Dan Snow's History Hit - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

The Battle of the Bulge Dec 21, 2022

Show notes

Lasting six brutal weeks, from December 16, 1944, to January 25, 1945, the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes region of Belgium was Adolf Hitler’s last major offensive in the Second World War against the Western Front.

Anthony Tucker-Jones had a former career in British intelligence and is now a defence writer and military historian. Dan welcomes Anthony back to the podcast to discuss Hitler’s aim to split the Allies in their drive toward Germany, the attack on the battle-fatigued American troops and how ultimately, the German troops’ failure to divide Britain, France and America with the Ardennes offensive paved the way to victory for the allies.

Produced by Hannah Ward and edited 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!

Download History Hit app from the Google Play store.

Download History Hit app from the Apple Store.

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

Toilets, Underpants & Pillows: Everyday Things with Greg Jenner Dec 20, 2022

Show notes

Why do grandmas wear bloomers? How did romans clean themselves after using the toilet? Pillows were originally made of stone?! These are all questions Orla, Wolf and Zia Snow have for author and public historian Greg Jenner. In this episode Dan and his children quiz Greg about the incredible history of the everyday things we use and take for granted.

Greg's new children's book is called 'You Are History' and is bursting with hundreds of astonishing stories and illustrations.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and mixed by Joseph Knight.

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!

Download History Hit app from the Google Play store.

Download History Hit app from the Apple Store.

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

Who Was Jesus, The Man? Dec 19, 2022

Show notes

Followed by billions and worshipped across the planet, Jesus is the most famous person who ever lived. Jesus Christ is revered as a prophet and the Messiah by Christians but who was Jesus, the man, who was born in Judea in the 1st Century AD and preached around Galilee during the Roman Empire?

What we know of Jesus largely comes from the four gospels of the New Testament which are regarded as the most authoritative accounts of Jesus' life. As a poor labourer who only really appeared on the scene for a very short time, it's no surprise there's no archeological evidence of Jesus. Only kings and emperors leave a trace. This means historians have to find other ways to corroborate the details in the gospels.

In this Christmas episode Joan Taylor, Professor in Early Christianity at Kings College London, compares parallel details across all the gospels, looks at contemporary textiles, Roman historical accounts and evidence of Jesus' contemporaries to piece together a biography of the man who changed the world.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges, mixed by Joseph Knight.

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!

Download History Hit app from the Google Play store.

Download History Hit app from the Apple Store.

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

Germany's Extreme Monarchists Dec 16, 2022

Show notes

Last week a celebrity chef, former police officers and serving army officers were arrested in Germany as part of an extremist coup to overthrow the government. The 'Reichsbürger' group has been described as a 'right-wing terrorist cell' by German media and was targeted by over 3000 police officers in an enormous raid that uncovered rifles, ammunition and personnel gathering. The group's aim was to reinstate the German monarchy with a hereditary prince, and right-wing conspiracy theorist Heinrich XIII as head of state. The 71-year-old is a descendent of the Hohenzollern dynasty, part of the German monarchy deposed in 1918 after the disastrous First World War.

To make sense of the news, Dan speaks to Anglo-German historian and author Katja Hoyer about Germany's relationship with its historical monarchy, the roots of the coup and the influence of QAnon and Trumpian conspiracy theories in galvanising far-right groups in Germany.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and mixed by John Rogers.

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!

Download History Hit app from the Google Play store.

Download History Hit app from the Apple Store.

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

'My Grandfather, the Wehrmacht General in Russia' Dec 15, 2022

Show notes

Angela Findlay was determined to find out if her grandfather, Karl von Graffen, was a Nazi and what he did on the Eastern front. An artist and speaker, Angela spent her youth feeling a constant sense of guilt and shame but couldn't figure out why. It wasn't until her 40s that she turned to her German roots and discovered that she was enmeshed in the horrors of Nazi Germany and the Second World War.

She knew her German grandfather had been a Wehrmacht general in the Second World War but never really understand what that meant. She set out on a research mission to find out what her grandfather had been involved in and what he'd known. Her journey took her across Russia to the swamps of the Volkhov Front where he’d fought in Operation Barbarossa in Hitler's war of annihilation.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited 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!

Download History Hit app from the Google Play store.

Download History Hit app from the Apple Store.

