History Hit Podcasts

The Murder That Shocked Hollywood

In post-war Hollywood, the film industry had a reputation for its dark side as much as anything happening on the big screen.

So when...

The Mongols and the Fall of the Crusaders

In the mid‑13th century, the Mongols seemed unstoppable until a former slave‑soldier stood in their way. Mamluk Sultan Qutuz of Egypt defied...

America's Bloodiest Day: Battle of Antietam

It's known as the deadliest single day in American history: the Battle of Antietam.

After weeks of Union defeats, Confederate forces pushed...

The Black Death As It Happened

Eyewitness accounts of life during the Black Death are surprising. Sure, there's horror. But there's also d*ck jokes, complicated scientific...

The Phoenicians

Three thousand years ago, Phoenician ships sailed west across the Mediterranean, their holds packed with pottery, wine and enslaved people to...

The Battle of Gettysburg

In July 1863, the quiet town of Gettysburg became the site of one of the most decisive clashes of the American Civil War. Over three intense days,...

Colonial Women of the Americas

Warning: This episode contains references to sexual abuse

What became of the women whose worlds collapsed when the Spanish arrived in...

Shag, Marry, Kill: Kings Edition (Live Show Recording)

Henry VIII, Charles II and Richard the Lionheart. What do all of these men have in common?

They're incredibly eligible bachelors! Well, if...

Can Air Power Alone Topple Governments?

With the Iran war still unfolding, we ask the question: Can air power alone topple a government?

From the First World War onward, military...

Crusaders in Crisis: The Rebel Emperor & the Siege of Constantinople

Crusading in the 13th century was brutal, chaotic and transformative. Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by historian Dr. Tom Smith to uncover failed...

How Wild Was the Wild West? | The Frontier

Heroic cowboys on horseback. Bands of outlaws. Brawls in small town saloons.

This is the Wild West as popular culture remembers it. But was...

Who Killed Julius Caesar?

In 44 BCE, Roman senators assassinated Julius Caesar to stop his ascent towards becoming a king. Dr Jess Venner takes Anthony blow-by-blow through...

Regime Change: From Stuart to Hanover

Who would rule Britain after the childless Queen Anne died in 1714? Why was a distant German Protestant dynasty chosen over closer claimants to...

The Commanders: Montgomery

Celebrated for his victories in North Africa and Europe, Bernard Montgomery built a reputation for meticulous planning and caution that many...

The Assassination of Julius Caesar

The Ides of March is the best-known date in the ancient world, thanks to one of the most infamous acts in history: the assassination of Gaius...

Bronze Age Star Map: The Nebra Sky Disk

In 1999, a mysterious bronze disc buried for millennia in central Europe transformed how we see the prehistoric world. The Nebra Sky Disk - forged...

How Islam came to Iran

How did Islam first take root on Iranian soil? What did medieval Iran - or Persia - look like before and afterwards? How do those early...

The Crusades: Battle for the Holy Land

Today we dive into the Second and Third Crusades with major players Eleanor of Aquitaine, Saladin and the bold entrance of Richard the Lionheart....

Sex & Scandal in Hollywood’s Golden Age

Over 100 years ago the Hollywood film industry was shiny, new and sexy.

Sex and sexuality was present on screen, but as the 1920s drew to a...

What Did FDR Get Wrong?

Franklin D Roosevelt is consistently considered one of the United States' best Presidents. Elected four times, he oversaw the end of the Great...

The Age of Dinosaurs with Henry Gee

Before Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops, Earth was rebuilding from catastrophe. Out of the ashes of the Great Dying rose a new prehistoric world and...