History Hit Podcasts

Norse Mythology: Creation Myths

Across October Gone Medieval embarks on an epic journey through Norse Mythology in a new series. From the first creation myth to Ragnarok, hosts...

The Scandalous Royal Mistress Who Ruled France

Is this strangest threesome in royal history?!

We're endlessly fascinated with the lives of royal mistresses, and this has to be one of the...

The Battle of Agincourt

In this episode, Dan explains the dramatic story of the Battle of Agincourt when, against overwhelming odds, Henry V’s underdog English army...

Who Was the Worst President Ever?

What makes a bad President? Who was the worst of all time? Don is joined by Professor Jeremi Suri, author of The Impossible Presidency and co-host...

The Dark Reality of Life at Sea

Dan Snow joins After Dark to reveal the brutal reality of life of sailors during the golden age of sail. From the cat o' nine tails, to the...

Fig Leaves & A Grumpy Jesus: Renaissance to Baroque Art

Have you ever wandered through a museum and thought: Why is the Virgin Mary always dressed in blue? Did they really use eggs in egg tempera—and...

Origins of Mythology

From Cinderella to Beauty and the Beast, the roots of fairy tales stretch back thousands of years — to the dawn of Indo-European languages and...

Magna Carta

Dan and leading medieval historians explain everything you need to know about Magna Carta...and the story is more dramatic than you might think....

Inside The 18th Century Brothel Ship

Why did a British ship carry over 200 women to Australia in the late 18th century? In this episode, we are going inside the Lady Juliana, a...

Ballads of Love and Death

In this enchanting episode, Dr. Eleanor Janega dissolves the boundaries between history, folklore, and music to explore the haunting world of...

Origins of the Second Amendment

'A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be...

Life as a Samurai

Assassin’s Creed Shadows recreates everyday life in Japan during the Sengoku jidai - the Warring States period - and highlights how reality...

Rudolf II, the "Mad Habsburg Emperor"

In the final episode of her short series on the Habsburg dynasty, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb turns to one of the most fascinating and...

Dark Side of Elizabeth I

The end of Elizabeth I's life was shrouded in darkness and plots as powerful figures circled her throne. How did Elizabeth hold off contenders...

The First Trains

On 27 September 1825, a steam-powered marvel known as Locomotion No.1 made history, pulling passengers and coal from Shildon to Stockton-on-Tees...

The First Pharaohs

Unveiling the Enigmatic Story of Egypt's First Pharaohs, roughly 5,000 years ago. Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Aidan Dodson to discuss...

King Arthur

How have tales of King Arthur evolved over centuries and why have they exerted such an enduring cultural appeal on countless...

History's Worst F*ckboys: Rasputin

Rasputin presented himself as a mystic healer, and preached that the only way to salvation was through sin — which sometimes, if rumour is to be...

The Battle of Hastings

On 14 October 1066, the armies of William, the Duke of Normandy, and the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson clashed near Hastings in one of the...

What Caused the Civil War? | Secession

In the wake of Abraham Lincoln’s election, Southern leaders made a fateful choice: to break from the Union. Yet instead of plunging the country...

Who Was Ancient Egypt's Most Evil Pharaoh?

We often think of Egyptian Pharaohs as a glamorous god-king of Ancient times, yet the truth of these people is a lot, lot darker.

Who was...