History Hit Podcasts

Deadly Dancing Plague of 1518

When people think of Medieval diseases, hysterical dancing is not usually what first comes to mind. Yet in 14th and 15th century Germany, dozens...

Plagues

From a plague in Athens during the Peloponnesian War in 430 BCE, to another in 540 that wiped out half the population of the Roman empire, down...

Life on Crusade

Accounts of the Crusades were usually commissioned by wealthy and influential people about themselves, to make their piety and righteousness known...

Hollywood Spy: The British WW1 Hero Who Helped Japan Attack Pearl Harbour

Frederick Rutland was one of Britain's finest naval pilots and a celebrated hero of the First World War. And yet in the interwar period, he would...

The Rise & Fall of Al Capone

Al Capone is one of the most notorious gangsters in US history. His story of rags to riches, set against the backdrop of the prohibition era, is...

Erasmus: Renaissance Radical

In the 16th century, Erasmus of Rotterdam was about as famous as anybody could be, one of the greatest intellectuals of his age. To Martin...

Bigfoot: Hunt for the Truth

Does Bigfoot really walk among us? Today we start a three-part mini-series exploring the very real histories of Bigfoot and the Yeti.

We...

Sex & Scandal in King James' Court

King James I was a man whose sexuality was known by people in France, let alone (the newly formed) Britain of the early 17th century.

So it...

HMS Wager: Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder

Join Dan as he narrates the harrowing story of the HMS Wager and its crew's descent into mutiny and survival against all odds. Set against the...

Nazis, the CIA & Psychedelics

This is the untold story of how Nazi experiments with psychedelics influenced CIA research and the War on Drugs. From covert mind control programs...

How to Survive in Babylonia

Would you be able to survive in ancient Babylonia?

In this episode, Tristan is joined once again by Amanda Podany from California State...

Viking Royalty: Nicknames, Love Poems & Victorian Myths

We think we know the Vikings, but how well do we really know them?

From the insignia we think they wear, to the names they call themselves...

The Dynasty that Made Medieval France

From Hugh Capet to Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Capetian dynasty considered itself divinely chosen to fulfil a great destiny. From an insecure...

NATO: 75 Years Deterring Armageddon

It comprises more than half of the world's defence spending, but what is the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation? How has the United States...

Wars of Religion: A Woman's Fight for Justice

At the end of the French Wars of Religion, a widow Renée Chevalier instigated the prosecution of a military captain who had committed multiple...

The Great Sphinx

The Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the most iconic monuments from ancient history. 73 meters in length and 20 meters high, the huge limestone...

Jack the Ripper

What is it about this case that holds the imagination after all these years? When did that fascination with it begin? How early on did the myths...

The Mary Celeste: Ghost Ship

In 1872 the ghost ship Mary Celeste is found sailing across the Atlantic without a single crew member left onboard. Theories over what happened on...

Rise of Northumbria

In a time of in-fighting and tribal warfare, what did it take to form the politically dominant, culturally rich and geographically vast kingdoms...

History of Sh*t: Aztec Poo Goblins to Viking Turds

Of all the taboo topics covered on Betwixt the Sheets, this one might make you wince the most.

But it cannot be denied that poo and our...

Kensington Palace: Serving the Royal Court

Kensington Palace was the centre of court life in 18th-century Britain. It was the principal London residence for the Royals, as well as a lavish...