Dan Snow's History Hit

What do you get when you bring together five top historians to debate Mary, Queen of Scots on film? History with the gloves off - our second special episode of Not Just the Tudors Lates! This time, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb takes as her starting point the tragic life of the Scottish Queen and her relationship with her rival and cousin Queen Elizabeth I.Suzannah is joined once again by Dr Joanne Paul, Jessie Childs, Alex von Tunzelmann and Professor Sarah Churchwell to compare the various film versions of Mary’s story, where they have got it right - and often wildly wrong.This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.Listen to the first Not Just the Tudors Lates about Elizabeth I on Screen, here.If you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can email us at ds.hh@historyhit.com, we'd love to hear from you!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!Download the History Hit app from the Google Play

This is the first episode of a special series that we made in collaboration with Ubisoft, the developers of the Assassins's Creed franchise. In Assassins vs Templars, we immerse ourselves in the real history that inspired the first game, exploring the rise and fall of The Knights Templar and the Assassins, speaking to leading historians to uncover the real histories behind key characters in the game, and unearthing the folklore around the mythical Holy Grail.In this episode, we go back to the 11th century and the beginning of the crusading period. What was the reason for hostility between Christianity and Islam? Why did the first three Crusades happen, and what do they mean to us today? Dan is joined by Jonathan Phillips, a Professor of Crusading History, to find out the answers to these questions and more.Produced by History Hit and Ubisoft, with post-production done by Paradiso Media.To listen to the rest of Assassins vs Templars, make sure you're following Echoes of History wherever you get your podcasts.I

The commandos have become a byword for elite raiding and cutting-edge military operations. They were set up during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from Winston Churchill, for special forces that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe. As Monty Halls says, they were 'well trained men who wreaked havoc'. But to be the best you have to train the hardest and where better and more challenging than the wild and rugged highlands of Lochaber, Scotland.In today's episode Dan takes the podcast to Achnacarry Castle, the Clan Cameron headquarters turned Commando Basic Training Centre during World War Two. Both clan chief Lochiel Donald Cameron and ex-Royal Marine Monty Halls tell Dan about the gruelling initiation hike, the assault courses with live ammunition and the harsh weather that made the Commandos the best of the best.Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.If you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can email us at ds.hh@historyhit.com, we'd love to

As preparations for the Coronation of King Charles III get underway, you're going to see words everywhere like 'anointing,' 'enthronement,' and 'crowning.' Despite how medical they sound, they are in fact ceremonial acts steeped in centuries of British history and tradition.There'll be talk of Edward the Confessor's crown, the absence of the controversial Koh-i-noor Diamond and something called the Stone of Scone. If you're excited to see history in action or wondering if it's worth the cost, this episode with Historian of the Monarchy Anna Whitelock is your A-Z guide to the regalia, pomp and ceremony of the Coronation. Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal PatmoreIf you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can email us at ds.hh@historyhit.com, we'd love to hear from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it was completed in 1931, the Empire State Building became the tallest building in the world. While it has long been surpassed, it is still one of the most recognised skyscrapers on the planet, synonymous with the city in which it stands. Its imposing but elegant art deco design is a tribute to the roaring ’20s from which it came. Carol Willis, author of Form Follows Finance: The Empire State Building tells Don how it became a monument to the golden age of the skyscraper.Produced by Benjie Guy. Mixed by Joseph Knight. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long.If you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can email us at ds.hh@historyhit.com, we'd love to hear from you!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!Download the History Hit app from the Google Play store.Download the History Hit app from the Apple Store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is it even possible to imagine what Britain would have been without seafaring? Braving the waters beyond our harbours can be traced back eight and a half thousand years - the earliest boats made crossings as soon as Britain broke away from the continent. You can trace the ages of Britain through the vessels that have been launched to and from her shores - Roman warships, Viking longships, William the Conqueror's flagship Mora and many more besides.In this episode recorded at the 2022 Chalke Valley history festival, conservationist and author of 'The Ship Asunder', Tom Nancollas joins Dan to talk about Britain's seafaring history through three aspects of three vessels: the mast of the steamship SS Great Eastern designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the hull of the Rosebud- a Cornwall-based fishing boat at the centre of the 1930s Newlyn villagers protest to save their condemned properties, and the figurehead of the Rosa Tacchini wrecked on the Isles of Scilly.Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal P

