History Hit Podcasts

History's Worst F*ckboys: Emperor Caligula

Have you ever heard of the Emperor who made his horse a senator? Seems like a top bloke, right? Today on Betwixt the Sheets we’re going to meet...

Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus was a man of contradictions: he professed God spoke to him to direct his travels, yet after four voyages he still could not...

The Great Jewish Revolt

70 AD. Tens of thousands of Roman troops surround Jerusalem. What follows is one of the most brutal sieges in ancient history—and the dramatic...

The Great Tariff Battle

Have trade tariffs ever worked? Dan explores a cautionary tale from the turn of the 20th century when Britain's Conservatives' flirtation with...

Monsters of the Medieval Apocalypse

Does a four-winged leopard, a woman riding bareback on a monstrous serpent-like beast and giants having a good chat signal the beginning of the...

Hysterectomies: 2000 Years of Care & Coercion

Today, it is one of the most commonly performed surgeries. But when was the hysterectomy, the removal of the uterus, first performed? How has this...

Vietnam War: Turning Points

The Vietnam War is a defining chapter in American military history. But how did the US get so involved in this far away conflict? And when did...

The Heart of the Sikh Empire: Amritsar Summer Palace

Assassin's Creed Chronicles India begins in the glorious Amritsar Summer Palace, and allows players to climb, jump and fight over its rooftops...

Henry VIII's Conscience and Contradictions

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb delves into the tumultuous and nuanced religious policies of Henry VIII's reign. She examines how Henry VIII utilised...

Scotland's Darkest Folklore

From misty mountains to deep-sea caves, we explore the dark side of Scottish folklore. Tales of Selkies - seal folk caught between sea and shore -...

Saint Petersburg: Putin's Hometown

Founded by Peter the Great, the city of Saint Petersburg was built to rival the majesty of any capital in Europe. Its splendour made it a hub of...

Rise of Humans

How did we go from ancient apes to the dominant species on Earth? The story of human evolution is one of survival, adaptation, and extinction -...

History's Worst F*ckboys: Lord Byron

How 'mad, bad and dangerous to know' was Lord Byron really?

We know the Romantic poet had a bit of a reputation, but how true was it? And...

Hattori Hanzo: The Medieval Demon Samurai

Matt Lewis presents a special episode from his podcast Echoes of History on the medieval 'Demon' Samurai.

In the world of Assassin's Creed...

The Samurai

This is the story of the legendary Samurai - how did they go from provincial bodyguards to revered warriors? Why did they transform from ancestral...

Battle of Fort Donelson

Almost a year into the American Civil War, Union forces laid siege to Fort Donelson. In this episode, we're going to find out why this fort was...

Easter Rising: First World War In Dublin

(Part 2/2) On Easter Monday in 1916, Irish rebels read a proclamation of independence that sparked a week-long battle with the British...

Conquest of the Americas

You may think you know about the daring exploits of Columbus, the ruthless ambition of Cortés, but beyond the accepted histories lies a world of...

Herculaneum

In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius unleashed devastation on the Roman world, burying entire towns beneath volcanic ash. While Pompeii is world-famous,...

Francis Drake (Part 2)

Dan Snow picks up his dramatic tale of the exploits of Francis Drake- this time the story of the Spanish Armada. From his astonishing raids on...

The Horrible History of Gonorrhoea

Possibly the first recorded sexually transmitted disease, gonorrhoea is still one of the most common.

We're back on the itchier side of...