History Hit Podcasts

2. The English Civil War: Roundheads vs Cavaliers

Episode 2/2. In 1642, England was torn apart by a fierce struggle. Royalist armies, loyal to the defiant King Charles I, clashed with the forces...

Sex Lives of Spartans

When you hear the word Sparta, what do you picture?

Well, put aside the images of the rippling six packs for just a moment, as there's a lot...

Why the Early Middle Ages Matter

What do the terms 'medieval' and 'early medieval' truly mean? When did these periods begin and end? Why is it inaccurate - even offensive - to...

Jamestown: The Journey To America

In May 1607, over 100 English settlers arrived at Chesapeake Bay on the East Coast of North America. Traveling 50 miles inland along the James...

Maximilien Robespierre: A Moral Terror

Assassin’s Creed Unity allows us to confront one of the most controversial men in history: Maximillien Robespierre. What made him such a...

Sweating Sickness: Deadly Tudor Plague

It's a medical-history-mystery: the Sweating Sickness. Things get clammy as Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling ask what was this deadly disease?...

When Europeans reached Australia

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb delves into the dramatic story of the first European encounters with the indigenous people of Australia. She's joined...

1. The English Civil War: How it Started

Episode 1/2. King Charles I's decision to rule without Parliament was just one of the many reasons that England found itself embroiled in a bloody...

Woolly Mammoths

Towering over 11 feet tall and weighing 6 tonnes, the Woolly Mammoth ruled the Ice Age. But how did these mighty beasts thrive for over 100,000...

Genghis Khan's Sex Life

As historical figures go, Genghis Khan has something of a reputation.

Is there any truth to the rumours of him fathering so many children?...

Leif Erikson

Matt Lewis dives deep into the life and exploits of Leif Erikson, debating whether he was the first European to set foot in North America. Joined...

Auschwitz Commandant: Rudolf Höss

Every day Rudolf Höss oversaw the killing of thousands of people at the death camp and then went home and acted like a doting father to his...

FDR & Churchill

FDR and Winston Churchill spent 113 days in each others' company during WWII. FDR even saw Churchill naked. But how close were the pair in...

Lucrezia Borgia

For our final foray into the shadowy Renaissance world of the Borgia Dynasty, we explore the enigma that was Lucrezia Borgia, whose life...

The Chinese Zodiac

The Year of the Snake is here! But how did a legendary tale of twelve animals shape Chinese astronomy and culture for over 3,000 years?

In...

Final Days of the Romanovs (Part 1)

(1/2) As Russia collapses, the Romanovs find themselves trapped by delusions and failed ideals; by revolution and Russian geography. Helen...

The Hunt for Pablo Escobar

By the early 1990s, the Colombian city of Medellín was at the centre of the world's largest drug empire. The fearsome Medellín Cartel, led by...

Who Was Lilith? The Semen-Stealing First Wife Of Adam

Lilith's story goes back 4,000 years, and she's still making an impact today.

She takes on different forms, depending on where you're...

Medieval Sex Workers

How did medieval cities manage and regulate sex work? Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Dr. Jamie Page to discuss the lives of sex workers, the...

What Does 'Caucasian' Mean?

In the 19th Century, a war on the boundary between Europe and Asia had an unexpected effect. It caused the American public to re-examine one of...

Notre Dame: Surviving the Fire of History

Notre Dame is arguably the world’s most famous cathedral and has watched over the Parisian skyline since its construction in the Middle...