Given his incredible career, you'd perhaps expect the name of Roman Emperor Septimius Severus to be better known. Born in North Africa in 145AD, he rose to power after distinguishing himself as a military commander at a time of great instability in the Roman Empire. Finally bringing the Year of the Five Emperors to an end, Severus was in power for nearly two decades - so how did he end up perishing in York?

In this episode, Tristan welcomes back author (and Severus' unofficial 21st Century biographer) Dr Simon Elliot. Together, they explore the life and legacy of Septimius Severus - looking at his impact on the history of Ancient Rome, as well as the bloody events surrounding his campaign in Scotland, and asking how one of the most powerful men in the world was eventually brought down.

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Over a period of 30 years, NASA's Space Shuttle program contributed to some of space exploration's most important achievements, as well as some of its greatest tragedies. Affectionately known as 'space trucks', the reusable shuttles hauled crew, satellites, parts of the Hubble Space Telescope and modules for the International Space Station into Earth's orbit across a staggering 135 missions. However, two of these missions would end with catastrophic failure and the deaths of 14 crew members. Joining us today is Kevin Fong, award-winning broadcaster and host of an upcoming podcast on the Space Shuttle, 16 Sunsets, to help make sense of the program's complex legacy.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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In the last week of March 1912, Captain Robert Falcon Scott died in his tent in Antarctica, in his failed effort to become the first person to reach the South Pole. He'd just missed out to the Norwegians under explorer Roald Amundsen. You might think the British had no chance from the beginning- Amundsen's crew were wearing sealskins and using dogs, sledding 50 miles a day while Scott's team were outfitted in kit from Bond Street, covering just 10 miles a day. The motorised vehicles they took lasted only a couple of days; one sank through the ice the moment they took it off the ship. But, Tim Maltin's new research suggests there was something more unusual else at play that led to their failure and ultimately Scott's death: thermal inversion. The same meteorological phenomenon that caused the Titanic to hit the iceberg just two weeks later.

Tim joins Dan on the podcast to discuss the rivalry between two great explorers, the similarities and differences between their expeditions and he takes Dan through the gruelling last months of Scott's expedition, what happened the night of Scott's death and the discovery of their bodies, months later.

Produced by James Hickmann and mixed by Dougal Patmore

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During the Battle of Trafalgar, the men on the gun decks of HMS Victory felt the heat of fire from above and from below; they dodged enemy cannon balls shot from just 2 metres away. HMS Victory was the flagship of Nelson's fleet during that historic clash with the French and Spanish on the 21st of October 1805. She is a mighty vessel to behold; at over 70m long, 6000 oaks were felled for her planking and 27 miles of rope used for her rigging. She was and still is a feat of engineering with impressive firepower-104 state-of-the-art guns and manned by a crew of over 800.

Dan walks the gun decks with Andrew Baines, Deputy Executive Director of Museum Operations National Museum of the Royal Navy, who knows everything there is to know about Victory. They talk about life on board the ship, from punishment to surgery to using the bathroom and tell the story of Nelson's dramatic demise on the very spot where he was shot in battle.

The reason Dan is visiting Portsmouth's historic dockyard is that there is a huge restoration project going on to save Victory and preserve it for future generations. As a wooden ship, she is inherently biodegradable so Andrew and his team are working around the clock for the next decade to restore the ship as she was at the Battle of Trafalgar. Today the ship's greatest foe is not the French but the deathwatch beetle that Burroughs into the wood ship's timbre, destroying it from the inside. Dan meets with Diana Davis, Deputy Director of the Victory Conservation Project, to talk about this nemesis and the vital, and costly, work they are doing. Now is a great time to experience HMS Victory as you've never seen her before while archaeologists and conservators work on the ship in front of your eyes. You can find out more information here: https://www.nmrn.org.uk/visit-us/portsmouth-historic-dockyard/hms-victory

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and mixed by Dougal Patmore.

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With Putin's war in Ukraine raging on, the threat of a nuclear conflict feels as real as ever. But since the Iron Curtain fell, our understanding of what to do in the event of a nuclear strike has waned. In this episode, we look to the past to discover the extraordinary things that the British government have done to prepare the nation for nuclear war. What plans did they put in place, and would they have worked if the missiles had started flying? Dan is joined by Julie McDowall, an expert on the nuclear threat and author of Attack Warning Red! How Britain Prepared for Nuclear War, to shed some light on the unnerving history of nuclear preparation.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Clear soup, Irish stew and steamed puddings - this was the war work of Georgina Landemare, the Churchills' longest-serving cook.

Throughout the war years, Georgina served the Prime Minister, delegations of diplomats and the occasional royal, as well as the other staff of 10 Downing Street, Chequers and the War Rooms.

Annie Gray is back with Kate today to introduce us to Georgina; why she went into the service industry, where she learnt to cook the French way, and how she managed to make the most of wartime rations (with a few top-ups here and there).

*WARNING there are adult words and themes in this episode*

Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Stuart Beckwith.

Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.

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A Stuart time capsule has emerged from beneath the sand after 320 years. In early December 1703, barometers across South-Eastern England plunged as a cyclone made landfall in Britain leaving a path of destruction in its wake. In London, the roof of Westminster Abbey was ripped off and hundreds of ships in the Thames smashed together and left in heaps. 2000 Chimney stacks were destroyed and Queen Anne cowered in the cellar of St James Palace.

But the biggest damage was done to the Royal Navy; over 1000 seaman drowned and a fifth of its fleet was wrecked overnight. One of those ships the HMS Northumberland has recently begun to appear thanks to the shifting sediment of Goodwin Sands on the South-East coast. On the podcast to tell its story in the storm is archaeologist Dan Pascoe who is working with Historic England to dive on the wreck and learn what he can before it disappears once again forever.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and mixed by Dougal Patmore.

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As two of humanity's great religions, Islam and Christianity have shaped much of the world's history. Empires across the globe have risen and fallen under their influence, and there have been many occasions for them to go head-to-head on the battlefield. So what have been some of the greatest military clashes between Islam and Christianity? Dan is joined by Sir Simon Mayall, a former Middle East Senior Adviser at the UK Ministry of Defence, to discuss three key clashes; the Siege of Jerusalem in 1099, the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, and the Great Siege of Malta in 1565.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Looking back at the past few weeks, it seems like banks are collapsing left, right and centre; but what exactly does this mean for us? Are these inconsequential blips on the financial radar, or will they herald the beginning of a major banking crisis? On today's episode, Dan is joined by Charles Read, who teaches economics and history at the University of Cambridge, to walk us through why these collapses happen, whether they can be predicted, and what their repercussions are.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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While rifling through a stall at a flea market in Leningrad- now St Petersburg- composer and music producer Stephen Coates came across something unusual. It looked like a vinyl record, but when he held it up to the light, he noticed he could see the pattern of human bones on it. It was a bootlegged record made from an old x-ray. He dubbed his find "Bone Music" and set out to find out more about this ghostly flexi-disc, and the many others he soon found like it.

Known as "music on the ribs" in Russian due to the TB x-rays commonly used, these homemade vinyls were sold in back alleys and out of cars when music was ruthlessly controlled by the State in the Soviet Union. Not only was Western music- Rock'n'Roll, Jazz, Blues - banned but so were traditional Russian folk songs. Stephen travelled around Russia for years collecting Bone Music vinyl and interviewing the bootleggers and the buyers to find out just how dangerous and important it was to keep the music playing in the USSR.

You can find out more about Stephen's work and Bone Music here: www.x-rayaudio.com

Music heard in this episode is courtesy of Nikolai Rechetnik.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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On 6 September 1560, Amy Robsart Dudley died after falling down a staircase at Cumnor Place in Oxfordshire. But did she fall? Was she pushed? Or did she throw herself down the stairs? These questions exercised Tudor courtiers and foreign ambassadors at the time. The truth mattered because Amy was the wife of Queen Elizabeth I’s leading courtier and very close friend, Robert Dudley, and his wife’s death could clear the way for Elizabeth to marry Dudley. But in practice, the circumstances of Amy’s death precluded any possibility of a royal marriage. 

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Dr. Joanne Paul - author of the acclaimed book The House of Dudley - to discuss what really happened - was it an accident, suicide or murder?

This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.

**WARNING: This episode contains descriptions of suicide**

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Can we trace the 'British sense of humour' back to the Georgian period? It was an age of royal madness, political intrigue, the birth of modern celebrity, the French revolution, American independence and the Napoleonic Wars so the satirists of Georgian Britain had plenty to work with. In the late 18th century, artists like Thomas Rowlandson, James Gillray and Isaac Cruikshank took on the establishment with cartoons, forever changing how we the public view those in power. History Hit presenter and TikTok star Alice Loxton (@history_alice) joins Dan as they look at the characters behind the 'Golden Age of Caricature' and what was going on that made these prints so popular with the masses.

Alice's new book is called 'Uproar!'.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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This is everything you ever wanted to know about fascism. Are the British government's new proposals to stop refugee boats arriving fascistic? Were the 2021 insurrectionists at the Capitol building fascists? Is Muslim persecution in India today fascism in action? They're certainly attacks on democracy but can they accurately be described as fascism?

Dan puts that question to a world-leading expert in today's episode, Roger Griffin, Emeritus Professor in Modern History at Oxford Brookes University. They get into the deep history of fascism's origins, and the true definitions of terms like 'authoritarian' and 'populism' and look to distinguish the difference between the technical meaning of fascism and the colloquial term we tend to invoke in daily conversation.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited Dougal Patmore

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Glencoe in the Scottish highlands is a beautiful landscape with a dark past. While folks from all over the world travel to this beautiful valley to hike, in 1692 it was the site of a treacherous massacre that had repercussions for Scotland and England into the next century. Scottish government troops had been sent on orders from King William III of England, to make an example of the MacDonald clan who had missed the deadline to pledge their allegiance to him as the new monarch. Government soldiers were sent to the homes of the Macdonalds where they were billeted - given lodging and food by the locals. The Macdonalds shared their homes, food, stories and songs before the soldiers revealed their true purpose in Glencoe. 12 days after arriving, they received their true orders to annihilate the entire population of the glen. The clan chief Alexander, or McIan as he was also known, was killed along with more than 30 other men women and children. Others fled into the highlands, succumbing to exposure, but most escaped with their lives. Dan is in Glencoe with Lucy Doogan and Derek Alexander of the National Trust for Scotland to tell the tale of this tragedy, the traditions and history of this magnificent landscape and how it shaped Scotland's past and present.

 

This special episode is made possible by The National Lottery. National Lottery players have supported over 48,000 heritage projects alone since the inception of The National Lottery in 1994. This includes supporting The National Trust for Scotland to help keep green and historic spaces like Glencoe open to the public. The National Trust for Scotland has received £37 million of National Lottery funding which enables them to preserve properties and natural spaces across Scotland that are of great historical and architectural importance.

 

Produced by Mariana Des Forges, edited by Dougal Patmore.

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By the early 1960s, Chairman Mao Zedong's campaign to modernise Communist China had ended in disaster. Known as the Great Leap Forward, it resulted in turmoil on such a scale that many had begun to question Mao's authority. In response, he set out to claim absolute political supremacy by launching a grassroots movement called the Cultural Revolution. A decade of terror ensued that would permanently alter the fabric of Chinese society, and result in the deaths of up to 2 million people. But what exactly happened during this decade of madness, and what can we learn from those who lived through it? Dan is joined by Tania Branigan, author of Red Memory: Living, Remembering and Forgetting China's Cultural Revolution, to explore the Cultural Revolution and how it has shaped China today.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Samuel Adams was a political force of nature. Stacy Schiff tells Don how Adams, fuelled by discontent under British rule, instilled a revolutionary spirit in his peers. The result was the Declaration of Independence - and the fight to earn it.

Produced by Benjie Guy. Mixed by Joseph Knight. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long.

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There are descriptions of suffering early in this episode that some listeners may find distressing.

As hospitals and institutions across the European frontline were taken over to serve the war effort in the 1940s, what happened to psychiatric hospitals, housing some of the continent's most vulnerable in often prison-like conditions? Well, approximately 45,000 psychiatric patients died of starvation and disease in France alone. One psychiatrist described the scenes he witnessed during that time as being as bad as the concentration camps. But there was one hospital that, not only defied this fate but thrived during the war. Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole, in Southern France, had a death rate of less than 10 per cent – and no deaths from malnutrition. Not only did staff and patients stay alive through pooling skills to create food, foraging in the local area and keeping livestock, it actually became a hub of the French Resistance - storing ammunition, and acting as a safe house for Jewish refugees and freedom fighters. The hospital not only fought fascism but also provided a more community-focused treatment that proved to have a revolutionary effect on patients.

Joining Dan on the podcast to tell this extraordinary story is Ben Platts-Mills, a writer who has worked in the mental health sector for 16 years. He came across it when he was looking into the work of French painter Jean Debuffet and saw that much of the artwork he’d collected was done by inpatients at Saint Alban during the war.

You can read more about Saint Alban-sur-Limagnole and Ben's other work here: https://www.benplatts-mills.com/

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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In a suburb of North-West London, among housing estates and residential streets lies a secret bunker, you may never have heard of it but it's one of the most important World War Two sites in Britain. Here, deep underground, the RAF built its Uxbridge headquarters where it commanded the defence of the country in the Battle of Britain. The pilots who fought in the skies are rightly hailed as heroes and affectionately known as 'the few', but they wouldn't have been able to do what they did without the many women behind them and under the ground gathering intelligence and commands, distributing them at lightening speed under the intense pressure of active battle.

Dan goes down into the earth with Dr Sarah-Louise Miller, who brings their stories to life in the room where the Battle of Britain was organised, overlooking the very maps that show what happened there during that decisive summer of 1940. Dr Sarah-Louise's new book 'The Women Behind the Few' puts the Women's Auxiliary Air Force back at the heart of Britain's war, exploring what they did- collecting and disseminating vital intelligence- that led to the Allied victory.

You can also visit the secret RAF bunker in Uxbridge, find out more about the Battle of Britain Bunker Museum here: http://battleofbritainbunker.co.uk/

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Count Coudenhove-Kalergi was one of the most influential 20th Century European thinkers that you've never heard of. He was a pioneer of European integration, advocating for the free movement of people across European borders, a common currency and a single passport. Unsurprisingly, his ideas attracted the ire of right-wing thinkers across the continent; Hitler angrily denounced him in Mein Kampf, and even today he is the subject of a right-wing antisemitic conspiracy theory called 'The Kalergi Plan'. But how influential was his vision for Europe? In what ways did he help to shape the modern European Union? Dan is joined by the journalist Martyn Bond, author of Hitler's Cosmopolitan Bastard, to discuss his life and legacy.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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All Quiet on the Western Front is the 2022 film adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's famous anti-war novel. Told from the German perspective, it presents a gruelling depiction of life and death in the First World War, emphasising the despair and disillusionment of the soldiers who fought in it. The film has enjoyed great success, having already won seven BAFTA Awards and been nominated in nine categories at the upcoming 95th Academy Awards. But what does it take to transform a film like this from a passion project into a blockbuster hit? And how should filmmakers handle stories rooted in conflict? On today's episode, we are joined by Lesley Paterson, the film's executive producer and co-writer, and a world champion triathlete. She tells us about the trials and tribulations she faced to bring the project to fruition, and how history influenced her writing to bring the story to life.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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102 year old Ben Ferencz is the last surviving prosecutor from the Nuremberg trials and a direct witness to the horrors of the Nazi death camps. Born in Transylvania he emigrated to the United States with his family as a child to escape antisemitic persecution. He trained at Harvard Law School, graduated in 1943 and served in the US army in the campaign to liberate western Europe. In 1945 at the end of the war, he was assigned to a team charged with collecting evidence of war crimes during which he visited the death camps and saw first-hand the appalling conditions there. He then became a prosecutor during the Nuremberg war crimes trials where his work focussed on the prosecution of the Einsatzgruppen death squads. His experiences during the war have led him to be a passionate, lifelong campaigner advocating for the international rule of law and he helped found the international criminal courts in The Hague. In this episode, he shares his life experiences and how we all need to find ways to resolve our differences peacefully if we want to continue to see humanity flourish.

This interview was first released in 2021. 

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The Kim Kardashian of Georgian England; she was a young housemaid who became one of the most famous socialites in the Western world and stole the heart Lord Nelson. Emma Hamilton, born Amy Lyon, grew up in abject poverty and at 13 travelled to London from Wales, where became a service maid. She was enthralled by the beauty and glamour of the actresses in Covent Garden and would miss work to go see them, eventually getting herself fired. She ended up destitute on the street until self proclaimed doctor and showman James Graham put her on the stage at his Temple of Good Health. Although still a teenager, men would come to oggle her beauty. Eventually she found work as a prostitute and became a mistress for the upper echelons of British society. She was effectively bought by Sir Henry Featherstonehaugh and while with him, learnt social graces, how to read, write and ride. Portraits were painted of her, she operated as a diplomat during the French revolution and became a socialite about Europe.

It was her relationship with Lord Nelson that gave her the greatest love affair and heartbreak of her life. It's said they had an electrifying chemistry and when Nelson hobbled into the Port of Naples in 1973, war-weary and sick she nursed him back to health. For years the pair enjoyed the highlife of the Enlightenment, inseparable, much to the disdain of the high society they mixed with. But, his death would mark the beginning of a steady decline- consumed by grief, addiction and debt, she died with just £10 in her pocket, some pawn receipts and just the clothes she was wearing.

Professor Joanna Lewis is a descendent of Lady Emma Hamilton and takes Dan through the twists and turns of her truly extraordinary life.

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Produced by James Hickmann and Mariana Des Forges, edited by Matthew Peaty and mixed by Dougal Patmore. 

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Matt Lewis continues his Mystery Month on Gone Medieval with another tantalising enigma of the Middle Ages - possibly the most mysterious manuscript that exists anywhere in the world. Carbon-dated to the early 15th century, the Voynich manuscript is hand-written in an unknown script, embellished with illustrations and diagrams, showing people, fantastical plants and astrological symbols.

Yet the origins, authorship, and purpose of the manuscript continue to baffle experts, which have even included British codebreakers from both World War I and World War II. Matt finds out more from Raymond Clemens, Curator of Early Books and Manuscripts at Yale University.

This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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In late February 1943, Norwegian commandos were given the details of their mission, Operation Gunnerside. Their job would be to sabotage the Vemork heavy water facility in Norway, hindering German industry and their development of the atomic bomb. Before they left, Norwegian Royal Army Colonel and pioneering chemist, Leif Tronstad, told his soldiers, “I cannot tell you why this mission is so important, but if you succeed, it will live in Norway’s memory for a hundred years.” Fully aware of the danger they faced, the men were handed suicide pills in case of capture. On the 80th anniversary of this daring raid, Dan is joined by the survival expert and TV presenter Ray Mears to discuss the challenges they faced, and the consequences of their mission.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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It's hard to imagine a time when we didn't write things down- on stone, papyrus or parchment. Who was the first to actually put 'pen to paper' and write. Well, her name was Enheduanna. She was an Akkadian poet, writer and high priestess, remembered as the first named author in recorded history. She lived in the 3rd millennium BCE in the city-state of Ur, and was a figure of immense significance in the Mesopotamian world. As high priestess of the moon god Nanna, she would help to cement ties between the newly merged Sumerian and Akkadian civilisations. She would also pen the first authored literary works, and her poems on womanhood and faith hold great meaning through to this day. Dan speaks to Sidney Babcock, the Jeannette and Jonathan Rosen Curator at the Morgan Library and Museum, to find out how we know so much about her, and what her significance is today.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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On the 24th of February, 2022, the world looked on in disbelief as Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. One year on he shows no signs of easing his commitment to the conflict, despite the many setbacks that Russian forces have faced. The question is, why hasn't Russia's invasion gone to plan? Where did they get it wrong, where have the Ukrainians got it right, and how can we make sense of the conflict as it stands today? To answer these questions, we are joined by conflict scholar Mike Martin, who explains Russia's issues by looking at how wars have been waged in the past. We are also joined by the Ukrainian medical student and refugee, Margo Bendeliani, who gives us the perspective of someone who lives this war every day and reminds us of the conflict's human cost.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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When you think of some of the remarkable feats of airpower throughout history, you might think of the Dambusters, or the Battle of Britain. But what about some of the untold stories of Britain's remarkable black airmen? Since the early 20th Century, black airmen played vital roles as pilots, ground crew, and even resistance fighters across the world wars and beyond. But what do we actually know about these exceptional figures?

