History Hit Podcasts

Dionysus: God of Wine

Dionysus. He's known as the party God of ancient Greece who you never wanted to cross. Associated with theatre, mysterious cults and even, on one...

Civil War in Feudal Japan: The Sengoku Period

Dating from 1467-1603, the Sengoku or ‘Warring States’ period is known as the bloodiest in Japan’s history; an era of continuous social...

Medieval Monsters, Ghosts & Werewolves

The supernatural in the Medieval world was always close at hand. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis pays a visit to the only two...

The REAL Bridgerton: Georgian Sex

The long-awaited third season of Bridgerton is here! And with it, we all become obsessed with a particularly sexy version of Regency-era...

American Castaways: Treachery & Survival in the Falklands

Today we dive into the little-known true story of American castaways abandoned on the Falkland Islands during the War of 1812 ― a tale of...

Shogun: The Real First English Samurai

The acclaimed TV series Shogun, now screening on Disney+, is based on true events. Its main character John Blackthorne is modelled on William...

The Unification of Japan

In the 16th century, Japan was embroiled in what is known as Sengoku jidai - ‘The Warring States’ period. It was a time of bloody battles,...

Civil War in Feudal Japan: The Sengoku Period

Dating from 1467-1603, the Sengoku or ‘Warring States’ period is known as the bloodiest in Japan’s history; an era of continuous social...

Oliver Cromwell's Decapitated Head & Charles II's Revenge

***Warning: today's episode contains graphic description of violence***

In 1661 Oliver Cromwell was hung and beheaded...the only problem was...

Caligula

Caligula. One of the most infamous Roman emperors of them all. He didn't rule Rome for long, but he has gained a legacy as this incredibly evil...

The Royal Navy's Darkest Night & The Origins of Longitude

A mix of treacherous seas, navigation errors, and historical intrigue led to one of the Royal Navy's darkest nights. Dan travels to the Scilly...

A Guide to Medieval Churches

​Do you know the difference between a church and a chapel? A bishop and an archbishop? An abbey and an abbess? 

In this episode of...

Medieval Torture & Execution

When you say ‘going medieval’ on someone, it brings up quite nasty connotations. 

But is this brutal suggestion a fair depiction of...

Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt: The Impossible Alliance that Won WWII

In the summer of 1941, Hitler invaded the Soviet Union. As the Germans drove towards Moscow, a catastrophic Soviet defeat seemed imminent - a...

Echoes of History: A New Chapter

Introducing a new chapter of Echoes of History, the podcast that explores the incredible real-life stories and events that inspire the locations,...

The Real Hamilton: Downfall, Duel & Death

When Alexander Hamilton took a bullet to the abdomen on the morning of the 11th July 1804, he joined a long list of people who had fallen foul of...

Shardlake and its Creator C.J. Sansom

Fans of historical fiction and crime novels have been saddened to learn of the recent death of the award-winning, best-selling author C.J. Sansom,...

The Great Famine: Ireland’s Darkest Chapter (Part 1)

One million people died. Two million emigrated. The Great Irish Famine was the world turned upside down. The darkest chapter in Ireland's...

Twelve Caesars with Mary Beard

The title of Caesar has echoed down the ages as the pinnacle of absolute power and perhaps even tyranny. A single man at the head of a nation or...

Marshal Pétain: Hero or Traitor?

Marshal Pétain emerged from the First World War as a French national hero. His defence of Verdun had set him on course to become one of France's...

The Cleopatras: A Dynasty of Rule Breakers

Cleopatra. It is one of the most recognisable names in ancient history, made famous by the exploits of Egypt’s controversial pharaoh queen. But...