History Hit Podcasts

Medieval New Year

In the medieval world, January 1 wasn’t actually New Year’s Day (that was March 25), but the anniversary of Jesus’s circumcision (according...

The World's Biggest Nuclear Bomb

In the early hours of 30 October 1961, a bomber took off from an airstrip in northern Russia and began its flight through cloudy skies over...

Sex in the Middle Ages

Please note that this episode contains conversation about sex that you might not want to listen to in the presence of children.

What did...

A Happy Tudor New Year

For the Tudors, Christmas Day was not traditionally the date when gifts were given. The Twelve Days of Christmas begin on 25 December and end...

How Julius Caesar Changed Time

We’re finishing off 2021 with what is perhaps Julius Caesar’s greatest legacy. It’s not a military victory or battle, but one of the many...

Inside The Great Cathedrals of Europe

A trip to Paris wouldn't be the same without taking a moment to gaze up at the great looming towers of the Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral with its...

The Great Escape with Air Commodore Charles Clarke

What was it like in Stalag Luft III? In this episode from the History Hit archives, Dan Snow speaks with Air Commodore Charles Clarke, a...

The Origins Of Scotland

The Medieval period saw the advancement of many countries, evolving to the provinces in Europe that we know today; Scotland is no different. In...

Vikings: Surviving Winter

Vikings are often depicted as fearless warriors, but they were not immune to the harsh realities of northern weather. They not only survived in...

The 1914 Christmas Truce (Part 2)

Part Two of our episodes on the famous Christmas Truce. On Christmas Eve 1914 many sectors of the Western Front in France and Belgium fell silent....

Biggest Tudor Discoveries 2021

In this special end of the year edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb takes a look back at 2021 and the major events and...

Creating the United Nations

The search for Peace on Earth has spanned centuries, and involved the creation and dissolution of numerous treaties and organisations. So how does...

The 1914 Christmas Truce (Part 1)

On Christmas Eve 1914 many sectors of the Western Front in France and Belgium fell silent. Troops from all sides put down their weapons and sang...

Race & Identity in the Ancient Greek Novel

For the first 4 centuries AD/CE, the ancient Greek novel was the most popular literary form in the Roman Empire and at the heart of these popular...

Medieval Christmas

Ever wondered why we call Christmas, ‘Christmas’? And why it’s celebrated on the 25th December? Or maybe where the Christmas tree came from,...

Storytime with the Snows: Boudica

In a special episode of the podcast, Dan's children join him for a lively retelling of Boudica and the violent uprising that tore Roman Britain...

HMS Belfast & the Arctic Convoy

Moored on the Thames, HMS Belfast has become a permanent fixture in the landscape of London, but since her initial launch over 80 years ago she...

Christmas Carols: A Musical History

Traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season, it is thought that carols existed to keep up people’s...

Tudor Ghosts and Angels

To this day, the presence of angels is synonymous with the Christmas story and the momentous events associated with the Nativity. For the...

Hannibal's Winter War

It’s fair to say that winter battles weren’t commonplace in the ancient Mediterranean world. There is, however, one striking exception. A...

The Founding of the SAS

It's a special forces unit known largely for its secrecy, but Damien Lewis is on a mission of his own, to uncover everything about its beginnings....