In this episode, James is joined by author K.N. Chimbiri to shine a light on some of the incredible men who helped shape Britain's future. Looking at the vital contributions these individuals made to the war effort, and even world history, what can we learn from Britain's black airmen?

Kandace's book The Story of Britain's Black Airmen is available here.

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Sophie Scholl was an anti-Nazi political activist who stood up to the regime as a student under the Third Reich and paid with her life. Sophie lived, like most middle class Germans, very comfortably under the Nazi regime - if you kept your head down, you didn't have anything to fear. But Sophie and her brother Hans refused to stay silent on what they saw happening.

Her activism began when she was forced to do National Labour Service in the form of passive resistance to the military-like regime she had to follow. After Labour service, in May 1942, she enrolled at the University of Munich where her brother was studying medicine. He introduced her to his friends and eventually they formed the White Rose resistance group - a non-violent, anti-totalitarian organisation who wrote flyers and graffiti and distributed leaflets that called for the toppling of National Socialism. But on the 18 February 1943, Sophie and Hans Scholl went to the Ludwig Maximilian University to leave flyers out when they were caught and arrested. The pair were charged with treason and eventually executed by Guillotine four days later. She was 21 years old.

In the years after Germany's reunification, Scholl became an icon of German resistance and free-thinking and her story is now widely celebrated, thanks in part to Frank McDonough, an internationally renowned expert on the History of the Third Reich, who joins Dan on this podcast to talk about Sophie's life, on the anniversary of her death and his book 'Sophie Scholl.'

Produced by James Hickmann and mixed by Dougal Patmore 

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On the 1st of December, 1955, Rosa Parks boarded a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. After taking her seat in the section designated for people of colour, Rosa was asked to move for white passengers that wanted to sit down. She refused, and was arrested. This incident has become one of the most infamous examples of segregation in the U.S., and Mrs. Parks has gained an iconic status in the civil rights movement. A lifetime of activism and campaigning earned her the title, ‘the first lady of civil rights’. On today’s episode, Dan is joined by Reverend H. H. Leonards, author of Rosa Parks: Beyond the Bus. Mrs. Parks was a guest in her home for nearly a decade, and she recounts for us her memories of this extraordinary person.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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We think of our natural environment as a subset of history, like studying the history of warfare or economics. But in truth, climate is the driving force of humanity, and understanding our climate helps us to understand life on earth in an entirely different way. Of all natural disasters, earthquakes are amongst the most impactful and the most destructive. The tragic Turkey–Syria earthquake on the 6th of February, 2023 came with a deadly cost, and will likely change the futures of both nations. With us is Peter Frankopan, Professor of Global History at Oxford University and author of the soon to be published book, The Earth Transformed: An Untold History. Peter will guide us through the main themes of climate history, how it has impacted on the human species, and it's power to change our future.

Produced by James Hickmann and mixed by Stuart Beckwith.

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This episode contains graphic references.

Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty in Greek mythology.

Her origin story is one of the more colourful ones, being born from the foam of Uranus’s castrated genitals. Her life is no less dramatic, and one where love and war are intimately connected. She is unhappily married to the son of Zeus and Hera, Hephaestus, yet carries on her affair with Ares, God of War, and her competitive relationship with Hera and Athena results in the beginning of the Trojan War. In this episode, Tristan Hughes is joined by host of the Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby! podcast, Liv Albert. Together they discuss Aphrodite’s origin in both myth and what she shares with warrior goddesses from other ancient cultures, as well as her most famous myths, and how she’s become one of the most iconic deities history has ever known.

The Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie

Script written by Andrew Hulse

Voice over performed by Nichola Woolley

The Assistant Producer was Annie Coloe

Edited by Aidan Lonergan

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Spy balloons are really blowing up right now. The US has shot down one confirmed Chinese balloon and has engaged several other unidentified flying objects. But like so many things we cover on this podcast, it's an old method in a new outfit. Spy balloons for reconnaissance go back all the way to the French Revolution and pop up again in the American Civil War.

To talk through the history of spying from the sky, Dan is joined on the podcast by the curator at the International Spy Museum Dr Andrew Hammond who also hosts their podcast Spycast. They discuss the ideas that have taken off and the ones that haven't... including pigeons with cameras, drones disguised as dragonflies and satellites in outer space.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and mixed by Dougal Patmore.

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As a crew of over 500 boarded HMS Captain in the autumn of 1870, none of them knew their fate was sealed in the offices of the dockyard. The Captain was one of the Royal Navy’s first steam powered battleships- both innovative and formidable - three masts with wrought iron armour, but it was no match for the treacherous storm it came up against one September night in the Bay of Biscay.

As the Captain was battered and swallowed by the Atlantic, the men onboard suffered terribly: some washed overboard, some caught in steam explosions below and others trapped in the rigging and sails as she disappeared. Only 18 survived, by rowing scantily clad, barefoot and traumatised through the darkness until daybreak. The tragedy ripped through Victorian Britain and quickly questions started to be asked about how this could have happened and who was responsible.

Today, over 150 years later, Dr Howard Fuller from the University of Wolverhampton and his team have made a breakthrough in their search for the wreck off the coast of Spain. They're almost certain HMS Captain lies off Cape Finisterre and are working on a campaign to explore the wreck, to discover more about the ship and its sinking. Part of the project is to find out more about the last moments of the men on board, most of whom lost their lives, for their descendants and families who are still looking for answers. 

You can find out more and donate to the Find the Captain fundraiser project here: findthecaptain.co.uk 

Produced by Mariana Des Forges, sound design and mixing by Dougal Patmore.

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This is the remarkable story of Nicholas Said - born into a wealthy Muslim family in the ancient Bornu Empire, his childhood was interrupted when, aged 13, he was sold into slavery. His journey would take him across Africa, Asia, Europe and North America, and bring him into contact with illustrious figures like Tsar Nicholas I and Queen Victoria. As a free man, he would join one of the first African American regiments in the Union Army and fought in the American Civil War. Dean Calbreath is a journalist and author of The Sergeant: The Incredible Life of Nicholas Said, and joins us to take us through this astonishing tale.

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Car bombings, assassinations and a military takeover: these are just some of the things American TV producer Natasha Lance Rogoff and her team faced when trying to bring The Muppets to the former USSR in the 1990s.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russia that emerged was a chaotic, sometimes violent free-for-all for western investors and oligarchs, swooping in to buy up businesses, natural resources and really anything they could. For regular Russians, they had to navigate a new, more free society and Natasha, a fluent speaker with experience in Russian TV, was drafted in to introduce The Muppets as the ambassadors to show children how to do that.

An exercise in trying to introduce western values but also establish international relations with a former enemy, almost every aspect of the Russian Sesame Street- Uliza Sezam - was coloured by cultural clashes. Both nationalities had to learn to work together and better understand one another. What was created was a wholly Russian show, with new characters founded in traditional folklore and music informed by Russia’s rich cultural history. The show was a huge success, beloved by children across the entire USSR and ran for 10 years into Putin’s reign of power.

Natasha joins Dan to tell this extraordinary story as they delve into the societal pressures faced by Russia after the Soviet Union and its relationship with the west which is still so relevant today.

Her new book is called ‘Muppets in Moscow.’

Archive of Sesame Street and Uliza Sezam courtesy of Sesame Workshop.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and mixed by Dougal Patmore.

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For years we've understood that in the prehistoric hunter-gather world, the men did the hunting and the women did the gathering. Prehistoric man went on adventures, invented, created and drew, whereas prehistoric women stayed home, educated children and carried out domestic chores. Well, research now shows that this wasn't the case. Researchers are taking a closer look at our distant ancestors and breaking stereotypes about early women. Dan is joined by Thomas Cirotteau, co-author of the book Lady Sapiens: Breaking Stereotypes About Prehistoric Women to unearth a new understanding of our origins.

Produced by Beth Donaldson and mixed by Dougal Patmore

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Dan Snow’s History Hit hits the road to Belgium and the Waterloo Battlefield to see the soldier’s bones found in an attic earlier this month. 

The Battle of Waterloo is often remembered for its great leaders; Napoleon, Wellington and Blücher. Or, for its sweeping strategic importance but what did the ordinary fighting men endure? We went to the Waterloo Battlefield to learn about the almost apocalyptic reality of the battle with thick quagmires of mud and the bodies of both soldiers and horses strewn about. French Historian Antoin Charpagne shares stories of the men on the ground, what they ate (or didn't), their relationships and how they suffered. The History Hit team then head to Universite de Liege Medical Institute to the morgue to see what bones from Prussian soldiers can tell us about the battle before finally heading on to the Brussels Museum of Natural Sciences where Dan helps Dr Caroline Laforest unpack the British bones that have just arrived.

With great thanks to Mathilde Daumas, Dr Bernard Wilkin and Waterloo Uncovered.

Produced by Mariana Des forges and mixed by Joseph Knight.

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Art and cultural historian Dr Janina Ramirez joins Dan on today's episode to tell the stories of three incredible medieval women: Aethelfled, a warrior queen who crushed the Vikings, Jadwiga, the first Queen Regent of Poland and Hildegard of Bingen, an 11th century polymath abbess who became a 20th century feminist icon and saint. They all ruled, influenced and changed history but are often left out of the narrative of the Middle Ages.

Janina's new best-selling book 'Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It' is out now.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and mixed by Dougal Patmore

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Content Warning This episode contains adult themes and language that may not be suitable for children.

On this special network crossover episode we're calling 'History Hit in the Sheets', host of our chart-storming 'Betwixt the Sheets' podcast Kate Lister joins Dan to unravel the stories, adventures and troubled legacy of Casanova.

Sex - lots of sex. That's what we think of when we think of Giacomo Casanova, Italy's most prolific lover and adventurer. But, there was much more to this Venetian womaniser than just romancing - he was a scam artist, outlaw, alchemist, spy and church cleric. He wrote satires, fought duels, and escaped from prison more than once. He even set up the French national lottery. We know so much about Casanova thanks to his mammoth three thousand page autobiography. It spoke of his incredible life in Europe, but is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of information about the customs and norms of European social life during the 18th century. He's often been painted as a rascal but today many question the darker side of his sex life; within his 'tally' of sexual partners, many seem forced and some were children, including his own.

Produced by Freddy Chick, Charlotte Long and Mariana Des Forges. Mixed by Dougal Patmore.

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It's 1660 and General Edward Whalley and his son-in-law board a ship bound for the New World. They're on the run, wanted for the murder of King Charles I. His execution, the culmination of the English Civil War, sees control taken from the royalists by Oliver Cromwell and his parliamentarians for ten years. But, when the royalists return to power, an epic manhunt ensues for the fugitives hiding out in America.

This is the plot of celebrated author Robert Harris' new historical novel Oblivions which takes a reader on a journey into the wilds of seventeenth-century New England. Robert joins Dan to talk about writing historical fiction, the history behind it and the unlikely way this story came to him.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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250 million years ago the armour-plated Placoderm fish invented the act of sex as we know it. Hubba Hubba. Dive into the historical sack as we go in search of the origins of nature’s greatest-ever invention.

Dallas’s guest on this episode is Australian palaeontologist John Long, author of The Dawn of the Deed.

Produced by Freddy Chick. The senior producer is Charlotte Long.

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Stalingrad is one of the most titanic and totemic battles of the Second World War. Millions were killed, the city itself was utterly shattered by fighting and the seemingly unbeatable Wehrmacht suffered a catastrophic rout like never before. But what made the Soviet victory possible; what happened to the men from both sides who fought in the rubble and snow of Stalin's city; and what were the consequences, both on the Eastern Front and around the world, of this savage clash of arms?

To find out Dan is joined by Jochen Hellbeck professor of history at Rutgers University and author of Stalingrad: The City that Defeated the Third Reich to discuss how the battle of Stalingrad ended and what came next.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Where can you find an Iron Age fort, Roman kilns, trees built for Nelson's navy and the hunting lodge of William the Conqueror? In the place that Dan calls home: the New Forest in the South of England. In this special episode of the podcast sponsored by BMW and National Park's Recharge in Nature project, Dan joins his good friend and local archaeologist Richard Reeves for an afternoon under the canopy and over the heathland to dig into the deep history of this ancient woodland so named at the Norman Conquest. 

 

Among the gently falling rain, crunchy leaves and chirping birds, Dan and Richard retrace the many civilisations who have utilised the forest over the centuries for commoning, building ships, serving armies, hiding out and most of all, relaxing. Right through from the Norman gentry hunting deer to the Victorians who planted giant redwoods for scenic driveways, the New Forest has been a place of play and leisure for rich and poor, old and young. 

 

The Recharge in Nature project is a new 3-year partnership between BMW and National Parks UK with a shared aim and commitment to enhance the electric car charging network and support vital nature restoration, biodiversity and sustainability initiatives across all 15 National Parks.

 

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Fake moon landings, aliens and secret weapons; conspiracy theories about Area 51 abound but what exactly is it, and do we know anything about it with certainty? Dan is joined by Annie Jacobsen, investigative journalist and author of Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base, to find out what really goes on in this mysterious Air Force installation. They discuss dirty bomb tests, nuclear explosions in space and soviet hoaxes.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and James Hickmann, and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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This year marks the 50th anniversary of the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam. It was one of the most costly conflicts that the U.S. has ever fought, causing immense loss of life on all sides. US intervention was defined by the strategy of 'pacification', but what exactly did this entail, and did it really work? Dan is joined by the expert on this subject, historian Robert Thompson, author of Clear, Hold, and Destroy, to learn about pacification in Vietnam's Phú Yên province. John Harrison, an American veteran who served with the 101st Airborne, will also be sharing his experiences about what pacification looked like on the ground.

Produced by James Hickmann and mixed by Dougal Patmore.

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Anne Frank’s diary is one of the most famous accounts of the Jewish experience during the Second World War, giving us a deeply personal glimpse into the life-in-hiding of a prolific young writer. But on the 1st August 1944, the diary abruptly ends - the Franks, van Pelses and Fritz Pfeffer had been discovered by the Gestapo. In this episode, we’ll find out what happened to them between their arrest and Anne’s tragic death in 1945. Dan is joined by Bas von Benda-Beckmann, historian and co-author of After the Annex: Anne Frank, Auschwitz and Beyond, to reconstruct Anne’s life after her arrest.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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The Three Musketeers paints a picture of King Louis XIII of France as a rather weak monarch controlled by his powerful chief minister Cardinal Richelieu. Louis’ reign is generally thought of as being the beginning of the “age of absolutism” when ministers like Richelieu were in the ascendancy and the power of the court and courtiers declined. But was this really the case?

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Dr. Marc Jaffré, who believes it’s time to revise the conventional view of this significant period in French history.

This episode was edited by Thomas Ntinas and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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We think of archaeology as an exclusionary profession, one reserved for experts in the field. But why isn't the discipline more accessible to the public? Should the past not belong to everybody, and are there some basic skills that anyone can learn to help rediscover our past? The archaeologist and television presenter Chloe Duckworth joins us to give advice on how to become archaeologists in our own back gardens.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Waterloo was one of the bloodiest battles in European history, yet until now only two bodies have ever been found on the battlefield. The remains of 10 British and Prussian soldiers who died in battle have just been discovered by the Belgian-German team Waterloo Uncovered; some skeletons had been resting in an attic for more than 40 years. The bones bare the brutality of the battle with marks from bladed weapons, one skull showing horrific damage caused by bayonet thrust or sword blow.

Historian Rob Schaefer and Researcher Bernard Wilkin from the Belgian State Archive who made the discovery, both join Dan on the podcast to break the news of the astonishing find. Dan hatches a plan to get over to the lab in Belgium asap to see the bones for himself and what they can tell us about the grim, violent reality of the 50,000 men who were killed or injured on the battlefield on 18th of June 1815.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore

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1492 marked the beginning of the Colombian Exchange - the transfer of people, goods, ideas and commodities across the Atlantic between Europe and the Americas. We hear a lot about the conquistadors, the settlers, Jesuit priests and colonisers from Spain, Portugal and Britain whose success in the 'New World' was built on the help and enslavement of indigenous people. But what of the indigenous peoples who made the journey in the opposite direction? Many travelled to Europe, some as slaves, others as courtiers, diplomats and even tourists.

Author and Britain's only Aztec historian Caroline Dodds Pennock joins Dan to tell the stories of the Maya who first brought chocolate to the court of Isabella and Ferdinand, the Algonquin diplomats who travelled with Walter Raleigh and took residence in Elizabethan London and the Brazilian King who stopped by Hampton Court palace to see Henry VIII.

Caroline's new book is called 'On Savage Shores: How Indigenous Americans Discovered Europe'

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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The brutal nature of the First World War presented frontline medical personnel with an array of horrific and debilitating wounds, inflicted on a previously unimaginable scale. From gas attacks and bayonet wounds to rifle fire and artillery barrages, day-to-day life on the frontlines posed a serious risk to life and limb. The doctors and nurses responsible for medical care rose to the challenge, and the First World War saw a dramatic transformation in the provision of frontline medicine. Many more lives would be saved than lost due to the efforts of these 'lifesavers'. Focusing on the Canadian experience, Tim Cook, author of Lifesavers and Body Snatchers, explains just how important and innovative the work of frontline medical staff was, and reveals the more sinister side of how these advances were achieved.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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The Ming Dynasty emerged in the second half of the 14th century, having achieved a hard-won victory over the declining Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. Admiral Zheng He, a Muslim of Mongol descent, was born into this turmoil in a far-flung, frontier province of the Ming empire. Yet by the early 15th century, he had been made the commander-in-chief of some of the most extravagant and far-reaching naval voyages in history. How did a Muslim eunuch ascend to a position of such power in the Ming court? Where did these vast voyages take him, and how is he considered in China today? Dan is joined by Craig Clunas, Professor of the History of Art at the University of Oxford and an expert on the Ming Dynasty, to answer these questions, and more.

Produced by James Hickmann. Edited by Dougal Patmore.

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As the British and French colonies in North America expanded in the middle of the 18th century, they inevitably clashed. Fighting between the two sides and their respective Native American allies began in Ohio Country (now western Pennsylvania) in 1754. Dan Snow tells Don how the fighting began in 1754 in Ohio country (now western Pennsylvania) and spread, over almost a decade, across the disputed territory in the Great Lakes region and into New France (modern-day Canada). As a result of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the war, France's presence in North America was all but ended. They were left only with the small islands of St Pierre and Miquelon, off Newfoundland.

Produced by Benjie Guy. Mixed by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long.

