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
45:23
Gone Medieval Goes Wassailing
17 January 2025Matt Lewis, joined by Dr. Eleanor Janega, explores the Halstow Wassail—a modern iteration of an ancient tradition rooted deep in medieval...
Listen Now
45:38
Medieval Lesbians
17 January 2025How do you begin to look for examples of lesbians in the medieval period?
Even though it was deeply frowned upon by the powers that be, the...
Listen Now
42:05
The Rise of Napoleon
17 January 2025Napoleon Bonaparte is a household name; a rare example of someone who is as well remembered by his supporters as by his enemies. His life is rich...
Listen Now
1:01:04
FDR vs Hitler
16 January 2025The leaders of the two most powerful nations fighting in the Second World War, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Adolf Hitler, never met. They...
Listen Now
37:03
Cesare Borgia
16 January 2025Cesare Borgia, one of history's most controversial figures, was known for his ruthless ambition and political cunning. From his dramatic rise to...
Listen Now
46:47
The Roman Invasion of Britain
16 January 202543 AD. A large Roman armada sails across the perilous English Channel intent on conquest. It is the dawn of one of the most seminal moments in...
Listen Now
49:59
Origins of the Devil (Part 1)
16 January 2025(1/2) How has the devil been depicted through history? What are his origins? And why should he be portrayed as beautiful?
In the first part...
Listen Now
34:03
Who Owns Greenland?
15 January 2025It sounds outlandish that President-Elect Donald Trump has said he wants to buy Greenland but this isn't the first or even second time the United...
Listen Now
35:09
History of Red Lipstick
14 January 2025Red lipstick has a unique feminine power to it.
It's been on the lips of some of the most influential people in history, including Cleopatra...
Listen Now
44:38
Myths of Magna Carta
14 January 2025Did you know that Magna Carta wasn't originally intended as a beacon of civil liberties? Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Steven Franklin of Royal...
Listen Now
49:07
Who Was Sitting Bull?
13 January 2025Sitting Bull, Jumping Badger, Slow - what do we know about the man who went by each of these names? How did he earn them and what was his role in...
Listen Now
53:09
Dissolution of the Monasteries
13 January 2025Professor Suzannah Lipscomb explores the dissolution of some 800 monasteries and nunneries by King Henry VIII, a campaign that dramatically...
Listen Now
52:09
Topkapi Palace: The Heart of the Ottoman Empire
13 January 2025Associate Professor Nilay Özlü from Istanbul Technical University joins Matt Lewis to help him understand the Ottoman's most significant mark on...
Listen Now
46:51
Great Fire of London: Mobs, Firestorms, and Revenge
13 January 2025(2/2) As the Great Fire of London worsens mob rule begins to appear and a hunt for a scapegoat takes over. Maddy Pelling tells Anthony Delaney the...
Listen Now
47:58
Roald Amundsen
12 January 2025Roald Amundsen was surely one of history's greatest explorers. He beat Scott to the South Pole, and was the first person to reach the North Pole...
Listen Now
43:21
Sargon of Akkad
12 January 2025Over 4,000 years ago, Sargon of Akkad carved his name into history by forging what many consider the world’s first empire. But who was this...
Listen Now
46:45
Inside the Brothel of Pompeii
10 January 2025Sex work was everywhere in the ancient world, but a known dedicated space for it (a brothel), is an extremely rare and important...
Listen Now
46:14
King John: Worst Medieval Monarch?
10 January 2025Nothing good is ever said about King John, a strong contender for the title of Worst Medieval King of England. Was the King who signed Magna Carta...
Listen Now
1:20:05
Vasco da Gama and The Rise of the Portuguese Empire
9 January 2025Dan tells the epic story of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, whose daring voyages at the turn of the 16th century laid the foundations for the...
Listen Now
39:53
President FDR & the New Deal
9 January 2025In 1932, amidst the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected the 32nd President of the United States. He was more than a leader; he was...
Listen Now
47:30
Final Days of Mary Queen of Scots
9 January 2025The moment Mary Queen of Scots set foot in England, she became Elizabeth I's prisoner. Mary was fleeing from war and misogyny, hoping for help...
Listen Now