Dan Snow's History Hit - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

The Great Pyramid of Giza Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

Built by Pharaoh Khufu some 4,500 years ago, the Great Pyramid was the first ancient wonder to be built and is the only one still standing. Towering above the Giza Plateau, this stone behemoth was to be Khufu's tomb, the place from which he would travel to the afterlife.

For this episode, Dan is joined by broadcaster and historian Bettany Hughes, author of 'The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World'. She explains how the Great Pyramid was built, what this awesome structure would have looked like at the time, and what it would have meant to the ancient Egyptians.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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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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Rameses The Great Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

Was Rameses really that great or just an excellent self-promoter? Well, as Dan learns in this episode, a little bit of both. He reigned for 66 years and marked a golden era of prosperity, architectural triumphs, and military might. He also made sure to put his face on almost everything he built, and the things others had built before him. Even in death, he was revered above other Pharaohs who'd come before him. Dan is joined by Dr Campbell Price from the Manchester Museum, curator of Egypt and Sudan to explore the intricacies of his rule, his contributions to Egypt's grandeur, and how his legacy continues to captivate the world thousands of years later.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Anisha Deva.

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.

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

The Origins of Ancient Egypt Feb 11, 2024

Show notes

All this week Dan is delving into the history, mystery and legacy of Ancient Egypt. Discover how this mighty empire grew from nomadic settlers to the Nile and how its magnificent wonders were built. Dan explores the life of the most powerful Pharaoh Rameses II, of the ideological muse and Queen Nefertiti as well as Egypt's conquest at the hands of the Persians, Greeks and Romans.

Today we’re starting at the very beginning. How and where exactly does Ancient Egypt begin? To answer this question, Dan is joined by Egyptologist Dr Chris Naunton.

Produced by James Hickmann, Mariana Des Forges and Dougal Patmore

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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.

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The Real King Arthur Feb 07, 2024

Show notes

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

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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Who are the Houthis? Feb 07, 2024

Show notes

As Houthi missile attacks on shipping in the Red Sea continue, we turn to the past to answer the all-important questions - who are the Houthis, and what do they want?

Dan is joined by Baraa Shiban, a Yemeni human rights activist and Associate Fellow with the Royal United Services Institute in London. Following the Houthis' coup in September 2014, he participated in rounds of negotiations with the rebels. Still, he was forced to go into exile due to his criticism of their human rights abuses. Baraa explains the history that created this Islamist organisation, their ideology, and what its goals are.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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.

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

The City of Alexandria Feb 05, 2024

Show notes

This is the story of a city that laid the foundations for our modern world. Sitting at the intersection of East and West, Alexandria has been home to many of humanity's greatest architectural and cultural achievements, like the famous Lighthouse and the storied Great Library. Some of history's most illustrious figures have left their mark there, from Alexander the Great and Aristotle to Julius Caesar and Cleopatra.

Dan is joined by Islam Issa, Professor of English at Birmingham City University and author of 'Alexandria: The City that Changed the World'. Islam explains how a city that started as a vision in Alexander the Great’s mind became a global capital of knowledge.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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.

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

WWII: The Allied Invasion of Italy Feb 04, 2024

Show notes

By the summer of 1943, there were Allied boots on Axis soil. Sicily had been taken, and fascism's grip on Italy was beginning to loosen. But Allied command was faced with a tough decision - what to do next?

Dan is joined by historian, author and broadcaster, James Holland, to explain why they decided to invade Italy proper and tell us how the invasion played out.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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.

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

Prohibition Feb 01, 2024

Show notes

On 17 January 1920, the 18th Amendment came into effect in the United States. It made the manufacture, sale and transportation of 'intoxicating liquor' illegal.

Sarah Churchwell is BACK to explore the realities of the roaring twenties with Don. Why was alcohol banned? How did prohibition become federal law? And why would the US government have poisoned its citizens?

Produced by Freddy Chick and Sophie Gee. Edited by Anisha Deva. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

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.

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

The 7 Wonders of the Ancient World Jan 31, 2024

Show notes

People have always looked to the wonders of the ancient world for awe and inspiration. In the Ancient era, people embarked on dangerous pilgrimages to visit storied sites like the Pyramids of Giza, or the Statue of Zeus at Olympia. While only one of them remains, they still excite us thousands of years later.

Bettany Hughes, author of 'The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World', joins Dan to talk about what they were like when they were first built, and what remains of them today.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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.

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

First Polynesians Jan 30, 2024

Show notes

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.

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.

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