On the night of the 19th of April, 1956, the decorated navy diver Lionel Crabb went missing. A veteran of the Second World War, Crabb had been sent on a secret mission by MI6 to investigate a Soviet cruiser in Portsmouth Harbour. After pulling on his diving gear and checking his oxygen supply, Crabb slipped into the dark waters, never to be seen alive again. Was he killed by the Soviets? Was he killed by the Brits? Or can this all be chalked up to a bewildering accident? To this day, the government refuse to declassify the crucial files relating to his death. Dan is joined by Giles Milton, a writer and host of the podcast Cover Up: Ministry of Secrets, to untangle this mysterious web and find out what really happened to the frogman Lionel Crabb.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.If you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can email us at ds.hh@historyhit.com, we'd love to hear from you!If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audio

The enormous Cullinan Diamond will be on display at Charles III Coronation, but the diamond that's missing - the Koh-i-Noor - is the one that everyone's been talking about. Its splendour captured the eyes and imaginations of rulers for centuries, from the Persian conqueror Nader Shah to Queen Victoria. But how did this symbol of Mughal power and prestige come to hold a central role in the British coronation ceremony? Dan is joined by journalist and historian Shrabani Basu as she traces the story of the diamond, navigating the epic twists and turns of South Asian history, the power struggles that have shaped the region and the bloody colonial history that brought the Koh-i-Noor to Buckingham Palace.Produced by Mariana des Forges and James Hickmann, and edited by Dougal Patmore.If you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can email us at ds.hh@historyhit.com, we'd love to hear from you!If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - s

This episode contains high-speed chases, modified cars and a mission to uncover secret enemy technology. It's everything you'd find in a James Bond movie, but also on a Cold War BRIXMIS mission- one that today's guest Dave Butler was part of, gathering intelligence on Soviet firepower as Britain prepared for World War Three.During their time in East Germany, Dave and his fellow officers were given the opportunity to legally break the speed limits and laws and ignore the police; it was dangerous work and the trick was to avoid being caught by the enemy cars chasing them. For the 70th anniversary of Ian Fleming's first Bond book 'Casino Royale' Dan finds out if life as a spy is really anything like the Bond stories.Produced by Mariana Des Forges, edited and mixed by Dougal Patmore.Clips courtesy ofCasino Royale (2006) / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Sony Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing/ Martin CampbellCasino Royale (1967) / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / John HustonThe Graham Norton Show/ BBCGoldfinger / Uni

When we think of Vikings, we tend to picture them in the colder climates of Northern Europe, and not so much in the warmer regions of Spain and the Mediterranean beyond.However, joining Dr. Cat Jarman today is Dr. Irene García Losquiño, a researcher whose work is uncovering Viking activity on the Iberian peninsula, shedding new light on the lives they lived there beyond the raiding we know about.This episode was edited by Stuart Beckwith and produced by Rob Weinberg.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!Download the History Hit app from the Google Play store.Download the History Hit app from the Apple Store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the spring of 1940, the Soviet secret police executed over 22,000 Polish prisoners of war at three secluded sites in the Soviet Union. Sanctioned by Stalin and the most senior members of the Communist Party, this flurry of mass killings has become known collectively as the Katyn Massacre. It drove a wedge between the Allied Powers, and cemented the Polish government in exile against Stalin's regime. To this day, it remains an extremely charged topic for Russia and Poland. So what can atrocities like this tell us about the nature of Soviet occupation? And what parallels can we draw with the present day, as Russia continues the invasion of yet another of its neighbours? Dan is joined by Anne Applebaum, a Polish-American journalist and specialist in the history of Communism in Europe, to tackle the aftermath and legacy of this infamous event.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History