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Just over 100 years ago, in October 1922, Mussolini and 30,000 Blackshirts marched on Rome. It was a mass demonstration that would see his National Fascist Party take power in the Kingdom of Italy. However, the advent of Italian fascism has always been overshadowed by that of its infamous German counterpart, the Nazi Party. But what actually happened during Mussolini’s time in power? And why do we remember Mussolini’s dictatorship on more forgiving terms than that of Hitler? Dan is joined by Christian Goeschel, historian of modern European history and author of Mussolini and Hitler: The Forging of the Fascist Alliance, to lay bare the realities of Mussolini’s Italy.

Produced by James Hickmann. Edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Winston Churchill is possibly the most famous politician in British history. Throughout his career, he would hold numerous positions in government, including serving as the MP for 5 different constituencies. Perhaps the most unusual of these was his time representing the Scottish industrial city of Dundee - he would provoke the ire of a fascinating cast of characters, including the respected Dundonian and prohibitionist, Edwin Scrymgeour. But how did Churchill become MP for the Scottish city of Dundee? And why did he lose the 1922 by-election to Scrymgeour? Dan is joined by Andrew Liddle, historian and author of Cheers, Mr Churchill! Winston in Scotland, to learn about Churchill’s surprising career in Dundee and how he was beaten by a prohibitionist candidate.

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Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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The Crusades are well-known but only part of the complex history of the medieval Near East. During the same era, the region was completely remade by the Mongol invasions.  In a single generation, the Mongols upended the region’s geopolitics. 

In this edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Dr. Nicholas Morton, author of The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East, about the conquests that forever transformed the region, while forging closer ties among societies spread across Eurasia. 

 

This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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The Himalayas is one of the most expansive and storied regions in the world. It's also a place that we're hugely dependent on, providing billions of people with fresh water. Because of its significance, civilisations throughout history have sought to conquer it. What forces have exerted control over 'The Roof of the World'? And what is it about this place that has fascinated outsiders for centuries? Dan speaks with John Keay, journalist and author of Himalaya: Exploring the Roof of the World to explore the intersections of culture, society and nature that makeup one of the world's last great wildernesses.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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At the end of the 19th century, the world came to fear terrorism. In an era that simmered with political rage and social inequalities, anarchists and nationalists took to bombing cities and attacking lawmakers and leaders. With an outrage-hungry press peddling hysteria, conspiracy theories and fake news, readers began to think they were living through the end of days. Add social media to the mix and it all sounds a bit familiar.

Dr James Crossland, Reader in International History at Liverpool John Moores University, joins Dan on the podcast to discuss the origins of modern terrorism, parallels with what we see today with groups from ISIS to the Proud Boys who stormed the Capitol in Washington DC in 2021 and how exactly terrorism works.

Dr James Crossland's new book is called 'Rise of Devils'.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and James Hickmann. Edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Prince Harry's explosive new memoir is out today and headlines, articles and tweets all weighing in on the rift between the royals are everywhere. In the past warring royal siblings fought it out on the battlefield or in duplicitous schemes of murder, but today it plays out in the media.

Historian of Monarchy Anna Whitelock joins Dan to talk about the dynamics of royal families, the dangers of hereditary power and some of the most important royal sibling rivalries through history including Henry VIII and Arthur, Prince of Wales, Elizabeth I and Mary Tudor and William II and Henry I.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and James Hickmann. Edited by Dougal Patmore.

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From 1939 to 1975, Generalissimo Francisco Franco ruled Spain as a nationalist dictator. For many, he was Spain incarnate, a tenacious leader and warrior in the same vein as El Cid. Under his guidance, the regime was able to navigate 36 years of political turmoil and conflict, vanquishing Communism, surviving the Second World War and bringing about economic prosperity. For others, this idealised portrait stands in stark contrast to the reality of his rule, which was instead defined by incompetence, violence and self-interest. So who exactly was Francisco Franco, and why is he such a divisive figure? Sir Paul Preston, the acclaimed historian and biographer of General Franco, joins Dan to untangle the complex and conflicted legacy of Spain's most famous 20th-century leader.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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November 22nd marks 59 years since the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy. One of the most famous assassinations in history, JFK's death sent shockwaves not only through the United States but across the world. However, before that fateful day in history, JFK was a journalist, a Senator, and finally President - but what do we know about his early political career? And what actually went on behind the closed doors of the Oval office?

James Rogers from the Warfare Podcast is joined by Deirdre Henderson, a former colleague and friend of JFK. Deirdre had worked with JFK when he was a senator, and played a significant role in helping to form a group of key advisors to secure his Presidential election. Not only that, but Deirdre went on to work in matters of defence and security for the state - and in the early years of their friendship, was gifted JFK's personal diary. Together, Deirdre and James talk about how Deirdre came to work for the then Senator, her experience at the 1961 Inauguration, and her final moments with JFK. Deirdre offers an unprecedented look inside JFK's White House, allowing for a new side of John F. Kennedy to be seen.

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The first author in history, the inventor of the dishwasher and the lawyer who refused to be kicked out of the room the Oxford law school; when it comes to revolutions, says novelist Kate Mosse, you don't always have to lead from the front. There are thousands of women in history who've changed their circumstances and the world for others in smaller but no less impactful ways. She talks to Dan about her new book 'Warrior Queens and Quiet Revolutionaries' which tells the stories of some of those women. 

Produced by Beth Donaldson and mixed by Dougal Patmore

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Harry Houdini is perhaps the most famous entertainer to have ever lived. He wowed his audiences with sensational feats of physical endurance and illusions that were as shocking as they were impressive. What was it that made him such a captivating performer? What controversies swirled around this intriguing character? And was any of the magic real...? Joe Posnanski, an award-winning sports journalist and author of The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini joins Dan to talk about these questions and more.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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This episode tells the incredible story of four Second World War British POWs who overcame the trials and tribulations of internment through a shared passion for birdwatching. Derek Niemann, a specialist in natural history and author of Birds in a Cage, joins Dan to discuss why this obsession helped them survive the POW camps, and how it drove them to become giants of post-war British wildlife conservation.

Produced by Hannah Ward and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Almost at the centre of Europe, Budapest, is at the crossroads of geographical regions and of civilizations, at the intersection of ancient trade routes. Mountains that gradually slope into gentle hills converge on a great river, the Danube, and the regions of Buda and Pest sprang up on either side.

Victor Sebestyen is a writer and historian. Victor joins Dan on the podcast to share the story of a tumultuous, often divided, but always fascinating city. They discuss how the city bears the scars of the rise and fall of multiple empires, two world wars, fascism, Nazi German occupation, and Soviet Communism.

Produced by Hannah Ward and edited by Dougal Patmore

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Fingers on buzzers for a very special History Hit end-of-year treat.

Tricky expert questions, history in the headlines, historical fact or fiction? It can only be the History Hit Big Quiz of 2022 - a seasonal test where you can pit your wits against our in-house history brains, or just sit back, grab a glass of whatever you fancy, and enjoy a fact-filled competition, chaired by Quizmaster supreme, Dan Snow.

Everyone is welcome - from history know-it-alls to the whole family. Who can tell the difference between Mary Tudor and Marie Antoinette; the battles of Bosworth and Bunker Hill; Cleopatra’s needle and the Washington Monument?

We’re all living through history, now let’s find out who’s been paying attention!

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As the Nazi war machine rampaged across Europe it did not just take territory and resources from its conquests but also many thousands of pieces of art and other antiquities. Stolen from both galleries and individual victims of Nazi crimes allied troops discovered hidden caches of priceless artworks throughout Europe. As the war proceeded it had been recognised that these cultural treasures needed protection from the fighting and where necessary rescued and returned to their rightful owners. This job fell to the men and women of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program (MFAA) often known as "Monuments Men". Around 400 strong this team of dedicated art historians and museum staff risked their lives on the frontlines in order to save some of the world's most precious cultural heritage. 

To help tell the story of these brave men and women Dan is joined by Robert Edsel founder of the Monuments Men Foundation. Robert guides us through the formation of the MFAA, its role during and after the war and the ongoing going work by his foundation to continue their legacy and reunite works of art that remain missing with their rightful owners.

In the second half of the podcast, Dan speaks to Eric 'Randy' Schoenberg an American lawyer and genealogist, based in Los Angeles, California, specializing in legal cases related to the recovery of looted or stolen artworks, particularly those by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust. Randy successfully sued the Austrian government on behalf of his client Maria Altmann and reclaimed five Gustav Klimt paintings that had been taken during the war. He talks about how he came to specialize in this aspect of the law, the case itself and the impact the return of the paintings had on both Maria's family and him. 

This episode was first broadcast on 16 September 2021.

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We all think we know the story of Richard III and Henry VII, or do we? Richard III is often portrayed as a child-murdering usurper whose reign was brought to a bloody end by Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth. It was a grudge match to decide who would become King of England, but how true is this story really? In this episode, we'll find out as we ask the big questions about Richard III and Henry VII. Did Richard kill the princes in the tower? Were the motives of Henry's supporters honest ones? Who was the better king and why did they both end up so unpopular? And, how did these two men end up fighting each other for the crown? 

Representing Richard III is Matt Lewis presenter of Gone Medieval, Chair of the Richard III Society and author of numerous books on Richard and the Wars of the Roses. Matt takes on Nathen Amin author of Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders: Simnel, Warbeck And Warwick who represents Henry VII. They answer the big questions about these two controversial Monarchs and as you'll hear they might have more in common than you might think. 

This episode was first broadcast on 25 October 2021.

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Traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season, it is thought that carols existed to keep up people’s spirits, along with dances, plays and feasts since before the fourteenth century. Whether religious or not, the singing of Christmas carols is a tradition enjoyed by many every year, but do we know why?

Author of ‘Christmas Carols: From Village Green to Church Choir,’ composer and choirmaster Andrew Gant joins Dan for this carol-filled episode of the podcast. Andrew and Dan discuss why we sing Christmas carols and how they came to hold the magic enjoyed by so many. Accompany Dan and Andrew in the festive spirit as delve into the history of one of our best-loved musical traditions and the surprising stories behind a handful of well-known seasonal songs.

Audio courtesy of Signum Records.

This episode was first broadcast on 24 December 2021.

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Porpoises, beaver tails, boar's head and puffins: are just some of the exquisite dishes on medieval tables during the festive season. In this episode food historian, Annie Gray joins Dan in his kitchen to cook up some delicious Christmas fare from ages past. They make wassail - an ancient alcoholic punch - and mince meat pies as they talk about the Pagan rituals, Medieval feasts and Victorian traditions that dictate what we put on our Christmas dinner tables.

You can make these festive delicacies at home as you listen! Find the easy-to-follow traditional recipes Dan and Annie used here: Annie's book is called 'At Christmas We Feast'

Follow the link to see the recipes featured in the podcast and learn more about Christmases past.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore

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At this time of year, many of us will find ourselves singing about a royal personage who braves the snow on the Feast of Stephen – the Second Day of Christmas – so that he can distribute alms to a poor peasant. But who was the real Good King Wenceslas and was he as pious and saintly as the Christmas song suggests?

In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman is joined by Czech historian Dr. David Kalhous to learn about the tenth-century Bohemian Duke, posthumously declared to be a king and patron saint of the Czech state.

This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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Lasting six brutal weeks, from December 16, 1944, to January 25, 1945, the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes region of Belgium was Adolf Hitler’s last major offensive in the Second World War against the Western Front.

Anthony Tucker-Jones had a former career in British intelligence and is now a defence writer and military historian. Dan welcomes Anthony back to the podcast to discuss Hitler’s aim to split the Allies in their drive toward Germany, the attack on the battle-fatigued American troops and how ultimately, the German troops’ failure to divide Britain, France and America with the Ardennes offensive paved the way to victory for the allies.

Produced by Hannah Ward and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Why do grandmas wear bloomers? How did romans clean themselves after using the toilet? Pillows were originally made of stone?! These are all questions Orla, Wolf and Zia Snow have for author and public historian Greg Jenner. In this episode Dan and his children quiz Greg about the incredible history of the everyday things we use and take for granted.

Greg's new children's book is called 'You Are History' and is bursting with hundreds of astonishing stories and illustrations.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and mixed by Joseph Knight.

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Followed by billions and worshipped across the planet, Jesus is the most famous person who ever lived. Jesus Christ is revered as a prophet and the Messiah by Christians but who was Jesus, the man, who was born in Judea in the 1st Century AD and preached around Galilee during the Roman Empire?

What we know of Jesus largely comes from the four gospels of the New Testament which are regarded as the most authoritative accounts of Jesus' life. As a poor labourer who only really appeared on the scene for a very short time, it's no surprise there's no archeological evidence of Jesus. Only kings and emperors leave a trace. This means historians have to find other ways to corroborate the details in the gospels.

In this Christmas episode Joan Taylor, Professor in Early Christianity at Kings College London, compares parallel details across all the gospels, looks at contemporary textiles, Roman historical accounts and evidence of Jesus' contemporaries to piece together a biography of the man who changed the world. 

Produced by Mariana Des Forges, mixed by Joseph Knight.

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Last week a celebrity chef, former police officers and serving army officers were arrested in Germany as part of an extremist coup to overthrow the government. The 'Reichsbürger' group has been described as a 'right-wing terrorist cell' by German media and was targeted by over 3000 police officers in an enormous raid that uncovered rifles, ammunition and personnel gathering. The group's aim was to reinstate the German monarchy with a hereditary prince, and right-wing conspiracy theorist Heinrich XIII as head of state. The 71-year-old is a descendent of the Hohenzollern dynasty, part of the German monarchy deposed in 1918 after the disastrous First World War.

To make sense of the news, Dan speaks to Anglo-German historian and author Katja Hoyer about Germany's relationship with its historical monarchy, the roots of the coup and the influence of QAnon and Trumpian conspiracy theories in galvanising far-right groups in Germany.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and mixed by John Rogers.

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Angela Findlay was determined to find out if her grandfather, Karl von Graffen, was a Nazi and what he did on the Eastern front. An artist and speaker, Angela spent her youth feeling a constant sense of guilt and shame but couldn't figure out why. It wasn't until her 40s that she turned to her German roots and discovered that she was enmeshed in the horrors of Nazi Germany and the Second World War.

She knew her German grandfather had been a Wehrmacht general in the Second World War but never really understand what that meant. She set out on a research mission to find out what her grandfather had been involved in and what he'd known. Her journey took her across Russia to the swamps of the Volkhov Front where he’d fought in Operation Barbarossa in Hitler's war of annihilation.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore

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There are many common misconceptions and misunderstandings about Tattoos. They can act as a window into the social economic and cultural issues of a period of time. Britain was in fact the 'land of the painted people' with tattooing going further back into our history than many people would think. Dr Matt Lodder, the world's leading expert on the history of tattooing, and senior lecturer in Art History and Theory at the University of Essex talks to Dan about all things ink and body art. What do tattoos mean for us as individuals and what can they tell us about societies of the past? 

This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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The American Civil War saw a transformation in medical provision on the battlefield. A loose grouping of medical practitioners was reshaped into a burgeoning, professionalised occupation. How did the medical profession rise to the challenge of treating thousands of wounded soldiers? What lessons were learnt about treating not just battlefield wounds, but infection and disease as well? Dan is joined by Carole Adrienne, author of Healing A Divided Nation to discuss the American Civil War, and the birth of modern medicine.

Produced by Hannah Ward and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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The Battle of Stalingrad was the deadliest battle of the Second World War, and one of the bloodiest in the history of warfare. Infamous for its atrocious conditions and brutal house-to-house fighting, the battle raged for just over 5 months and concluded with an estimated 2 million casualties. Dan is joined by Iain MacGregor, author of the acclaimed book The Lighthouse of Stalingrad, to hear his thrilling account of history's greatest battle and the key moments that shaped its outcome.

Produced by Beth Donaldson and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Of all the air raids carried out during World War Two, none are as enduringly famous as the attack by Lancaster Bombers against the dams of Germany’s industrial heartland. Commemorated in literature and film throughout the decades, the mission – which was codenamed Operation ‘Chastise’ – has come to epitomise British ingenuity and courage throughout the war. On the night of 16-17 May 1943, an audacious raid using purpose-built “bouncing bombs” destroyed the Möhne and Edersee Dams. Successful detonation required great technical skill from the pilots: they needed to be dropped from a height of 60 feet, at a ground speed of 232mph, in challenging conditions. Once the dams were breached, there was catastrophic flooding of the Ruhr valley and of villages in the Eder valley. Despite the fact that the impact on industrial production was limited, the raid gave a significant morale boost to the people of Britain and became enshrined in popular consciousness. In late March 1943, the RAF 617 Squadron was formed under great secrecy at RAF Scampton, for the specific purpose of attacking the dams. Led by 24-year-old Wing Commander Guy Gibson, the squadron was made up of aircrew from Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA. Over 100 aircrew, aboard 19 Lancaster bombers, would eventually carry out the famous raids. One of the young men selected to take part in the crew was 21-year-old George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, who had been trained as a specialist bomb aimer. He was the last surviving Dambuster until his death, aged 101, on 7 December 2022. In this fascinating interview, Dan meets with Johnny Johnson to hear about the extraordinary events in the lead-up to the raid, and about how his life was altered by the events of those fateful nights in May 1943.

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Zeus, the chief deity in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of sky and thunder and is king of all other gods and men.

His tale is one of overthrowing fathers, eating babies and seducing women, both mortal and divine, by changing his own form. He's one of the most complex figures in history, and his story is one that's been retold throughout millennia. To try and make sense of it all, we're going back to the very beginning, to the origins of Zeus, starting with his grandfather and grandmother, Uranus and Gaia. We learn about the prophecy that ultimately overthrows Uranus, the same one that is also fated for Zeus's father, Cronus, and start to understand the family tree that becomes the Olympians - from Athena to Dionysus.

For this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by academic, author, broadcaster and Professor in Classics and Ancient History at the University of Warwick, Michael Scott. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy The Symposium: How To Party Like An Ancient Greek, also with Michael Scott.

Script written by Andrew Hulse

Voice over performed by Deryn Oliver

Produced, edited and sound designed by Elena Guthrie

The Assistant Producer was Annie Coloe

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Lieutenant-Colonel 'Paddy' Mayne is a legendary figure in the history of the British Special Forces. Valiant but volatile, confident yet conflicted, Paddy embodied the fighting spirit of the SAS. Ben Macintyre is the author of the book SAS: Rogue Heroes, the only approved history of the unit which was recently turned into a BBC drama series of the same name. Ben joins us to talk about the formation of this legendary fighting force, and the life and times of its most colourful character.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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How has China become the economic superpower that it is today? The decades since the death of Chairman Mao Zedong have seen an unprecedented economic transformation, but how has this been achieved? And how credible is the idea that China’s long-term, strategic vision is the key to the nation’s future? Dan is joined by historian Frank Dikötter, a specialist in modern China and author of China After Mao: The Rise of a Superpower, to find out how China has changed, and where it might be going.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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With the 2022 FIFA World Cup well underway, the phenomenon of sportswashing is once again in everybody's minds. Autocracies and democracies alike have long relied on major sporting events to shore up their legitimacy and project their presence on the world stage. But why is sporting prowess so important for consolidating state power and prestige? Is it inevitable, and if not, how do we prevent it? Dan is joined by Jules Boykoff, Professor of Politics and Government at Pacific University, Oregon to talk about all these things, and more.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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What was life really like in Tudor England? This was a society where monarchy was under strain, the church was in crisis and contending with war, rebellion, plague and poverty was a fact of daily life. Yet it was also an age rich in ideas and ideals, where women asserted their agency and found a literary voice. 

