Channel History Hit
1,605 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 208 ratingsThis is a combined feed which includes shows from across the History Hit Network. Including: Dan Snow's History Hit Histories of the Unexpected, Art Detective, Chalke Valley History Hit. More shows coming soon. Follow us on Twitter/Facebook: @HistoryHit
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Episodes
The Doolittle Raid
February 25, 2021 17:00 - 25 minutes - 35.7 MBToday, we're talking about one of the great stories of American military history; The Doolittle Raid. In 1942 after the humiliation assault on Pearl Harbour and determined to show that America still had offensive capabilities the charismatic figure of James Doolittle came to President Rosevelt with the proposal to fly army bombers off aircraft carriers and attack Tokyo the capital of the Japanese Empire. Michel Paradis, the author of Last Mission to Tokyo, joins me not only to discuss the mi...
Anti-government Violence in America
February 24, 2021 17:00 - 21 minutes - 29.1 MBLeah Sottile joins me today to talk all about domestic terrorism and anti-government groups in the USA. In particular, we talk about the armed standoff between law enforcement and a group of ranchers led by Cliven Bundy in 2014 over the issue of grazing rights on public land. We examine what happened, why this case matters, how it is directly linked to the stoming of the Capitol and what it is about the history of the USA that motivates these groups. Leah Sottile is a freelance journalist a...
Remembering the Alamo with W. F. Strong
February 23, 2021 17:00 - 46 minutes - 64.3 MBIn this episode taken from our archive, I headed out to Texas in 2016 to discuss the Battle of the Alamo and what its legacy means for modern Texas. I met with W. F. Strong, a famed historian of Texas, to wander around the city of San Antonio and get a deeper understanding of one of America's most famous battles. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
John of Gaunt: THE Royal Ancestor
February 22, 2021 17:00 - 32 minutes - 45.2 MBHelen Carr joins me today to discuss John of Gaunt: son of Edward III, younger brother to the Black Prince, uncle of Richard II and father of Henry IV. Not only was he the key intersecting ancestor around which the Plantagenet family split, but his other children also give us the Tudor dynasty. He is THE royal ancestor and one that many of us can trace our family trees back to. In this fascinating episode, Helen discusses his royal aspirations, his attempted conquest of parts of Spain, his r...
In Conversation with David Baddiel
February 21, 2021 03:00 - 49 minutes - 68.3 MBIn this episode taken from our archive, David Baddiel talks to Dan about the Second World War, Trump's Mussolini-isms, and why Jim Callaghan makes comedy difficult. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Brexit History Showdown with Robert Tombs
February 20, 2021 03:00 - 30 minutes - 41.5 MBFive years after the announcement of the Brexit referendum I am joined on the podcast by Robert Tombs, author of The Sovereign Isle: Britain In and Out of Europe, for a Brexit history showdown. In this thought-provoking conversation Robert, a fantastic historian absolutely steeped in European history sets out why he believes it was in the best interests of the UK to leave the European project. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Vikings: River Kings
February 19, 2021 17:00 - 25 minutes - 35.7 MBToday, I am joined by Cat Jarman bio-archaeologist and author of a new book all about how the Vikings spread east, often utilising the rivers of central and Eastern Europe, all the way into central Asia. These travels enabled them through trade, violence and settlement to plug themselves into that superhighway of the time, the Silk Road. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Frostquake
February 18, 2021 17:00 - 21 minutes - 30 MBIn the winter of 1962-63, the UK experienced a different kind of lockdown as freezing temperatures and ten weeks of snow kept people trapped at home in one of the coldest winters on record. Today, I'm joined by Juliet Nicolson who was eight years old at the time and has written a book all about that bitterly cold winter. She argues that the big freeze not only reflected the threat of the cold war but also beneath the frozen surface new ideas were beginning to stir which would lead to the mas...
Snakes!
February 18, 2021 06:00 - 35 minutes - 81.9 MBIn this latest episode, the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, slither into the archives to capture the unexpected history of SNAKES! Which is all about fear and phobia, mythology (via Medusa, St Patrick, Jormungand, the Viking sea serpent and many more); it's also all about dreams and the US civil war, the Hopi Snake Dance, weaponizing venom for military uses, and also the invention of anti-venom. Who knew! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Besieging Masada
February 17, 2021 17:00 - 39 minutes - 54.3 MBDramatically placed on a plateau with drops of 400m to the east and 90m to the west, Masada translates from Hebrew as fortress. It became just that when Herod the Great built a magnificent palace complex upon it between 37 and 31 BC, the remains of which are in fantastic shape today. But the site isn’t only notable for its connection to the bible-famed King of Judaea. Masada was also the stronghold of some of the survivors of a Jewish revolt and, in response, the locus of a Roman siege in th...
