Afleveringen

  • How does an empire spanning three continents and half a millennium fall apart?


    In the final episode of our series on the Roman Empire, we're joined by Professor Peter Heather to unravel Rome's collapse - from the chaos of the third-century crisis to the deposition of the last Western emperor. Why did an empire at its economic peak unravel so quickly? And why did the East survive when the West did not?


    Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.


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  • How did century-old 'landships' developed from agricultural tractors evolve into the armoured giants of the modern battlefield? Today, we trace the lineage of the tank, from its origins in the trenches of the First World War to Second World War behemoths and their modern battlefield descendants.


    For this, we're joined by Mark Urban, historian and writer specialising in defence and foreign affairs. With him, he discusses the all-important question: in an era of drones, missiles and precision strikes, does the tank still have a place on the battlefield?


    Mark's book is called "Tank: The 10 War Machines That Changed the World and the Remarkable Men Behind Them".


    Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.


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  • What did it take to rule an empire that was never meant to have an emperor?


    In this second episode of our series on the Roman Empire, we're joined by classicist Mary Beard to trace how Roman leadership evolved over a thousand years - from the competitive power-sharing of the Republic, to the carefully constructed one-man rule of Augustus. Why did the republican system buckle under its own success? And what set the empire on the path to fragmentation?


    Make sure to join us for our third episode next week, when Peter Heather will explain how and why the Roman Empire fell apart.


    Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.


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  • Exile, mercenary, Viking king. Harald Hardrada, 'Thunderbolt of the North', fought his way from Norway to Byzantium, from the streets of Constantinople to the battlefields of Sicily. He married a princess, blinded an emperor, and nearly conquered England.


    Today, Dr Wayne Bartlett joins us to tell the astonishing story of the last great Viking, a man who shook the medieval world before meeting his end at Stamford Bridge in 1066.


    Wayne's book is called "Thunderbolt of the North: Harald Hardrada, Viking King".


    Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.


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  • How did a cluster of Iron Age huts grow into one of history's greatest civilisations?


    In the first episode of our series on the Roman Empire, we're joined by Dr Simon Elliott to trace Rome's rise - from its humble origins on the banks of the Tiber to the moment Augustus became the first Emperor. Why did Rome thrive when so many competitors fell? What were the key battles, the turning points, the extraordinary individuals who shaped the story?


    Make sure to join us for our second episode next week, when Dame Mary Beard will shed some light on how this mighty civilisation was ruled.


    Produced by James Hickmann and edited by 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. 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 first released in 2024.


    You can find the History Hit Voicemaps Tours here: https://voicemap.me/publisher/history-hit


    Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore


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  • Today, we uncover a forgotten SAS mission straight out of a war thriller: an elite unit jumps the chain of command and hijacks a 'pirate train', turning it into a weapon against fascist Italy. Their goal? To launch a surprise attack deep behind enemy lines on an Italian concentration camp and free its prisoners.


    Historian Damien Lewis joins us to reveal the breathtaking tale of WWII’s most cinematic untold raid. Damien is the author of 'SAS: The Great Train Raid' and 'SAS Great Escapes 5'.


    Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.


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  • We trace the extraordinary rise and fall of the House of Boleyn. From humble Norfolk tenant farmers, the Boleyns used everything from wool trading to the diplomatic service to climb to the heights of Tudor power.


    Novelist and historian Philippa Gregory joins us to explain this family's dizzying ascent, and how their path ultimately led to tragedy, betrayal and execution.


    Philippa's book is 'Boleyn Traitor'.


    Produced by Mariana Des Forges and Peta Stamper, and edited by Dougal Patmore.


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  • Dan explains the Battle of Brunanburh, an epic clash that decided the fate of the British Isles. On one side, the Anglo-Saxon forces of King Æthelstan, fighting for his vision for a unified England; on the other, a massive ‘anti-Wessex’ coalition of Vikings, Scots and Celts, determined to stop the English project from taking hold.


    Today, we explore the high-stakes diplomacy that led to this point, hear how this savage battle played out, and dig into its consequences for the modern UK.