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Dr. Lucy Wooding, who has written a bold new history of the brilliant, conflicted, visionary world of Tudor England, presenting a starkly different picture of this famous era from the one we thought we know.

The Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. 

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How can you condense the history of the world into a book? Well-celebrated historian Simon Sebag Montefiore does just that in his new epic. He takes Dan on an exhilarating journey through the families that have shaped our world: the Caesars, Medicis and Incas, Ottomans and Mughals, and Bonapartes and Habsburgs to name a few. His new book 'The World' captures the story of humankind in all its joy, sorrow, romance, ingenuity and cruelty.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore

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Atlantis is one of the most compelling legends - an advanced, mythical civilisation, wiped out by an unknown phenomenon. The allure of this civilisation, rich in lost knowledge and culture, is obvious. But how do archaeologists separate fact from fiction? How can they be confident about the past, whilst remaining open to new ideas? Flint Dibble, an archaeologist at Cardiff University, joins Dan to talk about Atlantis and how experts should treat new discoveries and evidence.

This episode was produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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England plays Wales in the World Cup today so it only makes sense that Dan looks back at what's often called Wales' last war of Independence against the English. No one quite knows how it began, but on the 16th of September 1400 Owain Glyndwr- a man of affluence from a mixed Anglo-Welsh family took the title of Prince of Wales and lead a bold and bloody rebellion against King Henry IV. Although he was ultimately defeated, Owain Glyndwr is remembered as a welsh hero, reimagined time and again by poets, writers and historians. 

Historical accounts from this period can sometimes be obscure so Dr Adam Chapman, a lecturer in Medieval History at the Institute of Historical Research joins the podcast to unravel the legend of Owain Glyndwr and sort the myth from the fact.

This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Rome has attracted aspiring conquerors and leaders for millennia, not just as a great metropolis, but as an idea. It has long been a symbol of military might and universal power, defined by political and religious authority as well as great feats of engineering that would leave indelible marks on the regions it conquered, and overshadow empire builders for centuries to come. Dan is joined by Simon Elliott, a historian, archaeologist and author of 'The Legacy of Rome', to discuss how the experience of being part of the Roman world is still felt in the modern day.

This episode was produced by Beth Donaldson and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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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 through the Black Death in the Middle Ages and on through the 1918 flu epidemic (which killed between 50 and 100 million people) and this century's deadly SARS outbreak, plagues have been a much more relentless fact of life than many realise.

Brian Michael Jenkins is one of the leading authorities on U.S. national security and an advisor to governments, presidents and CEOs. Brain joins Dan to discuss the legacy of epidemics— which is not only one of the lives lost but also of devastated economies, social disorder, and severe political repercussions.

This episode was produced by Hannah Ward and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Yesterday the UK Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Scottish government is not allowed to hold a second independence referendum without Westminster's agreement. It means, for now, Scotland will stay in the United Kingdom, though for how long is unclear.

The union between the nations of Great Britain goes back to 1707. On each side of the border, statesmen started to realise that a closer relationship offered solutions to problems both countries were facing: Scotland needed economic security and England needed political safeguards against French attacks. In this episode, Scottish historian Professor Murray Pittock talks Dan through the benefits and cracks in this 300 year old union.

Produced by Hannah Ward and edited by Dougal Patmore

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Dan teams up with his parents and esteemed journalists Peter Snow and Ann MacMillan to explore the lives, loves, triumphs and disasters of a monarchy that is the envy of the world. They offer a unique insight into those born to rule, whether villains or heroes – from cruel King John and warrior-king Edward III to our own Elizabeth II: dutiful, discreet and the longest-reigning queen in the world.

Their new book is called 'Kings and Queens: The Real Lives of Monarchs' 

Produced by Dan Snow and edited by Dougal Patmore. 

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Central Park is an oasis of nature in New York City, amidst the countless skyscrapers and gridded streets of Manhattan. Over 800 acres of sweeping fields, shaded pathways and picturesque vistas attract more than 42 million visitors a year. It was created to give free and equal access to recreational space for all. But, as Don hears from Leslie Alexander, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of History at Rutgers University, underneath Central Park are the remains of Seneca - a village of African-American, Irish and German communities, whose inhabitants were forced from their homes to make way for the park’s construction in 1857.

Produced by Benjie Guy. Mixed by Thomas Ntinas. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long.

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Mike Sadler is the last surviving original member of the SAS and is featured in the new television series SAS Rogue Heroes as a dashing young man and master of desert warfare. Major Sadler, now 101, was the navigator for the regiment’s founder David Stirling, guiding raiding columns for hundreds of miles behind enemy lines in North Africa. In this archive interview, he talks to Dan about how he came to join this legendary unit at its very conception and his service during the Second World War.

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For centuries, the pub has played a central role in our lives and communities. Throughout Britain, there are many pubs saying that they are the oldest - some of them even claim to have Medieval origins.

In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman welcomes back award-winning buildings archaeologist Dr. James Wright to explore how long we have actually had pubs and which of them can truly claim to be the oldest.

The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. 

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Rising interest, cost of living crisis, energy prices at an all-time high- is Britain's precarious financial situation the fault of policymakers or global forces? On the day the chancellor reveals the Autumn budget Dan and Dr Charles Read, economic historian and fellow at the University of Cambridge make sense of how Britain got here. They break down gilts, bonds and interest rates, how voters swing toward extreme parties in the wake of the financial crisis, and what lessons Kwasi Kwarteng should have taken from the Whig party's mistakes during the Great Potato Famine in the 1840s, as he made his disastrous mini-budget.

Dr Charles Read's new books are called 'The Great Famine in Ireland and British Financial Crisis' and 'The Carry Trade, the Banking School and British Financial Crises since 1825'

This episode was produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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In part 2 of this series on Easy Company and the American 101st Airborne Division, we are back in the village of Aldbourne, following in the steps of the infantrymen as they trained, relaxed and got to know Britain in preparation for the liberation of Europe. The team make an exciting discovery that gives them a direct link to soldiers of Easy Company.

This episode was produced by Marian Des Forges and James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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In the first of this 2-part series dedicated to the legacy of Easy Company and the American 101st Airborne Division, Dan visits the idyllic country village of Aldbourne in Wiltshire, where the 'Band of Brothers' were stationed. Joined by a group of volunteers, including military veterans and archaeologists, Dan and the team dig into the 'friendly invasion' of the Second World War and see what can be learned from the treasures that the Allied troops left behind.

This episode was produced by Marian Des Forges and James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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In December 2021, marine archaeologists working alongside the Swedish Navy came across the wreck of a 17th-century warship in the Stockholm archipelago. Its identity remained a mystery until earlier this year when she was positively identified as the elusive 'Äpplet', sister ship to the ill-fated 'Vasa' that sank during her maiden voyage. Marine archaeologist Jim Hansson joins us to explain the significance of this wreck as an example of the cutting-edge engineering and experimentation that defined this period of naval history.

This episode was produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Often faster than letters sent by ship, WWII soldiers stationed in South East Asia would send heartfelt and humorous video messages to their loved ones who'd gather in cinemas across Britain. Using the revolutionary technology of the time the men spoke directly to the camera, addressing their families and partners watching back home in Britain, it was a way the government ensured those fighting further away weren't forgotten.

For Remembrance Day, Dan takes a trip to South Yorkshire to the Penistone Paramount cinema, a red plush auditorium with an original Compton cinema organ, for a special screening of these moving films from the front line. Professor Steve Hawley came across the films gathering dust in archives up and down the country and decided to track down the descendants of the personnel in the films for a special screening. In this episode, Dan goes along and meets Vanessa and Richard Barnes who have no idea a film of their father exists.

Professor Steve Hawley's book is called 'Men, War and Film'

Find out more about the Penistone Paramount here.

Archive audio heard in this episode is held by the BFI.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and mixed by Dougal Patmore

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For at least 1,500 years, since the mists swirling around the Dark Ages began to clear, the British Isles have had monarchical rulers. For hundreds of years, they were the central figures of the nation: the focus of its politics and society, consecrated by God, endorsed (or not) by the nobility, the arbiters of its arts and culture, the makers of its laws, the directors of its government and the leaders in its wars.

Stephen Bates is an award-winning author and journalist, most recently, the Royalty and Religious Affairs correspondent for the Guardian from 2000-2012. Stephen joins Dan to explore how and why the monarchy in these islands has endured and evolved, and what will become of its survival in the future.

This episode was produced by Hannah Ward and James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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On November 9th, 1989, 33 years ago to the day, the Berlin Wall that had symbolised the ideological and physical division of Europe came crumbling down. We remember this in the West as a triumph of Democracy and the beginning of a new, post-Cold War world. But was it that clear cut for the people whose lives were most closely touched by this momentous occasion? How did people in Germany respond to events as they unfolded? For this special anniversary episode, Dan is joined by four people who experienced the 9th of November first-hand and hears their unique perspectives on the events of that day.

This episode was produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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As protests continued across Iran, a number of Iranian-made kamikaze drones were fired by Russian forces at targets thousands of miles away in Kyiv, Ukraine.

It marks the first time that these Iranian weapons have been used against a European capital, as well as a new low for relations between Iran and the West - which were already under strain.

So how did we get here? In this episode of Warfare, James Rogers is joined by Professor Ali Ansari of St Andrews University in Scotland to learn the historical context of modern Iran - from the Iranian Revolution to the nuclear deal torn up by former US President Donald Trump in 2018.

This episode was first broadcast on 24th October 2022.

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American intelligence services like the CIA are commonly thought of as global behemoths of international surveillance and covert operations, responsible for carrying out everything from cyber espionage to assassinations and political coups. But its origins in the Second World War paint a picture of a very different kind of intelligence agency, operating on a smaller scale, and with very different goals. We are joined by historian Nicholas Reynolds, who has in his time been a marine and an employee of the CIA, who will guide us through the birth and growth of the agency, and tackle some of the most persistent conspiracy theories that surround it along the way.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Joseph Knight.

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4/4. Dan descends the very same stone steps into Tutankhamun's tomb that Carter did, 100 years earlier. From within the chamber, Dan and Egyptologist Alia Ismail give a sense of the awe Carter and Carnarvon would have felt, of the riches and sarcophagi that housed the mummy of Tutankhamun. Meanwhile, Dr Campbell Price gets into the obsession the discovery sparked- ‘tut-mania’- as the public bought all the rolls of film in Luxor and slept on camp-beds in the grounds of the winter Palace hotel, desperate to catch a glimpse of the treasures emerging from the tomb.

From the bustling Luxor souk, Dan reflects on why exactly the boy pharaoh captured the world's imagination and still does to this day.

Listen to episode one - Tutankhamun: The Valley of the Kings.

Listen to episode two - Tutankhamun: The Discovery of a Lifetime.

Listen to episode three - Tutankhamun: The Life of a Boy Pharaoh.

This podcast was written and produced by Mariana Des Forges and mixed by Dougal Patmore

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3/4. How much do we know about Tutankhamun, his short life and even shorter reign? Dan unravels the complicated legacy of Tutankhamun's predecessor Akhenaten who changed the very fabric of Egyptian society, leaving his son Tutankhamun to change it back. In life, the boy pharaoh was plagued by health complications and died aged 18, leaving very little information about his life. Dan and Egyptologist Dr Campbell Price look to his tomb to see what it can tell us about his reign, death and funeral.

Listen to episode one - Tutankhamun: The Valley of the Kings.

Listen to episode two - Tutankhamun: The Discovery of a Lifetime.

This podcast was written and produced by Mariana Des Forges and mixed by Dougal Patmore

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2/4. Dan dives into Carter’s obsession with Tutankhamun and the trials and idiosyncrasies that made him the right man for the discovery. Dan visits the house Carter built where he conducted his search. There, architectural historian Nicholas Warner tells Dan about the many frustrating years of finding nothing...until water boy Hussein Abdel-Rassoul stumbled upon a square stone that looked like a step. They dug down and discovered a tomb door with the royal seal. No one could have imagined the treasure that lay inside...

Listen to Episode One Tutankhamun: The Valley of the Kings.

This podcast was written and produced by Mariana Des Forges and mixed by Dougal Patmore

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1/4. On the West Bank of the Nile in Luxor lie the burial chambers of some of Ancient Egypt's greatest pharaohs - Ramses II, Seti I and Tutankhamun. From Luxor, Dan delves into the history of the Valley of the Kings with Alia Ismail whose current project is 3D mapping the tombs. He ventures deep into the earth inside the most magnificent of all the valley tombs- Seti I - as he and celebrated Egyptologist Salima Ikram tell the story of Giovanni Belzoni and the many explorers and archaeologists who set the stage for Howard Carter's discovery of the century.

This podcast was written and produced by Mariana Des Forges and mixed by Dougal Patmore

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Stories of shipwrecks, smugglers and ghosts. Built in the mid-18th century, over the years many of the Jamaica Inn's patrons have been less respectable than most. The inn has a long history of being used by smugglers to hide away contraband that was brought ashore concealed in all sorts of things - potatoes, women's stockings and even a hollowed-out turtle. It is estimated that half the brandy and a quarter of all tea being smuggled into the UK was landed along the Cornish and Devon coasts. Jamaica Inn was remote and isolated so it was the ideal stopping place on the way to Devon and beyond.

The inn was made famous by Daphne Du Maurier's novel of the same name published in 1936 after she and a friend became lost in fog whilst out riding on the moors and were led back by their horses to safety at the Inn. During the time spent recovering from her ordeal, the local rector is said to have entertained her with ghost stories and tales of smuggling...

Today it still operates as a hotel and museum and local historian at the Jamaica Inn Karin Beasant joins the podcast to regale us with tales of smuggling off the Cornish coast.

Find out more information about the Jamaica Inn.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges, edited by Dougal Patmore and readings by Lucy Davidson.

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From their origins in necromancy to their ritualisation in the religion of Spiritualism, seances have long been a staple in the occultist's toolbelt. Purporting to call forth spirits and allow communication with the dead, they exploded in popularity in the nineteenth century, attracting great scientists, writers and thinkers to their cause. Dan is joined by Lisa Morton, an expert on Spiritualism and author of Calling the Spirits: A History of Seances to talk about where seances came from, what they mean, and the frauds behind them.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and Beth Donaldson and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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The inspiration behind countless gothic novels, Countess Elizabeth Báthory is said to be one of the most prolific serial killers of all time, accused of the murder of 600 girls during the late 16th century. Dan talks to Professor Kimberly Craft, a legal historian who has spent over a decade researching the life and trial of Countess Báthory and over a year translating original source material into English. Where does the truth lie, a conspiracy started by her enemies or a psychopathic vampire?

Produced by Beth Donaldson and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Was Rasputin really Russia’s greatest love machine? Did he have any healing powers? And why might his penis be pickling in a jar?

In this episode, we are drawing this mystical man out of his cloud of green smoke to find out which of the things we know about him might actually be true.

Kate Lister from Betwixt The Sheets is joined by Douglas Smith, historian, translator and expert in Russian history, who has emerged from the archives with a new interpretation of this cartoon baddy.

*WARNING there are naughty words and discussions of sexual coercion in this episode*

Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee.

Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.

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James Arthur Stanley Harley was a scholar, reverend, politician, and perhaps aristocrat. Born in a poor village in the Caribbean island of Antigua, he went on to attend Howard, Harvard, Yale and Oxford universities, was ordained a priest in Canterbury Cathedral and was elected to Leicestershire County Council. This remarkable career was all the more extraordinary because he was black in an age - the early twentieth century - that was institutionally racist.

Pamela Roberts is an award-winning creative producer and historian. Her work as Founder and Director of Black Oxford Untold Stories has raised the profile of many black scholars from the turn of the twentieth century. Pamela joins Dan to offer insight into the Antiguan scholar, his entry by marriage to the Washington elite, and his clerical and political careers.

Produced by Hannah Ward and edited by Joseph Knight.

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On the 1st of November comes an immersive mini-series telling the story of one of the great discoveries of all time: the tomb of Tutankhamun. For more than 3000 years, the boy pharaoh lay undisturbed and almost forgotten in the Valley of the Kings; when in 1922 British archaeologist Howard Carter noticed a set of steps leading down into the earth, they would reveal the most extraordinary gateway to the afterlife the world had ever seen

Marking the 100th anniversary of Howard Carter’s discovery, Dan Snow’s History Hit is bringing you a dramatic retelling, recorded from within the tombs of Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. With celebrated Egyptologists, Dan unravels the story of one of the world’s greatest ancient dynasties and the discovery that gripped the globe and still does to this day.

Get lost in the Valley of the Kings with Dan, coming to the podcast soon…

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Fought in the second half of 1942, the Battles of El Alamein were a series of climactic confrontations in Egypt between British Imperial and Commonwealth forces, and a combined German and Italian army. Intended as a last-ditch attempts by the British to halt German gains in North Africa, they resulted in a clear victory for the British and represented a key turning point in the Second World War. Winston Churchill famously remarked that it was ‘not the end, not even the beginning of the end but, possibly, the end of the beginning’.

In this episode, Dan explores the circumstances that provoked this historic confrontation, and takes us through the twists and turns of the battle itself, from the perspective of those who fought it.

Produced by Dan Snow, James Hickmann and edited by Joseph Knight.

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On 21 October 1805, A British fleet commanded by Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson met the combined might of the French and Spanish fleets off the coast of Spain. Outnumbered, Nelson used innovative tactics to break up the allied fleet and ensure success but at great cost to his men and of course himself. It was a truly crushing defeat for the Franco-Spanish forces though. With the majority of their ships destroyed or captured it confirmed Britain's naval supremacy for decades to come. In this dramatic telling of one of the most famous battles in naval history, Dan brings to life the men, the commanders, the ships, and the tactics that enabled the British fleet to emerge as victors.

This episode was edited by Dougal Patmore.

This episode was first broadcast on 21st October 2021.

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Death by tiger bites. Death by prodding. Death from sexual excess. Deaths from over-eating and over-drinking. The opening of graves.

These are a few of the chapter headings in a 13th-century Chinese book called ‘The Washing Away of Wrongs’. It is a compendium of grizzly, gory, bizarre murders and deaths.

Its author was Song Ci, a Confucian trained bureaucrat who, like his fellow officials all over China, was responsible for investigating murders in his jurisdiction. According to the Wikipedia page for ‘forensic science’ this book is the earliest written evidence of forensic thinking. Is that correct?

Our guest today is Daniel Asen, a historian of China at Rutgers University.

This is the first episode in a mini-series from Patented: History of Inventions we’re bringing you all about the invention of Forensics.

Produced by Freddy Chick

Edited by Pete Dennis and Anisha Deva

The actors were Lucy Davidson and Tristan Hughes

The Executive Producer is Charlotte Long

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Born Mary Jane Grant in the colony of Kingston, Jamaica, in November 1805, Mary would later become a businesswoman, traveller and healer. Posthumously, Mary is best known as a Black British nurse.

Gretchen Gerzina is an author and academic who has written mostly historically-grounded biographical studies. Grethen joins Dan to share the story of Mary Seacole— how the traditional Afro-Caribbean medicine she learned from her mother would inform much of her life, her experiences as a Jamaican woman of mixed race and how she nursed the wounded of the Crimean War.

This episode was produced by Hannah Ward and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Could Liz Truss be Britain's worst Prime Minister? As the political scene in the UK hurtles into further disarray, Dan gets together historians Tim Bale, Catherine Haddon and Robin Eagles to put forward who they think has been Britain's worst Prime Minister over the centuries. Anthony Eden, Edward Heath and the 3rd Earl of Bute contend for first place.

