History Podcasts | History Hit

 

 

History Hit 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

1:02:07

How WWII Started

1 September 2024

On September 1st, 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Two days later, France and the United Kingdom declared war on the Third Reich. This was the...

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41:25

Battle of Teutoburg Forest: The Roman Invasion

1 September 2024

Tristan Hughes travels to the site of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, one of the most epic defeats of the Roman army when an alliance of...

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36:26

Tolkien: Middle Earth & the Middle Ages

30 August 2024

For millions of Tolkien lovers around the world, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are more than just fantasy fiction. Their rich mix of...

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40:42

Medieval Life During Plague & War

30 August 2024

When so much of history is written by men, Margaret Paston's letters offer us a rare insight into the life of a woman and the world around her in...

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38:50

Boudica, Britain's Warrior Queen

29 August 2024

In 61 CE, Boudica of the Iceni led a bloody revolt to end Roman rule in Britain. Roman historians tell us with great drama and flair that the...

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38:27

Who Was The Richest President?

29 August 2024

Which President was best with their money? Which was worst? And are Presidents responsible for paying for their food, staff and parties during...

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39:58

Catherine de' Medici, Serpent Queen

29 August 2024

Queen Consort of France and mother to three successive Kings, Catherine de’ Medici's legacy could have been one of intelligence, fortitude,...

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44:51

Petra: Ancient Wonder of the World

29 August 2024

Despite being one of the most visited historic spots on the planet today, Petra was once a so-called ‘lost city,’ hidden from western eyes in...

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35:20

Corpse Medicine: Eating Egyptian Mummies

29 August 2024

A skull a day! People ate people in the name of medicine across Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. Charles II kept powdered skull in a bag on...

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53:48

Movie Knight: Medieval world on film

27 August 2024

It’s summer, so let’s kick back, give our brains a break and indulge in a little fantasy. Hollywood, like us, ADORES the medieval period and...

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48:43

The Real Princess Diana

27 August 2024

However you feel about the royal family, there's no denying, there was something about Princess Diana.

From the clothes she wore to the...

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1:07:11

2. The Battle of Britain Explained: The Climax

26 August 2024

2/2. The Battle of Britain was Hitler's first and potentially most important defeat. It defined the course of the war, forcing him to make a...

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39:51

Eisenhower: D-Day and the Birth of the American Superpower

26 August 2024

In June 1944, the joint forces of the Allies began the liberation of continental Europe on D-Day. But was there tension within the...

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33:56

The Tragic Travels of Fynes Moryson

26 August 2024

In July 1596, Fynes Moryson - a Lincolnshire gentleman and travel writer - was struck down with grief when his younger brother died as they...

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34:24

Giggling Granny Serial Killer

26 August 2024

Picture a serial killer in your mind’s eye. What do you see... Is it your gran?

Today is the story of one of America’s most notorious...

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51:33

1. The Battle of Britain Explained: Preparation, Pilots and Propaganda

25 August 2024

1/2. The Battle of Britain was Hitler's first and possibly most important defeat. It defined the course of the Second World War, forcing him to...

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39:58

The Sirens

25 August 2024

The word 'Sirens' conjures up many images, possibly of beautiful mermaid-like creatures luring sailors to their watery deaths. These ancient Greek...

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35:48

Life Lessons From Historical Women

23 August 2024

When women's stories aren't being flat-out ignored from the history books, they can often be sidelined.

Well not here! Joining Kate today is...

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39:33

William Marshal: Knight & Crusader

23 August 2024

William Marshal was one of the most famous and influential figures in English medieval history, rising from a lowly start to becoming the knight...

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46:26

The Terracotta Warriors

22 August 2024

The world was astonished when 8000 terracotta soldiers were unearthed in 1974 by Chinese farmers digging a well; the warriors opened a window to...

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48:00

President William Howard Taft: The Reluctant Politician?

22 August 2024

Sandwiched between Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson is our 26th President of the United States, William Howard Taft. Did he have the...

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