletchley Park with Sue Black
Oct 17 2020
Dr Sue Black is a British computer scientist, academic and social entrepreneur. She has been instrumental in saving Bletchley Park, the World War II codebreaking site. Her book documenting this vital task is 'Saving Bletchley Park: How #SocialMedia Saved the Home of the WWII Codebreakers'. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
African Europeans with Olivette Otele
Oct 16 2020
Olivette Otele joined me on the podcast to discuss the long African European heritage through the lives of individuals.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only articles. It's the ultimate history package. Just go to historyhit.tv to subscr...more
Nero
Oct 15 2020
Shusma Malik joined me on the podcast to discuss the infamous Emperor Nero. He ruled nearly 2000 years ago, after taking over from his stepfather Claudius. Nero was a despotic ruler, enamoured in his own talents. His reign was characterised by tyranny and debauchery. To what extent is the commonly-held perception that Nero should be understood as the Antichrist figure in the Bible accurate? Join us to learn more about Nero's rise and his eventual expulsion from office, leading up to hi...more
1066: Year of Invasions
Oct 13 2020
Emily Ward and Pragya Vohra talk about the history of the Viking invasion of 1066. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
On the Battlefield of Hastings with Marc Morris
Oct 13 2020
Marc Morris shows me around the Battlefield of Hastings. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Queer History
Oct 12 2020
Sacha Coward joined me on the podcast to discuss queer history. We talked about Luisa Casati, Queen Anne, the Gay Liberation Front, and other stories of non-heteronormative relationships.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only articles. It's the ul...more
History's Greatest Speeches with Simon Sebag Montefiore
Oct 11 2020
Simon Sebag Montefiore joined me on the podcast to talk about history's greatest speeches. From Martin Luther King Jr. to John Boyega, from Churchill to Trump, we also discuss British institutions and their link to Empire.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive su...more
Underland with Robert Macfarlane
Oct 10 2020
Robert Macfarlane joined me on the podcast to talk about his new book, Underland. We talked about cave communities in Cappadocia, underground bunkerism, the catacombs in Paris, and the worlds beneath our feet.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only...more
How and Why History: King David
Oct 08 2020
One of the Old Testament’s most compelling figures, King David was anointed as king of a united Israel, conquering Jerusalem and bringing the Ark of the Covenant into the city. First renowned for his musicianship and killing Goliath, David was feted by King Saul who then turned against him. But how did David rise to power and importance? Why was the capture of Jerusalem so significant? And how sure can we be that David actually existed? Rob Weinberg asks the big questions about this important bu...more
In Conversation with Sir David Attenborough
Oct 08 2020
Sir David Attenborough is an English veteran broadcaster and naturalist. He is best known for writing and presenting the nine Life series, in conjunction with the BBC Natural History Unit, which collectively form a comprehensive survey of animal and plant life on the planet. He is also a former senior manager at the BBC, having served as controller of BBC Two and director of programming for BBC Television in the 1960s and 1970s. He is the only person to have won BAFTAs for programmes in each of ...more
Ireland's Great Famine: Counterpoint
Oct 07 2020
Christine Kinealy joined me on this podcast to discuss the British government’s adverse policies during the Great Famine, and the effects these had on the Irish people.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only articles. It's the ultimate history pack...more
A President Incapacitated: Woodrow Wilson's Stroke
Oct 06 2020
101 years ago this week, President Woodrow Wilson suffered a serious stroke which left him prone to "disorders of emotion, impaired impulse control, and defective judgment." As President Trump confronts his own health crisis, I talked to John Milton Cooper, Jr., Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison about President Wilson.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400...more
Asylum on Saint Helena
Oct 05 2020
Annina Van Neel showed me around Saint Helena, a small scrap of land in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. This island is the most significant physical trace of the Transatlantic slave trade middle passage. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
War with Margaret MacMillan
Oct 04 2020
Margaret MacMillan joined me on the podcast to discuss the ways in which war has influenced human society. We discussed how, in turn, changes in political organisation, technology, or ideologies have affected how and why we fight.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and excl...more
MI9: The Secret Service for Escape and Evasion
Oct 03 2020
Helen Fry joined me on the podcast to talk about the thrilling history of MI9. The WWII organisation engineered the escape of Allied forces from behind enemy lines. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
How Steam Power Remade the World
Oct 02 2020
John Darwin joined me on the podcast to discuss how steam power reshaped our cities and our seas, and forged a new world order.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only articles. It's the ultimate history package. Just go to historyhit.tv t...more
The Hunt For The Killers Of Julius Caesar
Oct 01 2020
Peter Stothard joined me on the podcast to discuss the assassination of Julius Caesar. Many men killed Julius Caesar. Only one man was determined to kill the killers. From the spring of 44 BC through one of the most dramatic and influential periods in history, Caesar's adopted son, Octavian, the future Emperor Augustus, exacted vengeance on the assassins of the Ides of March, not only on Brutus and Cassius, immortalised by Shakespeare, but all the others too, each with his own individual story.S...more
History of China with Michael Wood
Sep 30 2020
Michael Wood joined me on the podcast to talk about his new history of China. He takes a fresh look at Chinese history in the light of the current massive changes inside the country, and how its people and leaders see their place in the world, and its place on the world stage.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got we...more
How and Why History: Rome and the Mediterranean
Sep 29 2020
By the first century BC, the nuisance of piracy had become a plague in the Mediterranean. The Romans dispatched Pompey who freed the way for the expansion of commerce and the Empire. But why was the Mediterranean so important to Rome? How did they go about ruling its waves? And how did they rid the sea of pirates? Rob Weinberg asks the big questions about this important stretch of water to Dr. James Corke-Webster at Kings College London.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds ...more
Joking About Stalin
Sep 28 2020
Jonathan Waterlow joined me on the podcast to explore how ordinary people used political jokes to cope with and make sense of their lives under Stalinism in the 1930s.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only articles. It's the ultimate history packa...more
The Simulmatics Corporation
Sep 27 2020
Jill Lepore joined me on the podcast to discuss The Simulmatics Corporation. Founded in 1959, it mined data, targeted voters, accelerated news, manipulated consumers, destabilized politics, and disordered knowledge—decades before Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Cambridge Analytica.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got...more
Greek Myths
Sep 26 2020
Natalie Haynes joined me on the podcast to retell the stories of remarkable women at the heart of Greek myths, from Medusa, Penelope, and Pandora, to the Amazons.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only articles. It's the ultimate history package. J...more
The Great Famine
Sep 25 2020
Charles Read joined me on the podcast to discuss the economic and political causes of the Great Famine. We discuss the British government’s economic policies that transferred responsibility onto Irish taxpayers. Within four years, 25% of Irish people died or emigrated.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly qui...more
The Viking History of the Lofoten Archipelago
Sep 24 2020
Dan Snow explores the Viking history of Lofoten, an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Lofoten is known for a distinctive scenery with dramatic mountains and peaks, open sea and sheltered bays, beaches and untouched lands.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes whe...more
Krystyna Skarbek
Sep 23 2020
Clare Mulley joined me on the podcast to talk about the extraordinary story of Krystyna Skarbek, who worked as a spy for the British Special Operations Executive during the Second World War.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only articles. It's the...more
How and Why History: Alfred the Great
Sep 22 2020
Ever since his reign in the 9th century, Alfred the Great has been celebrated as one of the most accomplished of our kings. A learned and religious man who encouraged education, Alfred defended his lands against Viking invaders. But how did Alfred, King of Wessex become Alfred the Great? How effective was he in fighting the Vikings? And why did he burn those cakes? Rob Weinberg asks the big questions about this unforgettable king to historian Justin Pollard, author of Alfred the Great:...more
V2 with Robert Harris
Sep 21 2020
Robert Harris joined me on the podcast to talk about Nazi Germany and the story of the V2 rocket.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only articles. It's the ultimate history package. Just go to historyhit.tv to subscribe. Use code 'pod1' a...more
The Light Ages
Sep 20 2020
Seb Falk joined me to discuss the science in the Middle Ages, or, according to his new book, 'The Light Ages'. They gave us the first universities, the first eyeglasses and the first mechanical clocks as medieval thinkers sought to understand the world around them, from the passing of the seasons to the stars in the sky.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We'r...more
Battle of Britain: What Were the Germans Thinking?
Sep 19 2020
Victoria Taylor is an aviation historian who is just completing her PhD in the Luftwaffe and its politicisation under the Nazis. She talked to me about how the Germans approached the Battle of Britain. Were they the mighty Goliath to Britain's David or were they in fact more evenly matched? And what on earth was the Luftwaffe's strategy for knocking Britain out of the war.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this ...more
The History of Unbelief
Sep 18 2020
Dan delves into the history of unbelief - or rather, past people who didn't believe in God(s). He talks to Professor Tim Whitmarsh about Greek atheists (and indeed, about the creation of the term 'atheist'), and to Professor John Arnold about those who eschewed religious doctrine in the medieval era.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcas...more
Arnhem, Satire, Bartending and Drums
Sep 17 2020
Comedian, historian, broadcaster Al Murray joins me on the podcast to discuss Arnhem. The British-Polish allied defeat at Arnhem took place in autumn 1944, 76 years ago this week. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
How and Why History: The United Nations at 75
Sep 16 2020
In the aftermath of the Second World War, 850 delegates from 50 nations gathered in San Fransisco, determined to establish an organisation which would preserve peace and help build a better world. Over the last 75 years, the UN has committed itself to maintaining international peace and security, and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights. But how did the UN come about? How effective has it been in maintaining peace in the world? And where might it have fai...more
Battle of Britain: Why the RAF Won
Sep 15 2020
80 years ago, in 15 September 1940, the Luftwaffe made a gigantic aerial assault on London in the belief that the Royal Air Force was down to its last few fighters. This, they hoped, would be the decisive clash that finished the RAF, and force Britain to the negotiating table or even pave the way for invasion. To mark this anniversary I went to Bentley Priory, the HQ of RAF Fighter Command, with historian Stephen Bungay. He more than anyone I know is able to describe exactly why the RAF won. A t...more
Mayflower 400
Sep 14 2020
I am joined on the podcast by a series of historians, writers and storytellers, to talk about the 400th anniversary of the journey of the Mayflower. Travelling from Southern England to North America in September 1620, we discuss why the settlers left, and we examine the contested legacy of the Mayflower for the descendants of North American communities.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beg...more
A Medieval Education
Sep 13 2020
Eleanor Janega joined me on the pod to discuss the educational institutions of the medieval period. We talk about student riots in Paris, the role of the clergy in universities, and the spaces of education designated for women.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusi...more
The Sikh Empire
Sep 12 2020
Priya Atwal joined me on the pod to discuss the Sikh Empire, which stretched throughout northwestern India into Afghanistan and Tibet. We discuss the story of this empire’s spectacular rise and fall.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only articles....more
The Forgotten Ally: Canada
Sep 11 2020
Tim Cook joined me on the pod to discuss how Canadian contributions are frequently overlooked or diminished in discussions of the War. Most major war histories are written by British or American authors, who give little credit to the Canadians as a separate fighting force.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly...more
Castillo de San Marcos
Sep 10 2020
Allen Arnold joined me on the pod to discuss the Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States. Located on the western shore of Matanzas Bay in the city of St. Augustine, Florida, the fort was designed by the Spanish engineer Ignacio Daza. Construction began in 1672, 107 years after the city's founding by Spanish Admiral and conquistador Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, when Florida was part of the Spanish Empire. The fort's construction was ordered by Governor Franci...more
When Fidel came to Harlem
Sep 09 2020
Simon Hall joined me on the pod to talk about Fidel Castro’s trip to New York in September 1960. Based at Harlem’s Theresa Hotel, Castro met with a succession of political and cultural luminaries, including Malcolm X, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Nikita Khrushchev, Amiri Baraka, and Allen Ginsberg. We discuss the coming together of revolutionaries embracing the politics of anti-imperialism, racial equality, and leftist revolution.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history docum...more
How and Why History: Genghis Khan
Sep 08 2020
Genghis Khan was one of the most feared and most famous warrior kings in history. But how did he rise to power to become the Emperor of the Mongol Empire? How did he unite many of the nomadic tributes of North-East Asia, and then conquer most of Eurasia? Why is he considered a hero in modern-day post-Communist Mongolia? Rob Weinberg asks the big questions about this notorious figure to military historian Major Gordon Corrigan.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history ...more
John F. Kennedy
Sep 07 2020
Fredrik Logevall joined me on the pod to discuss the life and legacy of John F. Kennedy. By the time of his assassination in 1963, John F. Kennedy stood at the helm of the greatest power the world had ever seen. Born in 1917 to a striving Irish-American family that had ascended the ranks of Boston's political machine, Kennedy was bred for public service and he rose meteorically to become America's youngest president.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentar...more
The Fens
Sep 06 2020
James Boyce joins me on the pod to discuss the indigenous population of the Fens of eastern England. Between the English Civil Wars and the mid-Victorian period, the Fens fought to preserve their homeland against an expanding empire. After centuries of resistance, their culture and community were destroyed, along with their wetland home – England’s last lowland wilderness. But this was no simple triumph of technology over nature – it was the consequence of a newly centralised and militarised sta...more
The White Ship
Sep 05 2020
Charles Spencer joined me on the pod to discuss the sinking of the White Ship on the 25th November 1120. It is one of the greatest disasters that England has ever suffered. Its repercussions changed English and European history for ever.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, a...more
Selma Van De Perre
Sep 04 2020
Selma Van De Perre joined me on the pod to talk about her life as a Dutch Jewish Resistance fighter during the Second World War. She joined the resistance under the pseudonym Margareta van der Kuit, and she forged documents and delivered them throughout the entire country. She escaped the Nazis on multiple occasions, but in July of 1944 she was betrayed and transported via Camp Vught to Ravensbrück. Unlike her sister and parents, she survived the horrors of the camp. During that time no one...more
The Real Great Escape with Commander Steve Foster
Sep 03 2020
Commander Steve Foster relates the extraordinary story of one of the most audacious escape attempts of the Second World War.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only articles. It's the ultimate history package. Just go to historyhit.tv to s...more
A People's History of Tennis
Sep 02 2020
David Berry joined me on the pod to discuss a people’s history of tennis. From the birth of modern tennis in Victorian Britain to the present day, we talked about struggles around sexuality, gender, race and class that have transformed the nature of tennis and sport itself.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekl...more
The Gunpowder Plot
Sep 01 2020
On 5 November 1605, a planned assassination attempt on King James I was thwarted. While a group of English Catholics planned to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament, the name of the man caught guarding the gunpowder became legendary – Guy Fawkes. But how and why did the gunpower plot come about? And why did Guy Fawkes become the most famous of the plotters? Rob Weinberg puts the big questions about this most famous of failed assassination attempts to Dr. Leonie James...more
The Restaurant
Aug 31 2020
William Sitwell joined me on the pod to discuss the history of the restaurant. Tracing its earliest incarnations in the city of Pompeii, we discuss the events that shape the way we eat today.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only articles. It's th...more
The Bible
Aug 30 2020
John Barton joined me on the pod to discuss the history of the Bible. Tracing its dissemination, translation and interpretation in Judaism and Christianity from Antiquity to the rise of modern biblical scholarship, Barton elucidates how meaning has both been drawn from the Bible and imposed upon it.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcast...more
Pirates of the Chesapeake Bay
Aug 29 2020
Jamie L.H. Goodall joined me on the pod to discuss pirates of the Chesapeake Bay. The story of Chesapeake pirates and patriots begins with a land dispute and ends with the untimely death of an oyster dredger at the hands of the Maryland Oyster Navy.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can w...more
The Civil Rights Movement
Aug 28 2020
In this episode Dan Snow is joined by Chris Wilson, Director of Experience Design at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Chris specialises in the Civil Rights Movement and has written about the intersection of non-violence with the self defence mentality of that time.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we...more
The Soviets at Nuremberg
Aug 27 2020
Francine Hirsch joined me on the pod to discuss the full story of the Nuremberg Trials, one in which the Soviet Union was a defining player.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only articles. It's the ultimate history package. Just go to history...more
Cecil Rhodes
Aug 26 2020
Duncan Clarke joined me on the pod to discuss Cecil Rhodes and the historiography of Zambesia from the San forward to the establishment of the Rhodesian state.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only articles. It's the ultimate history package. Just...more
How and Why History: The Philosophers of Ancient Greece
Aug 25 2020
From the 6th century BCE, philosophy was used to make sense of the world – including astronomy, mathematics, politics, ethics, metaphysics and aesthetics. But why did philosophy flourish in Greek culture? How were the great philosophers received in their own time? And how did it influence Islam, communism and even the theories of Sigmund Freud? Rob Weinberg puts the big questions about history’s biggest thinkers to Professor Angie Hobbs at the University of Sheffield.Subscrib...more
The Neanderthals
Aug 25 2020
Rebecca Wragg Sykes joined me on the pod to discuss our perception of the Neanderthals, which has undergone a metamorphosis since their discovery 150 years ago, from the losers of the human family tree to A-list hominins.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive sub...more
Assassination and Coverups in The Cold War Congo
Aug 23 2020
I was joined by an award-winning investigative journalist, Ravi Somaiya, to discuss the mysterious death in 1961 of UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld. Although Dag Hammarskjöld was called ‘the greatest statesman of our century’ by John F. Kennedy, his plane was shot down as he flew over The Congo. He was found dead with an Ace of Spades placed on the body. Ravi took me into the depths of this event and the remarkable consequences across the globe. Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get...more
Magic and Witchcraft
Aug 22 2020
Suzannah Lipscomb joined me on the pod to discuss the history of magic, witchcraft and the occult. Examining the beliefs and suspicions from the ancient era to the modern world, we discussed everything from Japanese folklore to Indian witchcraft, looking at tarot cards, Norse magic and modern Wicca rituals. Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're runnin...more
Charles I Reconsidered
Aug 21 2020
On 22nd August 1642, Charles I raised his standard at Nottingham marking the start of the English Civil War. It was the result of years of ongoing tensions which could no longer be resolved with diplomacy and negotiation. But what was Charles' role in this disastrous turn of events - tyrant or victim of bad timing? Lianda de Lisle joined me on the pod to review Charles' reign, discussing why and how various reputations have emerged.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of hi...more
The Spartans
Aug 20 2020
I was thrilled to be joined by Andrew Bayliss, a Senior Lecturer in Greek History at the University of Birmingham. He's an expert on Sparta and Ancient Greece, and he joined me on the pod to mark the 2,500th anniversary of the battle of Themopylae, when 300 Spartans battled the Persian army. We discussed whether the Spartans deserved the reputations they've developed, and dissected the plethora of myths with have emererged, of musclebound soldiers with long hair and red cloaks. Subscribe to...more
Freemasonry
Aug 19 2020
John Dickie joined me on the pod to discuss the international story of an organisation which now has 6 million members across the globe. Tracing the origins from local fraternities of stonemasons at the turn of the fifteenth century, John took me on the freemasons' journey from Britain to America, Australia, Italy and India. We discussed exactly what the freemasons are, how they have been perceived, and why they seem to attract so many conspiracy theories. Subscribe to History Hit and you'l...more
How and Why History: Pilgrimage in the Middle Ages
Aug 18 2020
In the Middle Ages, the Holy Land, as well as sites in Europe and around Britain became popular sites for pilgrimage. It was believed that praying at shrines or in front of holy relics could absolve you of your sins, cure your illnesses, or help you on the way to heaven. Why was pilgrimage so important in the Middle Ages? To find out, Rob Weinberg went to Canterbury Christ Church University to speak to Dr. Sheila Sweetinburgh.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history ...more
Stealing from the Saracens: Islam and European Architecture
Aug 17 2020
From Notre-Dame Cathedral to the Houses of Parliament, European architecture is indebted to the Muslim world. Diana Darke joined me on the pod to discuss how medieval crusaders, pilgrims and merchants encountered Arab Muslim culture on their way to the Holy Land. This early artistic interaction continued a long history of arrchitectural 'borrowing' and cultural exchange, including Sir Christopher Wren’s inspirations in the ‘Saracen’ style of Gothic architecture.Subscribe to History Hit and you'l...more
Britain in The Great War
Aug 16 2020
I was thrilled to be joined by Simon Heffer, author of biographies on the historian and essayist Thomas Carlyle, the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams and of the British politician Enoch Powell. He's also written a series of books on the social history of Great Britain from the mid nineteenth century until the end of the First World War. Using this wealth of knowledge, Simon took me through the reality and impact off Britain in the First World War, one of the most terrible conflicts the world has ...more
VJ Day: 75 Years
Aug 15 2020
75 years ago today, on 15 August 1945, Victory over Japan Day marked the end of one of the most devastating episodes in British military history, and the final end of the Second World War. It's estimated there were 71,000 British and Commonwealth casualties of the war against Japan, and the deaths of more than 2.5 million Japanese civilians and military personnel. After a press conference at the White House on 14 August, where President Truman confirmed the rumours of an Allied victory over Japa...more
Chinese Philosophy
Aug 14 2020
Michael Puett is Professor of Chinese History at Harvard and has lectured widely at the world's leading universities. His course in Chinese philosophy is among the most popular at Harvard and in 2013 he was awarded a Harvard College Professorship for excellence in undergraduate teaching. In this pod we explored the remarkable challenges and achievements of Chinese philosophy.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of th...more
The Korean War: An American Perspective
Aug 13 2020
I was thrilled to be joined by H. W. Brands. He's authored 30 books on American history and his works have twice been selected as finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. On the 70 year anniversary since the start of the Korean War, he took me through the remarkable course of events which saw an immense civilian death toll and the destruction of virtually all of Korea's major cities. Why has the commemorations of this bloodbath been somewhat overlooked, and how did it lay the groundwork for the politic...more
Vindolanda
Aug 12 2020
Dan finds out what's going on with recent excavations at Vindolanda, one of the largest Roman forts near Hadrian's Wall. All manner of discoveries have been made, including the largest collection of Roman footwear found anywhere in the world.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win priz...more
How and Why History: Europe's Witch Craze
Aug 11 2020
In 1597, King James VI of Scotland published a compendium on witchcraft called Daemonologie that laid down the kind of trial and punishment these practices merited. But why was there a witch craze in Europe? How were witch hunts triggered? Who were the victims? And why did witch trials spread to America? Rob Weinberg asks the big questions on this dark but fascinating period to Professor Miri Rubin of Queen Mary Universit...more
History's Documents
Aug 10 2020
In this pod I was joined by two people who have played quite an important part in my life: my mum and dad (known to the rest of the world as Peter Snow and Ann MacMillan). Their latest book is a bold examination of world history, told through 50 of our most important documents. They have been sourced from collections of national archives, museums, libraries, and private collections across the globe. From this selection of 50, I asked for a selection of six to discuss in this episode, telling a s...more
Nagasaki
Aug 09 2020
The second atomic strike on the city of Nagasaki is less well known than the one a few days earlier on Hiroshima, but was it more influential in forcing the Japanese to surrender? To find out who exactly ordered it and why I talked to Harvard's Frederik Logevall. He discusses the debates that rage between historians as to whether Nagasaki was necessary and how much pressure there was for a third bomb. On the 75th anniversary of the strike it is a conversation with powerful contemporary echoes.&n...more
Refugees, Sexual Violence and the Fall of the Third Reich
Aug 08 2020
In this episode, Dan speaks to award-winning political correspondent and commentator, Svenja O'Donnell, about her remarkable grandmother's personal story of migration, sexual violence and murder during the fall of the Third Reich. Svenja's beautiful, aloof grandmother Inge never spoke about the past. All her family knew was that she had grown up in a city that no longer exists on any map: Königsberg in East Prussia, a footnote in history, a place that almost no one has heard of today. But when S...more
Pertinax. Son of a Slave to Emperor of Rome.