    Written and produced by Dan Snow, and edited by Dougal Patmore.


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  • Venice was the impossible city that rose from mudflats to become a medieval superpower. Venice dominated Mediterranean trade through its vast navy, revolutionary shipyards, and strategic position between East and West. From the glass furnaces of Murano to the spice-laden ships crowding its ports, Dan is joined by historian and author Roger Crowley to explore how Venice became the commercial powerhouse of medieval Europe and why this extraordinary city-state was pushed into decline by the Ottomans, before finally falling to Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797.


    Roger's book is called 'City of Fortune'.


    Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.


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  • Greed, Lust, Pride, Sloth, Gluttony, Envy, Wrath! You might be surprised to learn the true history of the Seven Deadly Sins doesn't start in the bible. Rather, they were first thought up by a Greek monk in the 4th century who'd fled to the desert after becoming embroiled in a scandal with a married woman…


    Dan is joined by historian and author Peter Jones to trace the true history of the Seven Deadly Sins, why they took the Middle Ages by storm, and how they have shaped European society for centuries.


    You can learn more in Peter's new book, ' Self Help from the Middle Ages: What the Seven Deadly Sins Can Teach Us About Living'


    Produced by Mariana Des Forges, McKenna Fernandez and James Hickmann. Edited by Matthew Wilson


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  • An underground Nazi weapons factory and stash of 77-year-old Denazification files. What is it really like to discover that your grandfather was a member of the SS?


    In 2023, journalist Lorenz Hemicker joined us to tell the tale of his grandfather, who took part in the massacre of 25,000 Jews at Rumbula in Latvia. We heard about how a radicalised First World War veteran took up the cause of National Socialism, became directly involved in the darkest of Nazi atrocities, and tried to justify himself in the years that followed.


    But the story goes even deeper than that. Today, Lorenz joins us again to share his incredible discoveries in the years since, and discuss how his family have confronted this legacy of atrocity.


    Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.


    You can listen to our first episode with Lorenz here - https://shows.acast.com/dansnowshistoryhit/episodes/the-nazi-gravedigger-of-rumbula


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  • In the 19th century, Japan's samurai era ended, and the country transformed from a secluded feudal society into a modern industrial superpower. From sweeping political reforms to rapid industrialisation, this is the story of how Japan reinvented itself in just decades and emerged as a formidable global power.


    Joining us is Dr Chris Harding, a cultural historian of Japan and India from the University of Edinburgh.


    Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Matthew Wilson.


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  • WARNING: This episode includes discussion of sexual abuse and explicit language.


    He appalled and titillated Regency polite society in equal measure. Lord Byron was a poet, a lover, a rebel, a romantic, an appalling husband and eventually a freedom fighter. He made terrible decisions, was notoriously bad-tempered and treated women and men appallingly. Yet, everybody who met him fell in love with him.


    Dan is joined by Dr Kate Lister, historian and host of the Betwixt the Sheets podcast, to unravel the many phases and contradictions of Lord Byron's complicated life in an attempt to discover the man behind the scandalous reputation.


    Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.


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  • In 1553, Mary Tudor became the first woman to sit on the English throne - a reign of just five years, that history has remembered almost exclusively through the lens of her enemies. But today, we revisit the story of "Bloody Mary" to ask: was she really a ruthless tyrant?


    Joining us is Professor Kate Williams, a historian and broadcaster who specialises in Royal history. She unpacks Mary's life from start to finish and reveals the real Mary Tudor.


    Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Matthew Wilson.


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  • He was one of medieval England’s most formidable warriors. Today we hear how Edward of Woodstock - the Black Prince - earned that reputation, tracing his rise during the Hundred Years’ War and exploring the nature of his command. We also confront the harsher realities of his campaigns, from brutal sieges to civilian suffering. Was he a hero, or something darker?


    Joining us is Michael Jones, historian and author of "The Black Prince: England's Greatest Medieval Warrior".


    Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.


    You can also email the podcast directly at [email protected].


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  • This is the true story of the plot to kill Stalin's greatest enemy. It involves ice axe, a bloody study in Mexico City, and a betrayal years in the making.


