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
47:33
Mary Queen of Scots, Catherine de' Medici & Elisabeth de Valois
5 June 2023Three powerful Renaissance queens all lived together at the French court for many years. They were bound together through blood and marriage,...
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28:07
The Ejector Seat
4 June 2023An ejector seat propels a human at speeds reaching 200 miles in less than a second. It can save a life... or snap a neck. John Nichol remembers...
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33:04
Hieroglyphs
4 June 2023Vulture. Snake. Baboon in a Basket. Get ready for hieroglyphs, history, and hilarity as Dallas talks to Egyptologist Chris Naunton.
We...
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38:55
Boudica's Battle of Britain
4 June 2023The Celtic queen who led a major uprising against the Roman Empire in ancient Britain, Boudica, is a name known throughout history. Her rebellion,...
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38:35
Origins of the Forbidden Fruit Myth
2 June 2023How did the apple become the dominant symbol of temptation and sin, when it isn’t even mentioned in the Bible story of Adam and...
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48:26
A History of Queer Women
2 June 2023One thing’s for certain, queer people have always been a part of society. The language may not have always been there to describe them in all of...
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24:19
War Gaming the 19th Century
2 June 2023War Gaming, an activity that has been around as long as warfare itself, provides valuable insights into the complex nature of war. Whether it's...
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39:26
California Gold Rush
1 June 2023From the rings on our fingers, to coins in our pockets and, for a select few, the medals hanging around our necks. Gold is one of the most coveted...
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44:09
Origins of Horse Riding
1 June 2023Human and Horse relationships have long be intertwined; from the ancient Eurasian plain, through to modern cowboys. But how did these huge,...
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44:22
Shakespeare's First Folio
1 June 2023Four hundred years ago in 1623, the first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays was printed. Known as the First Folio, the book was integral to...
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22:35
Love and Lust in WWII
31 May 2023Though rarely spoken about, love, lust and sexuality were key to many soldiers' experiences of the Second World War. Veterans might allude to them...
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32:52
Stone Tools: The First Ever Invention
31 May 2023Stone Tools are technology 1.0. They’re where it all begins. For millions of years, Stone Tools were our primary piece of technology. At some...
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41:39
Murder in the Roman World
30 May 2023The Ancient Romans are often thought of as ahead of their time. They invented concrete, sophisticated road systems and even underfloor...
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44:51
Origins of Scottish Independence
30 May 2023For the first time in 18 years, the Declaration of Arbroath - an iconic document in the story of the struggle for Scottish independence in the...
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39:12
The Rise of Celebrity Culture
30 May 2023Any of us who have happened to see a celebrity in the wild can admit to the strange thrill you get.
It doesn’t matter if it’s C,...
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41:22
Why Empires Fall
29 May 2023For centuries, the Roman Empire commanded unparalleled control over the world around it. It expanded its borders through trade and conquest,...
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40:04
Lincoln & God: Scepticism to Spiritualism
29 May 2023He's the best president that the United States has ever had ... at least according to one 2021 C-span study.
But how did Lincoln's religious...
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36:07
Henry Kissinger
29 May 2023A prominent American Diplomat, and influential American statesmen, Henry Kissinger is a name known around the world. Serving as National Security...
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42:59
Great Fire of London
29 May 2023Why do we call the Great Fire of London in 1666 “great”? Was it because of the significant challenge it posed to authorities and residents as...
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19:26
How the Mongols Changed the World
28 May 2023After the death of Chinggis Khan, the founder and first Emperor of the Mongol Empire, the land became the largest contiguous empire in...
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41:52
Babylon and the Bible
28 May 2023When looking at the Hebrew Bible, the city of Babylon plays a prominent role - especially in the Old Testament. A city famed for it's...
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