Love Lives: From Cinderella to Frozen
February 16, 2021 17:00 - 24 minutes - 33.9 MBWe cover all the big topics on the podcast including weapons of mass destruction, climate change, great power rivalry and the struggle for democracy and many others, but today's podcast is all about the biggest subject of them all. Love. Carol Dyhouse, Professor (Emeritus) of History at the University of Sussex, joins me to talk all about how portrayals of love in popular culture and in particular Disney princesses have influenced how people view love, romance and marriage and how those vie...
Hitler and Stalin
February 15, 2021 17:00 - 26 minutes - 36.1 MBI am joined by Laurence Rees, the best selling author, who has met more people that had direct contact with both Hitler and Stalin than any other historian. In this episode, we delve into the differences and similarities of these two terrifying, brutal and ruthless megalomaniacs who did more than anyone else to shape the Twentieth Century and the world we live in today. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Fallout: The Secret History of Nuclear Testing
February 14, 2021 03:00 - 32 minutes - 44.9 MBHow do you test a weapon of mass destruction? A weapon whose potential you can only estimate. Since 1945, countries with nuclear capabilities have been coming up with solutions to this problem, but they are not without pitfalls. Traces of the fallout from nuclear testing are found across the world, and testing has directly impacted a plethora of communities. From the original inhabitants of the chosen test sites, to the veterans who worked with the weapons, nuclear fallout has had a variety ...
Hugs!
February 13, 2021 06:00 - 29 minutes - 68 MBIn this latest episode, the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, get all feel good and investigate the unexpected history of HUGS! Which is all about the science and psychology of hugging, babies and upbringing, greetings and the gendering of hugs, US Presidents and the politics of hugging; it's also all about free hugs, tree hugging and the Khejarli Massacre in September 1730. Who knew! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Living Through the Dresden Firebombing with Victor Gregg
February 13, 2021 03:00 - 44 minutes - 61.5 MBVictor Gregg is a veteran of World War Two and the Dresden Bombings, and travelled with Dan to visit Dresden a couple of years ago for a documentary. In this episode, taken from our archive, Victor talks about what it was like to be in Dresden during the bombings, and the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) he suffered as a result of his wartime experiences. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Lockdown Learning: The Rise of USA
February 12, 2021 17:00 - 31 minutes - 43.7 MBFor Lockdown Learning this week I am joined by Dr Fabian Hilfrich, head of American History at Edinburgh University. He takes us through from the late 19th Century to the beginning of the 20th century when America rose to challenge the old European powers on the world stage. We cover subjects such as American imperialism, industrial development and wealth distribution, the impact of immigration, how America viewed itself on the world stage and the evolution of the constitution during this pe...
The 18th Century Precedent for Trump's Impeachment
February 11, 2021 17:00 - 30 minutes - 41.5 MBAs the impeachment trial of Donald Trump got underway in the USA the 18th-century case of Warren Hastings, the former Governor-General of Bengal was cited as a precedent for someone being impeached after they had left office. But what happened to bring about Hastings' impeachment and why does this case matter now? I'm joined by best selling author, an expert on the East India Company and a rock star of 18th-century history William Dalrymple to find out. See acast.com/privacy for privacy...
Empire with Sathnam Sanghera
February 10, 2021 17:00 - 26 minutes - 36.3 MBJournalist and author Sathnam Sanghera joins me on the podcast to talk about his latest book Empireland which examines how much of what we think of as Britain and British is owed to our imperial past. We compare notes on our own family's relationships to the British Empire imperial, me being British-Canadian and Sathnam being of Punjabi descent, and discuss how imperial history should be thought about and taught today. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Historical Novels with Ken Follett
February 09, 2021 17:00 - 21 minutes - 29 MBToday, I am joined by best-selling author Ken Follett to discuss his latest book The Evening and the Morning. We also talk about his love of history and the historical research involved with writing one of his novels, his method and how authors have to sometimes use creative license to fill in some of the underwear shaped gaps left in the historical record. This episode was recorded before the US election last year and Ken, a former journalist, also touches on his concerns for his previous o...
