History Hit Podcasts

Excommunication in the Middle Ages

Both Frederick II and King John were excommunicated from the all-powerful church, but why?

Dr. Eleanor Janega and Dr. Felicity Hill explore...

The Mayflower: Why Did the Pilgrims Leave Europe?

More than 30 million people can trace their ancestry to the 102 passengers and 30 crew aboard the Mayflower when it landed in Plymouth Bay,...

The Women who Painted the Tudors

We probably think that the only artists working in the Tudor court were men, like Holbein and Hilliard. But new research is revealing that women...

The Pazzi Conspiracy

At its height in the 15th century, Florence was ruled by the renowned Medici family renowned for their banking nous and towering intellect - the...

Ian Fleming's Commandos

Amid the chilling tension of the Cold War, Ian Fleming captured readers with his character James Bond, whose missions were based on his...

English Village Sacrificed to Plague (Part 2)

(Part 2/2) They could've run, but they stayed. In 1665 plague arrived in the idyllic English village of Eyam. What followed was a story of...

Tower of Babel

The Tower of Babel story is iconic. Featured in the Book of Genesis, it explains how different languages came to be across the world. But what are...

A Voice for Richard III

Recreating Richard III's Voice: A Journey Through Time

Join us as we dive into the fascinating project of reconstructing the voice of King...

Anne Boleyn | Secret Lives of the Six Wives

How did Anne Boleyn go from being a commoner to being the Queen of England?

As soon as she arrived in the Tudor court she stood out from the...

A History of Escaping from Alcatraz Prison

Alcatraz was the jewel in the crown of America's prison system. The wind-swept island fortress was the final stop for the nation's most dangerous...

President Warren G. Harding: Scandals, Affairs & Cabinet Selections

Despite dying as one of the most popular presidents in history, the 29th Commander-in-Chief has been consistently ranked one of the worst of the...

Ice Age America

A group of hunter-gatherers encounter diverse habitats full of creatures they’ve never seen before. A land of opportunity, but also...

Ghosts of the Deep South

The Deep South is a haunted landscape where dark tourism thrives, supplying spine-tingling thrills to eager visitors. But is there a darker truth...

Practical Magic: Spells, Prayers & Cunning Folk

Long before witch trials, magic was the domain of ‘cunning folk’ who were part of the fabric of medieval and early modern life. Their...

Gladiator Women of Ancient Rome

Evidence shows us that women gladiators fought in front of baying crowds in Ancient Rome.

Who were these women? How would these fights have...

Joan of Arc's Signature & Other Medieval Marvels

Dr. Eleanor Janega can hardly contain her excitement. She’s just seen Joan of Arc’s actual signature on show in the Medieval Women: In Their...

The True Story of London's Blitz

Dan explores stories of London's Blitz, beyond the stiff-upper-lip stereotypes Dan discovers an unexpected world of crime, sexual revolution and...

The Spanish-American War

In April 1898 the United States declared war on Spain. By the end of the war that December, the Spanish had lost their centuries-old colonial...

English Village Sacrificed to Plague (Part 1)

(Part 1/2) They could've run, but they stayed. In 1665 plague arrived in the idyllic English village of Eyam. What followed was a story of...

Leonardo da Vinci with Ken Burns

Leonardo da Vinci was a man like no other. A restless visionary and polymath, his paintings are some of the best known of all works of...

The Duomo of Florence

The Renaissance was an age of sweeping transformation in politics, literature, science, art and architecture. Perhaps nothing better represents...