Aug 07 2020
The son of a former slave, Pertinax was the Roman Emperor who proved that no matter how lowly your birth, you could rise to the very top through hard work, grit and determination.This previously untold story brings a fascinating and important figure out of the shadows. A self made everyman, a man of principle and ambition, a role model respected by his contemporaries who styled himself on his philosophizing predecessor and sometime champion Marcus Aurelius, Pertinax's remarkable story offers a u...more
How and Why History: America, Japan and the Atomic Bomb
Aug 06 2020
On 6 August 1945, an American B29 bomber dropped the world's first deployed atomic bomb over Hiroshima. Three days later, Nagasaki was at the receiving end of a second American A-bomb. Why did America decide to hit Japan with two atomic bombs? Why were these two cities the targets? What were the implications for ending World War II and starting the Cold War? History Hit’s Rob Weinberg puts the big questions about this seminal event to Kevin Ruane, Professor of Modern History at Canterbury Christ...more
Rum, Sodomy and the Lash?
Aug 05 2020
The common sailor was a crucial engine of British prosperity and expansion up until the Industrial Revolution. From exploring the South Seas with Cook to establishing the East India Company as a global corporation; from the sea battles that made Britain a superpower to the crisis of the 1797 mutinies; these "sons of the waves" affected the nation's prosperity with their calloused hand. Yet, while British maritime history in the age of sail is full of the deeds of officers like Nelson, little att...more
The Road to 1914: Myths of Nationalism
Aug 04 2020
This week in 1914 saw the outbreak of the First World War. In this special episode from the archive, Margaret MacMillan talks to her nephew Dan about her seminal book 'The War That Ended Peace: The Road To 1914'. They discuss the importance of Storytelling to the historian's process, the ways in which political actors at the time viewed the relation between fate and choice, the role that masculine insecurity played in the build up to the war and also examine the construct of and myths surroundin...more
Gallipoli: the Endgame
Aug 03 2020
In December 1915, some 135,000 allied troops, nearly 400 guns and 15,000 horses were collectively trapped in the bridgeheads at Anzac, Suvla and Helles. It was clear that the operation to seize control of Dardanelles and the Bosporus straits and capture Constantinople (now Istanbul) from the Turks, and thereby open a Black Sea supply route to Russia, had failed. With every day that passed the Turks moved up more guns, threatening to blast to pieces the flimsy piers, breakwaters and blockshi...more
Conan Doyle, Kipling and Kingsley in the Boer War
Aug 02 2020
In early 1900, Rudyard Kipling, Mary Kingsley and Arthur Conan Doyle crossed paths in South Africa during the Anglo-Boer War. Motivated in various ways by notions of duty, service, patriotism and jingoism, they were each shaped by the theatre of war. Sarah LeFanu joined me on the podcast to explore the cultural legacies, controversial reputations and influence on colonial policy of these three British writers. Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentari...more
Leading Germany's Resistance against The Nazis
Aug 01 2020
Norman Ohler joined me on the pod to discuss two remarkable lovers who led Germany's resistance against the Nazis. Harro Schulze-Boysen and Libertas Haas-Heye led a complex network of antifascists, which operated across Berlin's bohemian underworld. They infiltrated German intelligence leaked Nazi battle plans to the Allies, including the details of Hitler's surprise attack on the Soviet Union. But in a world where friend could be indistinguishable from foe, nothing could prepare Libertas and Ha...more
The Tudors
Jul 31 2020
Jessie Childs is an award-winning author, historian and expert on the Tudors. She joined me on the podcast to discuss this notorious family. What did people think of them at the time? Do they deserve their reputation - both good and bad? All in all, why are we so obsessed? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Tragedy of USS Indianapolis
Jul 30 2020
Just after midnight on 30th 1945, the USS Indianapolis was sailing alone in the Philippine Sea when she was struck by two Japanese torpedoes, almost three hundred miles from land. She sank in 12 minutes. For the next five nights, nearly nine hundred men struggled with battle injuries, shark attacks, dehydration, insanity, and eventually each other. Sara Vladic is one of the world's leading experts on the USS Indianapolis, having met and interviewed 108 of the ship’s survivors. She joined me on t...more
Rape as a Weapon of War
Jul 29 2020
Christina Lamb is Chief Foreign Correspondent at The Sunday Times and one of Britain’s leading foreign journalists. As well as working in combat zones for over thirty years, Christina's also a best selling author, a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, an honorary fellow of University College, Oxford and was awarded an OBE by the Queen in 2013. So I was thrilled that she could find time to join me on the pod to discuss the topic of her latest book: rape as a weapon of war. Although there is...more
How and Why History: Charlemagne
Jul 28 2020
Charlemagne was one of history’s most ruthless and ambitious warriors – King of the Franks, then King of the Lombards, conqueror of the Saxons, leading to the Pope crowning him Roman Emperor. But plenty of blood was spilled along the way. So how did Charlemagne manage to unite much of Europe? Why did the Pope crown him emperor? How did his legacy inspire Adolf Hitler? History Hit’s Rob Weinberg asks the big questions about this hugely influential figure to Dr. Sinead O’Sullivan of Queens Univers...more
Churchill's Speeches
Jul 27 2020
"Their finest hour", "we shall fight on the beaches", "never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few". These words of Winston Churchill are synonymous with our idea of the British war effort during the darkest days of WWII. Richard Toye joined me on the podcast to take a closer look at these speeches. How many civilians would have actually heard Churchill's brilliant rhetoric, and what did they think of them? Why were they so compelling, both then and now? And perhap...more
Saudi Arabia and Iran
Jul 26 2020
Kim Ghattas joined me on the podcast to explore how Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran - who were once allies and the twin pillars of US strategy in the area - became mortal enemies after the revolution of 1979. In a war of cultural supremacy, we discussed the nature of various groups using and distorting religion, suppressing cultural expression and encouragning sectarian violence. And how did events like Iran’s fatwa against author Salman Rushdie lay the groundwork for more recent troubles, incl...more
Monarchy
Jul 25 2020
For hundreds of years, monarchy has reigned as the dominant political model in Europe. But how has this system - where political life was shaped by the births, marriages and deaths of the ruling family - maintained such a strong grip for so long? How did these dynasties cope with female rule, child monarchs, mistresses or pretenders to the throne? How were names, numbering and the visual display of heraldry express an identity and cement loyalty? Robert Bartlett is Professor Emeritus at the Univ...more
SS Great Britain
Jul 24 2020
SS Great Britain was the longest passenger ship in the world from 1845 to 1854, and now resides in Bristol as a museum. She was the brainchild of Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Great Western Steamship Company's transatlantic service between Bristol and New York City. In this pod, I was taken on a tour around this remarkable feat of Victorian engineering to hear how Brunel's ingenuity transformed the world. Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries,...more
How Did Hitler Seize Supreme Power?
Jul 23 2020
I was delighted to be joined by Nicholas O'Shaughnessy, who took me through the remarkable rise of Adolf Hitler. Starting with his experience of the First World War, Nicholas took me through the events and turning points which turned a failed art student into one of the most powerful men in history. We discussed how the Beer Hall Putsch, the Wall Street Crash, the Article 48 Decree, the Reichstag Fire and the death of Hindenburg acting as stepping stones to Hitler's success. This podcast complim...more
Transforming Our Understanding of The Battle of Kursk
Jul 22 2020
The Battle of Prokhorovka was one of the largest tank battles in military history. Taking place on the Eastern Front, it was fought on 12 July 1943 as part of the wider Battle of Kursk. Two elite SS divisions were obliterated, and about 300 panzers were destroyed as the Red Army began to turn the tide for Hitler. Prokhorovka has always been notorious, but British historian Ben Wheatley has challenged the traditional myths surrounding the battle by fine-combing through the evidence. He joined me ...more
How and Why History: The Genius of Shakespeare
Jul 21 2020
Arguably the world’s greatest ever dramatist, after five and a half centuries William Shakespeare remains as popular as ever. But how did he became so famous? How did later authors boost his reputation? And why has Shakespeare stayed supreme above all other writers? Rob Weinberg asks the big questions to Jerry Brotton, Professor of Renaissance Studies at Queen Mary University of London.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single ep...more
How Democracy Dies
Jul 20 2020
I was thrilled to be joined on the podcast by the Pulitzer Prize–winning historian, Anne Applebaum. Anne's written extensively on Marxism–Leninism, the development of civil society in Central and Eastern Europe, and was one of the first American journalists to raise an alarm about antidemocratic trends in the West. In this podcast we asked big questions about democracy - does it still appeal to us, and where does it stand in the modern world?Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hund...more
Soldiers and Military History
Jul 19 2020
I am very excited to be joined by Colonel Kevin W. Farrell, who spent over 30 years in uniform and commanded at the platoon, company, and battalion levels. He finished up in the army as the Chief of the Military History Division at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. I am fascinated to hear about how the modern army chooses to teach history to its future leaders. He acted as an advisor to the Afghan National Army and the commander of a 1,000-soldier combined arms battalion conducting extend...more
The Road to American Politics
Jul 18 2020
10 years after the expulsion of the British, leading US figures including Washington, Hamilton and Jefferson came together to draw up plans for governing the world's newest country. But what should the role of a President be and how should American politics function? I was thrilled to be joined by Joanne B. Freeman, a professor of History and American studies at Yale University, to discuss this turning point of American politics. Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of...more
The Apollo Program
Jul 17 2020
Getting to the moon was no easy feat, no matter how confident Kennedy may have sounded in his famous 1961 speech. NASA built a team from the ground up, and there were plenty of moments where it seemed as if they weren't going to make it. After all, it was hard to feel safe when a pen could go straight through the module. Kevin Fong is part of the NHS emergency response team for major fatality incidents like terror attacks. He's also an anaesthetist, a lecturer in physiology at UCL and an expert ...more
The Yalta Conference
Jul 16 2020
In the February 1945, the U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin met at an old Romanov palace in Crimea, which had once been enjoyed by Tsar Nicholas II and his family. Over eight days the 'Big Three' discussed and debated issues of vast international importance - such as the endgame of the war against Nazi Germany, the constitution of the United Nations, the price of Soviet entry into the war against Japan and the new border...more
A History of Assassinations
Jul 15 2020
Kenneth Baker is a British politician and a former Conservative MP who served in the cabinets of Margaret Thatcher and John Major as Environment Secretary, Education Secretary, and Home Secretary. He joined me on the pod to examine the history of assassinations. From Julius Caesar to John F. Kennedy, and even the raid of Osama bin Laden's compound, Kenneth has used them to build up a clearer picture of assassination as a political tool. Is this an effective weapon which has changed the course of...more
How and Why History: The Spread of Christianity
Jul 14 2020
In the first century after his crucifixion, the teachings of Jesus quickly spread throughout the Greco-Roman world and his early followers often faced severe persecution. But how did people around the Mediterranean learn of Christ’s message? Why did it appeal to them? And how did Christianity change once it was adopted by the Roman Empire? Rob Weinberg puts the big questions about the growth and spread of Christianity to Miri Rubin, Professor of Medieval and Early Modern History at Queen Mary Un...more
Britain's First All Women Military Hospital
Jul 13 2020
When the First World War broke out, the suffragettes suspended their campaigning and joined the war effort. Flora Murray and Louisa Garrett Anderson headed out to France, setting up two small military hospitals - whilst battling fierce opposition on account of being women. But Flora and Louisa proved so effective that the War Ministry requested they returned to London and establish a hospital in a vast and derelict old workhouse in Covent Garden's Endell Street. The medical marvel which sprung u...more
Henry III: The Pacific King
Jul 12 2020
David Carpenter joined me on the podcast to examine one of England's most remarkable monarchs. Just nine years old when he came to the throne in 1216, David explains how Henry was pacific, conciliatory, and deeply religious. His rule was constrained by limits set by the Magna Carta and the emergence of parliament. We discussed the 'soft power' which maintained a steady peace, Henry's patron saint Edward the Confessor, and his building of the magnificent Westminster Abbey. Subscribe to Histo...more
Anne Glenconner: Princess Margaret's Confidante
Jul 11 2020
Anne Glenconner has been at the centre of the royal circle from childhood, when she met and befriended the future Queen Elizabeth II and her sister, the Princess Margaret. Anne spoke to me from the resplendent saloon at Holkham Hall to discuss her truly remarkable life - a story of drama, tragedy and royal secrets. A story she reflects on with a charming sense of humour and true British spirit. Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as e...more
A New Discovery at Stonehenge
Jul 10 2020
I was delighted to be joined by one of the most important people in the history world at the moment: Professor Vincent Gaffney. He is the leading archaeologist behind the recent discovery of a vast neolithic circle of deep shafts in Durrington, near Stonehenge. Vince took me through the thrills and surprises of his epic discovery and how it transforms our understanding of the stones themselves. Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as e...more
The Roman Navy in Britain
Jul 09 2020
I was thrilled to be joined on the podcast by the wonderful Simon Elliott. In this episode, Simon and I got to grips with the epic Roman Navy, and what it was doing on the shores of Britain. Enjoy! Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only artic...more
Mata Hari: The Truth Behind The Legend
Jul 08 2020
More than 70 years after her death, Mata Hari is still a household name throughout the Western world. So who was this daughter of a Dutch hat-maker, who was executed for espionage after a secret trial during the darkest days of World War One? Julie Wheelwright joined me on the pod to guide me through the world of female espionage, the forces behind patriotic hysteria and the perpetuation of the idea of the seductive and dangerous temptress. Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to ...more
How and Why History: The Birth of Scotland
Jul 07 2020
The recorded story of Scotland begins with the arrival of the Romans in the 1st century, when the province of Britannia reached as far north as the Antonine Wall. But how much further back can the history of Scotland be traced? Who were the Picts and the Gaels? And how did the Viking invasion unite them? Rob Weinberg asks the big how and why questions about the birth of Scotland to Dr. Alex Woolf, senior lecturer at the University of St Andrews.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to h...more
Statues, History and How We Use The Past
Jul 06 2020
I was joinded by Dr Charlotte Riley, a feminist historian of 20th century Britain. Whilst lecturing on the Labour Party, decolonization, and overseas aid and development programmes, Charlotte has been an important voice in the debate surrounding the role of public statues. How do statues enhance or subvert our understanding of the past? Can we ever produce statues which don't jar with some ideas? In short, are they more trouble than they're worth? Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get acc...more
Assassination, Fascism and The Abdication Crisis
Jul 05 2020
Alex Larman has struck gold. He discovered one of the rarest and most precious things in the history world: an unknown source which shines a bright new light on its subject. He uncovered brand new documents relating to an assassination attempt on Edward VIII in July 1936, by George McMahon. Alex took me through the documents he found and the story they tell. We also discussed the Edward's challenging upbringing, his possible Nazi sympathies, the tumult of the Abdication crisis and his famous rel...more
Myths of the Titanic
Jul 04 2020
If you want to know anything about RMS Titanic, Tim Maltin's your man. He is one of the world’s leading experts on the Titanic and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of every nut and bolt secured in place in Belfast, and every moment of its terrifying submersion in the freezing waters of the Atlantic. Tim has recently chatted to me for our latest History Hit TV documentary, and his way of speaking was just so gripping that I had to invited him back to record a podcast. In this episode, Tim took me t...more
Machiavelli
Jul 03 2020
Since the release of Alexander Lee's masterly new work on Niccolò Machiavelli, I just had to get him on the pod to hear about this infamous man directly from the expert. Alex revealed the man behind the myth - his father’s penury, abuse he suffered at a teacher’s hands, his chaotic love life, political triumphs and an eventual fall from grace. By delving into the Renaissance world swirling through the courts of Borgia popes and the dungeons of the Stinche prison, Alex has taken time tot review M...more
Hitler's Titanic
Jul 02 2020
Roger Moorhouse is an historian of the Third Reich and WW2, author of The Devils' Alliance, Killing Hitler & Berlin at War. He joined me on the podcast to discuss the worst maritime disaster in history: the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff in January 1945.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where...more
History's Deadliest Influenza Pandemic
Jul 01 2020
Germans soldiers called it Blitzkatarrh, British soldiers called it Flanders Grippe, but the 1918 pandemic was most commonly known as 'Spanish Flu'. Catherine Arnold is the author of 'Pandemic 1918', and she joined me on the pod to discuss this terrible disease. A disease where victims suffered haemorrhages from the lungs and nose, skin turning blue from lack of oxygen and choking to death from 'air hunger' as the lungs filled with blood and pus. As Catherine explains, communities across the wor...more
How and Why History: William the Conqueror
Jun 30 2020
On 14 October 1066, Norman invaders led by Duke William of Normandy won a decisive victory over the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson. But why did William have a claim on the English throne? How did the Battle of Hastings unfold? And how did William the Conqueror change England forever? To answer the big questions about this decisive battle, Rob Weinberg talks to Professor Virginia Davis, of Queen Mary University of London. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Disease and the Victorians
Jun 29 2020
Dr Emma Liggins is an expert on Victorian Gothic literature. She joined me on the pod to examine how great female writers of the 19th century - such as Elizabeth Gaskell and the Brontes - responded to the impact of fatal diseases on their home lives. How did their literary perspective influence their views on contagion and quarantining? We also discussed Emma's work on haunted houses, and how the nightmarish terrors of a deadly fever distorted the domestic space.Subscribe to History Hit and you'...more
Western Europe’s Age of Democracy
Jun 28 2020
In the second half of the twentieth century, western Europe was shaped by a revolutionary political force: democracy. Or at least that's what Professor Martin Conway has argued in his major new history. On this podcast, Martin - a teacher from my university days - interrogated the years following the Second World War. What provoked democratic revolution in the western half of Europe? How did this stable, durable, and remarkably uniform model of parliamentary democracy change society? And why did...more
28 Years on Death Row
Jun 27 2020
Anthony Ray Hinton was held on death row for 28 years. He was incorrectly convicted of the murders of two restaurant managers, John Davidson and Thomas Wayne Vasona, in 1985. He was released in 2015 after winning a new trial. In this podcast, Anthony and I walked and talked our way through the streets of Birmingham, Alambama. I was overwhelmed by his generosity of spirit, lack of animosity and determination to live a good life despite the fact that so many years were taken away from him.Subscrib...more
Forgotten Women of the Civil Rights Movement
Jun 26 2020
I was delighted to be joined by Keisha Blain, an Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh. She took me far into the past - years before Martin Luther King or Rosa Parks - to the roots of North America's long tradition of Civil Rights activism. We discussed how African American women played a central - albeit overlooked - role in leading this struggle, and what their legacy looks like today. Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as we...more
Veterans of the Korean War
Jun 25 2020
70 years ago today, on 25th June 1950, North Korean forces invaded South Korea. The three-year conflict which followed took the lives of four million people including nearly 100,000 British troops. For many veterans, it is widely considered 'The Forgotten War'. So I was delighted to be joined by Arthur Teasdale, George Reed, Trevor John and Gerry Farmer, who shared their remarkable experiences in Korea, one of Britain's most deadly conflicts.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hund...more
Politics of the Potato
Jun 24 2020
Rebecca Earle joined me on the pod to talk about spuds. She took me through the story of this starchy tuber's dramatic career, which has been at the heart of the development of the world we live in today. Jumping from an Enlightenment super-food, to symbol of the British Home Front and even a coercive tool in modern China, this unassuming root vegetable - rich in carbohydrates - has been quite the hot potato. Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentarie...more
How and Why History: Operation Barbarossa
Jun 23 2020
In June 1941, Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, opening up the Eastern Front in World War II – a campaign to which more forces were committed than in any other theatre of war in history. But why did Germany invade the Soviet Union? What did Stalin and Hitler think of each other? And how did the invasion impact on Germany’s eventual defeat? To find out the answers about this escalation in the Second World War, Charlie Mills spoke to Dr. Mario Draper at the University of Kent.Subscribe to Hist...more
Family History
Jun 22 2020
Simon Pearce, a genealogist from Ancestry.com, joined me on the podcast to reveal the secrets of uncovering family history. Delving into the records of my own grandfather, Simon explained the methods, challenges and excitements he faces on a day to day basis. We also discussed how technology might open up a wealth of information - changing the face of genealogy forever. Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of th...more
A New History of the Aztecs
Jun 21 2020
In November 1519, Hernando Cortés approached the capital of the Aztec kingdom and came face to face with its ruler, Moctezuma. The story which follows has been told countless times following a Spanish narrative. A key part of the story has been overlooked - until now. After being taught the Roman alphabet, the Native Americans used it to write detailed histories in their own language of Nahuatl. Camilla Townsend is a Professor of History at Rutgers University. For the first time, she h...more
The Lancaster Bomber
Jun 20 2020
I was thrilled to be joined again by one of our most popular guests, John Nichol. John shot to international prominence when he served in the first Gulf War. When his Tornado was shot down in 1991 he was captured, tortured and paraded on television provoking worldwide condemnation and leaving one of the enduring images of that war. Since then, John has become one of our most successful aviation historians, writing bestsellers such as 'Spitfire – A Very British Love Story'. His latest book explor...more
Why is Jerusalem so Important?
