Episodes

  • The True Story of London's Blitz
    Nov 20 2024

    Dan explores stories of London's Blitz, beyond the stiff-upper-lip stereotypes and discovers an unexpected world of crime, sexual revolution and desperation. Dan is joined by Joshua Levine, historical advisor on the new Steve McQueen movie, Blitz, to uncover the everyday lives of Britons under relentless bombing and the extraordinary resilience that shaped a generation.


    Blitz will be available to stream on Apple TV from the 22nd of November 2024.


    Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.


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    42 mins
  • Gladiators: The Praetorian Guard
    Nov 18 2024

    The true nexus of power in the Roman Empire wasn't in the Emperor's box but in the shadowy ranks of the Praetorian Guard. First established in 27 BCE by Caesar Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome, they acted as his personal army and security escort. But it didn’t take long for their influence in Rome to become more insidious … they became kingmakers and power brokers with the ability to topple a dynasty at the drop of a hat. They were the ones who decided who lived and who died.


    Dan and Dr Simon Elliot, a leading voice in Roman History, walk the streets of Rome where Praetorian conspiracies and assassinations spilt imperial blood on the stones of the eternal city…


    This is episode 4 of 4 in our mini-series 'Gladiators'.


    Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore


    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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    30 mins
  • Gladiators: The Real Spartacus
    Nov 15 2024

    Spartacus is probably the most famous gladiator in history but how much of his legend is actually true? Dan is joined by Dr Rhiannon Evans, from Melbourne’s Le Trobe University, a leading expert in Ancient History and one of the hosts of the Emperors of Rome podcast to find out. They trace what little we know of his origins, his life in the gladiator school where he led a kitchen revolution and escaped with a cohort of other enslaved fighters before raising an army to fight a revolt that pushed the Roman Empire to the brink. From the Roman retaliation to the grisly fate that met the survivors, Dan and Rhiannon unravel the fact from the fiction.


    You can listen to Emperors of Rome, wherever you get your podcasts.


    This is episode 3 of a 4-part mini-series 'Gladiators'.


    Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore


    Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off for 3 months using code ‘DANSNOW’.


    We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.


    You can take part in our listener survey here.

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    41 mins
  • Gladiators: Myths vs Reality
    Nov 13 2024

    Join Dan at Rome's Colosseum as he separates fact from fiction in the world of the gladiators. He traces the origins of gladiatorial fighting from funerary celebrations to elaborate spectacles in the arena, what it would take to make it to the top and what really happens when a gladiator loses the fight. With the help of expert historians, Dan explores the myths perpetuated in Hollywood movies, the role of the games in Roman political life and what you'd actually see if you got a ticket to the greatest show on earth.


    This is episode 2 in our 4-part mini-series 'Gladiators'


    Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore


    Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off for 3 months using code ‘DANSNOW’.


    We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.


    You can take part in our listener survey here.

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    48 mins
  • Gladiators: The Colosseum
    Nov 11 2024

    Join Dan on an adventure in Rome as he traces the true history of the gladiators. He begins his story in 64 AD with the great fire of Rome that left the city in ruin. From the ashes rose a new Emperor and his dreams for a gargantuan amphitheatre, unlike anything the Empire had ever seen. With the help of leading experts, Dan explores the building of the Colosseum, the biggest stage in the Roman world, and the ingenuity and cruelty of the entertainment that took place there during the inaugural 100 days of games in 80AD.


    This is episode 1 of a 4-part mini-series 'Gladiators'.


    Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore


    Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off for 3 months using code ‘DANSNOW’.


    We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.


    You can take part in our listener survey here.

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    49 mins
  • Shackleton's Endurance Expedition
    Nov 7 2024

    In this dramatic episode, Dan tells the incredible story of how Shackleton saved every single man on the fated Endurance expedition from perishing in Antarctica. In late 1914, the charismatic and brilliant explorer Ernest Shackleton led 27 men on a voyage to cross Antarctica from one side to the other. But what should have been a successful expedition turned into a two-year nightmare of hardship and catastrophe when their vessel the Endurance was crushed in the Weddell Sea pack-ice and sunk. Stranded with no ship, no contact with the outside world and limited supplies, it would be up to the men to find their own way back to civilisation.


    Do you have any questions for Dan after seeing the Endurance documentary on Disney+ or Nat Geo? If so send them to ds.hh@historyhit.com for a special episode where Dan answers your questions!


    Written and produced by Mariana Des Forges, edited by Dougal Patmore


    Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off for 3 months using code ‘DANSNOW’.


    We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.


    You can take part in our listener survey here.

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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • Coming Soon! Gladiators Mini Series!
    Nov 6 2024

    From the 10th of November 2024, join Dan on an adventure to Rome to discover the true history of the gladiators: from the brutal training schools to the mighty Colosseum itself.


    Dan and his guests delve into the ingenuity and cruelty of ancient Roman entertainment —the weapons, the bloodsports, the fierce power plays that unfolded from the Emperor’s box and of course the true story of the most famous gladiator of all Spartacus. And since the new Ridley Scott movie Gladiator II is out this month, we thought you might need him to bust some myths on what a day at the arena would really be like. Make sure to hit follow so you don't miss it!

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    1 min
  • The Clinton Body Count to the QAnon Shaman: Conspiracy Theories in American Politics
    Nov 6 2024

    From the Clinton 'crime family' to businessman JP Morgan sinking the Titanic to kill off his rivals, conspiracy theories are rife on the internet. Dan Snow teams up with BBC journalist Gabriel Gatehouse, creator of hit The Coming Storm podcast, to unravel the journey of conspiracy theories from whispered suspicions to narratives that have shaped modern American politics. Beginning with the mysterious death of Vince Foster and Clinton-era controversies in the 1990s, this episode explores how conspiracy beliefs have embedded themselves in American culture, the psychological forces that drive people toward misinformation, and the deeper reasons these stories hold such power.


    Gabriel's new book is called The Coming Storm.


    Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore


    Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off for 3 months using code ‘DANSNOW’.


    We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.


    You can take part in our listener survey here.

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    37 mins