History Hit Podcasts

The Roman Secret Service

When you think of spies, images of suave men in suits sipping martinis tend to come to mind - not, well, the Romans. But espionage has been used...

The Mummy's Curse, Nazi Gold Train & Other History Mysteries

History is full of the weird and wonderful and in this episode Dan is joined by polymath, author and fellow podcaster Dan Schreiber to talk about...

Amelia Dyer: Victorian Baby Farm Killer

Some estimates have it that Amelia Dyer killed more than 400 babies. It's hard to say for sure because so few victims were recovered. She was a...

The 'Elgin' Marbles

The permanent home of the Parthenon Marbles, also known as the 'Elgin' Marbles, has been the subject of a heated, decades-long debate. That debate...

JFK Special 3. | The Sex Life of JFK

“If I don’t have a woman for three days, I get terrible headaches.”

That is what JFK allegedly told the UK prime minister, Harold...

Hades: King of the Underworld

This episode contains references to death and sexual assault.

Hades is King of the the dead and the Underworld in Ancient Greek...

President William Henry Harrison: 32 Days in Office

The ninth President of the United States holds two unique records. William Henry Harrison delivered the longest inaugural address in US...

Who was Qabiha?

The murder of al-Mutawakkil marked a drastic change in the politics of Baghdad and Samarra. In the emerging anarchy of the region, al-Qabiha was...

The Rise of Constantinople with Bettany Hughes

The city of Constantinople, founded by the Roman Emperor Constantine in 324 AD, was a glittering jewel in the eastern Mediterranean for more than...

The Real Origins of Witches

Have you ever wondered what the ancient origins of witchcraft is? How did the black-hat-broomstick stereotype emerge? And what causes the waves of...

The Vandals

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

Saving Henry VIII's Lost Tapestry

For the Tudors, tapestries not only brought warmth and colour to a room, but they were magnificent demonstrations of artistic skill and of moral...

Rasputin

The legend of Rasputin's death goes that he survived poisoning, being shot in the head before being thrown through a hole in the ice in the Neva...

Section 28: The Anti-Gay Law That Sparked A Movement

The 1980s have a lot to answer for - spandex, for one.

It also saw the first new anti-gay law in Britain for over a century.

Against...

Napoleon in America

Napoleon Bonaparte. From military leader to revolutionary to Emperor of the French, his conquests and reforms have had a lasting impact across the...

Victorian Death Photography: Postmortem Posers

The Victorians created the unsettling art of death photography - posing their deceased love ones in family portraits as if they were alive. How...

Life on the Medieval Coast

The popular BBC television series Villages by the Sea explores coastal life through the centuries. Its presenter Ben Robinson is an archaeologist...

4. Napoleon: The Myth

Napoleon has become more than a man. His name is a concept, a way of being, a psychological term- the 'Napoleon' complex. Napoleon began working...

Mary I: What if She'd Lived?

On 17 November 1558, Queen Mary I died. But how would history have turned out differently if Mary had lived another 30 years? Where would her...

Keros: Bronze Age Mystery

While a small, uninhabited island today, Keros held significant importance during the Bronze Age. As a crucial centre for cultural practices,...

3. Napoleon: The Lover

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussions about sex which may not be suitable for children.

Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the few...