History Hit Podcasts

Babylon and the Bible

When looking at the Hebrew Bible, the city of Babylon plays a prominent role - especially in the Old Testament. A city famed for it's...

Colours: from Cave Paint to Nanotube Black

There's a theory that the invention of paint had something to do with the dawn of humanity. We are on a never-ending quest to create brighter,...

The Giggling Granny serial killer

Picture a serial killer in your mind’s eye. What do you see? More often than not it will be a man.

Statistically that’s accurate, but it...

Julian of Norwich: England's First Woman Writer?

The writings of Julian of Norwich are the earliest surviving English language works by a woman and the only surviving English language...

Battle of Aden

In March 2015, a ten-nation coalition of Gulf states launched an attack against Houthi insurgents in Aden. With Iran seeking to dominate the...

5. Story of England: Modern Warfare

From the First World War to the Cold War, conflict in the 20th century has been crucial in shaping England as we know it. This is the final...

The Birth of the American Flag

13 equal horizontal stripes in red and white, with a navy blue square in the top left bearing 50 small white five pointed stars. It's recognisable...

Tudors in Ireland

King Henry VII and his Tudor heirs knew very little about Ireland, over which they ruled in name at least. During the 118 years of Tudor rule, not...

The Cyrus Cylinder

An ancient clay artefact that dates back to the 6th century BCE, the Cyrus Cylinder is often considered one of the most important documents in...

4. Story of England: Industrial Revolution

Modern England as we know it started in the industrial heart of Ironbridge in Shropshire- now a verdant gorge that once was black with smog, fire...

Inventing Disneyland: The First Themepark

Giant mouse ears at the ready, we're off to Disneyland! Hop on board and travel with us inside Walt Disney's mind (for better or for worse). We...

3. Story of England: Tudor Feuds, Explorers and Fanatics

The Tudors were the dynasty that had it all- power, family feuds, sex and scandal. Dan couldn't do a history of England without a hearty helping...

The Real Queen Charlotte

Queen Charlotte is back in the spotlight, thanks to the new Bridgerton spin-off series looking into her life and marriage to King George...

How the Mediterranean Created Wealth

What does archaeology tell us about how regions in the Mediterranean built their wealth between the 10th and 12th centuries? How did...

2. Story of England: Medieval Invaders

Great Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, bloodshed at the battle of Hastings, Bubonic Plague and Roland the celebrity flatulist. As dawn breaks, Dan walks the...

America Prepares for War: FDR & WW2

Was the USA already a superpower when it joined the Second World War? How did it turn from an isolationist nation to a force ready for...

Obscene Jokes in the Early Modern Period

In the 16th Century, rude jokes and scatological humour were just as much a feature of life as they are today. Between 1529 and 1539, a Swiss...

WW2: Last Letters of Resistance Fighters

It's 1943, you're part of the French resistance, and you've been sentenced to death. You're allowed to write one last letter before you're shot by...

1. Story of England: Stone Age to Roman Days

Dan begins his ultimate historical road trip at the mysterious plinths at Stonehenge in the South-West of England. Dan uncovers how the stones...

Rise and Fall of Encyclopedias

The 15th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, published in 1974, cost $32 million to create. The largest investment in publishing history. And...

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

A legendary, ancient architectural wonder, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon are one of the most famed wonders of the Ancient world. Described as...