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

Tattoos Dec 14, 2022

Show notes

There are many common misconceptions and misunderstandings about Tattoos. They can act as a window into the social economic and cultural issues of a period of time. Britain was in fact the 'land of the painted people' with tattooing going further back into our history than many people would think. Dr Matt Lodder, the world's leading expert on the history of tattooing, and senior lecturer in Art History and Theory at the University of Essex talks to Dan about all things ink and body art. What do tattoos mean for us as individuals and what can they tell us about societies of the past?

This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited 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!

Download History Hit app from the Google Play store.

Download History Hit app from the Apple Store.

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

Modern Medicine Dec 13, 2022

Show notes

The American Civil War saw a transformation in medical provision on the battlefield. A loose grouping of medical practitioners was reshaped into a burgeoning, professionalised occupation. How did the medical profession rise to the challenge of treating thousands of wounded soldiers? What lessons were learnt about treating not just battlefield wounds, but infection and disease as well? Dan is joined by Carole Adrienne, author of Healing A Divided Nation to discuss the American Civil War, and the birth of modern medicine.

Produced by Hannah Ward and edited 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!

Download History Hit app from the Google Play store.

Download History Hit app from the Apple Store.

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

Stalingrad Dec 12, 2022

Show notes

The Battle of Stalingrad was the deadliest battle of the Second World War, and one of the bloodiest in the history of warfare. Infamous for its atrocious conditions and brutal house-to-house fighting, the battle raged for just over 5 months and concluded with an estimated 2 million casualties. Dan is joined by Iain MacGregor, author of the acclaimed book The Lighthouse of Stalingrad, to hear his thrilling account of history's greatest battle and the key moments that shaped its outcome.

Produced by Beth Donaldson and edited 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!

Download History Hit app from the Google Play store.

Download History Hit app from the Apple Store.

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

The Last Dambuster: Johnny Johnson Dec 09, 2022

Show notes

Of all the air raids carried out during World War Two, none are as enduringly famous as the attack by Lancaster Bombers against the dams of Germany’s industrial heartland. Commemorated in literature and film throughout the decades, the mission – which was codenamed Operation ‘Chastise’ – has come to epitomise British ingenuity and courage throughout the war. On the night of 16-17 May 1943, an audacious raid using purpose-built “bouncing bombs” destroyed the Möhne and Edersee Dams. Successful detonation required great technical skill from the pilots: they needed to be dropped from a height of 60 feet, at a ground speed of 232mph, in challenging conditions. Once the dams were breached, there was catastrophic flooding of the Ruhr valley and of villages in the Eder valley. Despite the fact that the impact on industrial production was limited, the raid gave a significant morale boost to the people of Britain and became enshrined in popular consciousness. In late March 1943, the RAF 617 Squadron was formed under great secrecy at RAF Scampton, for the specific purpose of attacking the dams. Led by 24-year-old Wing Commander Guy Gibson, the squadron was made up of aircrew from Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA. Over 100 aircrew, aboard 19 Lancaster bombers, would eventually carry out the famous raids. One of the young men selected to take part in the crew was 21-year-old George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, who had been trained as a specialist bomb aimer. He was the last surviving Dambuster until his death, aged 101, on 7 December 2022. In this fascinating interview, Dan meets with Johnny Johnson to hear about the extraordinary events in the lead-up to the raid, and about how his life was altered by the events of those fateful nights in May 1943.

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!

Download History Hit app from the Google Play store.

Download History Hit app from the Apple Store.

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

Zeus: King of the Gods Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

Zeus, the chief deity in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of sky and thunder and is king of all other gods and men.

His tale is one of overthrowing fathers, eating babies and seducing women, both mortal and divine, by changing his own form. He's one of the most complex figures in history, and his story is one that's been retold throughout millennia. To try and make sense of it all, we're going back to the very beginning, to the origins of Zeus, starting with his grandfather and grandmother, Uranus and Gaia. We learn about the prophecy that ultimately overthrows Uranus, the same one that is also fated for Zeus's father, Cronus, and start to understand the family tree that becomes the Olympians - from Athena to Dionysus.

For this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by academic, author, broadcaster and Professor in Classics and Ancient History at the University of Warwick, Michael Scott. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy The Symposium: How To Party Like An Ancient Greek, also with Michael Scott.

Script written by Andrew Hulse

Voice over performed by Deryn Oliver

Produced, edited and sound designed by Elena Guthrie

The Assistant Producer was Annie Coloe

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!

Download History Hit app from the Google Play store.

Download History Hit app from the Apple Store.

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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Dan Snow’s History Hit

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected