Top History Podcasts

Imagine Audio is your destination for the highest quality audio documentaries. Our latest show, 'Peter and the Acid King' is out now. Or check out Big Sugar further down the feed. 

Come explore the secretive, multi-billion dollar sugar industry and the epic court battle that exposes how sugar is grown, cultivated and sold. Big Sugar is a deep dive into the inner workings of the industry.

Hear firsthand from the workers, lawyers and journalists exposing the lies, exploitation and ultimately the truth. We travel from the Oval Office to the nightclubs of Havana to the sugarcane fields of Florida.

This is a story of our time, an untold story that focuses on human rights, lobbying, nutrition and the environment. Hosted by Celeste Headlee.

I talk to the world's best historians and let them tell the stories. And the stories are wonderful! (And occasionally I change the subject and talk about films, philosophy or whatever!).

EVER WONDERED WHY THE ROMAN EMPIRE FELL? Find out in this podcast from British historian, Nick Holmes, as he tells the extraordinary story of Rome's decline and fall, and how its legacy is still central to the world we live in today. WANT A FREE EBOOK? Then head directly to Nick's website  www.nickholmesauthor.com.

"Stories Bigger Than Texas: The Alamo Podcast" is the official podcast of the Alamo. Located in the heart of San Antonio, the Alamo stands as the Shrine of Texas Liberty. More than 1.6 million visitors travel to the site each year, making it the #1 most visited destination in the State of Texas. The 300-year history of the Alamo is world-renowned and represents the core of Texas’ identity today. It's a U.S. National Historic Landmark and part of the Lone Star State's only UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit TheAlamo.org.

“This is a town where there are three pastimes: politics, sports and revenge.” 

Seemingly dry topics become gripping political dramas in this Peabody Award winning show from creator Ian Coss and GBH News. Each season of “The Big Dig” uncovers a different facet of society – infrastructure, gambling, food, healthcare – together the pieces connect to tell the story of modern America. 

Season One: "The Big Dig" 

The highway project known as “The Big Dig” is infamous – a shorthand for government failure – but it all started as one engineer’s dream to correct the wrongs of the past, and its legacy is far from simple.

Season Two: "Scratch & Win" 

America’s most successful state lottery – and its greatest innovation, the scratch ticket – all starts with mafia bookmakers and state bureaucrats going toe to toe in a battle to own the future of gambling. 

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CREDITS

Producer: Isabel Hibbard

Story Editor: Lacy Roberts

Host & Creator: Ian Coss

Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins 

Contact us as thebigdig@wgbh.org

Uncovering the secrets of Mormon history and culture with more lulz than usual.

From famous founders to capitalist cooks, from sex scandals to the dirtiest blues song, AMERICAN FILTH dives into the filthier side of American history: uncovering people who society has largely excluded from the history books because they were too unconventional, provocative, seedy, dirty, trashy…. Or just plain filthy. And sure, some of these folks made great contributions to history. But that’s not the part of their lives AMERICAN FILTH is interested in. This podcast is here for the drama, the spice, and general tomfoolery. The weekly series of brisk episodes plunges face-first into the dirtiest events and people in the annals of American history.

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Tom Carvel — ice cream king, business tycoon, the man who brought us Fudgie the Whale. His voice was one that could sink a thousand ships, yet his was the voice of Carvel. “Who better to sell my ice cream than me?” he reasoned. And he was right. In the 1970s and ‘80s you’d hear him calling out “Buy one, get one free!” deals during commercial breaks. It was precisely that lack of Madison Avenue polish that made you believe Carvel was kindly, grandfatherly, a regular guy who just happened to make a lotta dough selling soft-serve ice cream. But all he really wanted was to make a kid smile. And you’d be wrong. Because what began as the quintessential American story — a Greek immigrant uses his ingenuity to create an empire — ended in disaster that may have resulted in Carvel’s death. It definitely resulted in litigation over his estate where the ones who benefitted most were the lawyers. 

So how did something as innocent as selling ice cream turn so tragic? How could a tyrant create Cookie Puss? And does anyone really know who anyone is? “Cold Storage” is the investigative podcast that answers these questions — and brings up plenty more — in its search to discover who Tom Carvel was. Along the way we’ll learn why the invention of soft-serve ice cream was up there with the invention of the light bulb, how Carvel treated many of his franchisees like cash cows, and why a sure-fire way to success in business lies not only in your smarts but in your golf handicap.

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