History Hit Podcasts

The History of Coronations

As preparations for the Coronation of King Charles III get underway, you're going to see words everywhere like...

Assassins vs Templars: Assassins' Deeds

Poisoned blades, a gun, a dagger to the heart - assassinations & killings for political gain have taken place for as long as societies have...

Knossos

The legend of the Minotaur and its labyrinth has captivated us for centuries, but is there any evidence of it really existing?

In this...

Books

The Book. It’s the most powerful object in history (sorry Sword fans). But how did it come to be? And what was wrong with good old scrolls in...

Why Do We Have A Coronation?

All this month, Gone Medieval is your perfect companion to the forthcoming coronation of King Charles III. 

In this third special...

The Pirates' Code

How common was it for a pirates to walk the plank? Was there a lot of rum? And were relationships allowed on ships?

Kate is joined by...

Russian Civil War with Antony Beevor

*Content Warning - This episode contains references to rape and suicide* 

The Russian Civil War was a brutal episode in the rise of...

Becoming Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin is considered by many to be one of the first to live the American Dream. He came from humble beginnings, Franklin was raised in...

Bess's Hardwick Hall

Hardwick Hall is a triumph of Elizabethan architecture. Built in the late sixteenth century, its halls, corridors and staircases embody the...

The First Toolmakers

Invention and innovation are two concepts that have propelled humankind forward for as long as people can remember - but who were the...

Empire State Building

When it was completed in 1931, the Empire State Building became the tallest building in the world. While it has long been surpassed, it is still...

Inventing Bond: Gadgets

Dagger shoes, Lipstick gas grenade, Razor rimmed hat, Milk bottle Grenade…Prosthetic Nipple.

We’re continuing our exploration of the...

Britain's Maritime History

Is it even possible to imagine what Britain would have been without seafaring? Braving the waters beyond our harbours can be traced back eight and...

Sutton Hoo

Centuries ago, an Anglo-Saxon noble was buried within a 90-foot ship in a mound at Sutton Hoo. It serves as the richest burial ever found in...

Heirs, Affairs & Exiles: The Powderham Scandal

Why would a man embroil his own nephew in a sex scandal? What was it like for a Georgian man to have his affair with another man shared in the...

The Mystery of the Frogman Lionel Crabb

On the night of the 19th of April, 1956, the decorated navy diver Lionel Crabb went missing. A veteran of the Second World War, Crabb had been...

America's Top Secrets: Manhattan Project to Drone Warfare

Much of American history has been redacted. Since the World War 2, the number of secrets the US government has kept has grown exponentially. There...

John Donne: England’s Greatest Love Poet

John Donne was a scholar of law, a sea adventurer, an MP, a priest, the Dean of St Paul's Cathedral - and perhaps the greatest love poet in the...

Colonising Nicaragua: William Walker

In the mid-19th century, William Walker led a group of fellow US Expansionists to Nicaragua, in an attempt to seize the country as their own. Some...

The Koh-i-Noor Diamond

The enormous Cullinan Diamond will be on display at Charles III Coronation, but the diamond that's missing - the Koh-i-Noor - is the one that...

Assassins vs Templars: The Templars & The Holy Grail

This is the most sought after Christian relic, believed to have miraculous healing powers and divine origins. What isn’t known is exactly what...