History Hit Podcasts

How WWI Began

On August 4, 1914, Britain declared war on Germany and entered the First World War. This was a conflict of unparalleled savagery with industrialized...

WW1: The Western Front

The Western Front of the First World War is a story of aristocratic generals sending ordinary men over the top to their deaths in futile frontal...

Britain's Forgotten Olympic Heroes

The Olympics are a sporting event like no other and in this episode, we celebrate two great British Olympians of the past Anita Neil and Hugh...

Battle of Brunanburh

When we think of great Medieval battles, many people imagine the Battles of Hastings or Agincourt. Another clash, however, between the kings of...

The Gladiatrix

Mention the word gladiator and you would be forgiven for instantly thinking of the 2000 namesake epic movie. Of spectators watching on as men battled...

Beards

For the Tudors and Elizabethans, a beard denoted masculinity while beardlessness indicated boyhood or effeminacy. How a man wore his beard -...

The Fall and Rise of India's Royal Families

One aspect of India's independence that is often overlooked is the role of India's princely states; the Maharajas. During the Raj, these states...

RAF Tornadoes & the Gulf War

The First Gulf War was the combat debut for the RAF Tornado, and also for many of the aircrew who would fly one. John Nichol served as a navigator in...

The Spanish Armada

In 1588 the English Navy defeated one of the greatest fleets ever assembled; the Spanish Armada. A week of running battles in the English Channel...

Alexander the Great’s Corpse & the Greatest Heist in History

Alexander the Great is one of the most famous generals and empire builders in history, but the story of his death is almost as remarkable as his...

Decoding the Roman Dead

Often known as ‘Britain’s first town’, Colchester is a city rich in ancient history and on 24 July 2021, a new exhibition will open at the...

Cecily Neville: Mother of Richard III

Born in 1415 as the youngest of the 1st Earl of Westmorland's 22 children, Cecily Neville led one of the Medieval periods' most captivating lives....

Liverpool's Historic Docks

Just 17 years after Liverpool’s historic waterfront was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the city was stripped of its prestigious...

1942: USA's Most Devastating Year

The year is 1942; American citizens are still recovering from the surprise military strike on Pearl Harbor, which had intensely impacted morale...

Sor Juana: Poet, Nun, Martyr

Though she is relatively unknown outside of Mexico, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz - poet, playwright and nun - is an icon and national hero in her...

England and Spain's Battle for Global Supremacy

This week in 1588 the Spanish Armada fought running battles in the Channel with the English Navy. It was sent by King Phillip of Spain who ruled half...

The Sacred Band of Thebes

The Theban Sacred Band was one of the greatest military corps of Ancient Greece, thriving from the city-state of Thebes for almost 50 years in the...

The Real Thomas Cromwell

On this day in 1540, Thomas Cromwell was executed. On the same day Henry VIII married his fifth wife, Catherine Howard. To mark the anniversary...

How War Has Changed Throughout History

Every century of recorded history has featured a war. In this episode, Margaret MacMillan joined Dan Snow to discuss the ways in which war has...

The Fight to Save Archaeology

Archaeology is not just about digging, it’s about understanding the human experience of existence. 

In the space of a few weeks there...

The Begram Hoard: Treasures of the Silk Road

In the mid-20th century French archaeologists came across a remarkable collection of ancient items from Eastern China, the Indian subcontinent and...