History Hit Podcasts

The First Crusade: The Road to Jerusalem

In 1095, Pope Urban II’s fiery sermon lit the fuse for a so‑called holy war in the Holy Land. In the first episode of a new series, Dr....

Who Was The Witch Queen of Scotland?

The 17th century witch trials in Scotland were many and they were brutal.

Amongst the many people tried for being a witch, one woman's...

Life and Death on the Oregon Trail | The Frontier

In the first instalment of our Frontier miniseries, we explore one of the most iconic symbols in American history: the Oregon Trail. For decades,...

Deadly Queens of Medieval Baghdad

“Behind every great man is an even greater woman.” During the first century of the Abbasid Caliphate, the caliphs oversaw an Islamic Golden...

Queen Anne: The Last Stuart Monarch

Has history been unfair to Queen Anne, the last Stuart monarch? Was she weak and easily led, or one of Britain’s most determined and...

The Commanders: Rommel

In the sands of North Africa, Erwin Rommel became a battlefield legend. His bold manoeuvres and audacious tactics captured the imagination of...

Mysterious History of Tarot Cards

Maddy and Anthony get their Tarot cards read by Melissa Mercury! As well as reading their cards, Melissa tells us about the history of Tarot cards...

Ramesses the Great: Death of a Dynasty

“Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair.” Ramesses II reigned as Egypt's unchallenged champion for more than sixty years. But within decades...

Scotland's Medieval Queens

Scotland’s history is filled with war, betrayal, political intrigue. At the heart of it were powerful Queens; from saintly rulers to strategic...

The Most Scandalous Author in 19th-Century France

By the age of 30, George Sand's literary career was soaring. She was internationally renowned, outselling Victor Hugo in English. So why is she...

The Making of Malcolm X

Known by the end of his life as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, the Black Nationalist leader best known as Malcolm X died at just 39. Despite his short...

The Forbidden City

At the heart of Beijing sits the Forbidden City, one of the greatest architectural achievements in human history. It's the largest palace complex...

Origins of Victorian Murder Detectives

We have an image in our heads of Victorian Homicide Detectives, but what was the reality? Who were they? What murder cases shaped their history?...

When Elves & Fairies Lived Among Us

In the mist‑shrouded Highlands, a quiet minister dared to trespass into forbidden realms. Convinced that fairies were not mere fables but a...

Alexander the Great | Lord of Asia

As friendships fracture and old alliances break, Tristan Hughes and Dr Adrian Goldsworthy chronicle the epic downfall of Alexander the Great....

NEW SERIES: THE COMMANDERS

Our world is shaped by decisions — bold, reckless, and often irreversible. And nowhere did choices matter more than in the Second World War, the...

A Very Borgia Break Up | History's Worst Breakups

If people are still talking about your divorce and rumoured penis related issues 500 years later, it's safe to say you've had a bad break...

How to Get to Heaven: Papal Indulgences

Were papal indulgences really just a medieval “get out of hell free” card? How were they expanded after the Crusades? And how were they used...

Darkest Hours: Origins of Slavery

The Origins of Slavery in America, from its early colonial history to its expansion after the Revolutionary war, is the darkest chapter of...

The Trial of Charles I

More than 350 years ago, something unprecedented happened in Britain: a reigning king was arrested, put on trial, and executed. You may have seen...

Who Was the Man In The Iron Mask?

For decades a mysterious figure was held prisoner by Louis XIV. His face was covered, his identity was a secret beyond all others. Why? Who was...