Jun 19 2020
Simon Sebag Montefiore joined me on the pod to discuss one of the most important cities in history. For the last 3000 years, its been hitting the headlines, and this pod was recorded just after Donald Trump announced that the USA would recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Simon is the author of the incredible book 'Jerusalem: the biography'. He explained why the city is sacred to three religions and why it has so often found itself on the front line of the great conflicts that have shap...more
Voices of Waterloo
Jun 18 2020
205 years ago today, 60,000 men were slaughtered in the Battle of Waterloo. Napoleon Bonaparte's French army was finally defeated by an almighty coalition of troops from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Hanover, Brunswick and Nassau, led by the Duke of Wellington, and the Prussian army under the command of Field Marshal von Blücher. I was joined on the pod by Zack White, who has set up Voices of the Battlefield, an oral history project featuring 41 readings of eyewitness testimony from the c...more
How and Why History: The Battle of Waterloo
Jun 18 2020
The Battle of Waterloo brought a generation of terrible warfare to a close, decisively ending the career of Napoleon Bonaparte. How did the Duke of Wellington defeat Napoleon? Why did Napoleon make a fatal blunder? And how did Waterloo shape convictions about Britain’s future role in the world? Rob Weinberg asks the big questions about this momentous battle to Dr Michael Rowe of Kings College London.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as e...more
Women of the Trojan War
Jun 17 2020
I was thrilled to be joined by Natalie Haynes. Natalie is the is the author of 'A Thousand Ships', a retelling of the Trojan War from an all-female perspective. In this podcast we discussed the classical accounts which have contributed to our modern understanding of that legendary war and its terrible aftermath. This was produced from one of our Zoom discussions, where History Hit TV subscribers joined the chat and were able to ask Natalie their burning questions. Subscribe to History Hit a...more
The Government and the Military in Times of Crisis
Jun 15 2020
The Covid crisis has seen a huge deployment of UK armed forces personnel to assist the civilian government. Named Operation RESCRIPT it has seen soldiers, sailors and aviators fulfil a wide range of tasks. I wanted to get a sense of the different challenges that the forces face when operating on home soil, and whether their conventional training prepares them for these. As I was working on this podcast President Trump announced that he was considering ordering the army into action against protes...more
Nazi Generals in Britain
Jun 14 2020
When captured Nazi generals found themselves in Britain in the Second World War, they were probably surprised to be brought to a beautiful country house where they were wined and dined by a senior British aristocrat. But it was all a charade. For the skirting boards, the swings seats and the flower pots of this house were riddled with recording equipment. Unbeknown to the generals, every single conversation they had was bugged and an army of translators and transcribers worked away in the baseme...more
Putin's Rise to Power
Jun 13 2020
Catherine Belton joined me on the pod to discuss the remarkable story of Vladimir Putin's rise to power. After working from 2007-2013 as the Moscow correspondent for the Financial Times, Catherine's career has offered an exclusive insight into workings of Putin's Kremlin. Her new book 'Putin's People' is packed with interviews from key inside players, uncovering fascinating details about how Putin subverted Russia’s economy and legal system and extended the Kremlin's reach into the United States...more
Sex in Pandemics
Jun 12 2020
I invited Kate Lister to join me after the enormous popularity of her last appearance on the pod. But this time we talked about how our sexual habits are both dulled and invigorated in unprecedented times - wars, plagues, pandemics. We discussed licentious widows who let loose during plagues, the separate brothels for British officers and soldiers, and how the lives of sex workers have been compromised in times of hardship. She also told me about sex in the coronavirus lockdown and the modern da...more
Nelson's Statue
Jun 11 2020
Afua Hirsch is a writer, broadcaster, barrister and human rights development worker. She has previously worked as Social Affairs and Education Editor for Sky News and was also a correspondent for The Guardian. In this podcast we discussed Nelson's famous statue in Trafalgar Square and what place it has in central London. Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We'...more
Why Study History?
Jun 10 2020
My guests this week were Marcus Collins and Peter Stearns. They've just released a wonderful new book, 'Why Study History?' - a guide for prospective students and parents to enthuse the reader and answer the crucial questions that a college prospectus might conveniently miss out. They joined me on the pod to examine the intellectual, economic and societal benefits of studying history. We discussed the humanities in relation to STEM subjects, the typical career trajectory of a history graduate an...more
How and Why History: Attila the Hun
Jun 09 2020
Known as the Scourge of God, Attila the Hun was one of the greatest Barbarian rulers in history. Renowned for his brutality, sacking and pillaging the lands and cities he conquered, Attila became one of the most feared enemies of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires. But how did Attila rally his people to take on the might of Rome and why was he so successful? As part of our new 'How and Why History' series, Rob Weinberg asks the big questions about this notorious figure to Professor Peter Heat...more
The Field of the Cloth of Gold
Jun 08 2020
500 years ago this week marked the start of one of the most extraordinary diplomatic gatherings in history: The Field of the Cloth of Gold. In 1520, England and France - traditionally bitter rivals - sought to bring conflict to an end in a magnificent show of opulence and pageantry. Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France agreed to meet in a show of conviviality, to reinforce the European-wide 'Universal Peace.' Of course, they didn't pack light. Both kings brought a hefty entourage of alm...more
Political Thinkers in the Modern World
Jun 07 2020
I was thrilled to be joined by David Runciman, Professor of Politics at Cambridge University and host of the widely acclaimed 'Talking Politics' podcast. Together we discussed how the great political thinkers of the past 400 years impacted the worlds they lived in, and whether they are still relevant today. David spoke about the the relationship between democracy and technology, the nature of political leadership and the trade-off between liberty and security. We also acknowledged how many ideas...more
What Really Happened on D-Day
Jun 06 2020
I was joined by Giles Milton to learn about D-Day and find out what his research has uncovered about the untold stories of this landmark event.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only articles. It's the ultimate history package. Just go to historyhi...more
Untold Stories of War
Jun 05 2020
I was delighted to be joined by James Rogers - a war historian, fellow of the London School of Economics, and presenter of History Hit's Untold History series. One of James' films explores HM Factory Gretna, a munitions factory built by the Ministry of Munitions in response to the Shell Crisis of 1915. He told me about the fate of these factory workers - predominantly women - who laboured to produce cordite, an explosive described by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as 'Devil's Porridge'. We also discusse...more
Racial Injustice in America
Jun 04 2020
The protests on the streets of America are a product of 400 years of violence, slavery, coercion and injustice. I took a crash course with Harvard's Professor Khalil Gibran Muhammad on the history that has led to this moment. He stripped me of my illusions about America but also explained why he is essentially optimistic. Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes...more
A Story of Slavery and Restitution
Jun 03 2020
I was delighted to be joined by Caleb McDaniel, History professor and author of the Pulitzer prizewinning book, “Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America”. He told me the remarkable story of Henrietta Wood. Born into slavery in Kentucky, she was freed as an adult and worked as domestic worker. In 1853, her employers conspired to trick her into crossing the Kentucky side of the Ohio River, where she was recaptured and taken to work in the harrowing condition...more
Sex and Scandal at the Court of Charles II
Jun 01 2020
According to John Evelyn, the great diarist, Charles II was ‘addicted to women’. Charles' court is infamous for tales of licentiousness and promiscuity, and I was thrilled to be joined by Linda Porter who introduced me to Charles' impressive list of mistresses. There was Frances Teresa Stuart, ‘the prettiest girl in the world’, Barbara Villiers, an ill-tempered courtier, ‘pretty, witty’ Nell Gwynn, Moll Davis, who bore the last of the king’s fifteen illegitimate children and Louise de Kéroualle,...more
Fighting Nazism at the Grand Prix
May 31 2020
Neal Bascomb joined me on the podcast to tell a remarkable story of the fight against Hitler - on the Grand Prix racetrack. We delved into the high-speed world of the American heiress Lucy Schell, a motorsport obsessive and the top American driver in the Monte Carlo Rally. With the help of Rene Dreyfus, a brilliant racing driver who was banned from competing due to his Jewish heritage, Schell became the first woman to own and run a Grand Prix team. She brought Delahaye automobiles back from the ...more
A History of Building Britain
May 30 2020
I was thrilled to be joined by Andrew Ziminski, a stonemason living and working in Somerset. He's just released his first book documenting the fascinating stories from three decades of hands-on experience working with the very building blocks of British history. In this episode, I heard about his work on a Stonehenge megalith, the restoration of Roman ruins in Bath, the stories of engine houses, mills and aqueducts of the Industrial Revolution, the problems facing Notre Dame, how St Paul's Cathe...more
Dunkirk Veterans
May 29 2020
Dan meets some of the surviving Dunkirk veterans on the famous Little Ships which helped to rescue them from the beaches. The Little Ships of Dunkirk were 700 private boats that sailed from Ramsgate in England to Dunkirk in France between 26 May and 4 June 1940 as part of Operation Dynamo, helping to rescue more than 338,000 British and French soldiers who were trapped on the beaches at Dunkirk during the Second World War.Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history docu...more
The Fall of France
May 28 2020
80 years ago this week, one of the most extraordinary evacuations in military history was under way: 'The Miracle of Dunkirk'. But how, and why, did the Allies find themselves in such a dire position? On this podcast, I was joined by one of the great historians of the Second World War, Peter Caddick-Adams, who took me through The Fall of France and the Low Countries - one of the most catastrophic defeats in military history. In just a couple of weeks, the German army achieved what it had failed ...more
Muslim Soldiers of Dunkirk
May 27 2020
May 28, 1940: Major Akbar Khan of the Royal Indian Army Service Corps marches at the head of 299 soldiers along the beach at Dunkirk - the only Indians in the BEF in France and the only ones at Dunkirk. These men of the Indian Army, carrying their disabled imam, find their way to the East Mole and embark for England in the dead of night. On reaching Dover, they borrowed brass trays and started playing Punjabi folk music, upon which even "many British spectators joined in the dance." Where had th...more
Coronavirus: Intelligence Failure
May 26 2020
The greatest threats we face are climate breakdown and pandemic disease. This was the assessment of security advisers before the Covid outbreak and the last few months have seen the stunning reality of this as the world lurches into a giant economic and political crisis. I am joined by Calder Walton, Director of Research of Harvard Kennedy School's Intelligence Project, to talk about whether there was a huge intelligence failure around the outbreak of the pandemic, but also whether our intellige...more
The Miracle of Dunkirk
May 25 2020
80 years ago, ships were gathering in Kent to begin the rescue of the British Expeditionary Force. Britain faced the prospect of the worst defeat in British military history and the loss of her entire military forces in Western Europe. Churchill called it "a colossal military disaster", admitting "the whole root and core and brain of the British Army" seemed to perish. The subsequent evacuation is one of the most famous stories to emerge from the Second World War. Joshua Levine worked as the His...more
Getting Inside the Mind of Hitler
May 24 2020
No man knew Adolf Hitler as intimately as his trusted physician, Theodoor Morell. As part of Hitler's inner social circle, he assisted the leader in virtually everything for the entire war years. His unconventional treatments were famed in Germany, and Hitler so trusted the 'miracle' prescriptions that trains were stopped to allow the doctor to deliver injections with a steady hand. I was joined by Professor Frank McDonough, an internationally acclaimed expert on the Third Reich, who revealed th...more
Akbar the Great
May 23 2020
One of the greatest rulers of the 16th century was Akbar the Great, a man whose power and influence extended over much of the Indian subcontinent after he unified the vast Mughal state. But recently, Akbar's reputation has plummeted as modern India has examined the controversial aspects of his rule. Manimugdha S. Sharma is a Delhi-based journalist who joined me on the podcast to pick apart Akbar and the Mughal Empire. We discussed who Akbar was, how he rose to power and how there are still some ...more
The Shadow King: Henry VI
May 21 2020
Henry VI came to the throne in exceptionally difficult circumstances. The untimely death of his warlike father, Henry V, placed the crown upon his head aged just 9 months. While England was in the ascendant in the Hundred Years' War in 1422, by the time he came of age his father's French conquests were disintegrating and the English nobility were locked in a dangerous struggle for power. In 1453, Henry suffered a complete mental collapse from which he never fully recovered, and then was used as ...more
Celebrity
May 20 2020
Greg Jenner has given my children so many hours of happiness as the historical brains behind the Horrible History tv shows and movie, not to mention the Homeschool History podcast that it would have been grotesquely unfair not to have him on the show and talk about his new book on the history of celebrity. Greg has tried to define exactly what we mean by this title and suggests that it all began in the early 18th Century with the rise of a literate mass audience and the magazines and papers that...more
History and Human Nature
May 19 2020
It's a belief which has dictated the writings of Machiavelli and Hobbes, Freud and Dawkins - that humans are fundamentally selfish and governed by self-interest. But Rutger Bregman has made a convincing case that this simply isn't true. Starting off with a real version of The Lord of the Flies - where humans stranded on a desert island were driven by kindness and common responsibility - we took a deeper look at human beings through the lens of the past. Subscribe to History Hit and you'll g...more
The Brontës and War
May 19 2020
In this podcast I was joined by Emma Butcher, a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in English Literature at the University of Leicester. Emma took me on a fascinating journey through the Brontë siblings' reactions and interactions with the tumult of the early 19th century. We discussed the trauma experienced by soldiers returning from Napoleonic wars, contemporary ideas surrounding British Imperial ambitions, the rise of the military memoir as a literary genre, the landscape of Yorkshire as a source...more
The Habsburgs
May 17 2020
It was an honour to be joined by Martyn Rady to discuss one of history's most thrilling families, the Habsburgs. Ruling for almost a millennium, their imperial vision was perhaps best realised in Emperor Frederick III's AEIOU motto: Austriae est imperare orbi universe, "Austria is destined to rule the world." Indeed, Frederick's descendants would extend their power into the Holy Roman Empire, Italy, Spain, the New World, and the Pacific, a dominion that Charles V called "the empire on which the ...more
Winston Churchill
May 14 2020
80 years ago this week, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain and his calamitous handling of the Norway campaign. On the same day, Adolf Hitler launched a monumental assault on Western Europe. It was the toughest first week in office a Prime Minister has ever faced. We're marking this historic event with a podcast from our archive - the entirety of which is available exclusively to History Hit subscribers. In this podcast, ...more
Pandemics: Science and History
May 12 2020
I was thrilled to be joined by the legendary Peter Frankopan, Professor of Global History at Oxford University and bestselling author of 'The Silk Roads: A New History of the World'. In this podcast we discussed the current crisis in a wider historical context, and Peter gave some fascinating insights. This podcast was the first of our live Zoom discussions between Dan, Peter and History Hit subscribers, who were invited to join the discussion at the end. Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get ...more
Migration in Medieval Europe
May 11 2020
I was delighted to be joined by Miri Rubin of Queen Mary University, London. In a terrific new book, Miri has scooped up a seemingly modern topic - migration - and settled it into the bustling town centres of medieval Europe. We discussed how these cities accommodated a plethora of languages, religions and occupations, and how some urban institutions took great care with the settlement of newcomers, working them into societal fabric to encourage economic growth. And of course, we chatted about h...more
Europe's Tragedy: The Thirty Years War
May 10 2020
The Thirty Years War devastated seventeenth-century Europe. It killed nearly a quarter of all Germans and transformed the map of the modern world. Professor Peter Wilson of Oxford University took me on a whistle stop tour through these tumultuous years - from defenestrations in Prague, Westphalian sovereignty and how the soldiers of WWI remembered these events three centuries later. Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single ...more
Coffee
May 09 2020
Coffee. Most of us are addicted. We need it on Monday mornings, post nights out, during nights out, in fact every morning. And afternoons. Augustine Sedgewick teaches history at the City University of New York. He has a new book out on how coffee reshaped the world as it became one of the most valuable commodities in history and our 'most popular drug.' He talked to me about the journey of coffee from its obscure beginnings in the Arabian peninsula and explained just how it has transfo...more
VE Day: 75 Years
May 08 2020
For most of us, VE Day conjures up black and white images of carefree servicemen and women dancing and beaming in Trafalgar Square, of Churchill greeted by jubilant crowds in Whitehall, and of course, lots and lots of bunting. But was it really like this? In this podcast, you'll hear the speech given by Churchill from the Ministry of Health, cheered on by the boisterous crowd, an account by veteran Edward Toms about the drinking habits of the Soviets, and thoughts from two brilliant historians, ...more
How should we remember WW2?
