History Hit Podcasts

Medieval Guide to Magic

What did medieval minds truly believe about the cosmos, demons, and the hidden forces of the universe? Could ancient manuscripts still hold...

What Made You Ugly In Medieval Times?

Beauty fads come and go - remember super low-rise jeans in the 90s? IYKYK.

What was considered cool and beautiful in the medieval period?...

The History of Alcatraz

Home to the likes of Al Capone and George 'Machine Gun' Kelly, Alcatraz was once the jewel in the American prison system. The wind-swept island...

1945: America & Victory in Europe

May 8th saw the final surrender of Nazi Germany, marking the end of the Second World War in Europe. Eighty years on, we're taking a look at the...

Barbarian Invaders: The Sacks of Rome

How did the Huns, Goths, and Vandals help bring down the Roman Empire - and sack the city of Rome itself, not once but twice?

In this second...

The Murder That Shocked Edwardian Britain

It was a murder that shook Edwardian Britain, and became a media sensation around the world.

Joining Maddy and Anthony today is the...

The Maya and the Inquisition

**This episode includes graphic descriptions of torture**

When Franciscan friar Diego de Landa arrived in Yucatán (now in Mexico), his...

VE Day

When the Second World War finally ended 80 years ago, there was a mixed reaction in Britain. Today, we hear about these varying responses, from...

Conclave: Picking Popes

Choosing a new Pope has always been a blend of the sacred, the political, and the downright theatrical. In the middle ages, the papal election was...

The Hangwoman of 18th Century Ireland

Imagine an executioner. Are they big, strong, cloaked and masked? Are they male? Probably - because most executioners in history have been. Today,...

Jonestown: The Birth of Peoples Temple

On November 18th, 1978, over 900 people died at an American settlement in the jungle of Guyana called Jonestown. In this first of two episodes, we...

The Elizabethans and Islam

Elizabeth I's excommunication by the Pope in 1570 marked the beginning of an extraordinary - and little-known - English alignment with Muslim...

The Dark Side of Ancient Rome

As a lot of new listeners have joined us, and it's a bank holiday in the UK, we thought we'd re-run one of our earliest, goriest episodes. Trust...

Victorian London In Assassin's Creed Syndicate

Historians Review & Ubisoft Developer Interview with Jeffrey Yohalem

For the past few weeks, Matt Lewis has investigated the history...

How did Andrew Jackson Change the U.S. Presidency?

A hero to some, and a villain to others, the seventh president of the United States was a populist firebrand who reshaped America and left a...

The Fall of Rome: Origins

The Roman Empire, once an ancient powerhouse, experienced a dramatic fall from its golden age to eventual collapse. 

Tristan Hughes and...

Magna Carta 1225

What's the true story behind the Magna Carta, and how did a 17-year-old King Henry III shape a document that impacted the course of...

What Made You Ugly In Ancient Rome?

What was a Roman skincare routine like? Why did the beard make a comeback under Emperor Hadrian? And what did it mean to be ugly in this...

Germany After Hitler

80 years ago, as the war in Europe drew to a close, the world began to come to terms with the horrors of the Third Reich. This is the story of the...

The Dark Side of Sir Francis Drake

For centuries, Sir Francis Drake has been celebrated as a national hero - the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. But behind the Drake...

Spring-Heeled Jack: Terror of Victorian London

The grimy streets of Victorian London were stalked by a shadowy menace: Spring-Heeled Jack! He had glowing eyes and blue flames came out his...