History Hit Podcasts

Birth Of An Empire: The Vikings In England

10 years after the conquest and the very first victories, it's time for the Vikings to start building! It's time for setting down roots, from...

War with Margaret MacMillan

Margaret MacMillan joined me on the podcast to discuss the ways in which war has influenced human society. We discussed how, in turn, changes in...

Nero the Antichrist?

The Emperor Nero is one of antiquity's most infamous figures, having a particularly hostile relationship with the Christians. But did the early...

MI9: The Secret Service for Escape and Evasion

Helen Fry joined me on the podcast to talk about the thrilling history of MI9. The WWII organisation engineered the escape of Allied forces from...

How Steam Power Remade the World

John Darwin joined me on the podcast to discuss how steam power reshaped our cities and our seas, and forged a new world order.

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Nazi Megastructures

Walking around Second World War fortifications, Patrick Bury is able to draw on his time in the infantry to tell the stories of the battles that...

The Hunt For The Killers Of Julius Caesar

Peter Stothard joined me on the podcast to discuss the assassination of Julius Caesar. Many men killed Julius Caesar. Only one man was determined...

Thor's Hammer

Set off with the Great Viking Army to conquer English Kingdoms. Find yourself in the midst of a conquest, battles and pillages. Also discover some...

Agrippa: Rome's Forgotten Hero

There are few men in Roman history that can claim to have been as influential as Marcus Agrippa. The right-hand man of Octavian / Augustus, his...

Soviet Snipers on the Eastern Front

In many countries, including Britain, women were banned from taking part in active combat operations during the Second World War. In the Soviet...

History of China with Michael Wood

Michael Wood joined me on the podcast to talk about his new history of China. He takes a fresh look at Chinese history in the light of the current...

Longships: The Dragon Of The Seas

Embark on a Viking ship, travel the seas, overcome huge waves and dodge lightning! Feel the fear in an untamed ocean. If you let yourself be...

How and Why History: Rome and the Mediterranean

By the first century BC, the nuisance of piracy had become a plague in the Mediterranean. The Romans dispatched Pompey who freed the way for the...

Chemical Weapons in WW1

Although the use of chemicals as weapons can be traced much further back in history, their use became widespread after the First World War, when the...

Vikings: The Sons Of The Great North

Who are the Vikings? Share the way of life, customs and beliefs of these men of the North. Understand exactly what is going to urge them to leave...

Joking About Stalin

Jonathan Waterlow joined me on the podcast to explore how ordinary people used political jokes to cope with and make sense of their lives under...

Invasion of Poland in WW2 with Roger Moorhouse

Roger Moorhouse comprehensively discusses the Polish campaign of 1939, separating the myths from reality and outlining the abject horrors that the...

The Polynesians: Ancient Mariners of the Pacific

The ancient Polynesians remain the greatest seafarers in history. Already by the time of the legendary founding of Rome on 21 April 753 BC,...

The Simulmatics Corporation

Jill Lepore joined me on the podcast to discuss The Simulmatics Corporation. Founded in 1959, it mined data, targeted voters, accelerated news,...

Greek Myths

Natalie Haynes joined me on the podcast to retell the stories of remarkable women at the heart of Greek myths, from Medusa, Penelope, and Pandora,...

The Great Famine

Charles Read joined me on the podcast to discuss the economic and political causes of the Great Famine. We discuss the British government’s...