May 07 2020
The question of wars and how we remember them has always fascinated me. With WW1 we seem to remember the enormous, tragic loss of life - captured so beautifully by the likes of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. But WW2 seems to be more about stoicism, Spitfires and speeches. Lucy Noakes came on the podcast to discuss how our collective memory of WW2 and Churchill has changed through films, political campaigns, historians and present day agendas. We also chatted about what exactly we could lear...more
Pandemics through History
May 05 2020
I have hooked up with the Timeline Channel on youtube to do History Hit Live three times a week. Sometimes I'll share the audio as a podcast on this feed. My chat with Clifford Williamson, lecturer at Bath Spa University and specialising in the History of Public Health, was fascinating. We talked about the widespread pandemics of the last 150 years and what we can learn from them when we look at the current COVID-19 outbreak. He also had some suggestions about what may change as a result of the ...more
Mudlarking
May 04 2020
Lara Maiklem has scoured banks of the Thames for over 15 years in pursuit of the objects that the fast moving river water unearths. The Thames is one of the longest and most varied archaeological site in the world. Previous generations have been dumping rubbish and losing valuables for thousands of years. Lara took me Mudlarking on a beautiful, bright, winter day and we found objects dating back as far as the Romans. The undoubted highlight for me was finding a coin from the 1750s. That helped t...more
One Family: 200 Years of Continuous Military Service
May 03 2020
Paul John Darran joined the army 1980. He was ninth generation of his family to do so. The story begins with his ancestor John Carberry joined the Tyrone militia in Ireland in 1795. He later transferred to the regular army and fought in the Peninsula with Wellington. he was killed during the notorious siege of Badajoz in 1812. Since then the family has served in every major British imperial conflict. One of them has been in uniform in nearly every single decade for 200 years. They have served fr...more
Moscow's Communist Dorm
Apr 29 2020
In 1931, an enormous apartment building was completed in Moscow. Challenging the Kremlin for architectural supremacy on the Moskva River, it was the largest residential building in Europe, combining 505 furnished apartments with every modern luxury - a cinema, library, tennis court and shooting range. But the residents of this monstrous tower block were no ordinary Russians. They were the top Communist officials - many of whom were taken from this building and destroyed in Stalin’s pur...more
Globalisation in 1000 AD
Apr 27 2020
Globalisation. It's a word we often associate with the politics, society and economics of our own lifetimes. But Valerie Hansen, an esteemed professor of History at Yale, has argued that globalisation is embedded deep in the past. Whilst traditionally, historians have cited Columbus' 1492 voyage to America as a kick off point, Valerie pulls us way back to the year 1000. In this podcast, she reveals how international trade routes already linked the globe, with evidence such as the frozen textiles...more
Florence Nightingale
Apr 26 2020
For soldiers of the Crimean War, perhaps the greatest adversary they faced was the Selimiye Barracks in Scutari, a makeshift hospital for wounded men. A lack of hygiene, medicine and compassion made this a living nightmare - if you didn't perish from your wounds, you would probably succumb to one of the mass infections which plagued the barracks. But one nurse changed all that, Florence Nightingale, who is commonly considered the founder of modern nursing. Professor Lynn McDonald took me through...more
Australia, Anzac and History
Apr 25 2020
I was thrilled to have Mat McLachlan on the pod, one of Australia's foremost history presenters and writers. Using his encyclopaedic knowledge of Australian battlefields, Mat and I chatted about Australia's complex relationship with its past, and how this history is perceived and commemorated today. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, including our new in depth documentary about some of the greatest speeche...more
The Death of Hitler
Apr 24 2020
Did Hitler shoot himself in the Führerbunker, or did he slip past the Soviets and escape to South America? There have been innumerable documentaries, newspaper articles and twitter threads written by conspiracy theorists to back up the case for escape. Luke Daly Groves has made it his mission to take on the conspiracy theorists, and smash their arguments using historical method. With the help of recently declassified MI5 files, previously unpublished sketches of Hitler's bunker and eyewitness ac...more
The Black Death
Apr 22 2020
In this podcast, Dan Snow is joined by Professor Mark Bailey, High Master of St Paul's School, London and Professor of Later Medieval History at the University of East Anglia to delve into the topic of The Black Death. They discuss how it emerged and spread throughout the world, what impact it had on society and how it would return every few decades over the 400 years that followed.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and f...more
A Curious History of Sex
Apr 21 2020
Sex. There's a lot of it about. We talk about war, chaos and atrocities on this podcast a lot although, thankfully, few of us have first hand experience of them. Yet we rarely talk sex. Which is odd. Sex is what got us here in the first place and nearly all of us will experience it in some form through our lives. I talked to Dr Kate Lister about the ways in which society dictates how sex is culturally understood and performed have varied significantly through the ages. Dr Lister runs the brillia...more
Criminal Subculture in the Gulag
Apr 19 2020
I was thrilled to be joined by Mark Vincent, an expert in criminal subculture and prisoner society in Stalinist Labour camps. Mark has looked at thousands of journals, song collections, tattoo drawings and slang dictionaries to reveal a hidden side of Gulag daily life. In this podcast, he also explained how these criminal habits laid the foundations for the Russian mafia.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, inclu...more
Working Motherhood
Apr 16 2020
Dr Helen McCarthy, lecturer in modern British history at the University of Cambridge, joins Dan to discuss the complicated past of working motherhood. They consider how women have been excluded from the world of work as well as attempts to break into it, and how these developments have informed our views on gender, work and equality in Britain today.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, including our new in depth ...more
The Aftermath of WW1
Apr 15 2020
In this podcast I was joined by Margaret MacMillan, professor at St Antony's College, Oxford University and author of 'Peacemakers: The Paris Peace Conference of 1919 and Its Attempt to End War'. We discussed the effects WWI had on the world, and how Europe began to rebuild in the years that followed.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, including our new in depth documentary about some of the greatest speeches ev...more
British Ship Building
Apr 14 2020
In this episode, Dan chats to British naval historian and maritime artist, Richard Endsor, about seventeenth century ship building. It was the developments of this period that would enable Britain to extend it's maritime reach across the oceans, eventually encompassing territory on every continent.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, including our new in depth documentary about some of the greatest speeches ever ...more
Apollo 13
Apr 13 2020
I was joined by Kevin Fong, who took me through one of the most extraordinary stories in the history of exploration. Apollo 13 was the seventh crewed mission on the Apollo space programme, and their third attempt to land on the moon. But after an oxygen tank in the command module ignited early on in the mission, the three astronauts got much more than they bargained for. As each of the systems in the space craft began to shut down one after another over a course of four excruciating days, it see...more
The House of Byron
Apr 12 2020
Emily Brand has written a brilliant book about the Byrons. Not just the great romantic, poet and adventurer, George Gordon Byron, but his parents and grandparents who are equally as deserving of our attention. I loved this opportunity to delve into 18th Century British life. There are admirals, villains, heroines and lovers all over the place. One family give us an entree into a world different to ours yet tantalisingly similar. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundred...more
The Prime Minister Hospitalised: Lloyd George's Influenza
Apr 10 2020
In September 1918 David Lloyd George, the charismatic wartime Prime Minister, visited the city of Manchester, attended a vast public gathering and then collapsed. He spent the next week and a half confined to the Manchester Town Hall in a hastily assembled private hospital ward. He needed assistance breathing. His valet said it was touch and go as to whether he would survive. He did pull through but a vast number of his fellow Brits did not. The country was in the grip of an influenza pandemic, ...more
How Pandemics Made the Modern World
Apr 09 2020
Professor Frank Snowden is currently on lockdown in Rome, experiencing at first hand life in a pandemic. For years he has written about the great waves of disease that swept across the world in the past. Now he is experiencing one. I talked to him about what pandemics have done to us. How they have changed our societies, nudged us towards the present and whether this outbreak might refocus us to give previous pandemics the attention they deserve. For ad free versions of our entire podcast a...more
Loot? Spoils? Artefacts? What to Do with Our Museums
Apr 08 2020
Our museums are full of stuff taken, bought, stolen and gifted from foreign countries. It feels like we face a reckoning. What shall we do with it?I talked to two authors of new books that wrestle with this. Christopher Joll is a former soldier who deals specifically with the spoils of war, while Alice Proctor thinks more generally about all objects and where they are best placed and how best to interpret them. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of hist...more
Death by Shakespeare
Apr 06 2020
Poison, swordplay and bloodshed. Shakespeare’s characters met their ends in a plethora of gruesome ways. But how realistic were they? And did they even shock audiences who lived in a time of plague, pestilence and public executions, a time when seeing a dead or dying body on the way home from the theatre were high. I was joined by the wonderful Dr Kathryn Harkup, a chemist and author, on a tumultuous journey through the most dramatic and memorable parts of Shakespeare’s work. For ad free ve...more
The Battle of Okinawa
Apr 03 2020
The last great battle of the Second World War was fought on the island of Okinawa. After 83 blood-soaked days, almost a quarter of a million people lost their lives. The death toll included thousands of civilians lost to mass suicide - convinced to do so by Japanese propaganda. I invited Saul David on the podcast to tell me about this shocking - often overlooked - chapter of the Second World War. A chapter which was central to Truman’s decision to use the atomic bombs in August 1945. For ad...more
Origins of the Spanish Flu
Apr 02 2020
This episode features military historian Douglas Gill who has extensively researched the origins of the Spanish Influenza as it emerged in 1915 and 1916 in northern France. Douglas has worked alongside leading virologist, and previous guest on Dan's podcast, John Oxford, to track the initial cases of this particularly violent strain of influenza which would go on to kill millions of people across the globe. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history ...more
Valkyrie: The Warrior Women of the Viking World
Apr 01 2020
I was thrilled to have Jóhanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir on the pod. We talked about Viking women, old Norse-Icelandic sagas, mythology and poetry. Who were these Viking women who were champions on the battlefield, did they really exist, and is there much historic evidence? Jóhanna answered all these questions drawing upon the latest archaeological evidence. It seems the lives of Viking women were far more dynamic than we might imagine. Enjoy!For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hu...more
Battle of Britain 'What Ifs'
Mar 30 2020
Dr. Jamie Wood and Professor Niall Mackay at the University of York are mathematicians who love history. Sensible dudes. They released a paper which sent the rest of the history world into a meltdown when they tried to use the statistics of airframe losses from the Battle of Britain to test just how close Germany might have come to victory in the battle. Essentially (I think but then again I am totally innumerate) they tested what would happen if the loss ration on certain days had been replicat...more
A Strange Bit of History
Mar 29 2020
We were delighted to have comedy royalty on the podcast. Omid Djalili talked to me about one of his earliest stage creations, first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1993. Over the next four years it was performed 109 times in 10 different countries. The backdrop of this epic storytelling piece was the tumultuous expectation for a Promised One in Persia in 1844. The claims made by a young merchant of Shiraz - who became known as the Bab - caused a revolution, and laid the foundations...more
How AI is Safeguarding Maritime Heritage
Mar 26 2020
There are more historic artefacts on our ocean floor than there are in every museum in the world put together. Over thousands of years ships carrying every conceivable cargo have sunk in the rivers and oceans of the world. Protecting them is an enormous challenge. Thankfully there are heroes out there who are taking on that challenge. In this episode I was lucky enough to talk to maritime archaeologist Jessica Berry, CEO of MAST (Maritime Archaeological Sea Trust) and her colleague Nick Wis...more
The Real Thomas Cromwell
Mar 25 2020
Everyone is Thomas Cromwell obsessed at the moment. The man who rose to be the most powerful member of Henry VIII's court, his Lord Privy Seal, Principal Secretary and Chancellor. He was a driving force behind the English Reformation and constitutional changes that emphasised the centrality of Parliament, but his current mighty reputation depends on the fictional trilogy of the genius novelist Hilary Mantel. On this podcast I talk to another genius, Tracy Borman, historian and curator of Histori...more
Britain's Fightback
Mar 23 2020
Daniel Todman is a Professor of Modern History at Queen Mary. He has just published his epic study of how during the Second World War Britain fought back from near disaster to triumph. It opens with the fall fall of Singapore Feb 1942 and ends with Britain’s post war experiment in social democracy well underway. Speaking to him amidst the Covid crisis was particularly fascinating. I was able to ask just why states are able to do and pay for in moments of extreme drama. Dan always encourages...more
How the Earth Shaped Human History
Mar 22 2020
Great leaders? Industrial change? Revolutions? If you thought these were the things that shaped history, think again. Back by popular demand, I was thrilled to be joined by bestselling author Lewis Dartnell. He explained how modern political and economic patterns correlate with events which happened not decades or centuries ago, but hundreds of millions of years before human civilisations existed. Pretty mind-blowing stuff. Perhaps more relevant than ever in these uncertain and weird t...more
Mystery of the Alexander the Great Coin Hoard
Mar 19 2020
Off the coast of the Gaza Strip fishermen have been discovering coins of extreme rarity and importance. They date from the brief reign of Alexander the Great in the Third Century BC.Strangely, months later, a collection of very very similar coins were sold in a London auction house. What's the story here? Were they illegally trafficked? And what does that tell us about the antiquities found in some of the world's most troubled regions?I talked to Sarah Saey a lead producer for the BBC who broke ...more
Small Men on the Wrong Side of History
Mar 17 2020
Dan chats with journalist and author Ed West about Ed's conservative views, which make him an anomaly among his peers. They explore why conservatives have lost almost every political argument since 1945, and why Ed worships on the altar of Edmund Burke. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
How to Fight anti-Semitism
Mar 16 2020
In this episode, Dan meets New York Times journalist and writer Bari Weiss, who grew up near and attended the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsberg, Pensylvania. In 2018 this synagogue was the site of the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in American history. Dan and Bari delve into the long history of anti-Semitism, from 2nd century BCE to our modern era. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Jan Stangreciuk: Veteran. Hero. Guinea Pig.