China 1949: Year of Revolution
February 08, 2021 17:00 - 33 minutes - 46.4 MBIn 1949 Mao Zedong led the Chinese Communist Party to victory in the long and bloody Chinese Civil War. The impact of this victory was felt not just within China itself, but globally throughout the Cold War and into the modern era. Today, the legacy of 1949 still resonates shaping the political and ideological landscape of China and how it perceives itself on the world stage. Graham Hutchings joins me to discuss the fateful events of 1949 and their impact and the looming possibility of confl...
Tongues!
February 08, 2021 15:30 - 34 minutes - 79.9 MBIn this latest episode, the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, investigate the fascinating unexpected history of TONGUES! Which is all about licking earthenware and the tongue as an important archaeological tool, Mary Bateman and tongue collecting, the removal of tongues, it's also all about tongue twisters and the history of elocution, and the cultural politics of sticking out tongues, as a greeting, an act of aggression or rudeness, or even a gesture of flirtation. Who knew! See acast.com...
Sutton Hoo
February 07, 2021 03:00 - 34 minutes - 47.9 MBThe release of The Dig has brought the story of the Sutton Hoo dig to the forefront of people’s minds of late. The real hero of that story though is not the people involved but rather the stunning archaeology discovered in Suffolk as the Second World War loomed. Sue Brunning joins me on the podcast to talk all thing Sutton Hoo. The history of the excavation, who might have been buried at the heart of it and what it tells us about Early Medieval England. Sue is an archaeologist specialising...
Ladders!
February 06, 2021 06:00 - 38 minutes - 89.2 MBIn this latest episode, the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, climb the rungs of the past to reach the unexpected history of LADDERS! Which is all about prehistoric cave art, the Crusades and the capture of Constantinople in 1204 (using flying ladders), lamp lighters in eighteenth-century Dublin; it's about accidents and superstition (falling off and walking under ladders); and it's about Ancient and medieval sieges, a attacking fortified castles with ladders; and of course it's all about the p...
Emily Davison with Kate Willoughby
February 06, 2021 03:00 - 28 minutes - 39.1 MBIn this episode, originally released in 2018, Dan talks to actor, activist, and "part-time suffragette" Kate Willoughby about Emily Davison, the centenary of the Representation of the People Act, and what still needs to be done. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Lockdown Learning: Interwar Europe
February 05, 2021 17:00 - 26 minutes - 36.5 MBFor this episode of Lockdown Learning Professor Richard Toye joined me on the podcast to talk about the interwar period and answer the key questions of what caused the Second World War. We spoke about why the Treaty of Versailles was so harsh on Germany, why the League of Nations failed and the impact of the Wall Street Crash on global politics and how all these combined to help bring about the World War Two. Many thanks again to Simon Beale for creating this downloadable worksheet for stu...
Meetings!
February 05, 2021 06:00 - 39 minutes - 91.4 MBIn this latest episode, the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, wade their way through the paperwork and bureaucracy of the past to action the unexpected history of MEETINGS! Which is all about campus novels of the twentieth century, state sponsored sabotage by the CIA's precursor, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the history of secret meetings and the Ku Klux Klan, Nelson and naval warfare and the court of Elizabeth I. Who knew! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out informati...
The History of Social Media with Kara Swisher
February 04, 2021 17:00 - 26 minutes - 36.7 MBFacebook was founded on the 4th of February 2004 and began as a tool to stay in touch with friends and family, but has ended up being a place where you can plan insurrectionist movements and anti-vax rallies. Today I am joined by American tech journalist Kara Swisher to talk about Facebook, social media and the history of tech and what the future holds for the industry. Kara has written for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and is currently an opinion writer for The New York Time...
Cheese!
February 03, 2021 18:00 - 35 minutes - 82 MBIn this episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, stir the whey of history as they unwrap the unexpected history of CHEESE! Which is all about Samuel Pepys and the Great Fire of London of 1666, witches and magic (via fortune telling, love potions and malevolent acts with cheese!), Homer's Odyssey and a cheese-making cyclops, the Flemings, ethnic cleansing in the Middle Ages, the Peasants' Revolt in 1381 and lost knowledge! Who knew! See acast.com/privacy for privacy a...
The AIDS pandemic
February 03, 2021 17:00 - 22 minutes - 31 MBIn this episode of the podcast, I’m joined by Tash Walker and Adam Zmith, hosts of The Log Books podcast, to discuss the Aids pandemic of the 1980s and 1990s and the lessons that might be drawn for dealing with COVID-19. We talk about the role of the media in creating negative press around HIV/AIDS and the direct impact that had on Thatcher's Government decision to bring in Section 28. We also discuss the role of many lesbians in supporting those with HIV and dying of AIDS - an area that is...