The assassination of Chris Hani was a pivotal moment in the dismantling of South African apartheid. On the 10th of April, 1993, he was shot dead as he returned to his home in a quiet suburb of Johannesburg. Negotiations between Nelson Mandela's party and the ruling apartheid government had stalled, and the country was as close as it had ever been to civil war. The murder of Nelson Mandela's heir apparent forced the negotiators back to the table, where they would finally set a date for South Africa's first democratic election. But who exactly was Chris Hani? And why was his death such an incendiary event? Dan is joined by Justice Malala, a South African political commentator and author of the book The Plot to Save South Africa, to give us his account of this crucial figure in South African history.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!Download the History Hit app from the Google Play store.Download

Perhaps one of the best-known modern dictators, Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq for nearly 30 years before eventually being overthrown in 2003 by the US Coalition. Known for his authoritarian rule, the use of chemical weapons against his own people, and multiple invasions of neighbouring countries - Saddam Hussein's legacy is a dark one. But how did he become President of Iraq in 1979, and what did the Iraqi people really think of him?In the latest episode of our Iraq mini-series, reflecting on 20 years since the invasion of the country, James is joined by Dr Afzal Ashraf to examine just who Saddam Hussein was. Looking at the effect British Colonialism had on his early political career, the relationship between Iraq and the United States, and how lasting Cold War tensions defined this period - how did Saddam Hussein hold onto power for so long, and just who was helping him?The senior Producer was Elena Guthrie. The Assistant Producer was Annie Coloe. Edited by Annie Coloe.If you'd like to learn more, we h

Please note, this episode contains descriptions of racial violence that some listeners may find disturbing.In November 1781, a slave ship carrying hundreds of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic began to run out of water. The ship was called the Zong, and her crew decided to save their own lives by throwing enslaved Africans overboard. In a sinister twist, they would later file an insurance claim on the lives of those they killed, treating them simply as cargo. This appalling episode has since become known as the Zong Massacre and was a key catalyst in the fight for the abolition of the slave trade. So what exactly happened on that fateful day, and what did this event mean for the abolitionist movement? Dan is joined by Giles Terera, award-winning actor and star of the London production of Hamilton, to talk about this massacre and its legacy.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at Histo

In the aftermath of the Second World War, the Allied Powers sent research teams into the ruins of the Third Reich to cherry-pick the best German engineers and scientists. The goal was to integrate them into their own R&D programmes and exploit Nazi technology to beat the Soviets in the arms race. Operation Paperclip saw thousands of scientists relocated to the United States, even though many of them had been complicit in Nazi war crimes. So which technologies did they salvage from the wreckage of the Nazi regime? And what scientific breakthroughs did they contribute to after the war? Annie Jacobsen, an investigative journalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist, joins Dan to answer these questions and more.Produced by Mariana des Forges and James Hickmann, and edited 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 to History Hit today!Download the History Hit app from the Google Play store.Download the History Hi

Volodymyr Zelenskyy's meteoric rise to power has been packed with drama and action. His journey has taken him from a Russian-speaking, aspiring diplomat to a TV comedian and finally, one of the most recognisable politicians on the planet. Having once been firmly rooted in Russian culture, he is now the greatest symbol of defiance to a Russian invasion that has wreaked havoc in his country. But what caused this shift? How did controversy mire his early years in office? And what can we expect from him in the future? Joining us today is Steven Derix, a long-standing Russia and Ukraine reporter and author of Zelensky: A Biography of Ukraine’s War Leader, to guide us through the life and career of Ukraine's celebrated leader.Produced by James Hickmann and edited 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 to History Hit today!Download the History Hit app from the Google Play store.Download the History Hit app f

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.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!Download the History Hit app from the Google Play store.Download the History Hit app from the Apple Store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac

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 grue

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 restora