Mar 15 2020
Of all the clubs in the world, perhaps the most extraordinary is the Guinea Pig Club, a group of Second World War veterans that suffered terrible injuries and were then treated by pioneering surgeon Archibald McIndoe. Today there are only a handful left. Dan visits Jan Stangreciuk, one of the few surviving members, to hear his remarkable life story. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Division. Corruption. Incompetence: A History of Spain
Mar 13 2020
Professor Paul Preston doesn’t pull his punches. His magisterial new history of modern Spain is called 'A People Betrayed'. He is the greatest living authority on Spain and he is not a fan of how that country had been governed. In this podcast he tells me a sorry story of corruption, war and brutality. And that's before the 20th Century even kicks off. This podcast, unusually, made me feel profoundly sad. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history do...more
The Human Tide
Mar 10 2020
I was thrilled to chat to Paul Morland, a historian who uses population to explain almost all the major global shifts and events of the last two centuries. Using the power of sheer numbers, Paul has the answer to all the big questions - why China is going to get old long before it gets rich, why Russia is heading for disaster and the future is African, and why fertility rates are plunging where we would least expect it.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of h...more
Coronavirus - Lessons from History
Mar 09 2020
Professor John Oxford is a virologist. He is one of the world's leading experts on influenza.He is a leader in the study of the great Influenza outbreak of 100 years ago that killed upwards of 50 million people around the world.I talked to him today to ask him, what are the key lessons that we can learn from past outbreaks.The best way to support the History Hit team who produce this podcast is to subscribe to History Hit TV. The whole podcast archive is exclusively on there, along with hundreds...more
Britain in the 1980s
Mar 08 2020
Dominic Sandbrook is one of Britain’s most prolific historians, working his way through a series on Britain since the Second World War. His most recent book examines the pivotal early years of Margaret Thatcher’s premiership. In this podcast, Dominic and I discuss the social change of the tumultuous 1980s, a decade of the personal computer, snooker, Spandau Ballet, the Falklands War, and of course, The Iron Lady. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of hi...more
Coronavirus is NOT the plague
Mar 05 2020
It came from Asia via the Middle East and Italy. But, says 17th Century historian, Rebecca Rideal, the parallels with the Black Death, The Plague, are not helpful.It was great to catch up with Rebecca again on the podcast. She tells me what effect plague had on British people and society when it struck throughout the 17th Century. Her ultimate conclusion seems to be: be very very grateful that youre not living three hundred years ago.Catch Rebecca and other wonderful historians on my new history...more
Champagne Riots
Mar 04 2020
Rebecca Gibb is a Master of Wine. A ninja who can sniff out a Merlot from a Margaux at 50 paces. I know ABSOLUTELY nothing about wine other than I like drinking it. So we had a lot to talk about.She has written a fascinating research paper on the riots that tore through the region of Champagne just before the First World War as the small wine growers rose up against the power of the big Champagne brands. This story has it all: invasive species, globalisation, climate crisis, superbrands, booze a...more
The Discovery of the Universe
Mar 03 2020
The universe has always been there, kind of, but it took intelligent life on earth billions of years to start to grapple with its nature. Carolyn Collins Peterson is a science writer who charts the progress of astronomy through the observatories used throughout history, from the earliest such as Stonehenge, to places like Birr Castle with its Leviathan telescope used by Herschel. As always the compressed timescale of the major discoveries in astronomy left me amazed. in just a few generatio...more
The First President
Mar 02 2020
George. Where did it all go wrong?George Washington could have had a comfortable career as a loyal member of HIs Majesty's Virginia militia and colonial grandee. But no, he had to go and roll the dice.I am thrilled in this episode to be talking to historian Alexis Coe about her new biography of Washington. She has a fresh take on the first President, but no less scholarly for that.Young George Washington was raised by a struggling single mother, demanded military promotions, caused an internatio...more
The Bombing War
Mar 01 2020
75 years ago this Spring, the aerial assault on Germany was reaching a crescendo as city after city was devastated by British and American bomber fleets. History Hit TV have just launched a major documentary to mark this anniversary featuring veterans and historians like Max Hastings and Victoria Taylor. In this podcast one of our contributors, the hugely popular James Holland, joins me to talk about why and how the bombing reached such catastrophic levels and whether it actually shortened the S...more
The Irish War of Independence
Feb 27 2020
Dan made a stupid comment on twitter. Irish history twitter melted down. So we did a pod on why. 100 years ago the Irish War of Independence was being fought in Ireland as the UK government sought to keep Ireland within the Union while the Irish independence fighters seized control of much of the countryside. Dan and Finn Dwyer, host of the Irish History Podcast, had a good chat about the war and why, under no circumstances at all, must you never ever refer to it as a civil war. ...more
Guernsey: Voices of the Occupation
Feb 26 2020
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Channel Islands. Dan went to meet four people who remember the war years on the islands and hear their experiences of occupation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
‘One of Our Greatest Living Historians’
Feb 24 2020
Natalie Zemon Davis is a legend. One of the most influential and versatile contemporary historians. A pathbreaking scholar of early modern European social and cultural history, she has also explored the Mediterranean world as seen by Leo Africanus and the culture of slavery in Suriname.She was born on 8 November 1928 and she is still working. She is currently an Adjunct Professor of History and Anthropology and Professor of Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto in Canada. Her work origin...more
Churchill's Cook
Feb 23 2020
Annie Gray is a wonderful historian and broadcaster. Her latest project is a biography of the woman who cooked for Churchill. Georgina Landemare was one of the few people able to cope with the demands, eccentricities and public nudity that came with working for the Churchills. Where all the other servants came and went fairly rapidly, she remained in the family's service and helped Churchill through the war years, not just feeding him but helping his efforts to lead or cajole by providing sumptu...more
Georgian Musings on Homosexuality
Feb 20 2020
Eamonn O'Keeffe is a young Oxford Researcher in the midst of a PhD. He stopped off in Wakefield Library to look at a journal Yorkshire farmer Matthew Tomlinson to see if the author had any opinions on the subject of his research: military music. Tomlinson did not. However what O'Keeffe found in the diary proved of infinitely greater interest to the general public than a passion for marching bands. In an entry for 1810 Tomlinson argues that homosexuality is natural. He therefore questioned the de...more
The Boundless Sea
Feb 19 2020
We are a land animal. But millions of us have taken to the sea to live, fight, travel, eat, escape and seek fame and fortune. I am obsessed with the sea. On how humans have built ever more efficient and capable ships to exploit its riches and opportunities. This is an conversation I’ve been longing to have. David Abulafia has written massive, beautiful, scholarly books about the oceans and his most recent, The Boundless Sea, is a masterpiece.He and I chatted about why and how humans have taken t...more
The Boy Who Followed His Father Into Auschwitz
Feb 17 2020
This is the most remarkable father and son story I have ever come across.We are still marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz here at History Hit and this time I am talking to historian Jeremy Dronfield about an astonishing true story of horror, love and impossible survival. In 1939, Gustav Kleinmann, a Jewish upholsterer in Vienna, was arrested by the Nazis. Along with his sixteen-year-old son Fritz, he was sent to Buchenwald in Germany, where a new concentration camp was be...more
West Africa before the Europeans
Feb 16 2020
Toby Green has been fascinated by the history of West Africa for decades after he visited as a student and heard whispers of history that didn’t appear in text books. Years later he wrote ‘Fistful of Shells,’ a survey of West Africa and West-Central Africa before the slave trade, and the effect the arrival of Europeans had on those societies. I asked him about what we know about that history and how integrated this region was into the global economy. We also explored the impact of the slave trad...more
Suicide at the Fall of Nazi Germany
Feb 13 2020
There is almost no end to the dark secrets that emerge from the smashed ruins of 1945 Europe. Dr Florian Huber has spent years researching the fascinating story of the epidemic of suicide that spread through Germany as they faced certain defeat in 1945. Some people committed suicide after suffering atrocities at the hands of the soviets, others because of the trauma of allied bombing and the destruction of the conflict around them. But many did so because they did not wish to live in a world wit...more
The Adventuress
Feb 12 2020
In the 1930s Lady Lucy Houston was one of the richest women in England and a household name, notorious for her virulent criticisms of the government, but politics had been far from her mind when, as young Fanny Radmall, she had set out to conquer the world. Armed with only looks and self-confidence, she exploited the wealth and status of successive lovers to push her way into high society. Seeking influence in national politics, Lady Houston financed the first flight over Mount Everest, backed s...more
A Very Stable Genius
Feb 10 2020
Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig are both Pulitzer Prize winning journalists at the Washington Post.They've written a new book with yet more revelations from inside the Trump White House so Dan seized the opportunity to ask just how insane the whole thing is.That's it really. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Dresden. 75 years on.
Feb 09 2020
75 years ago this week Dresden, in Saxony, known as the ‘jewel box’ because of its stunning architecture was obliterated by British and American bombers. The flames reached almost a mile high. Around 25,000 people were thought to have been killed. The novelist Kurt Vonnegut was there. It was he who wrote that the smouldering landscape was like walking on the surface of the moon. Even in the immediate aftermath it was controversial. Churchill instantly appeared to regret it. The Nazi governm...more
The British Republic
Feb 06 2020
Paul Lay, editor of History Today, has written a great book about the rise and fall of Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate (1653–1659), England's sole experiment in republican government – and one of the most extraordinary but neglected periods in British history. Having won two civil wars, conquered Ireland and Scotland and seen off Charles II, in 1653 Oliver Cromwell assumed the title of 'Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland. But, as Paul explained to Dan, crafting a ...more
Flu pandemics. Then and Now.
Feb 05 2020
'We are very very vulnerable' says the brilliant science author and journalist Laura Spinney. Her fantastic book 'Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World' is a shocking account of the flu pandemic that killed tens of millions of people a century ago. What was Spanish Flu and what lessons are there for us today? As the coronavirus sweeps across China this is a really important conversation about flu, anti-microbial resistance and whether we should be scared. Se...more
Confronting a Nazi past
Feb 04 2020
Derek Niemman and Noemie Lopian work together. Two people from very different backgrounds, they tour the world telling people about their family stories.Author and writer Derek Niemann discovered only a few years ago that the grandfather he never knew had been an SS officer, in charge of slave labourers in the Nazi concentration camps.Dr Noemie Lopian is the daughter of Holocaust survivors: at the age of 10, her mother had a Gestapo pistol pointed at her head. Her father survived four years of s...more
Night of the Bayonets
Jan 29 2020
75 years ago this spring a fascinating but forgotten battle was fought in the dying days of the Second World War. A group of Georgians rose up against their German overlords on the Dutch island of Texel. Thousands of Georgians served in the Soviet forces during World War II and among those who were captured, given the choice of “starve or fight”, some took up the German offer to don Wehrmacht uniforms. When the opportunity arose, the Georgians took the decision to rise up and slaughter the Germ...more
Max Eisen: Surviving Auschwitz
Jan 27 2020
Max Eisen was only 15 when he and his family were taken from their Hungarian home to the infamous Auschwitz Concentration Camp during the Second World War. All of his relatives were killed; only Max survived to see VE Day and eventual liberation. 75 years on from being liberated, he talks about the unspeakable horrors he saw first hand, the heroic actions of courageous inmates during the Sonderkommando Revolt and how he survived. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out inf...more
UnRoman Britain
Jan 26 2020
How far did Roman culture and politics penetrate into Britain during the Roman occupation of Britannia?Miles Russell, archaeologist and writer, argues that Britain wasn't as Romanised as has often been believed; in fact only the wealthy elite really emulated fashions from Rome. He highlights archaeological evidence which shows that the bulk of the population went on with their lives as best they could whilst the forts, towns and later villas were little bubbles of Roman culture having limited im...more
The Anglo-Zulu War
Jan 22 2020
Saul David - historian, broadcaster and author of several critically-acclaimed works of fiction and non-fiction - comes on the show to discuss the most brutal and controversial British imperial conflict of the 19th century: the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Hunting the Bismarck
Jan 20 2020
In May 1941, the Royal Navy pursued Nazi Germany's largest battleship, the Bismarck, in the greatest chase story in the history of naval warfare. Bismarck represented the single most important threat to the Royal Navy and the vital Atlantic convoys they sought to protect; her armoured protection had earned her the reputation of being unsinkable. Join Dan as the historian Angus Konstam takes him through a blow by blow account of Operation Rheinübung and the sinking of Bismarck. See aca...more
The Man Who Volunteered for Auschwitz
Jan 19 2020
In 1940 the Polish resistance decided it needed to send an agent to Auschwitz concentration camp. They were desperate to find out what was going on in a place that even by that stage of the war had an evil reputation. Historian Jack Fairweather tells the story of Witold Pilecki the Pole who volunteered for the job. He smuggled out first accounts of the camp to the rest of the world. He chronicled its transition from a concentration camp for Polish political opponents to a factory of genocide. &#...more
'Seducing and Killing Nazis'
Jan 15 2020
During the Second World War the Netherlands fell to advancing German forces in just a few hours. The Dutch found themselves under Nazi occupation. Many men and women resisted, which took many different forms. Recently the story emerged of three young women who chose a particularly dangerous way in which to strike back against the German occupiers.In this podcast Dan talks to the writer Sophie Poldermans about Hannie Schaft and sisters Truus and Freddie Oversteegen. With astonishing bravery these...more
How History Inspires Environmental Activism
Jan 14 2020
The world faces a unique environmental challenge. The scale of response to this looming catastrophe can be overwhelming. But economist and activist Andrew Simms believes that history provides us with a guide. It can inspire us to see that we have overcome greater challenges than those we face now. It can encourage us to be bold and believe that the solution lies in our hands. Andrew co-founded the New Weather Institute and Green New Deal group and is a lover of history. In this podcast Andrew sh...more
The Commando Raid that Changed the Course of WW2
Jan 12 2020
In October 1942 the British launched a small raid on the Channel Island of Sark. A cast of characters who gave their colleague Ian Fleming ideas for a new secret agent character, James Bond, crept ashore and captured German prisoners. A scuffle broke out and two of them were killed. The commandos escaped with one prisoner and that might have been the end of it. When Hitler heard the news however he went ballistic and very shortly after issued his infamous Commando Order. Henceforth they were to ...more
Sam Mendes on 1917
Jan 09 2020
In this podcast Dan talks to Golden Globe winning film maker Sam Mendes about his new World War One film 1917.Based in part on an account told to Mendes by his paternal grandfather, Alfred Mendes, it chronicles the story of two young British soldiers at the height of WWI during Spring 1917. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Persian War
Jan 08 2020
In the 5th century BC the world's first super power, the Persian Empire, went to war against a ragtag collection of cities and statelets on its western frontier. It was the start of the Persian War. Thankfully for us this war was recorded in some detail by the world's first historian. Herodotus. Despite previous millenia of history in the ancient Near East, this historical record means that the Persian Wars feels recognisably modern. The attitudes and decisions of commanders are discernable. The...more
Interwar Germany’s Secret Ally: The USSR
Jan 06 2020
After the First World War the German Army was in crisis. Limited in the size and its equipment by the Versailles Treaty which ended the war, it was a shadow of the mighty force it had been in 1914. Help came from a surprising source. Soviet Russia.Historian Ian Johnson explains to Dan how it was the Soviets who helped rebuild the German military machine before World War Two. 30% of Weimar Germany's defence spending took place in the USSR. 25% of German officers passed through camps in Sovie...more
Ink: A History of Tattooing
Jan 05 2020
Matt Lodder is the world's leading expert on the history of tattoos. He has found evidence of people using ink or charcoal on their bodies stretching back thousands of years. He explodes myths at every turn. Tattoos were common long before Captain Cook allegedly imported them back from the Pacific in the 18th Century, and he demonstrates that they were never the exclusive preserve of marginalised subcultures, but actually adorned the bodies of royalty. See acast.com/privacy for privac...more
Geordies: A History
Jan 03 2020
'Northumbrian patriot' Dan Jackson, who has just written a book on the history of Northeast England and its people, comes on the podcast to talk about his native Northumberland. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Crusaders' Last Battle for the Holy Land
Jan 01 2020
Roger Crowley is the author of the new book, Accursed Tower: The Crusaders' Last Battle for the Holy Land.The city of Acre, powerfully fortified and richly provisioned, was the last crusader stronghold. When it fell in 1291, two hundred years of Christian crusading in the Holy Land came to a bloody end. Dan had a chat with Roger, which was a nice complement to his podcast with Dan Jones on the Crusades as a whole, earlier in the year. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out info...more
Best of 2019
Dec 31 2019
Tony Blair, Julie McDowall the 'Atomic Hobo', Prof Mary Fulbrook, SAS veterans, Stephen Fry, Akala.... It has been a bumper year on the pod. We've heard why the British Army was doomed to failure in Helmand, what it was like arriving at Bletchley Park in the darkest days of the Second World War, why the 'cleverest man in Britain' doesn't think much of Magna Carta, what it was like when Hiroshima was destroyed,and why women had better sex under Communism. In case you were unlucky enough to miss a...more
The Ultra Secret Mission that Changed the Course of WW2
Dec 29 2019
Damien Lewis tells us of the formation of the SAS.In 1941 an alien-seeming object was captured in a death-defying dash by an RAF reconnaissance pilot flying a lone unarmed Spitfire across the French coast. Balanced upon the cliffs near Le Havre was what appeared to be a giant convex dish, directed across the Channel at the war-torn British coastline... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Crown: History v Myth
Dec 26 2019
'Fiction should help us to understand the truth, not pervert it.'Hugo Vickers talks to Dan about the hit TV show - The Crown.Hugo's main gripe against The Crown is that 'it purports to represent real people, not fictional ones loosely based on real ones, and that whereas fiction can sometimes help us to understand the truth, in this case they twist the facts... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Were the Victorians Happier than Us?
Dec 23 2019
A recent study published in the science journal Nature tracked the emotional tone of books and newspapers over the past 200 years and suggested that Brits were happier in the 19th Century. This rang alarms at History Hit HQ. So we got Hannah Woods on the pod pronto to talk us through the reality of life in the 19th Century and whether they were happier than we are today. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Vikings: A History of the Northmen
Dec 22 2019
The Vikings have never lost their appeal to scholars and enthusiasts. Now Wayne Bartlett has written a great new survey of the Viking World from Newfoundland to Central Asia. Dan got him on the podcast to ask him the central questions of the Viking Age. What does Viking even mean? Why did they explode onto the world stage when they do? Are the myths true? What is their legacy? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Books that Made Britain
Dec 21 2019
Christopher Tugendhat is a politician, journalist and businessman. For 50 years he has been collecting modern first editions of books, including many that he believes reflect and illuminate the British experience during the first sixty or so years of the 20th century. Looking for a way to distil and share the understanding of the period that he had gained from these books, he decided to use them to tell the story of modern Britain. In his book 'A History of Britain Through Books' he explores pol...more
Women Warriors
Dec 19 2019
In 2018, UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson announced that all roles in the military would now be open to women. Although this marks a historic shift, officially allowing British women into combat roles, the presence of women on the front lines dates back to antiquity.Dan met with Dr Julie Wheelwright, historian and author of Sisters in Arms about women on the battlefield. They talk about women like Maria Bochkareva, a private in the Tsar’s army and leader of the Women’s Battalion of Death in...more
Eleanor of Aquitaine: England's Royal Matriarch
Dec 18 2019
Eleanor of Aquitaine is at least as responsible for the vast empire of the Plantagenets as her more celebrated husband, Henry II. Sara Cockerill has written a wonderful biography of Eleanor, placing her back at the centre of English medieval history where she belongs.Sara and Dan discuss her long and remarkable life. Punctuated by periods of foreign adventure, imprisonment and the wielding of hard power. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
British Impeachment
Dec 17 2019
The English invented impeachment. The Founding Fathers of the American Republic settled on the impeachment process for restraining the chief executive in their ideal constitution. The USA looks set to impeach their President. Historian Paul Seaward explains where impeachment originated, how it has been used and why it is now well and truly extinct in the UK. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Real Peaky Blinders
Dec 15 2019
Peaky Blinders: The Real StoryDan talks to the well known social historian, broadcaster and author Professor Carl Chinn in this episode where the true history of Birmingham's most notorious gangs is revealed. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
A Short History of London
Dec 14 2019
Dan talks to Sir Simon Jenkins about London, the settlement founded by the Romans, occupied by the Saxons, conquered by the Danes and ruled by the Normans. This changeful place became a medieval maze of alleys and courtyards, later to be chequered with grand estates of Georgian splendour. It swelled with industry and became the centre of the largest empire in history. And having risen from the rubble of the Blitz, it is now one of the greatest cities in the world.From the prehistoric occupants o...more
The 'Forgotten Bastards of the Eastern Front'
Dec 13 2019
During the Second World War, from 1941 onwards, Stalin's Soviet Union was joined in a close but awkward coalition with the Western allies. Military aid and intelligence flowed to the Soviets but virtually no troops.The exception was a small group of US airmen who were sent to Russia to set up an air operation to bomb targets in the Third Reich. This is the story of that unit. They called themselves the Forgotten Bastards of the Eastern Front and Harvard Professor Serhii Plokhii has uncovered new...more