Edges of Empire: Rome's Northernmost Town
February 02, 2021 17:00 - 23 minutes - 33.1 MBRoughly two miles south of Hadrian’s Wall lie the remains of Roman Corbridge, the northernmost town of the Roman Empire. The site’s archaeology is unique. The remains highlight what was once a bustling town. As its centre was the high street. Covered walkways, street-side shops and an ornate fountain are just a few of the structures that we know were present along this central road, now known as the Stanegate. Metres away, however, you have the remains of very different structures surviving....
Uncles: Homeschooling the Reign of Edward VI
February 02, 2021 06:00 - 30 minutes - 70.4 MBIn this Homeschooling History episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, explore the fascinating history of UNCLES. From discussions of the Richard III and the Princes in the Tower to seventeenth-century kinship networks in the diary of Samuel Pepys and the personification of the US state in the figure of Uncle Sam, James and Sam rampage around history of uncles before settling on the fascinating history of the reign of Edward VI (1537-1553), who ascended to the throne of E...
How the Establishment Resisted the Abolition of Slavery
February 01, 2021 18:15 - 32 minutes - 44.9 MBHistorian Michael Taylor joined me on the podcast to discuss the resistance of the British establishment to the ending of the slave trade. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Falcons!
January 31, 2021 06:00 - 34 minutes - 77.9 MBIn this BONUS episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, tackle the expected history of FALCONS! Which is all about medieval and Tudor society, from Kings to knaves via The Book of Hawking, Hunting, and Blasing of Arms; it's also all about Barry Hines' 1968 novel, A Kestrel for a Knave, and it includes a SPECIAL INTERVIEW with Paul Manning, the falconer at Beaulieu, the first official falconer at the house from three centuries! This is living history - and the role of the f...
Elvis: Destined to Die Young
January 31, 2021 03:00 - 23 minutes - 32.8 MBSally Hoedel joined me on the podcast to talk about the turbulent life and career of Elvis Presley, King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Birds: The Return Flight
January 30, 2021 06:00 - 27 minutes - 64 MBIn this BONUS episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, once again take to the skies to swoop upon the expected history of BIRDS! Which in this episode is all about it's also all about homing pigeons in WWI and WWII, the Dickin Medal and honouring of animals during the Second World War, including super pigeon hero William of Orange. It's also all about Viking culture, which fluttered with birds from the evidence of osteoarchaeology (the study of animal bones from archaeolo...
Persecuted Under the Nazis: Black and Roma Peoples
January 30, 2021 03:00 - 37 minutes - 52 MBFor International Holocaust Memorial Day 2021, James spoke to Professor Eve Rosenhaft about the experiences of Black and Roma peoples during the Third Reich. Eve is a historian at the University of Liverpool. She has been looking into how the persecution of these groups occured under the Nazis; how much of it was a continuation of existing prejudices, and who prompted its escalation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Lockdown Learning: Russian Revolution
January 29, 2021 17:00 - 31 minutes - 43.5 MBHelen Rappaport, a specialist in Russian history, joined me on the podcast for the third episode of our lockdown learning series to talk about the Russian Revolution. We run through some key moments in the fall of the Romanovs. Many thanks to Simon Beale for creating this downloadable pdf worksheet for students: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K9b4wZUKbagxobWBPlCOs3ZUuiLmzOj3/view See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Birds!
January 29, 2021 06:00 - 31 minutes - 71.1 MBIn this episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, take to the skies to swoop upon the expected history of BIRDS! Which is all about the Battle of Waterloo and plumed helmets, costume feathers, hats, the American Ornithologists Union and cruelty to birds; it's also all about canary resuscitators, John Scott Haldane and the use of canaries down mines and in the trenches during the First World War. Who knew! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Bathtubs! Homeschooling Prohibition in the USA!
January 28, 2021 06:00 - 39 minutes - 90.9 MBIn this Homeschooling History episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, explore the fascinating history of BATHTUBS!. From discussions of the 'eureka' moment of Archimedes in Ancient Greece and the discovery of displacement and bathtubs in ships to H.L. Mencken's fictitious tales of bathtubs in the White House, Sam and James rampage around history of bathtubs before settling on the fascinating history of Prohibition in the1920 and 1930s in the USA until it was ended by Pre...
