History Hit Podcasts

Murder in the Roman World

The Ancient Romans are often thought of as ahead of their time. They invented concrete, sophisticated road systems and even underfloor...

Henry III vs. Simon de Montfort

After speaking to Gone Medieval in April 2022 about the first volume of his magisterial biography of Henry III, David Carpenter promised Matt...

Nazi Codebreaking with Betty Webb

Betty Webb is the last known living veteran who worked on both German and Japanese codes at Bletchley Park and Dan got an invite to her 100th...

LBJ's Legacy

The Vietnam War or the Great Society? Which event looms larger in the history of the United States? 

The 36th President of the United...

The Dambusters Raid with Max Hastings

80 years ago, in the late hours of May 16th 1943, Wing Commander Guy Gibson fearlessly commanded the 617 Squadron of the Royal Air Force to...

Enslaved Children in 16th Century Spain

Following the Second Granada War (1568-70), thousands of Moriscos in Spain were exiled, imprisoned or enslaved. Moriscos were former Muslims who...

The Haitian Revolution and King Henri Christophe

In the summer of 1791, thousands of enslaved people in Saint Domingue, as Haiti was then known, cast aside their shackles and revolted against...

Chicken Nuggets: A Bitesized History

The most famous chicken nugget of them all, the McDonald’s McNugget, turns 40 this year. So we’re asking, who invented the Chicken...

Nebuchadnezzar

One of the most famous Babylonian Kings - Nebuchadnezzar II was a legendary ruler who appears in biblical stories, cuneiform texts, and was...

The Rise & Fall of the de la Pole Family

The de la Pole dynasty played a central role in the Wars of the Roses. Theirs is a fascinating story of the rises and falls that plagued families...

Hiding Anne Frank

In this episode of Warfare, host James Patton Rogers is joined by Tony Phelan and Susanna Fogel, creators of the new TV series A Small Light,...

Witch Hunts of Scotland

In 1603, James VI & I became the first king of Scotland and England. But this isn’t the only reason he was remarkable. Because he also had a...

The Rise of Buffalo Bill

He was the most famous man in the world at the turn of the 20th century, bringing the American frontier to the rest of the United States, the...

Witches of St Osyth

In March 1582, a number of women from the small Essex village of St Osyth, were hanged for the crime of witchcraft. Several others, including one...

Messalina: Empress of Rome

In this episode of The Ancients, host Tristan Hughes speaks with historian Honor Cargill-Martin about the notorious Empress Messalina, third wife...

Dan Explains: The Dambusters Part 2

On the night of the 16th May, 1943, Operation Chastise commenced - 133 RAF airmen in their iconic Lancaster bombers took off from England, bound...

Inventing Bond: Cocktails

It's Cocktail Hour! In honour of James Bond we ask who invented cocktails? Have they always been a cool thing to drink? And where do horses...

Dan Explains: The Dambusters Part 1

On the night of the 16th of May, 1943, 133 RAF airmen in their iconic Lancaster bombers took off from England, and headed for Germany. Armed with...

Origins of English

Approximately 1.35 billion people use it, either as a first or second language, so English and the way that we speak it has a daily impact on huge...

Perfume

What did Napoleon smell like? How many pairs of scented gloves did Marie Antoinette get through a month? And how did the study of perfume become...

Ruling as a Renaissance Queen

The 16th century in Europe was an age of great Queens. But just because they were in charge, didn't always mean they were powerful or safe; it was...