Crucible of our modern world
Dec 12 2019
Charles Emmerson thinks the crucible of the modern world was not the 1960s but the tumultuous years at the end of the First World War and those that followed. This was when Communism and Fascism became mainstream movements. This was when the borders of the Middle East, and Eastern Europe were drawn up and fought over.In this discussion he and Dan talk about how a shattered world came to terms with the aftermath of the First World War. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out info...more
General Election Special
Dec 11 2019
Historian Robert Saunders from Queen Mary University of London talks about the elections in the past that he feels have most resonance and parallels today. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Total War: The Three Kingdoms of China
Dec 10 2019
Something a little different... Total War: Three Kingdoms is the fastest selling real time strategy of all time, and based on the Wei, Shu, and Wu division of China in the 200s AD. This is an interview that talks about fact and fiction within gaming narratives and the historical research undertaken by games developers to give a realistic representation. It's also quite an unusual undertaking - Far Eastern history is not a major interest for western audiences so its fascinating to know why they p...more
Margaret Beaufort, Tudor Matriarch
Dec 08 2019
Dan talks to Dr. Nicola Tallis about Margaret Beaufort.Aged 13, Beaufort endured a traumatic childbirth that brought her close to death. Forced to give up her child, Beaufort remained steadfast in the face of adversity while she plotted to overthrow Richard III and secure the throne for her son.Offering a fresh and personal perspective of this fascinating period, Uncrowned Queen explores the truth behind the myths and misconceptions surrounding Margaret and details how she became the most powerf...more
Truth and Legend in the Age of Sail
Dec 06 2019
Graham Faiella talks to Dan about legends and true tales from the Age of Sail. Cannibalism, pirates and mutiny. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The History of Language
Dec 05 2019
David Shariatmadari dives into the words we say. How did language come about, how and why do we use it?For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout.For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Exclusive: Stunning Cache of World War Two Archaeology Revealed
Dec 04 2019
Alderney, like the rest of the Channel Islands, was occupied by German forces from 1940 to 1945. On Hitler's orders it was turned into a fortress, covered in concrete and steel fortifications. After liberation British forces dumped a vast amount of military hardware into a quarry which was then flooded. For 70 years it has remained there, hidden, forgotten..... Until now. To watch our documentary about the Islands of Guernsey please head to History Hit TV.For ad free versions of our entire podca...more
Austerlitz: Napoleon's Greatest Victory
Dec 02 2019
Austerlitz is one of Napoleon's greatest victories. Late in the season, at the end of a long and vulnerable supply line, deep into eastern Europe, Napoleon tempted the allied armies of Austria and Russia to attack his forces, on ground of his choosing, and inflicted on them a crushing defeat. Dan visited the battlefield for this podcast and accompanying History Hit TV tour, and he tells the story of the battle with help from historian Ian Castle author of Austerlitz: Napoleon and The Eagles of E...more
The Rise of Hitler
Dec 01 2019
Professor Frank McDonough has just written a monumental history of the Third Reich. He is a world leading expert on the domestic side of Hitler's Germany. In this podcast Dan asks Frank why and how Hitler was able to establish and sustain his rule within Germany.On 30 January 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed the German Chancellor of a coalition government by President Hindenburg. Within a few months he had installed a dictatorship, jailing and killing his leftwing opponents, terrorising the rest...more
The Women of Westminster
Nov 28 2019
2019 marks 100 years since Nancy Astor, the first female MP in Britain, took her seat in the House of Commons. Rachel Reeves, long-serving Labour politician and author, speaks to Dan about the remarkable achievements of pioneering women of Westminster and how the challenges faced by today's cohort of female MPs differ from those faced by their predecessors.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to Histo...more
How Humans Evolved
Nov 26 2019
Award winning broadcaster, journalist and author Gaia Vince talks to Dan about why humans evolved. Not just biologically but in terms of our language, culture and relationships. This is a big, wide ranging conversation about how we came to be who we are over hundreds of thousands of years.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. See acast.com/priv...more
The Hundred Years' War with Lord Jonathan Sumption
Nov 24 2019
Lord Jonathan Sumption is coming to the end of his magisterial multi-volume history of the Hundred Year's War. He believes it was essentially a French civil war into which the English and other external powers jumped into. In this podcast Jonathan talks Dan through the entire conflict, its causes, its course and its decisive conclusion.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code '...more
The Fall of the Aztecs
Nov 21 2019
November 2019 marks the 500th anniversary of the meeting of Hernan Cortes and Aztec ruler Montezuma at the gates of the magnificent Aztec capital at Tenochitlan, now Mexico City. Caroline Dodds Pennock is a specialist in the Aztecs. She takes Dan on a whirlwind tour through the events of that extraordinary year and the gigantic impact of the Spanish conquest that followed.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, sign...more
The Fall of the Iron Lady with Ben Monro-Davies
Nov 20 2019
Ben Monro-Davies is a journalist who has interviewed all the surviving participants of the cabinet meeting in which Margaret Thatcher announced her decision to resign. He and Dan listen to the recordings, and chat about their significance, and the way Mrs Thatcher and others responded to her fall from power. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. &nbs...more
ANARCHY! with Ruth Kinna
Nov 18 2019
There is no more misunderstood doctrine than anarchism. Dan sets off to tackle his own lack of understanding by talking to Ruth Kinna, a Professor of Political Theory at Loughborough University, about what anarchism's goals are, and why its so hard to characterise it.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and op...more
Coming to Terms with the Holocaust with Professor Mary Fulbrook
Nov 17 2019
Professor Mary Fulbrook's book Reckonings won the 2019 Wolfson History Prize for its unique approach to the Holocaust, and in particular, those who perpetrated the atrocities. Fulbrook claims that the West German justice process was far too lenient on many ex-Nazis, who had condemned thousands or even hundreds of thousands to their death. She talks to Dan about the justice process, and what drove people to commit war crimes, and what stopped people from resisting them. For ad free versions of ou...more
Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh in London with Dr Tarek Al Awady
Nov 14 2019
Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered by Howard Carter almost 100 years ago, and a major new exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery takes a look at some of the treasures taken from his tomb, many of which are on tour for the first time. Dan gets Dr Tarek Al Awady to take him around the exhibition, discussing Tutankhamun's life and his legacy. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'po...more
The Sinking and Recovery of Germany's Battle Fleet in Scapa Flow with Ian Murray Taylor
Nov 13 2019
The Allies seized the German fleet at the end of WW1 and it was held at Scapa Flow, in Orkney, until the terms of the Treaty of Versailles were announced. At least, that was the plan.The German navy covertly scuttled their own boats under the noses of their captors, rendering the fleet useless, until one firm set out on a massive salvage operation to recover usable material from the boats. Ian Murray Taylor's grandfather was at the top of the operation, and he talks to Dan about the story of Sca...more
Gary Lineker on his 'D-Day Dodger' Grandfather
Nov 11 2019
Gary Lineker's grandfather was one of the 'D-Day Dodgers': men who fought in the Italian campaign, who were accused of missing the supposedly harder fighting in Normandy. Of course, this wasn't true. The Italian campaign was one of the hardest military campaigns of WW2, and Dan talks to Gary about his grandfather who fought in Italy. They also, unsurprisingly, talk about football. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and fi...more
One Family's Epic Search for a Missing Son After World War One with Richard van Emden
Nov 10 2019
Dan talks to Richard van Emden about his new book - Missing: The Need for Closure After the Great War.The backbone of the book is based on the best single story of WW1 that he has found in 35 years. It is the story of one woman’s relentless search for her missing son’s body. A story with incredible twists and turns.Against the odds she finds him in 1923. Richard also looks at the bigger picture, ie how long should the nation search for its dead and the mistakes made identifying the dead when exh...more
The Fall of the Berlin Wall with Rory MacLean
Nov 09 2019
The 9th November 1989 was one of the most significant dates in 20th century history. The Berlin Wall fell, changing the entire geopolitical situation and marking the start of the decline of Russia's world standing. Author Rory MacLean was present when the Wall fell, and he talks about the jubilation of the East Berliners, as well as what the fall of the Wall meant for Russians like Vladimir Putin.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, i...more
How Punk Brought Down the Berlin Wall with Tim Mohr
Nov 07 2019
Dan chats to Tim Mohr, a Club DJ turned writer, who has a very different story of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Tim talks about East German punks, who opposed the oppressive DDR government with their music and their actions, and describes how many of them were arrested because what they stood for was totally antithetical to the government regime.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. U...more
Britain and China in the Opium Wars with Mark Simner
Nov 05 2019
British military historian Mark Simner tackles the Opium Wars, rarely taught in English schools, but taught ubiquitously in China. He explains the provenance of both conflicts, and explores some of the reasons why resentment still lingers to this day. The Opium Wars are a critical part of Chinese history, and vital to understanding the first half of the 20th century in China, and to some extent, modern-day China.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history ...more
The French Revolution with David Andress
Nov 03 2019
David Andress delves into the French Revolution, explaining its causes, its outcomes, and how we should look at its historical legacy.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Lord Jonathan Sumption on Justice and Politics
Oct 31 2019
The cleverest man in Britain weighs in on the state of our politics and the state of the British electoral system. Lord Sumption was a Justice of the Supreme Court, exceptionally sworn in straight from the bar, and he is also a historian of the Hundred Years War, having written a multi-volume history of the period.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. &#...more
Adam Frankel on How Holocaust Trauma Still Haunts His Family 80 Years Later
Oct 29 2019
Adam Frankel worked in the Obama white house as a speech writer. His grandparents were holocaust survivors from eastern Europe.His mother had profound mental health problems and he discovered that his father was not his father. in an effort to understand the roots of this he learned about what his grandparents had suffered and met with the world's leading experts on inherited trauma, how their experiences are continuing to impact their descendants today.We also talked what it was like working fo...more
English History's Most Famous Battle: Agincourt with Mike Loades
Oct 27 2019
Mike Loades is a world leading expert on archery. He has shot traditional bows from Japan to Wales. His knowledge on the English and Welsh longbowmen at Agincourt is unparalleled.In this podcast he explains why and how the battle was fought. He explains how the terrain, the mud, the longbow and the gritty battlefield leadership of English king Henry V was responsible for a crushing English victory. But he also explains that while the battle was a shattering defeat for France, its longterm conseq...more
Erdogan, Turkey and the Kurds
Oct 23 2019
Michael Stephens is a Research fellow at RUSI and an expert in the history of the Kurds and Kurdistan. He explains who, what and where the Kurds are and the role that they have played in the region over the past century.He is followed by Hannah Lucinda Smith The Times Newspaper correspondent in Istanbul who has just written THE book on Erdogan. She explains why President Erdogan regards their expressions of national identity as an existential threat to the integrity of the Turkish state.This pod...more
World Exclusive! Have Archaeologists Found Britain's Most Elusive Battlefield?
Oct 22 2019
The Battle of Brunanburh is one of the most important battles in British history.It was fought in 937 between Æthelstan, King of England, and an alliance of Olaf Guthfrithson, King of Dublin; Constantine II, King of Scotland and Owain, King of Strathclyde.English victory at the battle defined the political complexion of the British Isles. But until now no one has known where the battle was fought. Now a group of archaeologists have found a huge amount of battlefield detritus from around the 10th...more
Victory. Nelson. Trafalgar. With Andrew Baines
Oct 21 2019
Andrew Baines is the curator of HMS victory. First released on the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar this podcast tells the story of that decisive naval battle. He also reveals an exciting new acquisition for the museum.HMS Victory, was Nelson's flagship at the battle. The three gundeck battleship was the world's most complex man made object. Andrew describes the awesome firepower of the ship and the horrors of battle as experienced by the men who fought on her and against her. S...more
The Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher with Charles Moore
Oct 20 2019
Margaret Thatcher is one of the most polarising political figures of British 20th Century history. After becoming the first female Prime Minister, she became the first post war PM to win three consecutive general elections. Charles Moore is a former editor of The Daily Telegraph, The Spectator, and The Sunday Times, and the author of her official biography.He was given unfettered access to her records, and conducted interviews with civil servants who were given permission to speak to him. Dan an...more
The Remarkable Life and Mysterious Death of Germanicus Julius Caesar with Lindsay Powell
Oct 17 2019
Germanicus was one of the most popular and successful generals of the early Roman Principate. Step grandson of the Roman emperor Augustus, he died 2,000 years ago this month. His death has always been considered a mystery, with a possible conspiracy to poison him to keep him out of the imperial line of succession.Dan talked to Lindsay Powell about Rome's difficult relationship with Germany, the attempted conquest and disastrous defeat at the hands of Varus, along with Germanicus' attempts to res...more
Victor Gregg: Britain's Most Famous War Veteran Turns 100
Oct 15 2019
Victor Gregg, was taken prisoner as the Allies retreated during the Battle of Arnhem, and was taken as a POW to Dresden, where he was alive during the Dresden firebombing. He tells Dan what he's learned over his extraordinary life, from his wartime experiences to how he looks at the world.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout.Producer: Peter Curry ...more
1066 Revisited: The Battle of Hastings with Marc Morris
Oct 14 2019
For the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, we revisit Marc Morris' brilliantly constructed narrative of the Battle of Hastings, and all of the build-up. Taking us from the sources of William, Harold and Harold's claims to the throne all the way to William's rule, Marc's account is as comprehensive as it is thrilling. From the archives.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use cod...more
The Rise and Fall of the House of York During the Wars of the Roses with Thomas Penn
Oct 13 2019
Thomas Penn, author of the Winter King, has released a new comprehensive history of the Wars of the Roses, making the striking claim that we shouldn't view the Wars of the Roses as a conflict between two rival houses, but instead as a civil war inside the House of York.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See ac...more
12 Days That Shaped Modern Britain with Professor Andrew Hindmoor
Oct 10 2019
Professor Andrew Hindmoor, head of Politics at the University of Sheffield, chats to Dan about the days that he thinks shaped Britain today. He talks about the notion of looking at specific days as a way of looking at history, and then talks about everything from Theresa May to Stephen Lawrence to the Premier League.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout.&n...more
The Haitian Revolution, History's Most Successful Slave Revolt with Dr Nicole Willson
Oct 08 2019
The Haitian Revolution caused a seismic shift in global politics. When a mixture of different groups on the French colony of Saint Domingue rose against the colonists, few expected the rebellion to succeed. However, under the leadership of Toussaint L'Ouverture, the Haitians became one of the few peoples to not only successfully rebel against their masters, but also to success in retaining control over the colony.Dan talks to Dr Nicole Willson, an expert in the history of Haiti about the revolut...more
Orlando Figes on Cultural Change in 19th Century Europe
Oct 06 2019
Orlando Figes talks to Dan about social and technological developments and their relationship to cultural changes in the 19th century. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The History of Celebrity with Greg Jenner
Oct 03 2019
Dan talks to Greg Jenner about the history of celebrity and his role as historical advisor in the Horrible Histories film. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Crusades with Dan Jones
Oct 01 2019
Dan Jones tells the story of The Crusades from their 11th century origins to their relevance today. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
How Christianity Changed the Western World with Tom Holland
Sep 29 2019
Tom Holland schools Dan on how Christianity dominates western values and ideas, even today among those who aspire to secularism. He shows about how many of our moral codes and ideas are Christian in origin, and how the changing status of the West in global politics could see a fundamental change in global values. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. ...more
The Rise of the East India Company with William Dalrymple
Sep 26 2019
William Dalrymple charts the rise of the East India Company, from the decline of the Mughals to alliance with powerful Indian bankers, as well as weighing in on some of the most important questions which have dogged the role of the British in India for generations. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See acast....more
What Makes a Dictator with Frank Dikötter
Sep 24 2019
Dan talks to Frank Dikötter, an eminent professor on Chinese history, who has written a new book about dictators around the world. They discuss what dictators need to do to control power and whether there is anything different about the people who become dictators.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See acast.c...more
Arnhem 75: The Veteran's View
Sep 22 2019
This podcast sees Dan jump out of an aircraft to relive the events of the landing back in 1944, while on the way we hear the testimonies of veterans who lived through the Battle of Arnhem. Dan also chats to the UK and US ambassadors to the Netherlands, as well as the Mayor of Arnhem.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry ...more
The Battle of Arnhem with James Holland and Paul Reed
Sep 20 2019
These intercut interviews with historians James Holland and Paul Reed tell the story of the Battle of Arnhem. Both give poignant and occasionally lurid accounts of the battle, and both comment on the battle plans of Operation Market Garden and whether it should be considered a failure. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry ...more
Elizabeth I and Europe with Estelle Paranque
Sep 17 2019
Estelle Paranque launches into a passioned explanation of Elizabeth I and how she masterfully handled the European powers of her day. She talks about French attempts to win her hand, her defence of the Huguenots, and handling the problem of the Spanish.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy f...more
Anglo-Saxon Burial at Bamburgh Castle with Paul Gething and Edoardo Albert
Sep 15 2019
A story of bloodshed, tribal rivalries and a warrior class obsessed with and defined by the battlefield has emerged from the discovery of a burial site at Bamburgh Castle. Dan talks to both Paul and Edoardo about the latest archaeological work tell us about the history of Bamburgh, of the people who lived and fought at the castle, and the wider religious and political make-up of Anglo-Saxon Britain.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries,...more
The Stories of 9/11 with Garrett Graff
Sep 11 2019
Garrett Graff has collected many of the oral testimonies about 9/11, collating archive material and conducting interviews with people who responded to events on the day. He tells Dan these stories, such as the couple of firefighter and World Trade Center employee who sought to find each other in the confusion, to that of a man who survived being buried under 220 stories of the World Trade Center.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, in...more
The Secret British Operation to Get America into World War Two with Henry Hemming
Sep 10 2019
Henry Hemming talks to Dan about the life of William Stevenson, a British operative who worked hard to pressure Roosevelt into declaring war on Nazi Germany, and ensuring that American troops were directed against German forces in mainland Europe. The tactics adopted were akin to those used today by troll farms in St Petersburg, and involved duplicitous and aggressive use of misinformation.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, intervie...more
Race Science with Angela Saini
Sep 08 2019
Angela Saini is a British science journalist and broadcaster, and she talks to Dan about the history of race science and eugenics, and they put the concept of race in a historical context. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Maud West, the Original Miss Marple with Susannah Stapleton
Sep 06 2019
Maud West, operated her own detective agency during the Golden Age of crime in the period after World War One. She used all manner of disguises and tactics to gather information for her clients and to subvert the expected roles for women in this period.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy f...more
The British People and the Outbreak of World War Two with Frederick Taylor
Sep 03 2019
Frederick Taylor's work looks at the outbreak of World War Two, and he discusses whether the British people were ready for war. This discussion moves away from traditional debates over Chamberlain to the people of Britain and Germany, and their attitudes to war.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See acast.com/...more
The Invasion of Poland in World War Two with Roger Moorhouse
Sep 01 2019
Roger Moorhouse discusses the Polish campaign of 1939 comprehensively, separating the myths from reality and outlining the abject horrors that the Poles suffered under the twin occupation of the Nazis and the Soviets.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
How the British Prepared for Nuclear War with Julie McDowall
Aug 29 2019
In this bonus interview with Julie McDowall, she talks Dan through exactly how the British government prepared for a worst case nuclear scenario. They discuss surviving the attack, the women who planned to provide jigsaws to the survivors and how Britain might remake itself in the aftermath of armageddon. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Produce...more
John Franklin and the Northwest Passage with Dr John Roobol
Aug 27 2019
Dr John Roobol discusses the fate of John Franklin and his crew, from how they suffered in the bitter conditions, to the crew members who resorted to cannibalism. John's work also looks into the Inuits, and how their testimony was largely ignored, as the Victorians were desperate to insist that no British explorers would ever resort to cannibalism.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV...more
How the Cold War Shaped Western Democracy with Simon Reid-Henry
Aug 25 2019
Simon Reid-Henry attacks the traditional historiography of the Cold War, placing a much greater emphasis on the importance of the 1970s in shaping the rest of the Cold War and the period after it. He and Dan talk about the significance of the 1970s, and discuss how events then shape our lives now. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: ...more
Leonardo Da Vinci and the Leicester Codex with Martin Kemp
Aug 22 2019
Martin Kemp, an emeritus professor at the University of Oxford, is one of the foremost experts on Leonardo Da Vinci. He has recently worked on a translation and collation of the Codex Leicester and he talks Dan through Leonardo's most interesting and prescient ideas.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See acast...more
The Economics of World War Two with Duncan Weldon
