History Hit Podcasts

How to Build a Castle

Castles in Medieval Britain didn't just serve a military purpose, they were central to the social and cultural life of society. In the second...

Scotland & England's Union

The union between the nations of Great Britain goes back to 1707. On each side of the border, statesmen started to realise that a closer...

Outlaws: John Dillinger | Public Enemy Number One

What does it take to be the first person named as 'Public Enemy No.1' by the US Bureau of Investigation?

In this episode, we're going to...

Anubis and the Underworld

Tristan Hughes and his guest Dr. Joyce Tyldesley OBE are heading to the Underworld for the final installation of The Ancients exploration of the...

Bodies in the Walls: Postwar London's Darkest Crime

John Reginald Christie was the most notorious murderer of his era. On the outside he was every inch the Old Fashioned Englishman, respectable...

Elizabeth I's Conjuror: John Dee

A trusted advisor to Queen Elizabeth I, Dr. John Dee was an astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, and navigator with ties to the...

Scotland's Disastrous Attempt at Empire

In the late 17th century, Scotland tried to establish a colony in Panama - and it all went horribly wrong.

In July 1698, a fleet of five...

The Silk Road: Where Cultures Collided

At the edge of the Gobi Desert, Dunhuang was once a bustling oasis on the famous Silk Road connecting China and the Mediterranean. For more...

Sex & Scandal in Catherine of Aragon's Court

When Henry VIII wanted a divorce from Catherine of Aragon, he needed to prove that she was not a virgin when they wed.

One woman was key to...

Who Was Christopher Columbus?

Did Columbus really think the Earth was flat? Where did he come from? Where did he get to? To untangle the myths of Columbus and his complicated...

Who was Jack the Ripper? The Doctor (Suspect 4)

Part 4/4. By looking at the men accused of being Jack the Ripper, we uncover dark truths about Victorian society - and our own. Why were these...

The Storming Of The Bastille

Assassin's Creed Unity starts by putting players at the heart of the Storming of the Bastille. It is one of the key events of the French...

Floral Messages in the Tudor Court

The Tudor Rose was a well-known symbol which dominated the national identity of England. But for both the Tudors and Stuarts, flower imagery...

Robert the Bruce, King of Scots

Robert the Bruce is best remembered as a rebel king, and for good reason. He was an unrelenting thorn in the side of any English monarch with...

Darius the Great, Persian King of Kings

One of the most famous and recognisable Persian kings of antiquity, Darius the Great was an Achaemenid superstar, ruling the Achaemenid Persian...

Richard II vs. Henry IV

For the Plantagenets, family might be a curse as often as a boon. They could provide invaluable support, or dangerous rivalry. At the end of the...

Illegitimacy: Sex & Secrecy in the 18th Century

Why were children punished for illegitimacy in the 18th century? And what does the word even mean?

The truth is quite shocking, and probably...

Rise of the Medici

The House of Medici ruthlessly wielded control of Florence for nearly 300 years. Through financial and political machinations, they transformed...

Outlaws: Bonnie & Clyde

Just how murderous were Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow? Where did those famous photos come from? And how did the press lead to the pair's...

Burke & Hare: Scotland’s Most Notorious Serial Killers

Discover the true story of Burke and Hare’s murderous rampage through the streets of Edinburgh, all to serve the needs of the city’s...

The Rise and Fall of Jane Boleyn

In 1542 Jane Boleyn was executed for having aided and abetted Henry VIII's fifth wife Catherine Howard to commit adultery. It was the second...