History

Essentials

History Series

Start Here: Dan Snow's History Hit

Stories from the past to understand the present.

    • MAR 4
    Machu Picchu: The 'Lost City'

    Part 1/4. Dan takes the podcast to the Peruvian Andes as he follows in the footsteps of intrepid American explorer Hiram Bingham who revealed Machu Picchu to the world. At the turn of the 20th century, Bingham heard rumours of a fabled lost city in the clouds that revealed the power and brilliance of the Inca and their vast empire that once spanned a continent from the Amazon rainforest to the Pacific coast. With the help of expert guests, Dan tells the story of Hiram Bingham's discovery and reveals the mysteries hidden within the walls of Machu Picchu. Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore. The Rest of the Series: Episode 2: The Rise of the Inca Empire Episode 3: Inca Gods and Human Sacrifices Episode 4: The Fall of the Inca Empire Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/ 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.

    • JAN 30
    First Polynesians

    In small wooden canoes and with just the stars for navigation, how did the first Polynesians conquer the largest ocean on earth? For centuries this has perplexed scholars and anthropologists. The Polynesian Triangle is drawn by connecting the points of Hawaii, New Zealand, and Easter Island and encompasses countries like Samoa, Tonga and Tahiti with each island connected to the others by common traditions of sea-faring, celestial navigation and mythology, all passed down the generations through stories and song. To unravel the mystery, Dan is joined by Opetaia Foa’i, the award-winning composer and singer who wrote the Polynesian music in Moana and whose band Te Vaka had sung the stories of their ancestors on some of the world's biggest stages for years. They're also joined by Christina Thompson, author of 'Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia' whose encyclopaedic knowledge on this fascinating subject fills in all the blanks. Together Dan, Opetaia and Christina weave music and history in this episode to unravel Polynesia's past. Music courtesy of Spirit of Play Productions, with thanks to Julie Foa'i. Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore. Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up now for your 14-day free trial. We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com. You can take part in our listener survey here.

    • 2023-11-30
    The Mummy's Curse, Nazi Gold Train & Other History Mysteries

    History is full of the weird and wonderful and in this episode Dan is joined by polymath, author and fellow podcaster Dan Schreiber to talk about stories of lost treasure, curious relics and Edwardian superstitions. In Dan's long career as a broadcaster, he's come across all sorts of unexplained phenomena, myths and mysteries- from searching for the Nazi Gold Train in Poland to debunking the mummy's curse in Tutankhamun's tomb to looking for answers about ball lightning. You can read up on the things mentioned in this podcast, and more, in the History Hit Miscellany book available now online and in bookshops. Dan Schreiber is the host of the We Can Be Weirdos podcast and the author of The Theory of Everything Else. Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up now for your 14-day free trial  We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

    • 2023-11-07
    Hitler's Early Years

    1/4 In this special 4-part series, we look back at the life of Adolf Hitler. With the help of Frank McDonough, a leading historian of the Third Reich, we follow Hitler from childhood to adulthood and learn how this awkward, aspiring artist became one of history's most infamous dictators. In this first episode, we trace Hitler's childhood and upbringing to learn what we can about his personality and desires. We hear how the First World War gave him a sense of purpose, and how the upheaval of Weimar Germany shaped his politics. Finally, we end with his disastrous first attempt to seize power - the Beer Hall Putsch. Produced by James Hickmann, Mariana des Forges and Freddy Chick. Edited by Dougal Patmore. Don’t miss out on the best offer in history! Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 for 3 months with code BLACKFRIDAY sign up now for your 14-day free trial https://historyhit/subscription/. Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW. Download the app or sign up here. We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com. You can take part in our listener survey here.

    • 2022-11-01
    Tutankhamun: The Valley of the Kings

    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 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! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.

    • FEB 7
    The Real King Arthur

    If King Arthur never existed, why does he loom so large in England's history? Dan traces the real-life figures who could have been the legendary King Arthur- the medieval king who pulled the sword from the stone and led the English against the Anglo-Saxons who arrived in England in the 5th century with peace on their tongues and conquest in their hearts. He explores the origins of the Arthur myth in medieval literature, the state of disarray in Britain after the Romans left and the real-life bravery of Ambrosius Aurelianus against the Saxon invaders. Written and produced by Dan Snow and edited by Dougal Patmore Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up now for your 14-day free trial. We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com. You can take part in our listener survey here.

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