Aug 21 2019
Duncan Weldon's new Radio 4 Series looks at the economics of the Second World War, and crucial they were in determining the outcome of the war. He joins Dan to talk about why no participants expected France to fall so quickly, and why Norway mattered economically. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See acast.c...more
The Peterloo Massacre with Robert Poole
Aug 18 2019
The Peterloo Massacre was a critical moment in the reform movement at the start of the 19th century. Thousands of people gathered at St Peter's Fields near Manchester to protest for an expansion of the franchise. The local magistrates summoned yeomanry to dispel what they saw as a riot, but as they waded into the crowd to arrest the leaders, the protest quickly became a massacre, as the yeomanry used their sabres to force their way through the crowd.Most accounts consider the repression that fol...more
Argentina's Missing Black Communities with Celestina Olulode
Aug 15 2019
Celestina Olulode is a BBC reporter, who has spent a long time in Argentina researching why Argentina has a low black population compared to counterparts in South America such as Brazil. One reason is down to aggressive racial policies in the 19th century, but Celestina also discusses the things that black populations have given to Argentina, such as the tango. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to ...more
The Last Wolf and the Missing Lynx with Ross Barnett
Aug 13 2019
Dan talks to Ross Barnett, a scientist who has studied the extinction of megafauna across Britain and the world. They discuss the killing of the last wolf in Britain, whether that mosquito in Jurassic park could have really held dinosaur DNA and the ecological impact of the loss of British megafauna.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Pet...more
Chernobyl with Julie McDowall
Aug 11 2019
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident near the town of Pripyat in 1986. Dan talks to Julie McDowall, an expert in all things nuclear, about the initial reaction to the blast, the impact it had on the firemen, and the fate of Belarus. They discuss how the legacy of Chernobyl damaged people's faith in the Soviet system, and the dogs left behind by official degree.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup ...more
Klaus Fuchs, the Greatest Nuclear Spy with Frank Close
Aug 09 2019
Dan talks to Frank Close about Klaus Fuchs, who leaked nuclear secrets to the Soviets. He informed the Soviets that the Allies had a bomb, and in doing so, may have been responsible for saving many millions of lives. Close argues that once Stalin realised the ballistic capacity of the U.S. and the U.K., he may have realised a policy of aggression against the Western powers was not prudent.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interview...more
Brexit and the Reformation with Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch
Aug 07 2019
Dan talks to one of the foremost experts on the Reformation and discusses whether Iain Duncan Smith was right to draw parallels between Brexit and the 16th century split with Rome.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Terry Deary on Horrible Histories
Aug 04 2019
Terry Deary, the creator of the Horrible Histories franchise, talks to Dan about communicating history effectively to young people, as well as the way the study of history has changed during his lifetime. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Prittlewell Prince with Sophie Jackson and Liz Barham
Aug 01 2019
The discovery of the Prittlewell Prince has been lauded as the "UK's answer to Tutankhamun'. The remarkably complete discovery of an Anglo-Saxon prince's burial chamber has given us far more information about the period after the Romans left Britain. Dan chats to two of the archaeologists and researchers who worked on the tomb, Sophie Jackson, a Director of Research and Engagement at MOLA, and Liz Barham, Senior Conservator at MOLA. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds...more
London's Lost Rivers with Kate Sumnall and Tom Ardill
Jul 30 2019
Dan chats to the curators of a new exhibition at the Museum of London about London's lost rivers, finding out how they disappeared, how they shaped the city, and whether they can ever return.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The History of Iran in the 20th Century with Professor Ali Ansari
Jul 28 2019
Dan picks up from where he and Professor Ali Ansari left off as they discuss the history of Iran in the 20th century. Ali Ansari breaks down the White Revolution, the Islamic Revolution and why western negotiators have struggled to agree terms about Iran's nuclear program in recent years.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curr...more
War Bows with Mike Loades
Jul 25 2019
Mike Loades talks to Dan about bows of all shapes and sizes. He discusses Mongol fighting tactics, as well as the trope of certain nationalities being prolific with a bow, and whether Edward III really did ban football to force people to practice archery.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy...more
Emergency Podcast: The Election of Boris Johnson with Dr Andrew Blick
Jul 24 2019
In this emergency podcast, Dan talks to Dr Andrew Blick about Boris Johnson's accession to the role of Prime Minister, the history of the UK's electoral system, and the role the monarchy has to play in the constitutional system.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out in...more
The Future of Archaeology and Egyptology with Professor Sarah Parcak
Jul 23 2019
Sarah Parcak talks to Dan about how advances in technology have enabled us to discover far more historical sites than we believed ever existed. She talks about drones and satellites and how they can read topography and vegetation to give us all new pictures of the world beneath our feet, and discusses her current work in Egypt. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at...more
The Partition of India and its repercussions with Kavita Puri
Jul 21 2019
Dan talks to Kavita Puri, a BBC journalist and broadcaster, about the partition of India and its repercussions and consequences for the people it effected.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter CurryAudio: Oliver Nelken See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Vampires and their place in culture with Richard Sugg
Jul 18 2019
Richard Sugg, author of a new book on real vampires, talks Dan through the weird world of supernatural bloodsuckers. Myths of Vampires have their roots in the condition of sleep paralysis and popular Enlightenment literature while being distinct to certain countries and cultures.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter CurryAudio: O...more
Confucius, his life and influence with Professor Roel Sterckx
Jul 16 2019
Dan and Roel Sterckx, Professor of Chinese History, Science, and Civilisation at Cambridge University, talk about the life of Confucius, his influence on ancient China and his relevance in today's world.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter CurryAudio: Oliver Nelken See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-o...more
The First Indian Cricket Team with Dr Prashant Kidambi
Jul 14 2019
Dan and Dr Prashant Kidambi talk about the dominance of Indian cricket team over recent years, as well as its humble origins. They discuss the relationship between cricket and the empire, as well as sport's role as a potent nationalistic force. Dr Prashant Kidambi is an Associate Professor in Colonial Urban History at the University of Leicester.Producer: Peter CurryFor ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signu...more
The Eruption of Vesuvius and the Two Plinys with Daisy Dunn
Jul 12 2019
Dan talks to Daisy Dunn, a historian and classicist, about the lives of the two Plinys in the shadow of Vesuvius. The younger Pliny witnessed the eruption and would later write an account of the eruption. The elder Pliny, actually the uncle of the younger Pliny, would die in the blaze. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry ...more
The Battle of Britain: Truth and Myth with Andy Saunders and Wing Commander Thomas Neil
Jul 10 2019
Dan talks to military historian Andy Saunders about the Battle of Britain. What parts of the narrative have we got wrong? What parts have we got right? Also includes excerpts from Dan's interview with Wing Commander Thomas Neil, who sadly passed away about a year ago.In June 1940 Nazi Germany overran France and forced the British army to evacuate at Dunkirk. Severely lacking in military equipment, Britain and its Empire now stood alone against Adolf Hitler's forces. To stand any chance of crossi...more
Appeasing Hitler with Tim Bouverie
Jul 07 2019
Tim Bouverie has a look at the old questions about appeasement. Was it right to appease Hitler in order to buy time to re-arm? Why did Chamberlain and Halifax not take action when the Rhineland was re-occupied, or during the Anschluss of 1938, or during the occupation of the Sudetenland?For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout.Producer: Peter Curry ...more
The Cambridge Spies with Dr Chris Smith
Jul 04 2019
Dr Chris Smith has written a fascinating new book about John Cairncross, one of the famous five Cambridge spies who infiltrated high positions in the British intelligence service and reported back to Russia. Kim Philby, the most famous of the spies, was almost in charge of MI6 before his associate was detected, and intelligence officers grew suspicious. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History ...more
The Chief Interpreter at the Nuremberg Trials with Paul Hooley
Jul 02 2019
Wolfe Frank, who was the Chief Interpreter at the Nuremberg Trials, translating over a third of the six million words spoken, was one of the most interesting characters in the courtroom.Historian Paul Hooley speaks to Dan about this man, who hated Hitler and had an idiosyncratic relationship with Göring. Göring once asked if he could be fed to Frank's dog instead of being hanged, before Frank retorted that the dog was fussy about his food.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hu...more
A. C. Grayling on The History of Philosophy
Jun 30 2019
A. C. Grayling discusses the complete history of philosophy, whether it is still possible to ask questions about our existence, and how we should frame those questions in light of those thinkers who have gone before. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The History of Unbelief with Professor Tim Whitmarsh and Professor John Arnold
Jun 27 2019
Dan delves into the history of unbelief - or rather, past people who didn't believe in God(s). He talks to Professor Tim Whitmarsh about Greek atheists (and indeed, about the creation of the term 'atheist'), and to Professor John Arnold about those who eschewed religious doctrine in the medieval era.This is a shortened version of a full length documentary about Unbelief on our channel, https://tv.historyhit.com/Watch A History of Unbelief on History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout to ge...more
Simon de Montfort, England's First Parliamentarian with Dr Sophie Therese Ambler
Jun 26 2019
Simon de Montfort was a member of the English peerage, who led opposition to King Henry III. He played a major role in the constitutional development of the country and remains an important figure in British history.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Circe and Greek Myths with Madeleine Miller
Jun 23 2019
Dan and bestselling author Madeleine Miller chat Greek myths and the Odyssey. They talk about Virgil, the Aenead, Patroclus and Agamemnon, and whether Dan should sacrifice his daughter to ensure prevailing winds.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'WATERLOO' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
British Women in India with Katie Hickman
Jun 20 2019
Katie Hickman takes us on a tour of British India before 1900, looking at women and the lives they led. Highlights include a discussion of whether the arrival of women in India prompted a change in racial attitudes, and the arrival of a courtesan on Indian soil.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'WATERLOO' at checkout. Producer: Peter Curry See acast....more
The Battle of Waterloo with Peter Snow
Jun 18 2019
We revisit Dan's interview with Peter Snow to celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, and learn more about this conflict which changed the face of Europe.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'WATERLOO' at checkout. Original 2015 Producer: Dan MorelleProducer: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
500th Episode: A History of Fatherhood and History Hit Highlights
Jun 16 2019
We celebrate our 500th podcast with a new look at fatherhood and a selection of the best moments from our podcast. We hear the testimony of survivors of genocide, Dan talks radical new historiography with Norman Ohler, and he commemorates the dead of World War One at the Menin Gate. Thank you for listening and here's to many more episodes.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use cod...more
The Lost World of Doggerland with Simon Fitch
Jun 12 2019
Just off the British coast is a sunken world that was once the hub of mesolithic Europe. Simon Fitch, a specialist in Archaeological Sciences from the University of Bradford, joins Dan to talk about the discovery and the part he played in making them.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV.Producer: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
George Orwell and 1984 with Dorian Lynskey
Jun 10 2019
1984 is one of the greatest books ever written, and continues to both haunt and inform public perceptions of totalitarianism. Dan talks to Dorian Lynskey, who has written a biography of this critical text, discussing Orwell's reasons for writing and 1984's relevance to the present day, as well as our own cognitive biases and the dangers of manipulation.All of the books discussed in the History Hit podcast are available at History Hit books. We'd love it if you supported what we do by using our a...more
Britain and Empire in the 20th Century with David Edgerton
Jun 09 2019
David Edgerton attacks outdated views of the British nation and the British Empire during the 20th century with his new book. He revitalises discussion about declinist views of empire, and challenges the idea that the new British nation was forged in World War Two by Britain's isolation.All of the books discussed in the History Hit podcast are available at History Hit books. We'd love it if you supported what we do by using our affiliate link: https://books.historyhit.com/For ad free versio...more
D-Day with James Holland
Jun 06 2019
James Holland lectures about D-Day, covering the planning and the myths; from Montgomery's planning to the casualty rate on Omaha beach. This tour de force tells you everything you need to know about D-Day as we commemorate the 75th anniversary.All of the books discussed in the History Hit podcast are available at History Hit books. We'd love it if you supported what we do by using our affiliate link: https://books.historyhit.com/For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundre...more
Stories of Valour on D-Day with Stuart Robertson, Bill Fitzgerald and George Skipper
Jun 05 2019
This episode focuses on tales of individual bravery at D-Day as we approach the 75th anniversary. Dan talks to two veterans, Bill Fitzgerald and George Skipper, as well as historian Stuart Robertson who has written a new book focusing on those who were rewarded for their exceptional valour during the D-Day operation.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'DDAY' at checkout.&n...more
Tony Blair on Political Power
Jun 02 2019
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was also the longest serving Labour Prime Minister, spoke to Dan about the nature of political power - within party politics, government policy and Britain's role in the world stage. He also discusses the major challenges Britain faces in a changing world likely to be dominated by large population countries.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV...more
The Burmese Who Fought For Britain with Alex Bescoby
May 31 2019
Many Burmese people resisted the Japanese occupation of their country in World War Two. Filmmaker Alex Bescoby has made a new film celebrating those who the Empire left behind, despite the hardships they endured to serve Britain during the war.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. All of the books discussed in the History Hit podcast are available at...more
D-Day Revisited with Giles Milton and Captain David Render
May 30 2019
A compilation of some of our best History Hit episodes about D-Day to celebrate the upcoming 75th anniversary.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod3' at checkout. All of the books discussed in the History Hit podcast are available at History Hit books. If you're interested in buying the book, we'd love it if you supported what we do by using our affiliate links at:...more
Odette Sansom: Britain's Most Decorated Spy with Larry Loftis
May 27 2019
Odette Sansom, was the most highly decorated woman, and the most decorated spy of any gender during World War II. She was awarded both the George Cross and was appointed a Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur. Her wartime exploits and later imprisonment by the Nazis were celebrated in the years after the war, but she has fallen out of the spotlight recently.Larry Loftis has written a new book attempting to reinstate her as one of the most celebrated members of the Special Operations Executive, the B...more
Saladin and the Crusades with Professor Jonathan Phillips
May 26 2019
Saladin was one of the greatest Sultans of the middle ages, and the first sultan of Egypt and Syria. He famously defeated the Crusader army at the Battle of Hattin, and recaptured Jerusalem. The Christian armies of the west never recaptured the Holy City. Saladin's legacy still holds resonance across the middle-east today. In 1917, a French General supposedly marched up to Saladin's tomb in Damascus, kicked it and announced, "We're back," a story that would shape Arabic perceptions of the west i...more
Lucy Worsley on Queen Victoria at Kensington Palace
May 23 2019
This Friday sees the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria's birth. BAFTA winning historian and Joint Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces Lucy Worsley takes Dan on a tour of Kensington Palace, one of the principle royal residences since 1689, and the childhood home of Queen Victoria. The rooms of the royal residence are being renovated for a new exhibition opening to the public on the 200th anniversary of Victoria's birth.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours...more
The Shadow King: Henry VI with Lauren Johnson
May 21 2019
Henry VI came to the throne in exceptionally difficult circumstances. The untimely death of his warlike father, Henry V, placed the crown upon his head aged just 9 months. While England was in the ascendant in the Hundred Years' War in 1422, by the time he came of age his father's French conquests were disintegrating and the English nobility were locked in a dangerous struggle for power.In 1453, Henry suffered a complete mental collapse from which he never fully recovered, and then was used...more
The History in Game of Thrones with Dan Jones
May 19 2019
Game of Thrones is, as you've definitely worked out by now, based heavily on the history of the Wars of the Roses. Famous for high levels of internecine violence and bloody warfare, Game of Thrones is deeply rooted in historical parallels. However, as Dan Jones (not Snow) explains to Dan (not Jon) Snow, George R. R. Martin didn't just draw inspiration from the Wars of the Roses, but from all manner of historical circumstances and people.From mass murders in castles in Edinburgh, to mercenary com...more
The House Where Victor Hugo Wrote with Cédric Bail
May 16 2019
Victor Hugo was exiled to Guernsey by the regime of Napoleon III, and so wrote many of his most famous works on the island, like “Les Miserables”, in the only house he ever owned. Dan gets a tour of Hauteville House, where he wrote from Cédric Bail the assistant curator of the museum. You can find out more about Victor Hugo's life on Guernsey at this link: https://victorhugo.visitguernsey.com/For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, ...more
The Apollo Program with Kevin Fong
May 14 2019
Getting to the moon was no easy feat, no matter how confident Kennedy may have sounded in his famous 1961 speech. NASA built a team from the ground up, and there were plenty of moments where it seemed as if they weren't going to make it. Fong tells stories of just how close they came, and how risky it was. After all, it was hard to feel safe when a pen could go straight through the module. Kevin Fong is incredible. As Dan fawns in the podcast, he's part of the NHS emergency response team for maj...more
The Sexual Revolution with Virginia Nicholson
May 12 2019
The 1960s were an exciting time. The pill was invented in 1961, and for women everywhere it meant a newfound set of sexual freedoms; no longer did sex have to remain within the confines of marriage. However, the 1960s have for too long been characterised wrongfully by a surface layer of glamour and nostalgia that normally shapes its depiction in the media. While some loved the 1960s, many women were sexually objectified, and many were the victims of sexual assault. Virginia Nicholson, a brillian...more
The Orphans of the British Empire with Professor Helen Berry
May 10 2019
The Foundlings were children whose mothers were destitute or dead, and they were taken in by various philanthropic institutions. One such place, the Foundling Hospital, was founded in London in 1739 by Thomas Coram. It was a children's home established for the "education and maintenance of exposed and deserted young children".Initially, these children were supposed to become foot soldiers of the British Empire, which was desperately short on people willing to travel abroad, but often these men a...more
Russia's Greatest Spy with Owen Matthews
May 08 2019
Richard Sorge is one of the greatest spies in history. Famously he reported to Stalin that the Germans were going to invade Russia, and famously Stalin ignored him. He then reported that the Japanese weren't going to invade Russia, and this time, the Russians listened. Siberian troops were redeployed to the western front, and they may have saved Moscow from the Nazis. Owen Matthews, a distinguished writer, historian and journalist, came on the podcast to talk about Richard Sorge's life, his spy ...more
Stephen Fry on History and the Seven Deadly Sins
May 05 2019
Stephen Fry talks to Dan about the study of history, deadly sins, Blackadder, eddas, W. H. Auden, Philip Guedalla, Dorothy Parker, the internet, online trolls, R. W. Ketton Cremer and Felbrigg Hall, with a couple of minor detours along the way. Fry tackles the big questions, the small questions, and frequently just muses on his answers to the aforementioned questions. Enjoy this tour de Fry.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, intervi...more
Mothering with Professor Sarah Knott
May 02 2019
Professor Sarah Knott talks to Dan about the history of motherhood and childbirth. She hasn't taken a linear approach in her research, so her discussion of mothering adopts a broad approach, looking at a variety of cultures and time periods and how they approach one of the most fundamental human processes: reproduction.Dan also weighs in on how fatherhood has changed, and the changing, and increasing role of men throughout the 19th and 20th centuries in the process of childbirth, and whether tha...more
King George V in World War One with Alexandra Churchill
Apr 30 2019
King George V played a critical role in Britain's war effort during World War One, from the outbreak of war in 1914, until the King's Pilgrimage in May 1922, to visit cemeteries and memorials being constructed by the Imperial War Graves Commission. Alexandra Churchill has combed the Royal Archives to fully understand George's role in the war, including his frequent disputes with David Lloyd George. So bitter was this relationship, Lloyd George at one point attempted to place control of the Briti...more
Babita Sharma on Corner Shops
Apr 28 2019
Babita Sharma is esteemed British broadcaster, and a presenter on BBC News and the BBC World News. In this episode, she takes us through a history of corner shops. Corner shops have been ever important in British society, as hubs of their communities, and places where people from all walks of life come together.Babita's family ran a corner shop, and she talks about what that meant for her, her father's work ethic, and how her mum ended up playing therapist for many members of their community.For...more
Eglantyne Jebb and 100 Years of Save The Children with Clare Mulley
Apr 25 2019
Clare Mulley chats to Dan about Eglantyne Jebb, the founder of Save the Children. Now 100 years old, Save the Children was initially founded in response to the plight of German and Austrian children during the blockade of Germany in the aftermath of World War One.Eglantyne Jebb set out to raise funds to support these children, battling arrest and intense opposition for aiding the 'enemy'. She was ultimately able to turn Save the Children into the force it is today.For a related documentary/short...more
Bomb Disposal with Peter Gurney
Apr 23 2019
Peter Gurney had a prolific career as a bomb disposal expert, from defusing bombs during the Troubles, to addressing bomb scares outside Downing Street. He tells Dan his best stories, explains how he learned to defuse bombs and just how scared he was most of the time.For a related documentary/short film/media to this podcast, Behind the Scenes: Les Rutherford is available to watch on History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4.&nb...more
Viking Graveyard with Dr Catrine Jarman
Apr 21 2019
