History Hit Podcasts

The Praetorian Guard: Rise to Power

From Gladiator to Rome Total War to I, Claudius, today the Cohortēs praetōriae are one of the most distinctive military units of Imperial Rome....

Crown of Thorns

What if one of the most iconic symbols of suffering and triumph in Christian history isn't what you think it is? Matt Lewis is joined by Dr. Faith...

The Battle of Berlin with Sir Antony Beevor

Warning: this episode includes discussion of subjects like suicide and sexual assault that some listeners may find disturbing.

80 years ago,...

The Truth About Paul Revere's Ride

Paul Revere's Midnight Ride is a legend of the American Revolutionary War - galloping through the Massachusetts' dark to warn Sam Adams, John...

History's Worst F*ckboys: Casanova

Can you imagine being SO smooth-talking and seductive your surname becomes an actual noun in the dictionary to describe someone who has a...

Wales' Darkest Folklore

Wales is set apart from a lot of countries, with one of its folk tales - the Red Dragon - featuring in its flag. 

What are the mythical...

John the Baptist

From the wilderness of ancient Judea to the pages of the New Testament, John the Baptist is one of the most compelling and mysterious figures in...

Cortés and the Aztecs

When Hernán Cortés and his men first laid eyes on the gleaming white pyramids of Tenochtitlan, they thought they were mountains of silver. How...

The Liberation of Bergen-Belsen

Warning: This episode contains detailed discussion of the Holocaust and genocide, which some listeners may find upsetting.

80 years ago,...

Ibn Fadlan: An Arab Among Vikings

**This podcast contains descriptions of sexual violence, enslavement and human sacrifice**

"I have never seen more perfect physical...

Nell Gwyn: Celebrity Mistress of King Charles II

How did a working class illiterate woman become King Charles II's favourite mistress?

Nell Gwyn was an incredibly talented comedy actor who...

Vietnam: The My Lai Massacre

How did a US Army mission in Vietnam end with the massacre of up to 500 people?

In this episode, Don is joined by Christopher Levesque to...

The Age of Invention: The Beginning of the Modern World?

Assassin's Creed Syndicate incorporates technology into its gameplay and story more than any other game in the series. Its setting in Victorian...

Ireland's Darkest Folklore

*TW: This episode contains discussions and themes of infertility.*

Fairies have long been part of Irish folkloric history, with its...

Succession 1625: James I to Charles I

March 2025 marks the 400th anniversary of the death of King James VI and I, and the succession of his son Charles I. Crowned King of Scotland at...

The Sinking of the Titanic

How could the unsinkable ship… sink? In this dramatic moment-by-moment account, Dan tells the dramatic tale of the Titanic from the moment of...

Cassandra: Priestess of Troy

*This episode discusses sexual assault*

Cursed by Apollo to always speak the truth but never be believed; what makes Cassandra's story so...

The Black Prince

Edward of Woodstock, famously known as the Black Prince, was held up as the epitomy of Medieval Chivalry. Matt Lewis is joined by the Black...

The Red Army Surrounds Berlin

By April 1945, Soviet forces stood at the gates of Berlin. From the summer of 1944, Hitler's armies had suffered a series of cataclysmic defeats...

President Lyndon B. Johnson: Triumph to Tragedy

Born in poverty in Texas Hill Country, President Johnson delivered an unsurpassed series of legislation, including the Voting Rights Act and Civil...

Tudor England's Dumbest Murder

Alice Arden wanted her husband Thomas dead. So did the rest of the village of Faversham. What followed was a twisted dance of passion, poison,...