    At its centre is Ramón Mercader, a Soviet-trained agent who infiltrated Leon Trotsky’s inner circle and killed him. But this was more than a simple murder - it was the result of Stalin’s ruthless drive to eliminate all rivals and consolidate power.


    With us is Josh Ireland, author of "The Death of Trotsky: The True Story of the Plot to Kill Stalin's Greatest Enemy". He explains the shadowy politics of Stalin's Kremlin, and how manipulation and conviction put Mercader on a path to Mexico City...


    Produced by James Hickmann and McKenna Fernandez, and edited by Matthew Wilson.


    At its centre is Ramón Mercader, a Soviet-trained agent who infiltrated Leon Trotsky’s inner circle and killed him. But this was more than a simple murder - it was the result of Stalin’s ruthless drive to eliminate all rivals and consolidate power.


    With us is Josh Ireland, author of "The Death of Trotsky: The True Story of the Plot to Kill Stalin's Greatest Enemy". He explains the shadowy politics of Stalin's Kremlin, and how manipulation and conviction put Mercader on a path to Mexico City...


    Produced by James Hickmann and McKenna Fernandez, and edited by Matthew Wilson.


    We need your help! Let us know what you want from Dan Snow's History Hit by filling in our anonymous survey here: https://forms.gle/PvgayWLkWGjYT4St6


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  • Trap doors under toilets, hidden radio rooms in the back of wardrobes, secret bases behind waterfalls....Dan investigates an extraordinary network of secret resistance cells set up during Britain's "darkest hour".


    In the summer of 1940, Britain and its empire stood alone as the Nazi war machine stormed through Europe. Prime Minister Winston Churchill created something extraordinary: secret factions of men and women trained to wreak havoc behind the lines of an invading army.


    Dan once again joins forces with Andy Chatterton from the Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team, who are unearthing this incredible part of World War Two for another bunker hunt. What they find on this adventure is truly extraordinary.


    You can learn more about Britain's secret resistance in Andy's book 'Fortress Britain 1940: Britain's Unsung and Secret Defences on Land, Sea and in the Air'.


    With thanks to Chris Hale, Nina, Will and Martyn from CART, Andy Aust and Duncan Akers.


    Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.


    You can watch our video documentary on Churchill's Secret Army! Sign up here to watch: https://access.historyhit.com/videos/churchills-secret-army


    You can also email the podcast directly at [email protected].


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  • The desperate, violent last stand that ended two centuries of crusading in the Holy Land. We hear how, outnumbered, divided and desperate, the Christian defenders decided to fight to the bitter end against the Mamluk forces of Al-Ashraf Khalil at the Siege of Acre


    For this series, we're joined by Steve Tibble, author of many books on the Crusades, including 'The Crusader Strategy: Defending the Holy Land'.


    Produced by James Hickmann and McKenna Fernandez, and edited by Jhenelle White.


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  • Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the most powerful figures of the medieval world: twice a queen, a crusader, a rebel and the architect of an empire. Through her marriages to Louis VII of France and Henry II of England, she helped create the vast Angevin Empire and reshape European politics. She led forces on the Second Crusade, rebelled against her husband and played a decisive role in the rise of her sons, including Richard the Lionheart and King John.


    Historian Dr Elena Janega, host of Gone Medieval, joins the podcast to explore Eleanor’s extraordinary life - from the vibrant court of Aquitaine and the failure of the Second Crusade, to her dramatic divorce, imprisonment, and enduring political influence. This episode reveals how Eleanor’s authority and intelligence held a volatile dynasty together until her death.


    Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.


    Listen to Richard the Lionheart.

    Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/richard-the-lionheart/id1042631089?i=1000714361834

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Pm3oWHAeOHfzLdufvqlDS?si=ZKlCSV_YRwGvS64dQCiWzg


    Listen to The Greatest Knight That Ever Lived: William the Marshal.

    Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-greatest-knight-that-ever-lived-william-the-marshal/id1042631089?i=1000726107916

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5h09dhQsoEN3MEPUGmPyLL?si=ZV4Z4gMDRtKaRBiK2Pmmfg


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    Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.


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