Dan Snow's History Hit

History Hit
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  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY
Dan Snow's History Hit
HISTORY HIT

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Historian Dan Snow investigates the 'how' and 'why' of history's defining moments. From the Colosseum of Ancient Rome and the battlefields of Waterloo to the tomb of Tutankhamun, Dan journeys across the globe to share the greatest stories from the past that help us understand the present. New episodes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. You can get in touch with us at ds.hh@historyhit.com A podcast by History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts The Ancients, Gone Medieval, and Betwixt the Sheets. Subscribe here to get early access, AD-FREE and bonus episodes.

  1. 8 HR. AGO • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Escapees of Alcatraz

    Alcatraz was the jewel in the crown of America's prison system. The wind-swept island fortress was the final stop for the nation's most dangerous criminals, including the notorious gangsters Al Capone and George 'Machine Gun' Kelly. It was thought to be escape-proof - at least, until one night in June 1962, when three men on an improvised raft slipped into the icy waters of San Francisco Bay, never to be seen again. The inescapable prison had finally been beaten. Today we're joined by Jolene Babyak, a historian of Alcatraz and author of 'Breaking The Rock'. She grew up on the island and gives us a potted history of it as well as explaining how this daring 1962 prison break played out. 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.

    36 min
  2. The True Story of London's Blitz

    2 DAYS AGO

    The True Story of London's Blitz

    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. 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.

    42 min
  3. Gladiators: The Praetorian Guard

    3 DAYS AGO

    Gladiators: The Praetorian Guard

    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.

    30 min
  4. Gladiators: The Real Spartacus

    6 DAYS AGO

    Gladiators: The Real Spartacus

    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.

    41 min
  5. Gladiators: Myths vs Reality

    NOV 13

    Gladiators: Myths vs Reality

    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.

    48 min
  6. Gladiators: The Colosseum

    NOV 11

    Gladiators: The Colosseum

    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.

    49 min
  7. Shackleton's Endurance Expedition

    NOV 11

    Shackleton's Endurance Expedition

    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.

    1h 14m
  8. History's Most Extreme Documentary? Frank Hurley & The Endurance Expedition

    NOV 9 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    History's Most Extreme Documentary? Frank Hurley & The Endurance Expedition

    The extraordinary story of Shackleton's doomed Trans-Antarctic expedition has captivated audiences for over 100 years. It's not just because it's a dramatic tale of survival, but because there's visual evidence of it. Some of the greatest moments of history in the last century are etched into our minds because someone was there with a camera. For Shackleton's expedition, it was the tough and tenacious Australian photographer Frank Hurley. His photographs and footage became world-famous on the crew's return to England when they became a remarkable feature-length film. 'South' told the story of the destruction of the Endurance and the survival of the men on the ice without a ship. Even today, the expedition footage remains breathtaking; to see the frozen world the Endurance crew found and the daily habits and behaviours of the men whose names are so well known in history books are nothing short of remarkable. In this episode, Dan speaks to BFI curator Bryony Dixon about how Frank Hurley managed to get the astonishing footage seen in 'South' and why it endures. 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.

    18 min
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Historian Dan Snow investigates the 'how' and 'why' of history's defining moments. From the Colosseum of Ancient Rome and the battlefields of Waterloo to the tomb of Tutankhamun, Dan journeys across the globe to share the greatest stories from the past that help us understand the present. New episodes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. You can get in touch with us at ds.hh@historyhit.com A podcast by History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts The Ancients, Gone Medieval, and Betwixt the Sheets. Subscribe here to get early access, AD-FREE and bonus episodes.

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