This episode was produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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In October 1962 the world came very close to annihilation during the Cuban Missile Crisis. During the autumn of 1962, a U2 reconnaissance aircraft produced clear evidence that the Soviet Union and the Cuban authorities were building medium-range ballistic missile facilities on the island of Cuba and only around 100 miles from the coast of Florida. The resulting confrontation between the USA under JFK and the Soviet Union led by Nikita Khrushchev lasted just over a month and it's often considered to be the closest that the Cold War came to escalating to full-scale nuclear war. Serhii Plokhy, author of Nuclear Folly: A New History of the Cuban Missile Crisis, is Dan's guest on the podcast.

This episode was first released on 16 April 2021.

The audio editor for this episode was Dougal Patmore.

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There remains a tendency to reduce the history of African and Caribbean people in Britain to a simple story: it is one that begins in 1948 with the arrival of a single ship, the Empire Windrush. Yet, from the very beginning, from the moment humans first stood on this rainy isle, there have been African and Caribbean men and women set at Britain's heart.

Professor Hakim Adi is the first historian of African heritage to become a professor of history in Britain— he has been researching and writing about the history of African and Caribbean people in Britain for decades. Hakim joins Dan to chart a course through British history with an unobscured view of the actions of African and Caribbean people, sharing the stories of the Africans in Britain during the Roman period, Black Tudors, Stuarts and Victorians, and shedding light on the Windrush Myth.

This episode was produced by Hannah Ward and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Russia's current conflict in Ukraine was supposed to be a showcase of military prowess, a quick war that solidified her status as a great power. Instead, it has laid bare issues in leadership, training, supply and morale, all of which have crippled the military's operational capabilities. Although separated by a century, this conflict and Russia's handling of it bear a striking resemblance to Russia's involvement in the First World War. Dan speaks to Alexander Watson, acclaimed historian and author of the award-winning book The Fortress: The Great Siege of Przemysl, to find out exactly what comparisons we can draw between that conflict and the current war in Ukraine.

This episode was produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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After Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in 1933, thousands of German Jews facing systematic persecution wanted to flee the Third Reich but found few countries willing to accept them. For refugees fleeing the Nazis, America’s immigration quotas, established in the 1920s and sustained by popular and Congressional support, made it extremely difficult to enter the United States.

Ken Burns and Lynn Novick join Dan to explore America's response to one of the greatest humanitarian crises in history. They discuss the rise of Hitler and Nazism in Germany in the context of global antisemitism and racism, the eugenics movement in the United States and race laws in the American south.

This episode was produced by Hannah Ward and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Located on the banks of the River Nile in Luxor, Egypt, the Karnak Temple complex is one of the largest buildings ever constructed for religious purposes. Dedicated to the god Amun-Ra and covering over 200 acres - the Karnak Temple complex is bigger than some ancient cities.

Earlier this year, Tristan from The Ancients podcast, visited the Temple complex and spoke to the Director of Karnak Temples, El-Tayeb Gharieb Mahmoud. In this special, on-location episode, Tristan and Tayeb give us a tour of one of the most colossal sites left from the ancient world. Journeying around the complex, looking at the reliefs, architecture, and reflecting on the Pharaohs responsible for its construction - what can we learn from this 4,000 year old building?

If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe to History Hit today!

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The Romanov family were the first imperial dynasty to rule Russia, reigning from the early seventeenth century until the Russian Revolution of 1917. Including such illustrious names as Peter the Great, Catherine the Great and Alexander I, they oversaw and often instigated, dramatic changes to the fabric of Russian society and culture as a whole. Through conquest and expansion, they carved out a Russian Empire and propelled their nation into great power status. The myth and memory of the Romanovs still permeate Russian identity and history today.

Dan catches up with Orlando Figes, a distinguished historian and an expert on Romanov Russia whose acclaimed books, including A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution, 1891 - 1924, help to shed light on this crucial portion of Russian history.

This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Josie Bassett Morris' life epitomised the Wild West. She grew up on a homestead in the late 18th century, in Northern Utah, USA. Their home was situated on the Outlaw Trail and gun-slingers like Butch Cassidy and the Sun Dance Kid would stay as they passed through. Her mother was a forbidding cattle rancher and Josie quickly learnt the trade. As an adult, she was known for her quick wit, hardy lifestyle on the land and the many husbands she got through- she was smart, self-reliant and kind; a force they struggled to reckon with. As an older woman, she set up her home in the wilderness of Cub Creek where she lived completely off the land, stealing nearby cattle when she needed meat. When the depression hit, she brewed her own corn whiskey to sell. In the mid-20th century, she became a living legend - a movie starring Doris Day was even made about her- and she remains a legend of the old west to this day.

While in the USA, Dan took a visit to the Uintah Heritage Museum in Vernal, where he spoke with curator LeeAnn Denzer about life on the frontier and Josie Bassett Morris' extraordinary life.

You can find out more about the museum and the history of the frontier at the UINTAH COUNTY HERITAGE MUSEUM website.

It was produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Please note that this episode contains discussion of racist language.

Charles Ignatius Sancho was born on a slave ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean, in what was known as the Middle Passage. He was soon orphaned and then brought to England, where he was enslaved in Greenwich, London, by three sisters who opposed any attempt at education. So how did Charles Ignatius Sancho later go on to meet the King, write and play highly acclaimed music, become the first Black person to vote in Britain and lead the fight to end slavery?

Paterson Joseph is an actor and writer. Paterson joins Dan on the podcast to share Sancho’s extraordinary story— ​​one that begins on a tempestuous Atlantic Ocean, and ends at the very centre of London life.

This episode was produced by Hannah Ward, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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This episode will establish the century-long roots of sectarian tensions, paint a picture of the political atmosphere in Northern Ireland as the decade came to a close, and track the series of escalating conflicts that climaxed in the deployment of British Troops.

Dan is joined by Tim McInerney, co-host of The Irish Passport podcast, for this deep dive into the pivotal events of 1969 to the early 1970s. 

This episode was edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Dame Hilary Mantel died on 22 September 2022 at the age of 70. Her acclaimed Wolf Hall trilogy - which brought the life of Thomas Cromwell so vividly to life - has sold more than five million copies worldwide. She won the Booker Prize twice - for Wolf Hall and its sequel, Bring Up the Bodies.

In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and History Hit's Dan Snow pay tribute to one of the greatest English-language novelists of our century.

The Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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A long dark, cold winter looms with soaring energy prices. Some of the advice we've heard recently includes buying a new kettle or taking a flannel bath...echoing previous advice given during the brutal fuel crisis of 1973. The Arab–Israeli War sent oil sky high and Britain saw a wave of crises from rolling strikes to energy shortages but the 1970s saw a fuel shortage and what we're facing now is fuel at inflated prices. Any sense of communal struggle and national unity is absent this time. Making sense of what we're facing today, historian Alwyn Turner joins Dan on the podcast to look at similarities in how people coped, how the government responded and also the big differences.

This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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From the stone age to current day, from sticks and rocks to drones and artillery - the nature of warfare has changed drastically throughout history. Over the years, technology and societal organisation have transformed the battlefield. Dan talks to Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, a professor of war studies at King's College London about the evolution of warfare. Professor Freedman takes the temperature of the war in Ukraine from the point of view of history, examining the patterns of recent years.

This episode was produced by Beth Donaldson, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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In 1939 Franklin D Roosevelt received a letter from Albert Einstein, warning him that the Nazis might be developing nuclear weapons. America has to act fast.

What follows is the creation of a secret city in the rural area of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Around 75,000 people moved to the secret city during World War Two, and the first atomic bomb was developed in just 28 months.

Don Wildman is joined by historian, Ray Smith, to find out how it was possible, and to hear about the experiences of the people who worked at Oak Ridge, most of whom didn't know what they were creating.

You can find out more here.

The senior producer was Charlotte Long. The producer was Benjie Guy. Mixed by Thomas Ntinas. Special thanks to Fendall Fulton.

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In the week of the Labour Party when polls indicate that the party is likely to form the next government, it seems an opportune moment to examine what lessons they might be able to draw from their own history. But why Harold Wilson?

Harold Wilson won four general elections. More than Clement Atlee or Tony Blair. Wilson was a wily, strategic political operator who made some radical changes to the UK including the decriminalisation of homosexuality, legalising abortion, abolishment of the death penalty and confirming the UK's membership of the European Economic Community. He led the country through a number of crises that would be very familiar to us today including industrial action an energy crisis and the pound sterling being under threat. He was also, allegedly, the Queen's favourite Prime Minister.

To discuss Wilson's life and leadership Dan is joined by Nick Thomas-Symonds. Nick is a Labour MP and Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade. He is also a writer, barrister and politician and has recently published a biography of Harold Wilson.

This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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As the UK's bond market has suffered its biggest fall in decades and the pound has reached its lowest ever price against the US dollar, Dan talks to Dr Nuno Palma, a senior lecturer and associate professor in economics at the University of Manchester about the Bank of England. Dr Palma explains its historical role in Britain's imperial expansion and the industrial revolution and now how it's fighting to keep the British economy from the precipice.

This episode was produced by Beth Donaldson, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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Agatha Christie is the best-selling fiction writer of all time and her many detective novels, short stories and plays have gripped and entertained millions around the world. Her real life was just as fascinating as any of her crime novels. It was full of love and loss, travel and adventure and an enduring passion for archaeology.

In this episode, Dan is joined by historian and Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces Lucy Worsley to discuss the life of Agatha Christie. They talk about her upbringing, what Christie was like in private and the inspirations that led her to become probably the most famous author in history.

This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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From an age in which women’s lives were obscured and poorly recorded, one shines brightly from the darkness. Eleanor of Aquitaine - born 900 years ago - has been the subject of scandal and legend for almost a millennium. Nevertheless, she played a central role in the pivotal events that defined nations and set relationships across Europe for centuries to come. 

In this special explainer episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis recounts an incredible life, separating the myths from the facts to get to the real Eleanor of Aquitaine.

The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was mixed and edited by Rob Weinberg. 

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The Lion House is a riveting new book from journalist and historian Christopher De Bellaigue, written like a novel that tells the dramatic story of Suleyman the Magnificent and his power and influence over 16th Century Europe. In this episode recorded at the Chalke Valley History festival earlier this summer, Christopher talks Dan through what was happening at the opposite end of Europe to Henry VIII and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V as this fearsome Sultan set his sights on swathes of the Middle East and the Horn of Africa and reigned over what became known as the 'Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire.'

This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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In September 1952 Mahmood Hussein Mattan became the last to be executed at Cardiff Prison, but Mahmood had in fact been framed by the police and 70 years later South Wales Police formally apologised to his family for his wrongful conviction.

Mahmood originally hailed from Somalia and had been a merchant seaman who had ended up settling in Cardiff and marrying a Welsh woman called Laura Williams. They lived in the Tiger Bay district of Cardiff and had three children before their separation in 1950. Mahmood faced racism and discrimination and had several encounters with the police. His vocal distrust of the police had made him unpopular with the local force though and when Lily Volpert, a Cardiff shopkeeper, was found murdered and her shop robbed they quickly turned to Mahmood. Despite a lack of any firm evidence linking him to the crime, he became the prime suspect. He was poorly represented in court and facing a hostile jury he was convicted in July 1952 and sentenced to death. The sentence was carried out three months late. The case never went away though and his family kept the fight alive for 45 years until 1998 when his case was the first to be reviewed by the newly created Criminal Cases Review Commission. His conviction was quickly quashed but it was another 25 years before they received the apology they and Mahmood deserved.

To discuss Mahmood's case author Nadifa Mohamed joins Dan for this episode of the podcast. Her novel The Fortune Men, which has been longlisted for the Booker Prize, is based on the case and she immersed herself in Mahmoud's life and the history of Cardiff's multicultural Tiger Bay area to bring this story of injustice to life.

Please note that this episode contains mentions of racial trauma, slavery and violence.

The audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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It is believed clans started to emerge in Scotland around 1100AD and were originally the descendants of kings – if not of demigods from Irish mythology. As well as kinship and a sense of identity and belonging, being part of a clan was an important part of survival throughout the centuries that would follow.

Scotland’s leading cultural historian, Professor Murray Pittock, joins Dan on the podcast to share the history of the clans from their Celtic origins through to the Clearances and the present day. They discuss the structure of clans, how the system collapsed and the paradox of how global clanship has become today.

This episode was produced by Hannah Ward, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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On the 16th of September 1620, The Mayflower set sail from Southampton to the New World. Aboard were 102 passengers determined to reach a new land, escape the religious persecution they faced and establish a colony. They endured a long and arduous crossing and a brutal first winter which they only survived due to the help of the native Wampanoag people. It was from this first, successful, colony that the United States of America would eventually grow, but it came at a terrible price for the indigenous people of North America.

In this archive episode, originally in 2020 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower setting sail, Dan is joined on the podcast by a series of historians, writers and storytellers, to talk about the journey of the Mayflower. They discuss why the settlers left, and we examine the contested legacy of the Mayflower for the descendants of North American communities.

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The Queen's body has been taken to Westminster Hall in London, where she will lie in state for the public to visit and pay their respects. Over the past week since her death, we've seen a number of ceremonies and protocols enacted across the country to mark the end of her reign and life. These arrangements and the funeral we can expect to see on Monday follows a precedent set by Queen Victoria upon her death in January 1901. Before Queen Victoria, royal funerals had been quiet, private affairs held at night but Victoria left very clear instructions that she wanted a full military and state funeral, to be dressed in white with white ponies and a gun carriage.

Journalist and author of the acclaimed 'Victoria and Abdul,' Shrabani Basu joins Dan to talk through the last days of Queen Victoria's life, the unprecedented pageantry of her funeral, what happened to those who were there in her last moments and the parallels between these long-reigning monarchs.

This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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Ray Victor is a lifelong New Yorker and tour guide from Queens. He remembers 11th of September 2001 vividly, when hijacked planes were flown into the World Trade Centre towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Virginia, and a site in Pennsylvania. Thousands were killed and injured. Ray remembers the missing posters, the hole that was left in the heart of the city, the destruction but also the humanity and the way his city came together.

In this episode, Dan visits Ground Zero with Ray as he shares personal stories and lesser-known facts about what happened that day and in the aftermath. They stop by the church where the NYFD coordinated their rescue, the bank where a little-known water rescue took place from Battery Park in which over half a million people were evacuated from the chaos by a flotilla of civilian vessels that rushed to their aid, a rescue bigger than Dunkirk. They finish at the reflection pools where the towers once stood and reflect on how this great city weathered the worst terror attack in history.

Ray offers a 9/11 History tour from ExperienceFirst. To find out more follow ExperienceFirst | Make the Most of Your Visit

This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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Malta is located in the Mediterranean sea just beyond Sicily, between Europe and Africa; its warm climate and beautiful islands make it a perfect holiday destination. But in World War Two, the Islands’ strategic location made it centre stage in the theatre of war in the Mediterranean: a key stronghold from which the Allies could sustain their North African campaign and from which they could launch their eventual attack on mainland Italy.

Museum curator Liam Gauci and Keith Gatt from Heritage Malta take Dan through the country's rich wartime history and shed light on how the country and its people survived some of the most intense bombing of the war, as the Axis resolved to bomb or starve Malta into submission, by attacking its ports, towns, cities, and Allied shipping supplying the island. 

This episode was sponsored by Visit Malta. Find out more about Malta's rich history here: https://www.visitmalta.com/en/history-of-malta-and-gozo/

This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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As a mark of respect and remembrance to the late Queen Elizabeth II, we've chosen to focus on Her Majesty's personal history as a veteran of the Second World War.

For this episode, James is joined by Tessa Dunlop to learn more about how the inspirational, dedicated, and devoted monarch that was Elizabeth II went from a young girl living through the blitz, to serving as a second subaltern in the all-female Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) by the end of WW2.

Note: This episode was recorded before the announcement of Queen Elizabeth II's death.

Edited by Aidan Lonergan.

Listen to Elizabeth II: The Making of the Queen.

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Queen Elizabeth II has died after 70 years on the British throne. Born in April 1926, Elizabeth Windsor became heir apparent, aged 10, when her uncle Edward VIII abdicated and her father George VI became king. In 1947 – She married navy lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, a Greek Prince, at London’s Westminster Abbey before being crowned there in 1953 in the world’s first televised coronation. In this reflection of her life and illustrious reign, Dan is joined by historian Professor Kate Williams to look at The Queen’s childhood, adolescence in WWII and the upbringing that made her a monarch admired around the world.

Producer: Charlotte Long

Audio editor: Dougal Patmore

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What do you get when you bring together five top historians in a room with bottles of Prosecco to debate Elizabeth I on screen? History with the gloves off - our first Not Just the Tudors Lates! 

Taking as her starting point the new series Becoming Elizabeth - now streaming on STARZ - Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr Joanne Paul, Jessie Childs, Alex von Tunzelmann and Professor Sarah Churchwell to explore how television and films have depicted the year 1547 when - following the death of Henry VIII - a complex web of relationships determined the course of British history. 

*WARNING! There is some strong language in this episode*

The Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. Audio extracts from Becoming Elizabeth courtesy of STARZ.

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Why are humans the only species to have escaped – only very recently – the subsistence trap, allowing us to enjoy a standard of living that vastly exceeds all others? And why have we progressed so unequally around the world?

Professor Oded Galor is an economist and the founding thinker behind Unified Growth Theory, which seeks to uncover the fundamental causes of development, prosperity and inequality over the entire span of human history. Oded joins Dan on the podcast to offer an explanation of the progress that has taken place over the past two hundred years and that has allowed the human species to progress with great disparity.

This episode was produced by Hannah Ward, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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For millennia, people have obsessed over questions about the nature of matter in our universe. Then, by the turn of the twentieth century, we believed we had answered everything. Our understanding of matter was finally complete. But an unprecedented outburst of scientific discovery was about to change the course of history...

Dr Suzie Sheehy is an accelerator physicist, academic and science communicator. Suzie joins Dan to introduce us to the people who staged ground-breaking experiments— from the serendipitous discovery of X-rays in a German lab to the race to split open the atomic nucleus, Suzie reminds us of the thrilling discoveries that have shaped our lives.

This episode was produced by Hannah Ward, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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The mechanised warfare of the First World War brought unprecedented new levels of firepower and destruction to the battlefield and with it horrific new injuries. Advances in medicine also meant that soldiers were surviving injuries that previously would have been fatal. Many of these men were left with horrific, disfiguring facial injuries which carried with them not just a physical trauma but a social stigma as well. One man made it his mission to help them and in the process developed many of the techniques that formed the basis of plastic surgery as we know it today.

Dr Lindsey Fitzharris joined Dan on stage at the Chalke Valley History Festival to talk about the extraordinary career of the pioneering plastic surgeon Harold Gillies. They discuss the realities of combat injuries, how Gillies established the first hospitals dedicated entirely to facial reconstruction and the profound impact he had on the lives of his patients.

Warning: This episode contains discussions of surgery and battlefield injury.

This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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In the early hours of September 2, 1666, a small fire broke out on the ground floor of a baker's house in Pudding Lane. In five days that small fire would devastate the third largest city in the Western world.

Adrian Tinniswood is a historian, teacher and writer, as well as a consultant to the National Trust. Adrian joins Dan to explore the cataclysm and consequences of the Great Fire of London. Together, they piece together the story of the Fire and its aftermath - the panic, the search for scapegoats, and the rebirth of a city.

