Top History Podcasts

Abraham Lincoln called the United States “the last best hope of Earth.” In this podcast, we ask whether that claim still holds — and whether it ever did.

Each episode takes a figure, idea, or moment in American political history and asks what it tells us about the country’s understanding of itself, always with an eye to how America looks from the outside in. The Last Best Hope? takes ideas seriously: America as a creed, the arguments of the people who built and remade it, and what America has meant to the rest of the world. We take our subjects from history, not the news — though the present is rarely far away.

Hosted by Adam Smith, Orsborn Professor of American Political History and Director of the Rothermere American Institute at Oxford, The Last Best Hope? brings him into conversation with leading scholars and public figures, including Hillary Clinton, Annette Gordon-Reed, Eric Foner, David Frum, Heather Cox Richardson, Stacy Schiff, Jonathan Freedland, James Morone, Michael Kazin, Kevin Kruse, Julian Zelizer, Bruce Schulman, Ty Seidule, Liz Varon, Eric Rauchway, Phil Tinline, Emily Bazelon, Richard Carwardine, Rachel Shelden, Richard Blackett, Devin Fergus, and Dan Jackson.

“Adam Smith is one of the UK’s foremost historians of America, and communicates his expertise with zest, wit and unforced passion. The Last Best Hope? brings him together with fellow scholars to provide a unique insight we can’t do without.” — Phil Tinline, BBC radio documentary-maker and author

“The Last Best Hope is an absolutely brilliant podcast. Thoughtful, clever, engaging and accessible, Adam Smith always gets the best out of his guests, and I’ve learned an enormous amount from every episode. I love it.” — Dominic Sandbrook, historian and co-host of The Rest is History

“The must-listen US podcast.” — Nick Bryant, former BBC Correspondent in New York

Produced by the Rothermere American Institute, University of Oxford. https://www.rai.ox.ac.uk/home

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

Aidan Mattis and Aidan Thornbury discuss the paranormal, folklore, history, and other nonsense in this weekly live show. Support us on Patreon at https://patreon.com/thelorelodge

Galveston’s award winning history podcast. Listen to us transform Galveston into the world’s largest free museum. Be sure to check out the Galveston Unscripted free audio tour at galvestonunscripted.com!

A boy from rural Montana, sent to the Philippines, Ben Steele became a prisoner-of-war within the first five months of the outbreak of World War II.

He survived the infamous Bataan Death March and other horrific events. He was given last rites three times in the prison camp and miraculously survived. While recovering in the prison hospital he began to draw with the charcoal from the fire pit. Drawing helped keep Ben sane for the duration of his imprisonment. After a 62 -day trip on a hell ship Ben ended up in Japan as a slave laborer in a coal mine.

After the war he studied art with several famous artists such as John Teyral, Jack Levine, Hans Mueller and George Grosz. Ben taught art at a college in Billings Montana and had a particular empathy for, and influence on, students who had suffered traumas in their own lives.

Ben thought of himself as just a regular guy. But he was a talented artist, wonderful teacher and mentor and a wonderful human being admired by everyone who met him. This is the story of Ben Steele; the best of human beings in the worst of times. 

Ben Steele, American has first person interviews with over thirty former prisoners-of-war including numerous Bataan Death March survivors.

The podcast has interviews with notable history scholars from around the world. Interviews with Ben Steele were acquired over a span thirty years.

Narrated by Alec Baldwin; Produced by Jan Thompson, Zach McNees and Alec Baldwin; Written and Edited by Jan Thompson; Post Production Supervisor and Mixer Zach McNees. The podcast was inspired by the book Tears In The Darkness by Elizabeth and Michael Norman.

This is a show for all the nerdy medical history people.

Three modern emergency physicians and their show's "medical history intern" take a lighthearted, humorous  quest through various stories in the history of medicine.  Topics from ancient times to recent history, all related to important advancements, people, or discoveries in the history of medicine.  

New episodes every two weeks!

An examination, half a century on from the first director of the FBI's death in office in 1972, of how Hoover's iron grip still permeates contemporary America.

An investigation into the secrets, scandals, and constitutional crises of the most famous – and infamous – family in the world. From ruthless Virgin Queens to traitorous wartime Kings, from madness and revolution to forbidden sex and shocking deaths, from jealousy and rivalry to brothers and sisters torn apart, this is the real, unvarnished history of the last five centuries of Britain’s Royal Family. We’re going to reveal the real stories behind the airbrushed history book tales, and we’re going to show the lengths to which the self-styled “Firm” will go in order to keep those stories secret – and to ensure the survival of the Royal Brand… no matter what the cost. Brought to you by the team behind America’s leading royals publication The Royal Observer, and featuring authoritative guests including insider royal correspondents, best-selling authors, former employees of the Palace and personal friends of senior members of the royal family, THE FIRM: BLOOD, LIES, AND ROYAL SUCCESSION serves as both a fascinating insight into 500 years of royal history, and an eye-opening exploration of just how the institution has evolved and adapted…and how it continues to do so in the face of recent unprecedented challenges to its standing. 

Here to share a mix of paranormal and supernatural mysteries, urban legends and mostly real, true crimes. This podcast will feature information about crime scenes and violence, so listener discretion is advised.