History Hit Podcasts

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...

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...

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...

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...

Little Ice Age

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb discusses the impact of the Little Ice Age, a period of significant cooling from the 15th to early 19th centuries that...

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...

Typhoid Mary: Original Super-Spreader?

Mary Mallon aka "Typhoid Mary" is a macabre figure who spread disease and death everywhere she went. But there's a lot more depth and humanity to...

A History of Auschwitz

On January 27th 1945, the Red Army liberated the concentration camp at Auschwitz unveiling its almost unspeakable horrors to the...

The Kingdom of Kush

Beyond the ancient Nile’s fertile banks lay a civilisation that rivalled Egypt in power and prestige—the Kingdom of Kush. This ancient empire,...

Sex Lives of Dinosaurs

What's the dinosaur equivalent of Netflix and chill? Were they capable of flirting?

In today's episode, Kate speaks with Dr. David Hone,...

The Rise and Fall of Al-Andalus

Matt Lewis is joined by Professor Brian A. Catlos to explore the nearly eight centuries of Al Andalus, Islamic Spain. From a daring invasion in...

The Panama Canal

What is the history of the Panama Canal and why does Trump think he can 'take it back'? Dan is joined by Professor Julie Greene to delve into the...

FDR & Stalin

They say that the enemy of your enemy is your friend, but did that apply to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his Soviet counterpart, Joseph...

Mysterious Murder of Juan Borgia

In June 1497, Juan - or Giovanni - Borgia, favoured son of Pope Alexander VI, was found brutally murdered in the River Tiber. Who committed this...

Babylon's Epic of Creation

The biblical story of creation is famous - but did you know an even older myth may have influenced it? Enter the Enuma Elish, Babylon’s own Epic...

Is the Devil Dead?

(2/2) What does the resurrection of a hanged woman have to do with the Devil? Did the Enlightenment kill Old Nick or is he still a part of our...

How WW1 Inspired The Lord of The Rings

J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth is perhaps the most captivating fantasy world ever created. His mythology and folklore continue to influence the...

Teutonic Knights

Who built the imposing castles of Poland and Lithuania?

Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by archeologist Aleksander Pluskowski to discuss the...

Erotic Letters of Ancient Rome

Long before phones allowed for sexting, how did the Ancient Romans exchange their illicit thoughts and desires? And what did a Roman dick pic look...

Vasco da Gama and The Rise of the Portuguese Empire

Dan tells the epic story of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, whose daring voyages at the turn of the 16th century laid the foundations for the...