History Hit Podcasts

Henry VIII's Nemesis, Cardinal Pole

Reginald Pole has been styled as both the nemesis of Henry VIII and as Mary I's bloody accomplice. Pole was related to the English royal...

The Vandals

Known for bringing about the fall of the Western Roman Empire - the Vandals have a reputation for violence, destruction, and conquering. Moving...

Alexander the Great

This is everything you need to know about the famed conqueror Alexander the Great. Alongside Dan Snow, host of Dan Snow's History Hit, Tristan and...

One Life: The 'British Schindler' Nicky Winton & The Kindertransport

Nicholas Winton masterminded an effort that saved the lives of 669 Jewish Children from Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War Two. There's a new...

The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is one of the most iconic and romanticised buildings on earth. Commissioned by a Mughal ruler to mark the passing of his beloved...

William the Conqueror

When his cousin King Edward the Confessor died childless, Duke William of Normandy saw the throne of England as his birthright. But one man stood...

Murder in the Stuart Court

The public fascination with true crime is nothing new. Four centuries ago, the sensational story of the death in the Tower of London of...

Robert Burns' Sex Life

How did an 18th century working class farm labourer climb the social ladder to become the most beloved poet Scotland has produced?

By the...

The King Of Pirates: Henry Every

The new season of "Echoes of History" features Ubisoft's new game: "Skull and Bones".

As the son of a Royal Navy officer, Henry Every was...

The Life and Death of Vladimir Lenin

Vladimir Lenin died just over 100 years ago, on the 21st of February, 1924. The Russian revolutionary leader fought in no battles, spent much of...

The Watergate Scandal

Wiretapping, White House tapes and the possibility of impeachment. On June 17, 1972, a break-in at the Watergate Hotel triggered a chain of events...

The Real Dick Turpin

"Your money or your life!"

Those are the immortal words ascribed to this famous outlaw. Terror of the rich. Hero to the poor. Charmer of...

Lascaux Cave: Ice Age Art

Lascaux Cave is an Ice Age wonder. Its walls and ceilings are adorned with stunning depictions of bison, aurochs and deer painted by...

Kamasutra: The Ancient Playboy Manual

Most people would assume that the Kamasutra is a book of hundreds of fantastical sex positions.

They would partly be right, but mostly...

President Millard Fillmore: The Most Handsome President?

How did a president lose his entire cabinet so soon after taking office? What was his role in the Westward expansion of the United States? And...

Harald Hardrada

In the second of Gone Medieval’s series looking at the road to the Battle of Hastings, Matt Lewis focuses on another claimant to the English...

The Many Murders of Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great - conqueror, legend, murderer. After ascending to the throne at aged 20 in 336BCE, his rule started with mass executions and...

Trading British Brides for American Tobacco

In 1621 the Virginia Company of London put out a call for young, handsome and honestly educated women to become wives for the planters in its new...

Cicero

Marcus Tullius Cicero is one of the most famous orators in ancient history, and a central figure during the final years of the Roman...

What if Hitler Had Invaded Britain?

How prepared was Britain for a Nazi invasion? The common perception is of a country woefully unprepared for war; hastily assembled defences manned...

The Real Outlander

How real to true events is the Outlander series?

The Jacobite uprising of the 18th century was led by Bonnie Prince Charlie to reclaim the...