Dr Cat Jarman has made a significant set of discoveries about a Viking graveyard in Derbyshire, and Dan talks to her to find out if they might have found the skeleton of Ivar the Boneless.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4. Producer: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for p...more
A Tour of Alnwick Castle with Ralph Percy, the Duke of Northumberland
Apr 19 2019
Ralph Percy takes Dan on a walking tour of Alnwick Castle, exploring its sumptuous collections of art and furniture, as well as talking Dan through his family's turbulent and frequently violent history. Percy's antecedents include men like Henry Hotspur and Thomas Percy and they often found themselves on the wrong side of England's greatest monarchs.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit ...more
The Kingdom of Lotharingia with Simon Winder
Apr 18 2019
Simon Winder's eclectic histories have ranged all over the Germanic countries, and he has concluded his Germania trilogy with Lotharingia, a book about the kingdom of Lothair, which was located mainly in the modern low countries, and stretched all the way to the Roman borderlands.Lothair I, a grandson of Charlemagne ruled a kingdom sandwiched between the land that would become France under Charles the Bald, and the land that would become Germany under Louis the German.Dan chats to Simon Winder a...more
Old King Tut with Dr Colleen Darnell
Apr 16 2019
Dr Colleen Darnell talks to Dan about 'Tutmania', the phase of obsession with the uncovering of the tomb of Tutankhamun, as well as all things Egyptology.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4. Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and ...more
Emergency Podcast: The Notre-Dame Fire with Jonathan Foyle
Apr 15 2019
Dan talks to Jonathan Foyle in order to fully understand the history of the Notre-Dame cathedral, and how devastating this fire really is.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4. Producer/Audio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Amritsar Massacre with Kim Wagner
Apr 13 2019
100 years ago, forces under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer fired upon on an assembled crowd of Indians, who had gathered in peaceful protest about the deportation of two national leaders. Dan talks to Kim Wagner in order to better understand the events that occurred, and to challenge many of the myths that have persisted about what occurred on the 13th April 1919.If you're interested in Amritsar, you can listen to Anita Anand's podcast about the man who set out to avenge the massacre and w...more
Socrates and Love with Armand D'Angour
Apr 12 2019
Armand D'Angour, a renowned classical scholar, has found new sources that Socrates in fact received many of his ideas, particularly those about love, from a woman he had an affair with. This is a new look at a man often considered the father of western philosophy, and Dan talks to Armand in depth about the Greek proclivity for new ideas and the life of Socrates.For more information about the Hellenic world, The Treasures of Athens and Olympia is available to watch on History Hit TV. Us...more
Sea Powers with Andrew Lambert
Apr 09 2019
Andrew Lambert has written a magisterial history of sea power states, and the tools and methods of control they used to exert influence. From the Athenians to the British, Lambert discusses the way that states became sea powers, as well as offering insights on whether sea powers can exist in the same way they used to, and how American and Chinese interactions with the sea might change in the future. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries...more
Anita Anand on the Man Who Set Out to Avenge the Amritsar Massacre
Apr 07 2019
Udham Singh, legendary in India but barely known in the western world, was present when the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar was perpetrated. Legend has it he picked a clump of bloody soil and swore to avenge the massacre. Twenty-one years later, he walked into Caxton Hall in order to shoot Michael O'Dwyer, who was one of two men behind the murders. Dan talks to Anita Anand, who tells this compelling story in full. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundre...more
Reinventing Economics with Rutger Bregman
Apr 05 2019
Rutger Bregman, the Dutch historian who has been making waves at Davos, as well as irking the likes of Tucker Carlson in the states, chats to Dan about the economic ideas that he hopes will change the way we think about work. Rutger discusses universal basic income, shorter working weeks, and free borders, suggesting what the future of the world economy might look like were we to implement ideas that have been utilised in the past.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds o...more
The People's War with Jonathan Fennell
Apr 03 2019
Jonathan Fennell has written a new book discussing the 'citizen armies' that made up the core of the British and Commonwealth armies, and Dan talks to him to find out more.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter CurryFor ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4. See acast.com/privac...more
Life at Bletchley Park with Betty Webb
Apr 02 2019
Betty Webb was heavily involved with the work going on at Bletchley Park. While she was not part of the code-breaking team, her work was invaluable to the success of Bletchley, and Dan talks to her about her life and wartime experiences.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4. If you'd like to...more
Melvyn Bragg on Héloïse and Abelard
Mar 31 2019
Melvyn Bragg talks to Dan about a philosopher and a scholar in the 12th century. Abelard was one of the best known theologians of the medieval era, and his love affair with Héloïse, characterised famously by the letters that they sent to each other are legendary.Such was the passion of their affair, Héloïse once wrote to Abelard, “If the Emperor Augustus were to ask me to be his wife and help him control the greatest empire in the world, I would think it more honourable to be your whore, than hi...more
Vincent Van Gogh with Martin Bailey
Mar 29 2019
With the release of At Eternity's Gate starring Willem Dafoe as Vincent Van Gogh, Dan set off to find someone who knows about Vincent Van Gogh. He found Martin Bailey, co-curator of the new Van Gogh museum at the Tate, which is devoted to Van Gogh's relationship with England. They chat about Van Gogh's works, his manias and his successes and failures.The film is in cinemas and on Curzon Home Cinema now and we are thrilled to be partnering with Curzon for this special episode of the podcast.You c...more
Europe Remembers WW2 with Rémi Praud
Mar 28 2019
The Liberation Route Europe team are working to ensure that the end of World War Two is celebrated and that those who fell are justly commemorated. Rémi Praud, a member of the team, talks to Dan about remembering and commemoration.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4.Producer: Natt TapleyAu...more
Shakespeare and Love with Dr Chris Laoutaris
Mar 26 2019
Dr Chris Laoutaris talked to Dan about Shakespeare and love at our History Hit Live event at the British academy. Their discussion doesn't just limit itself to love in the upstart crow's plays, but to his own personal affairs and sexual proclivities.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4. Pro...more
Akala on Imperialism
Mar 24 2019
Rapper and intellectual Akala talks to Dan about the way historical narratives are created, maintained and then broken down. He discusses slavery and abolitionism, the need for Britain to do more to acknowledge its imperial history, and how his own experiences growing up were shaped by these narratives.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'podTV' at checkout to get 20% off ...more
Cluster Bombs with James Rogers
Mar 22 2019
In 1943, Grimsby was hit by a new type of weapon: butterfly bombs, also know as cluster bombs. James Rogers tells Dan about the terrifying experience of being attacked by cluster bombs, and how they've been used around the world since.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'podTV' at checkout to get 20% off an annual subscription.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Cu...more
HMS Caroline with Melissa Morton and William Hughes
Mar 20 2019
Dan explores the HMS Caroline, the last ship that survived the Battle of Jutland and remains afloat. The team from the museum of the HMS Caroline and the man in charge of much of its restoration and maintenance take him around.For a related documentary, check out the Lost Wrecks of Jutland on History Hit TV. Use code 'podTV' at checkout to get 20% off an annual subscription.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information...more
Suzannah Lipscomb on Uncovering the Lost Stories of Women in the Past
Mar 18 2019
Suzannah Lipscomb's latest work unearths the lives of women in 16th and 17th century through a series of court sources that few have looked through. Dan talks to her about the ways in which these women were far more violent and aggressive than previously assumed, and the ways they fought for power in a patriarchal world.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkou...more
The Afghanistan War in Helmand with Dr Mike Martin
Mar 17 2019
Dr Mike Martin famously critiqued the Ministry of Defence in 2014, who tried to prevent the publication of his book. The book was based on a series of conversations Martin had with the Afghan locals, as one of the few within the military who could speak pushtu. Dan talks to him about his problems with the way that the military is run, and how the conflict in Afghanistan may change in years to come.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, ...more
Kohima: Britain's Greatest Battle with Akiko MacDonald and Richard Greenwood
Mar 15 2019
The Battle of Kohima was a critical part of the war fought between Britain and Japan during World War II. It acted as a turning point on the eastern front more generally, and Dan talks to Akiko MacDonald, the daughter of a Japanese soldier who fought in the battle and Richard Greenwood, a former England rugby captain who has done lots of work into researching the battle. The National Army Museum recently polled the Battle of Kohima as Britain's greatest battle. For an accompanying documentary to...more
Shellshock with Suzie Grogan
Mar 13 2019
Suzie Grogan talks about the 'hidden illness' of World War One, now better known as shellshock or PTSD. Dan chats with her about the initial reception to cases of shellshock and how diagnoses changed as we understood the problem better over time.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4. Produce...more
The Nuclear Test Veterans with Suzie Boniface
Mar 11 2019
Suzie Boniface discusses those who were harmed by the nuclear tests conducted by the British atom bomb, as controversy surrounds the first British atomic test in 1952, and the subsequent testing program. Those who worked on the sites were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation and they have never been compensated by the British government.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use c...more
Letters to Obama with Jeanne Marie Laskas
Mar 10 2019
Every day, ten thousand Americans wrote to Obama. Jeanne Marie Laskas tells their story, and the profound impact that these letters had on the President. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4. Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and ...more
Friends of the Earth with Craig Bennett
Mar 09 2019
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. Craig Bennett, current CEO of Friends of the Earth in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, talks to Dan about the situation, the positives we can glean from climate change right now, and the history of campaigning.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4...more
Jerusalem on the Amstel with Lipika Pelham
Mar 06 2019
Lipika Pelham talks to Dan about the Dutch Jewish community in Amsterdam, how the Sephardim Jews ended up there and what they endured during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4. Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.co...more
Introducing: Hidden Histories with Helen Carr
Mar 04 2019
In this episode, Helen Carr talks to Lindsey Fitzharris about Joseph Lister and the development of germ theory.The new show on the History Hit network, Hidden Histories, sees Helen Carr exploring some of the country's hidden treasures. She and some of our finest historians scramble through the actual spaces where history happened. Whether she's visiting the whorehouses of Covent Garden, or retracing the steps of the Peasants Revolt, Helen and her guests are a delightful guide to the hidden histo...more
Gandhi with Ramachandra Guha
Mar 03 2019
Gandhi is a complex and sometimes controversial figure, so Dan chats to Ramachandra Guha to find out what shaped Gandhi's worldview and how his early life informed his actions.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4. Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/pr...more
How Geology Shaped Human History with Lewis Dartnell
Mar 01 2019
There are strips of rock in the United States that are accurate predictors of whether a county will turn Democrat, or Republican. Lewis Dartnell's latest project demonstrates how the earth has and continues to shape our politics and our history, and Dan chatted to him to discover more.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and you...more
Emergency Podcast: Kashmir with Shashank Joshi
Feb 28 2019
Shashank Joshi explains the history of tension in the Kashmir province as conflict re-emerges between Pakistan and India.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4. Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Inventing Britain with Misha Glenny
Feb 27 2019
Misha Glenny is the host of a radio show called The Invention of Britain and he discusses with Dan the development of Britain. Glenny explores the history of our relationships with Scotland, Wales and Ireland, as well as the no less tempestuous relationship with Europe.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months...more
Jack the Ripper's Victims with Hallie Rubenhold
Feb 25 2019
Why is the impression we have of Jack the Ripper's victims misleading? Hallie Rubenhold explains to Dan that the common conception of his victims as young sex-workers is mostly wrong, and discusses the actual sources we have about the lives of his victims.For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4.&nb...more
The Life of a Navigator during World War Two with Arthur Spencer
Feb 24 2019
Arthur Spencer was a navigator during World War Two, completing two tours of operations with 97 Squadron at RAF Woodhall Spa and RAF Bourn. He was awarded the Légion d’Honneur for providing air support for the Resistance in Italy. Dan met him in his house to discuss the life during the war, the hardship of losing friends and whether he feels guilt about the bombings.For a related documentary to this podcast, Lancaster Behind the Scenes: Les Rutherford is on History Hit TV. Use code 'po...more
The Irish Border with Professor Marie Coleman
Feb 22 2019
Dan and Professor Marie Coleman get into the details of the border between Ireland and North Ireland. How did it come to be, how has it changed and why has it proved such a sticking point in Brexit negotiations?For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4. Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Cur...more
The SAS Italian Job with Damien Lewis
Feb 20 2019
Damien Lewis, expert on all things SAS, chats to Dan about one of the largest and yet mostly unknown SAS raids of the war. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4. Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Vietnam with Max Hastings
Feb 17 2019
Max Hasting's new bestseller on Vietnam is out, and Dan met him to discuss Domino theory, whether it was possible for the US to win the war and the effect the war had on those who fought in it.For a related short film to this podcast, US Army Helicopter Operations in South Vietnam is available to watch on History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4. Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy...more
A Prince in the Tower with Tina Pepler
Feb 16 2019
Tina Pepler, writer of the A Prince in the Tower history drama, based on the missing princes and the challengers to the throne in the early Tudor period, chats to Dan about the writing process and the challenges of writing a historical drama. To listen to the Prince in the Tower audio drama, you can find the first part, A Prince in the Tower: The Pretender on History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4. Producer: Natt TapleyA...more
Slavery with Professor Christer Petley
Feb 15 2019
Dan chats to Christer Petley about slavery, focusing on one particularly virulent slave-owner called Simon Taylor, one of the most powerful men in Jamaica in the 18th century.For more information on slavery, Windrush, Empire and the Legacy of Slavery with David Lammy is available to listen to on History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4. Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for priva...more
Lesbianism during World War One with Professor Laura Doan
Feb 14 2019
Valentine's Day Special! Laura Doan discusses love and lesbianism during the war, from the way women were treated to popular reaction to lesbians in the media and elsewhere. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy fo...more
The Great Escape with Guy Walters
Feb 11 2019
Was The Great Escape as great as its name suggests? Guy Walters thinks otherwise, and argues that the mass breakout from Stalag Luft III actually helped the German war effort. Dan chats to him to find out more. Discover more history interviews and documentaries at History Hit TV.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Sex and Socialism with Professor Kristen Ghodsee
Feb 10 2019
Did people have better sex under socialism? The answer is probably yes, and Dan talks to Kristen Ghodsee to find out why, also discussing why young people are having less sex and the Soviet approach to gender equality. For ad free versions of our entire podcast archive and hundreds of hours of history documentaries, interviews and films, signup to History Hit TV. Use code 'pod4' at checkout to get a 30 day free trial and your first 4 months for £4/$4. Producer: Natt TapleyAudio:&n...more
The Lost Wrecks of Jutland in Portsmouth
Feb 08 2019
Dan heads down to Portsmouth harbour to uncover lost wrecks buried in the mud with a team of marine specialists in history and archaeology. Discover more history interviews and documentaries at History Hit TV.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Tombs of Egypt with Chris Naunton
Feb 06 2019
What treasures lie in store in the shifting sands of the Valley of the Kings? Dan talks to Chris Naunton to discover where the tombs of Alexander the Great and Cleopatra might be. For more exclusive history interviews and documentaries, subscribe to History Hit TV.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Singapore with Nicholas Walton
Feb 04 2019
Dan talks to Nicholas Walton about the role of Sir Stamford Raffles in the emergence of Singapore as one of the world's largest ports, and about the history of the country more generally, from the earliest days of Javanese agriculture to Singapore's involuntary independence. For more exclusive history interviews and documentaries, subscribe to History Hit TV.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Great Escape with Air Commodore Charles Clarke
Feb 01 2019
What was it like in Stalag Luft 3? Dan talks to Air Commodore Charles Clarke, a prisoner-of-war during the Great Escape. For more exclusive history interviews and documentaries, subscribe to History Hit TV.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Augustus with Lindsay Powell
Jan 31 2019
Who was the greatest European ever? Dan talks to Lindsay Powell to find out. For more exclusive history interviews and documentaries, subscribe to History Hit TV.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
A Prince in the Tower with Iain Glen
Jan 28 2019
In this episode, Dan presents an all-new kind of podcast, History Hit's first ever audio drama. Starring Iain Glen from Game of Thrones, and Geoffrey McGivern from Blackadder 3, it's a mystery full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing through theEpisodes 2, 3 & 4 are available on History Hit TV.Producer: Natt TapleyDirector: Justin HardyWriter: Tina PeplerAudio: Guy DagulCAST: Charlotte Emerson, Iain Glen, Geoffrey McGivern, Darren Strange, Philip Stevens, Justine Sweeten, & N...more
Murder After World War One with Paul Stickler
Jan 27 2019
Dan talks to Paul Stickler about a bizarre murder in the aftermath of the First World War. For more exclusive history interviews or documentaries, subscribe to History Hit TV.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Antony Beevor on Arnhem
Jan 25 2019
Dan talks to Antony Beevor about Arnhem and Operation Market Garden. For more exclusive history interviews and documentaries, subscribe to History Hit TV.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Felix Maynard, Peter Curry & Pete Dennis See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Napoleon with Adam Zamoyski
Jan 23 2019
Dan talks to Adam Zamoyski, a historian who has recently written a new biography of Napoleon. Discover more history interviews and documentaries at History Hit TV.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The War in the East Part 2 with Dr Bill Frankland
Jan 21 2019
Dan talks to Dr Bill Frankland, a 106 year old veteran of World War II who lived through a Japanese prisoner of war camp and who also made important contributions to our understanding of allergies. Second of two episodes. Discover more history interviews and documentaries at History Hit TV.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Indian Army in World War One with Dr Priya Atwal and George Morton-Jack
Jan 20 2019
Dan chatted to George Morton-Jack and Dr Priya Atwal about the neglected role of the Indian Army during World War One, and how they are working to shed new light on the vital role that these servicemen played. Discover more history interviews and documentaries at History Hit TV.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The War in the East Part 1 with Dr Bill Frankland
Jan 16 2019
Dan talks to Dr Bill Frankland, a 106 year old veteran of World War II who lived through a Japanese prisoner of war camp and who also made important contributions to our understanding of allergies. First of two episodes. Discover more history interviews and documentaries at History Hit TV.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Black Sea Shipwrecks with Dr Helen Farr
Jan 14 2019
Dr Helen Farr is leading a team looking at prehistoric wrecks in the Black Sea. Dan chats to her about how the Black Sea's anaerobic waters have preserved ancient ships for many centuries, including a Greek ship very similar to one on an urn in the British Library. Discover more history interviews and documentaries at History Hit TV.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Bavarian Soviet Republic with Volker Weidermann
Jan 13 2019
Dan chats to Volker Wiedermann, a German writer and literary critic, about the Bavarian Soviet Republic. The Republic, established in the aftermath of the First World War, was an unlikely formation and was quickly attacked from all sides, especially as it tried to propagate radical ideas about government. Discover more history interviews and documentaries at History Hit TV.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information....more
Spitfire with John Nichol
Jan 11 2019
John Nichol is a former RAF Tornado Navigator who flew in the Gulf War. He was shot down and became a prisoner of war, and he is now an author. Dan talks to him on his new bestseller about the Spitfire, the plane that was critical to the RAF's efforts in the Battle of Britain and the Second World War, and they discuss why it occupies such a special place in British hearts. Discover more history interviews and documentaries at History Hit TV.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter C...more
Hiroshima with Hirata San
Jan 09 2019
Dan talks to Hirata San, a survivor of the Hiroshima attacks, and one of the few remaining survivors who speak English, about the Hiroshima bombing. Discover more history interviews and documentaries at History Hit TV.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Bodies of HS2 with the Museum of London Archaeology team
Jan 08 2019
Dan talks to the Head of Heritage for HS2, Helen Wass, as well as Mike Henderson, about the bodies discovered along the route of this infrastructure project, and what they can tell us about the past. Discover more history interviews and documentaries at History Hit TV.Producer: Natt TapleyAudio: Peter Curry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Peterloo with Jacqueline Riding
Jan 05 2019
In 1819, a huge crowd gathered in St Peter's Fields, Manchester, to hear radical speakers demand democratic reform. Dozens were killed and many more were injured by the army and local militia in what became known as the Peterloo Massacre. Dan talks to Jacqueline Riding - historical adviser on the new film - about the importance of Peterloo, and what it means to us today. For more exclusive history interviews and documentaries, subscribe to History Hit TV.Producer: Natt Tapley See acas...more
The SAS in the Falklands Part 2 with Sir Cedric Delves & Danny West
Jan 02 2019
Dan concludes fascinating talk with Sir Cedric Delves and Danny West about the involvement of the SAS in the Falklands War. For more explusive history interviews and documentaries, subscribe to History Hit TV.Producer: Natt Tapley See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The SAS in the Falklands Part 1 with Sir Cedric Delves & Danny West
Jan 01 2019
Dan hears the incredible story of the SAS's involvement in the Falklands from the men who were actually there: Sir Cedric Delves and Danny West. For more exclusive history interviews & documentaries, subscribe to History Hit TV.Producer: Natt Tapley See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.