Survivors of Genocide
January 27, 2021 17:00 - 46 minutes - 64 MBFor Holocaust Memorial Day Dan talks to people who have experienced and survived genocide. Four guests from four different parts of the world. Sophie Masereka, Ruth Barnett, Kemal Pervanic, Sokphal Din all share their traumatic experiences. All of them lost their loved ones. All of them are brave enough to speak out, driven by the belief that memorialisation and education may stop the next genocide. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
LEAVING HOME!: Homeschooling the Viking Invasions!
January 27, 2021 06:00 - 31 minutes - 71.6 MBIn this Homeschooling History episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, explore the fascinating history of LEAVING HOME. From discussions of seventeenth-century boys leaving home to attend school and university (and letters home to mothers), going off to war and travelling around the world to the exact opposite, staying at home, lockdown and being under house arrest, Sam and James rampage around history of leaving home before settling on the fascinating history of the Viki...
How the Irish Shaped Britain with Fergal Keane
January 26, 2021 17:00 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBFergal Keane joined me on the podcast to talk about the profound influence the Irish have had on Britain over many centuries. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Liberalism with Ian Dunt
January 25, 2021 17:00 - 32 minutes - 73.5 MBIn this episode, I was joined by journalist Ian Dunt, a well known a commentator on politics and on Brexit. Ian is host of the 'Oh God What Now' podcast and editor of politics.co.uk. We discuss his recent book which makes an impassioned defence of liberalism and tells its story, from its birth in the fight against absolute monarchy to the modern-day resistance against the new populism. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
HACKING!: Homeschooling Codebreakers and WW2
January 25, 2021 10:05 - 33 minutes - 75.8 MBIn this Homeschooling History episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, fathom the mind-numbingly difficult history of HACKING. From Guglielmo Marconi and magician and inventor Nevil Maskelyne, the history of Rene Carmille, who in 1943 was the first ethical hacker for sabotaging the computerization of data about French Jews during World War II to Joe "Joybubbles" Engressia, a blind 7-year-old boy with perfect pitch who was able to hack AT&T's telephonic system in 1957, Sam...
Cold War Submarine Warrior
January 24, 2021 03:00 - 21 minutes - 48.5 MBEric Thompson has had his finger literally on the nuclear button. He joined the Royal Navy submarine service in the early days of the Cold War. He served on WW2 era ships and submarine before ending his career as a senior officer on Britain's state of the art nuclear submarines. Each one armed with inter continental ballistic missiles with nuclear tips. He took Dan to the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport to show him around one of the finest preserved submarines in the world, HMS Allian...
Lucy Worsley on Queen Victoria
January 23, 2021 03:00 - 24 minutes - 55.3 MBBAFTA winning historian and Joint Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces Lucy Worsley takes Dan on a tour of Kensington Palace, one of the principle royal residences since 1689, and the childhood home of Queen Victoria. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Lockdown Learning: The Middle Ages
January 22, 2021 17:00 - 24 minutes - 55.9 MBIn this week's Lockdown Learning episode, I was delighted to be joined by medieval historian Marc Morris. We discuss broad themes relating to the Middle Ages - what were they and which periods did they come in between. We ask whether many of the clichés about the Middle Ages are accurate. Many thanks again to Simon Beale, who's put together a worksheet for students to fill out while listening to the episode. You can download it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dwbcPc4qmHIfuIQImt4nfp1...
Rediscovering Amazon Civilisations
January 21, 2021 17:00 - 17 minutes - 23.9 MBElla Al-Shamahi, explorer, paleoanthropologist, evolutionary biologist and stand-up comic, joined me on the podcast to talk about Amazon Civilisations. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
BLING!: Homeschooling Stuart Costume
January 21, 2021 11:58 - 37 minutes - 86.3 MBIn this Homeschooling History episode, the Histories of the Unexpected duo, James and Sam, investigate the flamboyant history of BLING. From the history of opulence, luxury and ostentation via subjects as wide-ranging as HIP HOP and the Palace of Versailles, Sam and James rampage around history of bling before settling on the fascinating history of Stuart clothing. It starts by looking at Samuel Pepys's diary and his attitudes to clothing, before considering Tudor Sumptuary laws in the sixte...
Marissa Roth, Photojournalist
January 20, 2021 17:00 - 24 minutes - 33.7 MBMarissa Roth, Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist, joins me on the podcast to talk about her pictures of the 1992 LA riots and lifetime of war photography, especially dealing with women in war. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.