History Hit Podcasts

The Parthenon: Wonder of Athens

It is the most famous monument of ancient Greece. Its remains standing tall above modern Athens today, more than 2,000 years old. The Parthenon. A...

Harry Houdini: the Original Ghostbuster

Harry Houdini was the greatest magician that ever lived. He was also the greatest ghostbuster ever, exposing countless spiritual mediums as...

Lorenzo de' Medici, the Magnificent

All this month, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is taking a deep dive into the complex and controversial House of Medici, which left an indelible mark...

The Fall of Roman Britain

By 410 AD, over 450 years after Julius Caesar first landed on its shores, the Romans had formally withdrawn from Britain. Burdened by military...

The Real Joan of Arc

How did a peasant girl go on to lead French armies at the age of 17? How did her visions of saving France from the English play a part in her...

The Real Cleopatra

Cleopatra. One of the most famous people from history, and remembered for her beauty, power and scandalous love affairs. But how accurate is her...

President Theodore Roosevelt

What kind of a nickname is Bull Moose? How progressive was Theodore Roosevelt's presidency? And how does his legacy live on?

Don is joined...

China's First Tourists: Travel Writers in the Ming Dynasty

Around the same time as the Mayflower was landing at Cape Cod, on the other side of the world tourism was thriving in China, giving rise to a...

Who Built The Parthenon?

An enduring symbol of ancient Greek artistry and architecture. Arguably the most recognisable monument they left behind. The...

"The Elephant Man": Joseph Merrick's True Story

The life of Joseph Merrick, the man they dared to call "The Elephant Man", will fill you with pain and anger. He was treated so cruelly by society...

The Rise of Roman Britain

On August 26th, 55 BC, Julius Caesar and his legionaries waded ashore just north of the White Cliffs of Dover. Right there in the surf, they were...

Mycenae: Cradle of Bronze Age Greece

Overlooking the Argolid Plain in the eastern Peloponnese, Mycenae was once the envy of the Mediterranean world. It rose to prominence in the late...

The Curious History of Beds

Sex and beds have a long, interwoven history. Here on Betwixt we often cover sex history, but we haven’t done a deep dive into the history of...

Antisemitism in Medieval Europe

Christians had a problematic relationship with Jewish populations as the Medieval period progressed. Jews were frequently persecuted, targeted...

The Bronze Age Collapse

Around 3,200 years ago, a vast, interconnected civilisation suddenly collapsed. A 'perfect storm' of climate catastrophe, famine, drought and...

Lawrence of Arabia

The famed British officer who fought alongside Arab guerrilla forces in WW1. Best known for his legendary exploits as an intelligence officer in...

The Scottish Island, The Shipwreck and The Whisky

In 1941, the SS Politician ran aground off Eriskay in the Scottish Hebrides Islands, carrying 260,000 bottles of whisky. As war rationing gripped...

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt

"Speak softly and carry a big stick."

The youngest President ever, Lieutenant Colonel of the Rough Rider Regiment, uncle to Eleanor...

Commodus: The Gladiator Emperor

Known as one of Rome's worst emperors, Commodus is famed for both his infamy and bravado. Ascending the throne as a teenager, he dressed up as...

Rise of the Medici

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

American Serial Killer Family: Bloody Benders

When a series of mysterious disappearances and gruesome murders happened on the American Frontier in the 19th century, fingers started to point in...