History Hit Podcasts

The Origins of California

How did California become the Golden State? It's a story that includes conquistadors, missionaries, gold miners, railroad builders and tourists,...

Charles V, Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor

In the second episode of our special Habsburg dynasty series, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by renowned historian Professor Geoffrey...

The Ottoman-Venetian Wars

Ezio Auditore, the hero of Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and Assassin’s Creed Revelations, travels from Venice to the...

Georgian England's Notorious Dumpling Poisoner

Did she do it? Did serving girl Eliza Fenning poison the dumplings she served the Turner family? This is a true crime case from 1813 that brings...

The Greatest Knight That Ever Lived: William the Marshal

William the Marshal’s story reads like a legend. Born a landless younger son, he rose through sheer skill and courage to become the greatest...

541 AD: The Worst Year in History

Was this the worst year in human history? Bubonic plague sweeps across the Mediterranean. The sun vanishes behind volcanic ash. Crops fail, famine...

After 1066: The Domesday Book

Matt Lewis and Levi Roach uncover the importance and intricacies of the Domesday Book, a monumental survey commissioned by William the Conqueror...

Queer Georgians

How did the Georgians discuss sexuality? And how, and why, did they regulate it? In this episode, Kate talks to Dr Anthony Delaney about his new...

Rommel's Defeat in North Africa

Today, we unravel the dramatic North African campaign of World War II. Discover how the Allies turned the tide against Rommel, why Tunisia’s...

What Caused the Civil War? | Politics

How did the politicians in Washington D.C. push America towards the one thing they wanted to avoid: all out Civil War? We look at how the violent...

Shakespeare's Male Muse: A Mystery Solved?

Could a long-hidden miniature painting unlock the mystery of Shakespeare’s most intimate poetry? Unearthed after 400 years in a private...

Fall of the Sumerians

Tristan Hughes continues our special series on Great Disasters, journeying back to ancient Mesopotamia with Dr Paul Collins to explore the fall of...

Dark Truth About Ancient Egypt's Mummification

The Ancient Egyptians had a very different idea about death than most people do today.

And the idea of mummification is (excuse the pun)...

The Troubles Explained (Part 2)

From the late 1960s to 1998, Northern Ireland was gripped by "The Troubles" - three decades of bloodshed, resulting from competing visions for its...

After 1066: The Harrying of the North

Dr. Eleanor Janega unravels the blood-soaked aftermath of the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest of England. Joined by Professor Levi...

History's Worst F*ckboys: Raphael

The Renaissance is known for its heady combination of sex, art and exciting new ideas about the world.

Was Raphael, one of the superstar...

How to Amend the Constitution

Why has it been so long since the US Constitution was amended? The incredible Jill Lepore joins Don to explore how the Constitution was designed...

Rise of the Habsburgs

In the first of a special four-part series on the Habsburgs, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb traces the unlikely rise of Europe’s most enduring...

Herodotus

You’ve probably heard of Herodotus, and in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey you’ll have met the man himself. Variously called the Father of History...

Who was the 'Man-Monster' Of New York?

On June 16, 1836, in New York City, Mary Jones stood in a courtroom that was a cauldron of hatred. Mary was African American and one of the first...

The Origins of The Troubles (Part 1)

From the late 1960s to 1998, Northern Ireland was gripped by "The Troubles" - three decades of bloodshed, resulting from competing visions for its...