History Podcasts
The History Hit network gives you access to a growing range of podcasts presented by and featuring historians at the forefront of research and debate.
Scroll down to listen to the most recent episodes from our network.
Dan Snow’s History Hit explores the deep history behind today’s headlines – giving you the context to understand what is going on today. Everything has a history, every challenge made easier by understanding its nature, its genesis. In a world of fast opinions, we put historians into the debate, women and men who bring real knowledge built over careers spent researching.
The Ancients, hosted by historian Tristan Hughes, is dedicated to discussing our distant past. Historians and archaeologists join Tristan to discuss specific themes from antiquity, from Neolithic Britain to the Fall of Rome.
Professor Suzannah Lipscomb presents Not Just the Tudors. Together with expert interviewees, she covers the sweeping range of the early modern period: everything from the Aztecs to witches, Velázquez to Shakespeare, Mughal India to the Mayflower.
Gone Medieval is hosted by historians Matt Lewis and Eleanor Janega, who shine a light on one of the most fascinating yet misunderstood periods of history: the Middle Ages. In each episode, experts lead listeners beneath the skin of captivating stories to uncover new insights.
In Betwixt the Sheets join historian, Kate Lister as she unashamedly roots around the topics which seem to have been skipped in history class. Everything from landmark LGBTQ+ court cases, to political scandal, to downright bizarre medieval cures for impotence.
In American History Hit, join Don Wildman twice a week for your hit of American history, as he explores the past to help us understand the United States of today. We’ll hear how codebreakers uncovered secret Japanese plans for the Battle of Midway, visit Chief Powhatan as he prepares for war with the British, see Walt Disney accuse his former colleagues of being communists, and uncover the dark history that lies beneath Central Park.
After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal joined History Hit’s award-winning podcast network in October 2023, hosted by actor, writer and historian Anthony Delaney and writer, broadcaster, historian Maddy Pelling. Together, the duo unpick history’s spookiest, strangest and most sinister stories – from the disappearance of HMS Terror to the origins of Halloween.
War historian and broadcaster James Rogers hosts our Warfare podcast, which opens up fascinating new perspectives on how conflict has shaped and changed our world. James teams up with fellow historians, veterans, and experts to reveal astonishing new histories of inspirational leadership, breakthrough technologies, and era defining battles.
Patented, hosted by Dallas Campbell, dives into stories of flukey discoveries, erased individuals and murky marketing ploys with the help of experts, scientists and historians.
Click on any of the listings below to listen to the most recent episodes from our network.
All Podcasts
39:35
The Rise of Constantinople with Bettany Hughes
27 November 2023The city of Constantinople, founded by the Roman Emperor Constantine in 324 AD, was a glittering jewel in the eastern Mediterranean for more than...
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34:34
The Real Origins of Witches
27 November 2023Have you ever wondered what the ancient origins of witchcraft is? How did the black-hat-broomstick stereotype emerge? And what causes the waves of...
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49:03
The Vandals
26 November 2023Known for bringing about the fall of the Western Roman Empire - the Vandals have a reputation of violence, destruction, and conquering. Moving...
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28:21
Saving Henry VIII's Lost Tapestry
26 November 2023For the Tudors, tapestries not only brought warmth and colour to a room, but they were magnificent demonstrations of artistic skill and of moral...
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22:17
Rasputin
26 November 2023The legend of Rasputin's death goes that he survived poisoning, being shot in the head before being thrown through a hole in the ice in the Neva...
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38:44
Section 28: The Anti-Gay Law That Sparked A Movement
24 November 2023The 1980s have a lot to answer for - spandex, for one.
It also saw the first new anti-gay law in Britain for over a century.
Against...
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42:45
Napoleon in America
23 November 2023Napoleon Bonaparte. From military leader to revolutionary to Emperor of the French, his conquests and reforms have had a lasting impact across the...
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27:03
Victorian Death Photography: Postmortem Posers
23 November 2023The Victorians created the unsettling art of death photography - posing their deceased love ones in family portraits as if they were alive. How...
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41:08
Life on the Medieval Coast
23 November 2023The popular BBC television series Villages by the Sea explores coastal life through the centuries. Its presenter Ben Robinson is an archaeologist...
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39:01
4. Napoleon: The Myth
23 November 2023Napoleon has become more than a man. His name is a concept, a way of being, a psychological term- the 'Napoleon' complex. Napoleon began working...
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31:29
Mary I: What if She'd Lived?
22 November 2023On 17 November 1558, Queen Mary I died. But how would history have turned out differently if Mary had lived another 30 years? Where would her...
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41:44
Keros: Bronze Age Mystery
22 November 2023While a small, uninhabited island today, Keros held significant importance during the Bronze Age. As a crucial centre for cultural practices,...
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46:05
3. Napoleon: The Lover
22 November 2023CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussions about sex which may not be suitable for children.
Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the few...
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44:44
Napoleon's Sex Life
21 November 2023Napoleon Bonaparte has been described in many way throughout history. Conquerer. Lover. Legend. Shrivelled Eel?
Perhaps you haven't heard...
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43:14
2. Napoleon: The Commander
21 November 2023During the Napoleonic Wars, 18th-century leaders in Europe quickly decided the best way to beat Napoleon Bonaparte was to retreat and not meet him...
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1:01:15
JFK Assassination: A Witness Remembers
20 November 2023On November 22nd 1963, President John F. Kennedy was shot dead. The ensuing years have been filled with questions and conspiracy about the events...
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46:13
Inside Hampton Court Palace
20 November 2023For centuries, Hampton Court has been a stage for monarchy, revolution, religious fundamentalism, sexual scandals, and military coups. In his new...
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30:01
Leprosy in the Middle Ages
20 November 2023Leprosy in the Middle Ages
Medieval people were very concerned about how to deal with those in their midst who had leprosy, now called...
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35:12
Mother Shipton: Tudor Prophetess of England's Doom
20 November 2023Did a Tudor prophetess correctly predict the English Civil War, the Crimean War, the sinking of the Titanic, World War One and the end of days?...
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26:49
1. Napoleon: The Early Years
20 November 2023He clawed his way to the zenith of power with a relentless determination that few could fathom... he conquered empires, destroyed armies and out...
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38:59
Treasures of Pompeii
19 November 2023Despite being uncovered in the 16th Century - new finds are still being discovered daily in Pompeii. With each new discovery offering a fresh...
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