Gone Medieval
History Hit
From long-lost Viking ships to kings buried in unexpected places; from murders and power politics, to myths, religion, the lives of ordinary people: Gone Medieval is History Hit’s podcast dedicated to the middle ages, in Europe and far beyond.New episodes every Tuesday and Friday.A podcast by History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts Dan Snow's History Hit, The Ancients, and Betwixt the Sheets.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.
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Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 31, 2026 • 45min
The Women Who Ruled Medieval Burgundy, and Europe
Susan Abernethy, historian and author of The Formidable Women of Burgundy, explores Burgundian duchesses who wielded real power. They discuss Burgundy’s wealth and court spectacle. They highlight strategic marriages, female regencies, diplomacy, and the ways women held territories and shaped European politics.
Mar 27, 2026 • 1h 6min
A Complete History of Medieval Ireland
James Hawes, historian and author of The Shortest History of Ireland, offers a lively tour of medieval Irish life. He traces St Patrick’s impact, the cattle-based economy and Brehon law. He explores Viking raids, Norse-Gaelic towns, Brian Boru and the real story behind Clontarf. He follows Norman invasion, cultural blending, and how English control shrank to Dublin by the late Middle Ages.
Mar 24, 2026 • 52min
1066 New Discovery: The Myth of Harold's March
Tom Licence, Professor of Medieval History and Cambridge fellow, presents fresh research on Harold Godwinson. He questions the famous 200-mile forced march and reinterprets sources suggesting fleets and sea movements. Short sentences highlight a revised military strategy, the origins of the march myth, and a new view of Harold as a skilled commander rather than a rash hero.
Mar 20, 2026 • 52min
Viking Scotland: The Siege of Dumbarton
Todd Ferguson, a historian of early Scotland, explains the four-month 870 siege of Dumbarton Rock and its strategic grip on the Clyde. He traces Altclut/Strathclyde’s politics, Viking shifts from raiding to siege warfare, logistics of the assault, mass captives sent to Dublin, and how the fortress’s fall reshaped regional power and aided Scotland’s long unification.
Mar 16, 2026 • 57min
Early Medieval Croatia
Professor Florin Curta, a medieval historian of Eastern Europe and the Balkans, explores Dalmatia’s coastal continuity after Rome. He discusses coastal cities versus inland regions. He questions mass Slavic invasion narratives. He traces Frankish, Byzantine and Hungarian rivalries, church politics, and shifting medieval power around Zadar and Croatian rulers.
Mar 13, 2026 • 1h 36min
The Mongols and the Fall of the Crusaders
Nicholas Morton, historian and author of The Mongol Storm, explains 13th‑century Middle Eastern upheaval. He traces Mongol expansion, the sack of Baghdad, and why Mamluk leaders like Qutuz and Baybars halted them at Ain Jalut. The conversation covers Louis IX’s failed Nile campaign, Mamluk consolidation, and how these shifts led to the collapse of the Crusader states.
Mar 10, 2026 • 1h 21min
Crusaders in Crisis: The Rebel Emperor & the Siege of Constantinople
Dr. Tom Smith, historian of the Crusades and author of The Fifth Crusade, brings concise expertise on 13th-century crusading chaos. He traces the diversion of crusades from Egypt to Constantinople, the shocking sack of the city, and the ambitious sieges at Damietta and Mansoura. He also explores Frederick II’s unconventional diplomacy and the fracturing of crusading authority.
58 snips
Mar 8, 2026 • 49min
How Islam came to Iran
Dr. Khodadad Rezakhani, historian of late antiquity specializing in Central and West Asia, explains how 7th-century Iran transformed during the Arab-Muslim conquests. He outlines Sasanian society, key battles like Qadisiyya, the patchwork of religious communities, and how Persian language and culture evolved within the new Islamic world. Short takes on regional variation, resistance, and the long-term echoes in Iran today.
Mar 6, 2026 • 1h 8min
The Crusades: Battle for the Holy Land
Dr Natasha Hodgson, crusading historian and director at Nottingham Trent, guides listeners through 12th-century power plays. She covers the rise of crusader states and military orders. She narrates the Field of Blood, the failed Second Crusade, Eleanor of Aquitaine’s role, Saladin’s ascent, Baldwin IV’s dynastic crisis, Hattin and the Third Crusade’s royal rivalries and the Treaty of Jaffa.
13 snips
Mar 3, 2026 • 1h 28min
The First Crusade: The Road to Jerusalem
Dr Tom Smith, academic expert on the First Crusade, provides narrative, military analysis, and source interpretation. He traces the movement from Clermont to Jerusalem. He explains the People's Crusade, princely leaders, sieges like Antioch and Jerusalem, and how fractured rivals and chance shaped success.
