History Hit Podcasts

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...

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,...

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...

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...

Eric Bloodaxe

Eric Bloodaxe was an epic Viking Warrior, and he could certainly cut down his enemies, but was he as 'great' in reality as his romantic bad-boy...

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...

Bobby Kennedy: Assassination of a Future President

Bobby Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign had an aura around it. Its urgency, idealism and raw emotion connected with a nation in turmoil. But...

What did Henry VIII Believe?

The execution of six martyrs—three Catholics and three Protestants—on the same day, was unprecedented in Henry VIII's England. What led to...

The Anglo-Sikh Wars

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India puts players in the heart of the Sikh Empire in 1841, at a time when only the Sikh Empire remained...

Francis Drake (Part 1)

Dan tells swashbuckling tales of Francis Drake on the Spanish Main. Francis Drake was England's first imperial warrior forged in the crucible of...

Prehistoric Nigeria: The Nok

In the heart of ancient Nigeria, a mysterious civilisation flourished - known today only through archaeology. The Nok Culture, symbolised by its...

Black Death: Scapegoats & Persecution

***This episode contains a description of mass murder***

As the Black Death moved across Europe, something darker and more insidious spread...

Real Wives of Dictators | Jiang Qing, Chairman Mao's Wife

For better or (mostly) worse, Jiang Qing left her mark on the 20th century.

Even before she was married to Chairman Mao, Jiang was a...

Joanna: Eleanor of Aquitaine's Fierce Daughter

The courageous life of Joanna Plantagenet extends far beyond her mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and her 'brave and heroic' brother Richard the...

THE LEADERS: Roosevelt

How instrumental was Roosevelt in the Allied victory? He'd guided America through the Great Depression, he changed American society and his...

Battle of Iwo Jima

80 years ago, the battle of Iwo Jima came to an end on 26 March 1945. After 36 days of fighting, nearly 7,000 US Marines had been killed and...

Aphra Behn: Revolutionary, Author, Spy

Aphra Behn was a true original. Not only was she the first woman to earn a living by writing, she was also a spy, a political propagandist and a...

Jurassic America

Tristan Hughes explores Ancient America's true age; how 19th-century fossil discoveries across North America revealed a history far older than...

Easter Rising: Build-Up To Irish Rebellion

(Part 1/2) With Britain engaged in the First World War in Europe, Irish rebels sensed an opportunity.

Irish revolutions had fought for...

Isambard Kingdom Brunel

He was responsible for the fastest trains in history. He built innovative new hospitals for Florence Nightingale. His vessels shattered records...