This episode was produced by Hannah Ward, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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Located just 100 miles off the coast of mainland China, the nation of Taiwan sits in the so-called 'first island chain' - a group of US-friendly territories deemed crucial to American foreign policy.

Yet China's president Xi Jinping maintains that Chinese reunification with Taiwan must be fulfilled. He's not ruled out the possible use of military force - and neither has US president Joe Biden. Tensions have grown even in the last few weeks, so to what extent can tensions over Taiwan be compared to those between Russia and Ukraine?

In this episode, James Rogers from History Hit's Warfare podcast is joined by Samir Puri, Senior Fellow in Urban Security and Hybrid Warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies based in Singapore, to take a deep dive into the history between China & Taiwan and answer the question: could Taiwan really become China's Ukraine?

Produced by Sophie Gee and Aidan Lonergan. Edited by Aidan Lonergan.

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Robin Hood is one of the most famous legends of British history, but did he exist and if so who was he? Gareth Morgan, Learning Development Officer at Nottingham Castle, is just the man to help separate fact from fiction when it comes to this archetypal hero who robbed the rich to give to the poor. Gareth helps Dan discover some of the real-life figures which might have inspired Robin, what the story means both now and then and why it still remains so popular. They also talk about Robin's home Sherwood Forest, which may not be quite what many imagine it to be, and the newly renovated Nottingham Castle home of Robin's arch-nemesis the Sheriff of Nottingham.

This episode was first released on July 18th 2021.

The audio editor for this episode was Dougal Patmore.

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On August 28, 1963, some 200,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to protest the continuing inequalities faced by African Americans. The final speaker of the day was Dr Martin Luther King who would deliver one of the most famous orations of the civil rights movement—and of human history.

Dr Clayborne Carson is a historian, founder of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute, and now director of the World House Project. Having edited the Papers of Martin Luther King Jr., Dr Carson joins Dan to share what led to the historic march, his experience of being a part of the very crowd who witnessed the “I Have a Dream” speech, and the lasting influence that Dr King and the protest would have around the globe.

This episode was produced by Hannah Ward, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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1066 is one of the most critical and dramatic years in British history. In the space of one year, the country had three kings, three major battles and a year that decided the fate of British history. To tell the thrilling story of this infamous year Dan is joined by three very special guests his children Zia, Wolf and Orla. They test Dan's historical knowledge to its limits and ask the questions we're all too afraid to ask.

This episode was produced by Marianna Des Forges, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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In August 1485, King Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth. In 2012, having been lost for over 500 years, the remains of King Richard III were discovered beneath a car park in Leicester.

Joining Dan on the podcast today is the very person who led that successful search to locate the grave of King Richard III. Following seven and a half years of enquiry, Philippa Langley identified the likely location of the church and grave, instructing exhumation of the human remains uncovered in that exact location.

Philippa shares the adventure that marked the first search for the lost grave of an anointed King of England.

This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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What comes to your mind when you think of a witch? Broomsticks? Black cats? Warts?

Early modern witchcraft expert, John Callow, is Betwixt the Sheets with Kate to explain the history behind the stereotypes we have today. They also chat about the Bideford Witches, the last three women to be hanged for witchcraft in England, as well as the misogyny in witch trials throughout the ages.

You can find out more about John's work via his website johncallow.co.uk.

WARNING this episode includes some strong language.

Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Seyi Adaobi.

Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit. This podcast includes an archive clips from The Witch's Curse 1962.

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What does it take to reinvent the world's oldest living language? China today is one of the world's most powerful nations, yet just a century ago it was a crumbling empire with literacy reserved for the elite few, left behind in the wake of Western technology.

Jing Tsu is a cultural historian, linguist and literary scholar. Joining Dan on the podcast, Jing tells the story of China's most daunting challenge as a linguistic one: to make the formidable Chinese language - a 2,200-year-old writing system that was daunting to natives and foreigners alike - accessible to a globalised, digital world and transform China into a superpower in the process.

This episode was produced by Hannah Ward, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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In February 1882 the SS Dunedin departed New Zealand on a voyage that would revolutionise the way we eat and kickstart the globalisation of the world's food supply chain. Aboard were thousands of mutton, lamb and pig carcasses as well as 250 kegs of butter, hare, pheasant, turkey, chicken and 2226 sheep tongues. This cargo would be kept fresh in the ship's hold using a Bell-Coleman compression refrigeration machine and would mark the first time fresh goods had ever been transported over such a distance. However, the journey was far from plain sailing though as you will hear in this episode.

To tell the Dunedin's story and to celebrate the new digitisation project by Lloyd’s Register Foundation’s Heritage & Education Centre Dan is joined by Charlotte Ward and Max Wilson from the Foundation. 

This episode was first released on 30th June 2021.

The audio editor for this episode was Dougal Patmore.

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Over Britain’s first century of mass democracy, from the Great Depression to the pandemic, politics has lurched from crisis to crisis. How does this history of political agony illuminate our current age of upheaval?

Phil Tinline is a leading producer and presenter of historical narrative documentaries for BBC Radio 4. Phil joins Dan on the podcast to reveal how politics is transformed through fear— providing answers to fascinating questions: How did the Great Depression’s spectres of fascism, bombing and mass unemployment force politicians to think the unthinkable and pave the way to post-war Britain? And, how was Thatcher’s road to victory made possible by a decade of nightmares?

This episode was produced by Hannah Ward, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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Today we are talking warships: from the revolutionary Tudor ships to modern aircraft carriers, and all the innovations along the way.

In this episode of Patented: History of Inventions Dan, a self-confessed Maritime history nerd, joins Dallas on a whistle-stop tour of nearly 200 years of naval history. From the rise of wooden warships, to how these feats of engineering were built and how they transformed the world, forever.

This episode was produced by Emily Whalley

The senior producer is Charlotte Long

Edited and mixed by Seyi Adaobi

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In June 1815 the French army under the command of Napoleon was decisively beaten by an allied army led by Britain and Prussia at Waterloo in what is now Belgium. This titanic clash took a terrible toll on both men and animals. An estimated 20,000 men lost their lives that bloody day. As archaeologists have attempted to unpick the events of Waterloo a mystery has emerged. What has happened to the remains of the soldiers who fought there?

Very few human or animal remains have been found on the site of the battle. However, an international team of archaeologists and historians have joined forces in a bid to solve this enduring puzzle. A new discovery this summer has found some astonishing evidence to now say why that is. It seems enterprising profiteers likely plundered the site for illegal bone trading, predominantly for the European sugar industry.

Joining Dan on the podcast is Professor Tony Pollard archaeological director of Waterloo Uncovered, historian and scholar Rob Schaefer and Bernard Wilkin Senior Researcher at the Belgian State Archive. They discuss their theory about the fate of the Waterloo remains and why so few have survived.

The paper Tony recently published on graves at Waterloo is available to all as a free open access download - These spots of excavation tell: using early visitor accounts to map the missing graves of waterloo.

Warning: this episode contains frank discussion of dead bodies, animal carcasses, mass graves and amputations.

This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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In the Second World War, the Germans liked to boast that there was 'no escape' from the infamous fortress and POW camp Colditz. However, the elite British officers imprisoned there were determined to prove the Nazis wrong and get back into the war; since then the fortress became just as famous for its escape attempts. As the officers dug tunnels, removed bricks and got lines of communication to the outside world the Gestapo were determined to uncover their secrets and planted a double agent- Walter Purdy in their midst. It was a race against time for the British officers to expose Purdy for the traitor he was.

Drawn from unseen records, Robert Verkaik tells Dan this extraordinary never-before-told story and tries to make sense of why, despite committing treason, Purdy was able to escape the gallows, not once but twice.

Robert's book is called 'The Traitor of Colditz'.

The producer was Mariana Des Forges and the audio editor was Dougal Patmore

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In 1989, Beijing's Tiananmen Square became the focus of large-scale demonstrations as mostly young students crowded into central Beijing to protest for greater democracy. On June 4, 1989, Chinese troops stormed through Tiananmen Square, firing into the crowds of protesters. The events produced one of the most iconic photos of the 20th century - of ‘Tank Man,’ an unidentified protester who stood in front of a line of army tanks.

Louisa Lim is an award-winning journalist who grew up in Hong Kong and reported from China for a decade. Louisa joins Dan on the podcast to discuss what led to the protests and how they grew, the turmoil that ensued and why the events remain a highly sensitive topic in China.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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Numerous novels, TV shows and as many as 5 movies- including the Hollywood classic starring Clarke Gable and Marlon Brando - have immortalised the story of the Mutiny on the Bounty in the popular imagination forever. The mutiny on the HMS Bounty occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship from their captain, Lieutenant Bligh, and set him and eighteen loyalists adrift in a rowing boat. The mutineers settled on Tahiti and Pitcairn Island, while Bligh navigated more than 4,000 miles in the rowing boat to safety. and began the process of bringing the mutineers to justice.

Direct descendent of lead mutineer Fletcher Christian, Harrison Christian joins Dan on the podcast to seperate the myth from the truth in this epic tale of a rebellious crew, a mammoth journey and a lost colony in the far-flung tropics of the Pacific Ocean. The legends started when William Bligh returned to Britain and immediately rewrote the facts of what happened to fit his narrative; novelists and film-writers have been doing the same ever since.

The producer was Mariana Des Forges and the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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2/2. It's a big summer for British politics with Boris Johnson's resignation and the race between conservative hopefuls Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss to take his place, firmly on. To make sense of this coveted premiership, we've delved into the History Hit podcast archives for our rampaging explainer on the history of British Prime Ministers. In this second episode, Dan is joined by the brilliant Robert Saunders, Reader in Modern British History at Queen Mary University of London. Together, they tackle the period following the Battle of Waterloo all the way up to Winston Churchill, including Peel, Gladstone and Lloyd George.

You can listen to Part 1 here.

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1/2. It's a big summer for British politics with Boris Johnson's resignation and the race between conservative hopefuls Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss to take his place firmly on. To make sense of this coveted premiership, we've delved into the History Hit podcast archives for a rampage through the history of British Prime Ministers. In this episode, Dan is joined by Dr Hannah Grieg for a whirlwind tour of the eighteenth century's many Prime Ministers. From Sir Robert Walpole through William Pitt the younger through to Lord Liverpool, they discuss the creation of the office, prime ministerial control of the House of Commons, conflicts with the king and how politics has changed from continuity to constant change.

If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!

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The summer of 1911 was a hot one. Massive strikes took place across the country, including seamen, railwaymen, coal miners, women working in food processing and garment-making and even school children. That, combined with record-breaking temperatures made Britain a constitutional, industrial and political tinderbox. It was harder to endure than today: no refrigeration for food, heavy clothing; more manual/outdoor labour, unventilated workplaces, surging food prices, and limited deodorant. All this fuelled industrial militancy, especially in hard, outdoor labour like the docks.

It also raised political tempers: 670 MPs in heavy clothing, packed into a steaming Chamber…

Dr Robert Saunders, reader in Modern British History at Queen Mary University of London joins Dan on the podcast to take a look at how heat exacerbates social and political unrest and what parallels are to be found between the scorching summer of 1911 and the summer of 2022.

This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges, the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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Known as the Eternal City, ancient Rome was one of the greatest civilisations in human history, but how did it come about?

With a turbulent history of Kings, civil wars and imperial desires - Rome has an incredible history. But who founded it? Were Romulus and Remus real brothers fighting for their kingdoms, or did a Trojan hero found one of the mightiest Italian states? Recent archaeological discoveries indicate a far more complicated picture of Rome's beginnings - but where does its mystic past fall into this new story?

In this episode, Tristan is joined by Professor Guy Bradley from Cardiff University to discover more about the origins of Rome around the 8th century B.C.

TW: This episode contains a reference to rape

This episode was produced by Annie Coloe and edited by Aidan Lonergan.

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On August 6 and 9, 1945, US B-29 bombers, dropped their nuclear bombs on the two cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing hundreds of thousands and consigning millions to disease and genetic defects. The accepted wisdom in the U.S. since has been that dropping the bombs on these Japanese cities was the only way to end World War II without an invasion of Japan that would have cost hundreds of thousands of American and perhaps millions of Japanese lives.

Gar Alperovitz is a historian, political economist, activist and writer. A critic of the bombings, Gar joins Dan on the podcast to discuss how the decision to use the atomic bomb was wrapped up in atomic diplomacy: that the U.S. used nuclear weapons to intimidate the Soviet Union in the early stages of the Cold War. To mark the anniversary, we also dug back into the archives to bring you the human story at the heart of the tragedy - Hirata San, a survivor of the Hiroshima attacks, shares his experiences of the bombing.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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2/2. Eva Schloss remembers her days as a girl in Amsterdam playing in the street with the other children including Anne Frank who, for a time, took a particular interest in her older brother Heinz. Eva also remembers the day the Dutch resistance worker exposed her family to the Nazis and they were carted off to Auschwitz. She remembers the train pulling up to the platform in Poland and the promise she made her brother to go back to find the paintings he'd done in hiding, if he didn't make it out alive.

After being selected to live by Josef Mengele, Eva and her mother entered Auschwitz-Birkenau while her brother and father were sent to a men's camp. There they endured starvation, back-breaking work, blistering summers and freezing winter.

In Part 2 of Eva's story, she describes stumbling across Otto Frank, Anne Frank's father while trying to find help after the liberation of the camp left her stranded with no idea what to do next. The story of Otto and her mother falling in love and finding happiness in the years after and how, after many years of nightmares and silence, Eva finally found her voice to tell her astonishing story of survival, which she still does to this day.

You can listen to Part 1 first here.

Her memoir is called After Auschwitz: A Story of Heartbreak and Survival by the Stepsister of Anne Frank

This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges, the assistant producer was Hannah Ward and the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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1/2. On the morning of the 4th of August 1944, exactly 78 years ago today, the Frank family cowered behind a bookshelf in Amsterdam, listening to heavy boots and German voices on the other side. Anne Frank and her family were discovered and taken to the Nazi concentration camps where they all perished, apart from Otto. Anne's diary stops in the summer of 1944 so it's difficult for us to truly know exactly what her experience was after her arrest, as a teenage girl enduring the horrors of the Nazi death machine.

But Eva Schloss, the girl who became her stepsister - does. She was sent to Auschwitz with her parents and older brother Heinz and remembers what that whole experience was like - from the way Austrians slowly turned on their Jewish neighbours, hiding in crawl spaces from Nazis, the cattle truck ride, her encounters with the angel of death Josef Mengele and how the liberation of Auschwitz left her stranded in the abandoned camp for days.

Eva's is a story of close calls, unexplainable chances and turns of fortune, as well as unimaginable horrors. So, a warning that some parts of this story are distressing.

Her memoir is called After Auschwitz: A Story of Heartbreak and Survival by the Stepsister of Anne Frank.

This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges, the assistant producer was Hannah Ward and the audio editor was Dougal Patmore.

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Few early medieval gods are as well-known and as popular as Thor. He’s currently thrilling moviegoers worldwide with his new outing for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor: Love and Thunder. But behind the countless films and works of fiction, what’s the real origin story for Thor? How was he worshipped? And how has he secured such an enduring place in popular culture?

In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr Cat Jarman speaks to Professor Carolyne Larrington, an expert in Norse literature and mythology, to find out more about the god behind the superhero. 

The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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England’s historic Euro 2022 victory on Sunday night was the most watched TV programme of the year. It feels like it's the first time women's football is getting the attention it deserves. Well, a century ago, it was women who dominated the pitch, commanding crowds bigger than the men's games. But that changed on the 5th of December 1921 when the FA placed a complete ban on women playing professional football. That ban lasted 50 years.

In this episode from our archive, celebrated broadcaster Clare Balding joins Dan to tell the story of the factory girls who took on the world, why they were banned and the legacy of that ban over 100 years on.

If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!

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In July 1588 the Spanish Armada sailed from Corunna to conquer England. Three weeks later an English fireship attack in the Channel—and then a fierce naval battle—foiled the planned invasion. Many myths still surround these events. The genius of Sir Francis Drake is exalted, while Spain’s efforts are belittled. But what really happened during that fateful encounter?

For this episode of the podcast, Dan welcomes back distinguished professor and historian, Geoffrey Parker. They deconstruct the many legends to reveal why, ultimately, the bold Spanish mission failed.

‘Armada. The Spanish Enterprise and England's Deliverance in 1588’ will be published in October 2022.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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We celebrate abolition - in Haiti after the revolution, in the British Empire in 1833, and in the United States during the Civil War. Yet, over the approximately 100 years in which there were various moments of emancipation, these processes often provided failed pathways to justice for people who had been enslaved.

Kris Manjapra is a professor, author and historian. Kris joins Dan on the podcast to unearth disturbing truths about the Age of Emancipations, 1780-1880. They discuss examples of emancipations across the Americas, Europe and Africa where Black people were dispossessed by the very moves that were meant to free them.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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Anne of Cleves was the ‘last woman standing’ of Henry VIII’s wives and the only one buried in Westminster Abbey. How did she manage it? Was she in fact a political refugee, supported by the King? Was she a role model for her step-daughters Mary and Elizabeth? Why was her marriage to Henry doomed from the start?

In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by author Heather R. Darsie - editor of maidensandmanuscripts.com - whose research into Anne of Cleves casts a new light on Henry’s fourth Queen, potentially revealing a very different figure than the so-called 'Flanders Mare'.

For this episode, the Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Thomas Ntinas and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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The Ottoman Empire was gigantic; at one point it reached the walls of Vienna to the Persian Gulf and beyond. It was established at the end of the 13th century with its centre in what is now modern Turkey. It held swathes of Europe for centuries right up to the First World War.

In this episode, Professor of International History, Marc Baer and Dan rampage through that history and discover how the Ottomans weren't simply the Islamic-Asian antithesis of the Christian-European West, but in fact, a multi-ethnic, multilingual empire whose religious tolerance and cultural innovation has shaped the landscape of East and West from 1299 right through to the present day.

Produced by Hannah Ward and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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During World War II, in the town of Cowra in central New South Wales, thousands of Japanese prisoners of war were held in a POW camp. On the icy night of August 5th they staged one of the largest prison breakouts in history, launching the only land battle of World War II to be fought on Australian soil. Five Australian soldiers and more than 230 Japanese POWs would die during what became known as The Cowra Breakout.

In this episode historian and podcaster Mat McLachlan joins Dan to tell him this extraordinary story of negligence and complacency, and of authorities too slow to recognise danger before it occurred - and too quick to cover it up when it was too late.

This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges and it was edited by Thomas Ntinas.

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Vladimir Putin has the power to reduce the United States and Europe to ashes in a nuclear firestorm. He invades his neighbours, most recently Ukraine, meddles in western elections and orders assassinations inside and outside Russia. But who is the man behind the headlines?

For years, Philip Short was a foreign correspondent for the BBC. He is now the author of many acclaimed biographies. Having spent eight years interviewing those who dealt with Putin as part of their official duties, Philip joins Dan on the podcast to explore the personality of Putin and the forces and experiences that have shaped his decisions since he took on the role of president in 2000.

Produced by Hannah Ward.

Mixed and Mastered by Peter Dennis.

If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.

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In a special episode from our sister podcast Warfare, Dan is joined by host James Rogers fresh off the Waterloo battlefield in Belgium where last week an astonishing discovery was made. The project Waterloo Uncovered unearthed bones that could hold extraordinary insights into the experiences of Waterloo soldiers, their diets, health, life and death.

This episode was edited and sound designed by Aidan Lonergan.

For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare Wednesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to the Android or Apple store.

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Getting to the moon was no easy feat, no matter how confident President Kennedy may have sounded in his famous 1961 speech. NASA built a team from the ground up, and there were plenty of moments where it seemed as if they weren't going to make it. Kevin Fong tells stories of just how close they came, and how risky it was. After all, it was hard to feel safe when a pen could go straight through the module. Professor Kevin Fong is a consultant anaesthetist at UCLH and professor of public engagement and innovation in the Department of Science, Technology, Education and Public Policy (STEaPP) at University College London and an expert in space medicine.

If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.

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On the West Bank of the Nile in Luxor, Egypt sits a temple considered to be one of the great architectural wonders of ancient Egypt. The memorial temple of Hatshepsut, the great female pharaoh who came to the throne of Egypt in 1478 BC sits nestled beneath a dramatic amphitheatre of limestone cliffs on the edge of the Valley of the Kings. Hatshepsut lived as long before Jesus was born as Henry the 8th lived after and presided over rich and powerful Egypt. She established trade routes and her reign was marked by peace and prosperity. But, at her death her step-son Thutmose III did all he could to erase her from the history books, replacing her image with his own, burying her statues and scratching her name from the temple walls.

In this episode director of the West Bank Dr Bahaa Gaber takes Dan around her temple and fills him in on what kind of leader Hatshepsut really was.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges.

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore.

If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.

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From the notorious thief Mary Frith in the seventeenth century to industrialist and LGBT trailblazer Anne Lister in the nineteenth, these heroines redefined what a woman could be and what she could do in pre-twentieth-century Britain.

Holly Kyte, author and literary critic, joins Dan to shine a light on some of the unsung heroines of British history who refused to play by the rules. They detail the histories of the formidable women whose grit, determination and radical unconventionality saw them defy the odds to forge their own paths.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Seyi Adaobi

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The Imperial Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began on December 25, 1941, after the then Governor, Sir Mark Young, surrendered the British Crown colony to the Empire of Japan. The occupation lasted until Japan surrendered at the end of World War Two.

Joining Dan on the podcast today is Barbara Sowerby, who was born in Hong Kong in 1936 to an English father and Portuguese mother. Aged just five years old, Barbara’s happy childhood would change when her family were amongst the fleeing civilians caught and imprisoned by the Imperial Japanese Army. Barbara shares the remarkable story of her time as a child prisoner of war.

This episode is dedicated to Barbara’s late husband Keith Sowerby. Keith detailed the remarkable story of Barbara’s early life and had hoped, before his passing, to publish a book of this extraordinary account.

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Pint, bottle, schooner, tinny … no matter how you drink it, beer is undeniably a part of social life here in Britain and around the world.

But how did it come to hold this position? Why has this been more true for British men than for British women? And what did beer taste like before mass production and microbiology?

Kate Lister has a pint with author, broadcaster and beer lover Pete Brown to find out.

WARNING this episode includes some fruity language

Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Thomas Ntinas.

Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.

This podcast includes music from Epidemic Sound and archive clips from "Brooklyn Bar Owner Wins Irish Sweepstake", 1937.

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How has warfare shaped the way humans live in the Atlantic World? Well, a lot. Military campaigns from the late Middle Ages to the Age of Revolution drove the development of technologies like ships, port facilities, fortresses, and roads. Crossing the ocean was made possible, connecting previously separate lands, nations and empires from Europe to West Africa and North and South America.

In this episode, Professor of Early Modern History Geoffrey Plank joins Dan to discuss how connecting the lands of Europe, West Africa and North and South America brought commerce, expansion, empires, the slave trade and more conflict on land and sea. They compare the European, African, and indigenous American experiences of warfare, violence, and military culture over a period of four centuries.

Produced by Hannah Ward.

Edited by Pete Dennis

If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.

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Lasting 900 years, the ‘Dark Ages’ were between the 5th and 14th centuries, falling between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance. Today’s guest overturns preconceptions of the ‘Dark Ages’ as a shadowy and brutal era, showing them to be a richly exciting and formative period in the history of Britain.

For more than 40 years, historian and broadcaster Michael Wood has made compelling journeys into the past, which have brought history alive for a generation. Michael joins Dan on the podcast for the 40th anniversary of his ‘In Search of the Dark Ages’ - an unrivalled exploration of the origins of English identity.

Alongside portraits of Boadicea, King Arthur, Alfred the Great, Athelstan, and William the Conqueror, the story of England is expanded further to include new voices on fascinating characters such as Penda of Mercia, Aethelflaed Lady of the Mercians, Hadrian the African, Eadgyth of England, and Wynflaed.

If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.

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In 1945, when Congress began reviewing the record of the most conspicuous acts of courage by American soldiers during WWII, they recommended awarding the Medal of Honour to 432 recipients. Despite the fact that more than one million African-Americans served, not a single black soldier received the Medal of Honour.

Rob Child is an Emmy-nominated screenwriter, director and published author. Allene Carter is the daughter-in-law of Edward Allen Carter Jr., an Army sergeant who exhibited heroism on the battlefield. Rob and Allene join Dan on the podcast to share why the seven African American soldiers had been denied recognition for 50 years and the remarkable story of how they were ultimately awarded the prestigious military decoration.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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In a time of grave uncertainty about the future of our planet, the radical potential of democracy is more important than ever.

From its beginnings in Syria-Mesopotamia – and not Athens – to its role in fomenting revolutionary fervour in France and America, democracy has subverted fixed ways of deciding who should enjoy power and privilege, and why. Democracy encourages people to do something radical: to come together as equals, to determine their own lives and futures.

In this vigorous, illuminating history, acclaimed political thinker John Keane traces its Byzantine history, from the age of assembly democracy in Athens, to European-inspired electoral democracy and the birth of representative government, to our age of monitory democracy. He gives new reasons why democracy is a precious global ideal and shows that as the world has come to be shaped by democracy, it has grown more worldly – American-style liberal democracy is giving way to regional varieties with a local character in places such as Taiwan, India, Senegal and South Africa.

In an age of cascading crises, we need the radical potential of democracy more than ever. Does it have a future, or will the demagogues and despots win? We are about to find out.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.

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A cup of coffee was once a luxury. Now it is quick, cheap and widely available — a daily essential for many.

How did this happen? Today on Patented, Jonathan Morris walks us through the evolution of coffee: from how people first figured out its psychoactive properties, to the transformations in roasting, processing and preparation that resulted in a coffee shop on every high street.

Listen to the History of Coffee podcast here.

Find Jonathan's book, Coffee: A Global History here.

This episode was produced by Emily Whalley

The senior producer is Charlotte Long

Edited and mixed by Seyi Adaobi

If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.

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It's been an extraordinary day in British politics with dozens of Conservative MPs handing in their resignations and expressing a lack of confidence in Prime Minister Boris Johnson. It feels like this could be the end of his premiership. Johnson has clung to power despite scandal after scandal, including allegations of financial misconduct, risking national security and lying to parliament. Anyone else would have resigned or been ousted by now. How has Boris Johnson managed to stay in office?

Dan is down at Westminster after an explosive Prime Minister's Questions. With analysis from Labor MP and historian Chris Bryant, former Tory politician and diplomat Rory Stewart and Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University, Tim Bale, Dan looks to history for insight into the parliamentary system, how political conduct has changed over the last century and how we ended up here. 

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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During the War of 1812, the last time Britain and the United States went to war with each other, more than six thousand American sailors ended up in Dartmoor Prison. At the end of the war, prisoners remained behind Dartmoor’s walls for months after peace had been ratified. The prisoners’ fury at their continued incarceration led to an uprising on April 6, 1815, and then to a massacre: nine Americans were shot dead, the last men to be killed in a war between the two countries.

Nick Guyatt is a historian, author and lecturer in modern history. Nick joins Dan on the podcast to discuss the extraordinary story of what happened at Dartmoor during the War of 1812, what really took place in the prison, and how the tragedy created a brief and fiery outrage in the United States but then slipped from view.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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Born Malcolm Little in 1925, Malcolm X would become human rights activist— a prominent African American minister and figure during the civil rights movement. As a spokesman for the Nation of Islam until 1964, Malcolm X was a vocal advocate for Black empowerment, Black nationalism and the promotion of Islam within the Black community. After Malcolm X’s assassination in 1965, his posthumous autobiography popularised his ideas of Black pride, Black dignity and the importance of political activism.

Peniel E. Joseph is an American scholar, teacher, and public voice on race issues. Professor Joseph joins Dan on the podcast to discuss Malcolm X’s leadership of the Nation of Islam, comparisons made to Dr King, and his crucial legacy in the fight for social justice and equality.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.

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How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the Caribbean by providence impoverished in squalor, grow up to be a hero and a scholar?

This is the famous question posed by Lin Manuel Miranda in his smash-hit Broadway show Hamilton that's swept the globe. It's a celebration and looks into the life of the once lesser-known founding fathers, instrumental in the creation of the United States in the late 18th Century. To mark American Independence Day celebrations, Senior Lecturer of American Studies at the University of Manchester Dr Natalie Zacek joins Dan to break down Alexander Hamilton's life, role in the American Revolutionary War and whether he really was as important as Miranda's play makes him out to be.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges & Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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In the dying days of the eighth century, the Vikings erupted onto the international stage with brutal raids and slaughter. The medieval Norsemen may be best remembered as monk murderers and village pillagers, but this is far from the whole story. Throughout the Middle Ages, long-ships transported hairy northern voyagers far and wide, where they not only raided but also traded, explored and settled new lands, encountered unfamiliar races, and embarked on pilgrimages and crusades.

In this episode recorded at the 2022 Chalke Valley History Festival, Dr Eleanor Barraclough joins Dan to talk about all things Viking- from the old sagas that tell exotic wonder-tales of Norse life to the recent archaeological discoveries that are now challenging our understanding of these far travelling people.

You can learn more in Dr Barraclough's new book 'Beyond the Northlands: Viking Voyages and the Old Norse Sagas'. 

Produced by Mariana Des Forges

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore 

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Alexander the Great’s untimely death at Babylon in 323 BC triggered an unprecedented crisis across his continent-spanning empire.

Within a couple of days, the very chamber in which he died witnessed a gore-soaked showdown between his previously united commanders and soldiers. Within a fortnight, Babylon saw the first siege of the post-Alexander age.

In this special explainer episode to mark the anniversary of Alexander’s death, Tristan brings to life the imperial implosion that was the immediate aftermath of the Macedonian king's death - a subject he knows one or two things about, seeing as he’s written a book on it!

Tristan’s book The Perdiccas Years, 323-320 BC (Alexander's Successors at War) is available on Amazon here.

This episode was produced by Elena Guthrie and mixed by Aidan Lonergan. It contains translations of contemporary speeches by JC Yardsley & music from Epidemic Sound.

If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.

Further Reading - Primary Sources

Arrian Events After Alexander 1.1–1.9A.

Curtius 10.5–10.10.

Diodorus Siculus 18.1–18.6.

Justin 13.1–13.4.

Plutarch Life of Eumenes 3.

Secondary Sources

Anson, E. (1992), ‘Craterus and the Prostasia’, Classical Philology 87 (1), 38–43.

Anson, E. (2015), Eumenes of Cardia, Leiden, 58–77.

Bosworth, A. B. (2002), The Legacy of Alexander: Politics, Warfare, and Propaganda under the Successors, New York, 29–63.

Errington, R. M. (1970), ‘From Babylon to Triparadeisos: 323–320 bc’, The Journal of Hellenic Studies 90, 49–59.

Meeus, A. (2008), ‘The Power Struggle of the Diadochoi in Babylon, 323bc’, Ancient Society 38, 39–82.

Meeus, A. (2009), ‘Some Institutional Problems concerning the Succession to Alexander the Great: “Prostasia” and Chiliarchy’, Historia 58 (3), 287–310.

Mitchell, L. (2007), ‘Born to Rule? Succession in the Argead Royal House’, in W. Heckel., L. Tritle and P. Wheatley (eds.), Alexander’s Empire: Formulation to Decay, California, 61–74.

Worthington, I. (2016), Ptolemy I: King and Pharaoh of Egypt, New York, 71–86

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In April 1944 nineteen-year-old Rudolf Vrba and fellow inmate, Fred Wetzler broke out of Auschwitz. Under electrified fences and past armed watchtowers, evading thousands of SS men and slavering dogs, they trekked across marshlands, mountains and rivers to freedom. Vrba's mission: to reveal to the world the truth of the Holocaust.

Celebrated journalist and broadcaster Jonathan Freedland joins Dan on the podcast to tell this astonishing story which can be found in his new book 'The Escape Artist'.

This episode does contain descriptions that some listeners may find distressing.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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Europe in 1914 was a tinderbox of imperial tensions and the spark that would light the conflagration would be the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. But there is much more to this story than simply the murder of two royals on the street of Sarajevo. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was an often misunderstood figure seemingly hard and old-fashioned. But in private he was a dedicated family man and husband who had married for love against the wishes of the Emporer and he and Sophie had endured snubs and humiliation at court because of it. He had travelled the world and hoped to reform the Austrian-Hungarian empire he was supposed to one day rule. Sue Woolmans, historian and author of The Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Murder that Changed the World, joins the podcast to discuss the real Franz Ferdinand. She guides Dan through the life of Franz Ferdinand and the incompetence, bad luck and chance on the day that would lead to the death of the Archduke and begin a century of conflict.

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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Cleopatra VII was part of a dynasty of Macedonian rulers founded by Ptolemy, who served as general under Alexander the Great during his conquest of Egypt in 332 B.C. Cleopatra served as the dominant ruler in all three of her co-regencies and was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator. Though her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world.

Stacy Schiff is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Cleopatra: A Life. Stacy joins Dan on the podcast to reconstruct Cleopatra’s life. From ascension to the throne, her relationships with Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony, to her eventual death, Stacy and Dan chart the life of a ruler who controlled the largest territory of any woman.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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The roots of the word ‘Nomad’ dates back to an extremely early Indo-European word, ‘nomos’. After towns and cities are built and more people settle, ‘Nomad’ comes to describe people who live without walls and beyond boundaries. Now, the word is used by settled people - for some with a sense of romantic nostalgia, and for others, it carries an implicit judgement that such people are wanderers of no fixed abode. Yet, often overlooked, Nomads have fostered and refreshed civilisation throughout our history.

Anthony Sattin is a journalist, broadcaster and author. Anthony joins Dan to trace the transformative and often bloody relationship between settled and mobile societies, from the Neolithic revolution to the 21st century via the rise and fall of the Roman Empire and the great nomadic empires of the Arabs and Mongols.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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Born in Brooklyn, New York in January 1899, Alphonse Gabriel Capone would go on to become perhaps the most infamous gangster in American history. During the Roaring Twenties, Al Capone ruled an empire of crime in the Windy City of Chicago: gambling, prostitution, bootlegging, bribery, narcotics, robbery, and many brutal acts of violence.

Jonathan Eig is a journalist, author and biographer dubbed by Ken Burns as a “master storyteller.” Jonathan joins Dan on the podcast to discuss Capone’s transition from young entrepreneur to notorious criminal, how the escalating Mob violence in Chicago culminated with the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and the events which led to the end of his ​​crime boss reign.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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The Royal Marines are the UK's Commando Force and the Royal Navy's own amphibious troops. The Commandos have become a byword for elite raiding skills and cutting-edge military operations. They are globally renowned, yet shrouded in mystery.

Former Royal Marine Monty Halls joins Dan to shed light on the modern vanguard of a legendary unit, the descendants of the misfits and eccentrics who were so effective and feared in WW2 that Hitler famously ordered them to be shot on sight. They reveal the history behind the green beret, the real stories of extraordinary individuals and what it means to patrol the high seas and police coastlines around the globe.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Seyi Adaobi

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In 2011, a 43-foot-high tsunami crashed into a nuclear power plant in Fukushima, Japan. In the following days, explosions would rip buildings apart, three reactors would go into nuclear meltdown, and the surrounding area would be swamped in radioactive water. It is now considered one of the costliest nuclear disasters ever. But Fukushima was not the first, and it was not the worst.

Acclaimed historian Serhii Plokhy returns to the podcast. Serhii joins Dan to tell the tale of some of the nuclear disasters that shook the world. From the 1957 fire at the Windscale facility in Cumbria which burned for three days and released radioactive fallout, to the 1986 crisis at Chernobyl, Serhii shows how the same story of nuclear ambition, often clouded by political and economic motives, is tragically repeated time and again.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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An extraordinary discovery has been unearthed by archaeologists working alongside the HS2 rail project. The find, made at an undisclosed location near Wendover in the Chilterns, consists of a 5th-6th century burial site that has been described as one of the most important post-Roman, early medieval discoveries of our lifetime.

It offers the chance to see more clearly a part of British history that has been hidden from us until now. If there was a real, historical King Arthur, this is the part of history he's hiding within.

In this special episode, join our very own Dan Snow and Gone Medieval host Matt Lewis as they chat to the team behind the dig about some of their revelatory finds, and begin to see the people behind them, and the way they may have lived their lives.

A special thanks to HS2, INFRA and Fusion for giving History Hit special access behind the scenes!

The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. The Producer was Rob Weinberg. It was edited and mixed by Aidan Lonergan.

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On June 17, 1940, the British ocean liner, RMS Lancastria, was sunk during Operation Aerial.

RMS Lancastria had sailed to the French port of St. Nazaire to aid in the evacuation of British and French soldiers, civil servants and British civilians after the fall of Dunkirk. The ship was loaded well in excess of its capacity— the consequences of which were felt when a German fighter plane flew overhead and catastrophically attacked the Lancastria.

Janet Dempsey is a former maritime record specialist who worked at The National Archives for fifteen years. Janet joins Dan to discuss why the Lancastria was requisitioned as a troopship, the horrific sinking and loss of life, and how the subsequent media blackout at the time has informed ​​this largely forgotten chapter in British history.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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The Civil War was the most traumatic conflict in British history, pitting friends and family members against each other, tearing down the old order.

Award-winning historian Jessie Childs plunges the reader into the shock of the struggle through one of its most dramatic episodes: the siege of Basing House. To the parliamentarian Roundheads, the Hampshire mansion was a bastion of royalism, popery and excess. Its owner was both a Catholic and a staunch supporter of Charles I. His motto Love Loyalty was etched into the windows. He refused all terms of surrender.

As royalist strongholds crumbled, Loyalty House, as it became known, stood firm. Over two years, the men, women and children inside were battered, bombarded, starved and gassed. Their resistance became legendary. Inigo Jones designed the fortifications and the women hurled bricks from the roof. But in October 1645, Oliver Cromwell rolled in the heavy guns and the defenders prepared for a last stand.

Drawing on exciting new sources, Childs uncovers the face of the war through a cast of unforgettable characters: the fanatical Puritan preacher who returns from Salem to take on the king; the plant-hunting apothecary who learns to kill as well as heal; the London merchant and colonist who clashes with Basing's aristocratic lord; and Cromwell himself who feels the hand of God on his sword. And we hear too the voices of dozens of ordinary men and women caught in the crossfire.

The Siege of Loyalty House is a thrilling tale of war and peace, terror and faith, friendship and betrayal - and of a world turned upside down.

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A history of British monarchs in coins. With a history stretching over 1,100 years, The Royal Mint has forged a fascinating story through the world of historic coins. As the second oldest mint in the world, and the oldest company in the UK, its history is entwined with the 61 monarchs who have ruled England and Britain over the last 1,200 years. Chris Barker, historian at the Royal Mint Museum takes Dan through some of the rarest coins in the collection from within the vaults, unravelling what the coinage reveals about monarchs from the Norman conquest right through to the 20th century, including the coins created for Edward VIII but were never released in light of his abdication. 

Produced by Mariana Des Forges

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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Argentina surrendered to British forces in Port Stanley on the 14th of June 1982. The Falklands conflict was over. In the months after the fighting ended troops and their equipment shipped out, graves were dug and memorials were put up across the islands for those killed in battle. British military personnel were identified, most buried at sea or repatriated to the UK. But for 237 deceased Argentine soldiers, their hastily buried bodies remained unidentified for decades and their families were left unable to claim their loved ones who’d died fighting in the islands. Their memorials read simply: “Argentine Soldier Known Only By God”

Then in 2012, a team embarked on a project to change that. The International Committee of the Red Cross began a mission to collect DNA samples from each of the unknown graves in the hope that they could give the Argentine soldiers back their names and provide answers to relatives. Reporter Beth Timmins went to the Falkland Islands for the 40th-anniversary commemorations earlier this year and tells this moving story on this final podcast of our Falklands40 series.

If you want to find more episodes on the Falklands War, you can go back through the Dan Snow History Hit feed and look for episodes that begin with 'Falklands40'. This special season goes through all the key moments of the Falklands War, the tactics, the equipment, the challenges and of course the human stories of those tested by the extremes of war on a rocky island in the middle of the freezing Southern Atlantic. Find explainers and analyses from eminent historians and powerful testimonials from serving officers on both sides.

Presented by Dan Snow and Beth Timmins

Produced by Beth Timmins and Mariana Des Forges

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.

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The Battle of Mount Tumbledown was an attack by the British Army and the Royal Marines on the heights overlooking Stanley, the Falkland Islands' capital. One of a number of night battles that took place during the British advance towards Stanley, the battle led to British troops capturing all the heights above the town.

Professor Tony Pollard is a Professor of Conflict History and Archaeology. Tony joins Dan to detail the battlefield of Mount Tumbledown, the events that led to the capture of Stanley, and the surrender of the Argentine forces on the islands. Tony and Dan also discuss the Falklands War Mapping Project (FWMP), which Tony co-founded with Dr. Timothy Clack. The first time that veterans have taken part- the project uses archaeology to try and alleviate the stresses of PTSD.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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The wreck of one of the most famous ships of the 17th century - which sank 340 years ago while carrying the future King of England James Stuart - has been discovered off the coast of Norfolk in the UK, it can be revealed today.

Since running aground on a sandbank on May 6, 1682, the wreck of the warship The Gloucester has lain half-buried on the seabed, its exact whereabouts unknown until brothers Julian and Lincoln Barnwell, with their friend James Little, found it after a four-year search. They join Dan on today's podcast along with maritime historian Professor Claire Jowitt to share the exciting news of their discovery and what it and the artefacts found still on board tell us about a time of great political and religious tension.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

Photo credit: Norfolk Historic Shipwrecks

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Please note that this episode contains descriptions of conflict and torture that some may find distressing.

When the British arrived on the Falklands Islands in 1982, they battled the Argentines. But on the other side, it was a very different story. For the young Argentine combatants, their greatest enemy was not the British, nor the unrelenting terrain—for many soldiers, it was their own commanders...

At the beginning of The Falklands War -La Guerra de las Malvinas- as it is known in Argentina, Silvio Katz was just 19 years old. Born and raised in Parque Chacabuco, Buenos Aires, Silvio would find himself amongst the battle for the Falklands, called up while fulfilling his compulsory military service. Joining Dan, Silvio shares his story of the conflict in the Battle of Mount Longdon, the harrowing methods of torture he endured at the hands of his superiors, and his reflections about the war forty years on.

Produced by Hannah Ward.

Translation by Claudio Molinari Dassatti.

Voiceover by Martin Esposito.

Mixed and mastered by Dougal Patmore.

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On the 4th of June 1942, the US Navy took on the might of Japan's Imperial Navy in the battle of Midway. It was America's Trafalgar! At the end of the fighting devastating losses had been inflicted on the Japanese and the entire strategic position in the Pacific was upended in favour of the Allies. Never again would Japan be able to project power across the ocean as it had done at Pearl Harbour. In this explainer episode, Dan takes you through this key turning point in the Pacific War. He examines the key intelligence that allowed the American Navy to turn the tables on the Japanese fleet, a blow by blow account of the battle itself, the terrible human cost of the fighting and the aftermath of this decisive American victory. 

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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There was only one Victoria Cross awarded on the 6th June 1944, D-Day. It went to Company Sergeant Major Stanley Hollis of the 6th Battalion of the Green Howards. Alongside the 7th Battalion of the same regiment, the 6th were to advance 7 miles inland on the first day of Operation Overlord, the furthest of any other forces from Britain and the United States.

To explore the actions of the individuals from the Green Howards who made this advance, including the 180 who lost their lives in doing so, James spoke to Eric Le Doux-Turnbull. Eric runs D-Day Landing private tours and is one of the contributors for the History Hit TV special on the D-Day landings.

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On June 6, 1944, D-Day, Patrick Thomas, a young Royal Navy telegraphist, boarded the craft in Portsmouth. The boat was part of the first wave on Sword Beach, covering communications for land battles while providing defence from enemy ships and torpedoes. On June 25, it was hit by an acoustic mine and almost all of the men on board were trapped inside. Knocked unconscious, Patrick awoke in the water in time to see his friends and the craft sink. Unsure exactly where the vessel went down, the families of the deceased had never had a place to honour the fallen.

Then, in Normandy in 2015, Patrick met a young archaeologist called John Henry Phillips and the pair struck up a close friendship. Moved by Patrick’s story, John embarked on an extraordinary mission to find the landing craft that sank on D-Day and enable Patrick and the families to finally lay the memories of their loved ones to rest. But, as with any shipwreck, locating it wouldn’t be easy.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

Archive courtesy of BBC and ‘No Roses on a Sailor’s Grave,’ distributed by Go Button Media.

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A hotly anticipated biopic about the king of Rock'n'Roll will be released in June directed by Baz Luhmann. We've delved back into our archives to bring you this episode with author Sally Hoedel who interviewed people who personally knew Elvis—to support her claim that Elvis Presley was never going to live a long life. She tells Dan that prescription medication was only one aspect of his compromised health, not the ultimate cause of his death. She examines Elvis Presley—a son, husband, father, and devoted friend—while ploughing through the negative hype and legendary myths surrounding the man.

Sally's book is called 'Elvis: Destined to Die Young.'

This episode was first released on 21st January 2021.

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What do you think of when you think of birth control? Is it condoms, IUDs, the pill? What about vasectomies?

From monkey testicles to possible cancer treatments to ties of honour, over the past 150 years ‘the snip’ has had a few variations and uses … not all of them are scientifically sound. But what is it? And how did it come about?

Kate Lister is joined on Betwixt the Sheets by Georgia Grainger to discuss the vasectomy’s place as a contraceptive, as well as its relationship with eugenics and masculinity.

WARNING this episode includes mentions of mental illness, eugenics and themes of an adult nature

Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Pete Dennis.

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Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch in British history and one of the longest-reigning in the world. To mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, we have brought together some of today’s best historians to discuss the life and times of Britain's long history of queens from the Medieval period, right up to the present day.

Joining Dan is Professor Anna Whitelock who discusses Queen Elizabeth I; Dr Hannah Greig on Queen Anne; Dr Eleanor Janega on Eleanor of Aquitaine and Empress Matilda; Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks through the Tudor Queens Mary I and Mary, Queen of Scots, and lastly Professor Kate Williams on Queen Victoria.

Discover how these queens came to wield power, their role in peace and war, what society made of female rule, if queens are better leaders than their male counterparts, their impact and influence and, of course, which queen you'd most want to party with.

Produced by Charlotte Long and Mariana Des Forges

Research by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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From May 31 to June 1, 1921, a white mob attacked residents, homes and businesses in the predominantly Black ‘Greenwood District’ of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hundreds of people died or were injured in the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921— the event remains one of the worst incidents of racial violence in U.S. history.

Hannibal B. Johnson is an author and professor. He serves on the federal 400 Years of African-American History Commission and chaired the Education Committee for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission. Hannibal joins Dan to discuss how Greenwood was known as ‘The Black Wall Street,’ the white supremacy that lay at the centre of the riot, and how the city grapples with its historical racial trauma today.

Click here to listen to a previous episode about The Tulsa Race Massacre.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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Please note that this episode contains descriptions of combat and some explicit language.

At the Battle of Goose Green the Second Battalion the Parachute Regiment (2 Para) fought against various sub-units of the Argentine army and air force— this would be the first and the longest battle of the Falklands War.

Lt Col Philip Neame MBE joins Dan on the podcast to mark the 40th anniversary of the Battle of Goose Green. In 1982, Philip was commanding D Company, a rifle company in 2 PARA, under Lieutenant Colonel ‘H’ Jones who won the VC at Goose Green during the Falklands War. Philip and Dan discuss the realities of war, the tightrope between success and disaster and the strength of companionship.

Want more on the story of Lieutenant Colonel ‘H’ Jones? Subscribe to HistoryHit to listen to this episode about Airdrop Ursula here.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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David Stirling was an aristocrat, innovator and special forces legend that earned him the nickname 'The Phantom Major'. His formation of the Special Air Service in the summer of 1941 led to a new form of warfare and Stirling is remembered as the father of special forces soldiering. But was he really a military genius or in fact a shameless self-publicist who manipulated people, and the truth?

For his new book 'David Stirling: The Phoney Major' military historian Gavin Mortimer extensively interviewed SAS veterans who fought and worked with him and poured over declassified government files that paint a very different picture of the glittering legacy Stirling has secured.

In this episode, he gives Dan an explosive analysis of Stirling's complex character: the childhood speech impediment that shaped his formative years, the pressure from his overbearing mother, his fraught relationship with his brother, Bill, and the jealousy and inferiority he felt in the presence of his SAS second-in-command, the cold-blooded killer Paddy Mayne.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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Before they found their way into gyms, treadmills had a much darker history. In the 19th Century, they could most commonly be found in prisons.

In contrast to their modern track record of improving health, the Victorians saw treadmills as a way to explicitly inflict pain and punishment. A tool for ‘grinding men good’ through gruelling hours of physical activity.

What were the moral rationalisations of this corporal punishment? Who was the inventor responsible for these machines? And what cautionary tales can we learn from this punishing chapter of penal history?

We answer all these questions and more in this episode of Patented with the help of Rosaline Crone, a Senior Lecturer in History at the Open University who specialised in nineteenth-century criminal justice history.

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Longing to go back to the 'good old days' is nothing new. For hundreds of years, the British have mourned the loss of older national identities and called for a revival 'simple', 'better' ways of life - from Margaret Thatcher's call for a return to 'Victorian values' in the 1980s to William Blake's protest against the 'dark satanic mills' of the Industrial Revolution that were fast transforming England's green and pleasant land. But were the 'good old days' ever quite how we remember them?

Hannah Rose Woods is a cultural historian, writer and contributor. Hannah joins Dan on the podcast to explore Britain's fixation with its own past— debunking pervasive myths and asking why nostalgia has been such an enduring emotion across hundreds of years of change.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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Berlin’s fate was sealed at the 1945 Yalta Conference: the city, along with the rest of Germany, was to be carved up between the victorious powers - American, British, French and Soviet. On paper, it seemed a pragmatic solution. In reality, once the four powers were no longer united by their common purpose of defeating Germany they wasted little time reverting to their pre-war hostility toward each other.

Writer and historian Giles Milton joins Dan on the podcast to share the story of the race to seize Berlin in the aftermath of World War II. They discuss how rival systems, rival ideologies and rival personalities ensured that the German capital became an explosive battleground.

Giles Milton's new book is called Checkmate in Berlin: The Cold War Showdown That Shaped the Modern World.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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Catherine Belton joins Dan on the podcast to discuss the remarkable story of Vladimir Putin's rise to power. After working from 2007-2013 as the Moscow correspondent for the Financial Times, Catherine's career has offered an exclusive insight into the workings of Putin's Kremlin. Her book 'Putin's People' is packed with interviews with the key inside players, uncovering fascinating details about how Putin subverted Russia’s economy and legal system and extended the Kremlin's reach into the United States and Europe. It's a story of billions of dollars being siphoned out of state enterprises, murky networks of operatives and the suppression of independent voices.

If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.

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Various legends, characters and myths are associated with the medieval period. The British Isles is filled with prehistoric monuments - from Stonehenge and Wayland's Smithy, the archipelago of Orkney to as far south as Cornwall, Snowdon and Loch Etive, and rivers including the Ness, the Soar and the story-silted Thames - Britain is a land steeped in myth.

Dr Amy Jeffs is a historian specialising in the Middle Ages. Here to offer her retellings of medieval tales of legend, Amy joins Dan on the podcast. They discuss the characters of Brutus, Albina, Scota, Arthur and Bladud, and retread the paths where the medieval myths and legends of the British Isles first sprang to life.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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Please note that this episode contains frank discussions of conflict, mental health and suicide.

Admiral Lord West is the former First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff. In 1982, West commanded the frigate HMS Ardent which was deployed to the South Atlantic for the Falklands War. During the successful retaking of the islands, HMS Ardent was sunk in the Falkland Sound on May 21. West was the last to leave the sinking ship and was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his leadership.

Alan West joins Dan on the podcast to mark the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War. In a very candid conversation, they discuss Alan’s memories of the conflict, the experiences faced by him and his comrades, and the mental impact of bearing witness to the theatre of war.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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When we think of the modern Mediterranean, delicious and vibrant food is one of the first things that come to mind. But how much has the regional food changed over the last two millennia? In this episode, Tristan is joined by the host of 'The Delicious Legacy' Thomas Ntinas to discuss just how much the food has changed and helps by providing Tristan with some mouth-watering homemade recreations of just what they would have eaten. With the importance of fresh produce, who would've eaten an extravagant meal just like the one Tristan is served, and the importance of honey and wine, Thom takes us on a flavoursome journey through history.

If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.

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Please note that this episode contains mentions of racial trauma, slavery and violence.

The most feared ship in Britain’s West Africa Squadron, His Majesty’s Black Joke was one of a handful of ships tasked with patrolling the western coast of Africa in an effort to end hundreds of years of global slave trading. Once a slaving vessel itself, only a lucky capture in 1827 allowed it to be repurposed by the Royal Navy to catch its former compatriots.

A.E. Rooks is an expert in this little-discussed facet of the transatlantic slave trade. Rooks joins Dan on the podcast to chronicle this history of the daring feats of a single ship - whose crew and commanders would capture more ships and liberate more enslaved people than any other in the Squadron.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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On the night of February 23 1820, twenty-five impoverished craftsmen assembled in an obscure stable in Cato Street, London, with a plan to massacre the whole British cabinet at its monthly dinner. The Cato Street Conspiracy was the most sensational of all plots aimed at the British state since Guy Fawkes' Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

Historian Vic Gatrell joins Dan to explore this dramatic event. They discuss how one of the most compelling episodes in British history ended in betrayal, arrest, and trial, and with five conspirators publicly hanged and decapitated for treason. Their failure would end hopes of revolution for a century.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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If you travelled back in time to the Medieval period this very second, do you think you would survive? The short answer is probably not. If you weren't wearing a hat, wore glasses on the street, or even laced your corset in the wrong way, things would go south for you very quickly. Luckily, in this episode Matt is joined by Toni Mount, author of the book 'How to Survive in Medieval England' who provides an insight on what it would take to avoid beatings, homelessness, and hunger in Medieval times.

If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.

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Bletchley Park, Britain's key decryption centre during WWI, is known for the success of breaking the Nazi Enigma codes - experts have suggested that the Bletchley Park codebreakers may have shortened the war by as much as two years.

David Kenyon is the research historian at Bletchley Park. Recorded at the grounds, David and Dan walk through Bletchley’s latest exhibition, The Intelligence Factory. They uncover hidden stories from the height of Bletchley’s wartime operations and discuss the codebreakers’ significant contribution to the allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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This week is Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK so we’ve got a special episode exploring the surprising way Victorians approached mental health treatment in the 19th century. Oral historian Stella Man from the Glenside Hospital Museum in Bristol tells Dan how the Victorians get a bad rap but in truth, they took a very forward thinking occupational approach. With no real medicines to prescribe at that time, psychiatric institutions like Glenside turned to exercise, nature, rest and finding meaningful activities and work for patients to do. 50% of patients who were admitted were able to leave the institution after treatment.

Stella tells the stories of several patients that spent time at Glenside and how the approach to mental health treatment in Britain changed for the worse over the 20th century and is now returning to the same ideas prescribed by the Victorians.

You can find out more information or visit Glenside Hospital Museum here: Glenside Hospital Museum

If you are struggling with your mental health you can find advice and resources here: Mind.org.uk

Produced by Mariana Des Forges

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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In 1649 Britain was engulfed by revolution. Charles I was executed for treason and within weeks the English monarchy had been abolished and the House of Lords discarded. The people, it was announced, were now the sovereign force in the land. What did this mean for the decade that would follow?

Anna Keay is a historian, broadcaster and Director of the Landmark Trust. Anna joins Dan on the podcast to discuss the extraordinary and experimental decade of the 1650s - how these tempestuous years set the British Isles on a new course and what happened when a conservative people tried revolution.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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For most of us, VE Day conjures up black and white images of carefree servicemen and women dancing and beaming in Trafalgar Square, of Churchill greeted by jubilant crowds in Whitehall, and of course, lots and lots of bunting. But was it really like this? In this podcast, you'll hear the speech given by Churchill from the Ministry of Health, cheered on by the boisterous crowd, an account by veteran Edward Toms about the drinking habits of the Soviets, and thoughts from two brilliant historians, Toby Haggith and Russell Miller.

If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.

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From the 16th to the 19th centuries, European slave traders forcibly uprooted millions of African people and shipped them across the Atlantic in conditions of great cruelty. Today, on the bottom of the world’s oceans lies the lost wrecks of ships that carried enslaved people from Africa to the Americas.

Justin Dunnavant is an Assistant Professor, archaeologist and National Geographic Explorer. Justin shares with Dan the incredible project that he is a part of - a group of specialist black divers who are dedicated to finding and documenting some of the thousands of slave ships wrecked in the Atlantic Ocean during the transatlantic slave trade. They also unearth the history of a former Danish slave colony in the Virgin Islands and discuss Justin’s research about the African Diaspora and Marcus Garvey’s Black Star Line.

Hey, Assistant Producer Hannah here! A little caveat for this episode, Dan was on his way to record some exciting things for History Hit with the Royal Mint, so you may hear some rain in the background.

Produced by Hannah Ward

Mixed and Mastered by Dougal Patmore

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Agincourt is a name which conjures an image of plucky English archers taking on and defeating the arrogant and aristocratic knights of the French court. But was it really the David and Goliath struggle often depicted on stage and screen? 

In this episode of the podcast, Dan is joined by Mike Loades to challenge some of the popular myths that surround the battle. Just how outnumbered were the English really? Could the French Knights really not get up if knocked over? And, was Henry V's campaign in France really a success despite the victory at Agincourt?

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The Dudleys were the most brilliant, bold and manipulative of power-hungry Tudor families. Every Tudor monarch made their name either with a Dudley at their side - or by crushing one beneath their feet. With three generations of felled family members, what was it that caused the Dudleys to keep rising so high and falling so low?

In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Dr. Joanne Paul, author of The House of Dudley: A New History of Tudor England, the story of a noble house competing in the murderous game of musical chairs around the English throne. 

If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-f