Dan Snow's History Hit
History Hit
Historian Dan Snow journeys across the globe to tell the stories of history's defining moments. From the Colosseum in Rome to the Great Wall of China, the battlefields of Waterloo to the Tomb of Tutankhamun, join Dan as he explores the how and why of the greatest monuments, battles, heroes, villains and events that have shaped our world.New episodes on Mondays and Thursdays with bonus subscriber only episodes every other Friday.You can get in touch with us at ds.hh@historyhit.comA podcast by History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts The Ancients, Gone Medieval, 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.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 26, 2026 • 39min
The Real Peaky Blinders
Carl Chinn, social historian of Birmingham and author of Peaky Blinders: The Real Gangs and Gangsters, gives a vivid tour of late 19th and early 20th-century urban life. He explores industrial poverty, origins of street violence, how the Peaky Blinders got their name, the reality of their brutality, policing reforms that broke them up, and the later racecourse rackets and gang wars.
8 snips
Mar 23, 2026 • 59min
The Commanders: Yamamoto
Mark Stille, historian and former intelligence professional specializing in Pacific naval history, joins to unpack Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. He traces Yamamoto’s samurai roots, Harvard years and paradoxical stance of opposing war while planning Pearl Harbor. The conversation covers Pearl Harbor’s limits, the flawed Midway plan, Guadalcanal hesitation, and the fatal inspection tour that sealed his fate.
18 snips
Mar 19, 2026 • 35min
The Rise of Putin and the 1999 Apartment Bombs
Helena Merriman, award-winning journalist and podcaster who investigates historical and contemporary crimes, explores the 1999 Russian apartment bombings and the chaotic year that made Vladimir Putin a national figure. She walks through the bombings, the mysterious Rezvan incident, media battles, rapid shifts in public opinion, and the dangerous investigations that followed. Short, tense, and investigative storytelling.
11 snips
Mar 16, 2026 • 59min
The Commanders: Eisenhower
John C. McManus, military historian and podcaster, gives a crisp portrait of Eisenhower. He explores the D‑Day weather gamble, coalition management with Churchill, Montgomery and De Gaulle, the Kasserine Pass setback, Market Garden controversy, the Battle of the Bulge response, and why Eisenhower avoided Berlin. Short, vivid stories about leadership and high‑stakes decision making.
Mar 12, 2026 • 1h 5min
The Battle of Gettysburg
Jonathan Bratten, historian and serving Major in the Maine National Guard, brings military expertise and sharp analysis. He explains why Lee invaded Pennsylvania and how roads, rail and terrain funneled both armies into Gettysburg. Listen to vivid accounts of ridgelines, night fighting, Little Round Top, Pickett's Charge and the wider strategic consequences in succinct, action-focused storytelling.
28 snips
Mar 10, 2026 • 45min
Can Air Power Alone Topple Governments?
Mike Pavelec, military historian at McGill who studies the history and theory of air power. He traces bombing from WWI Zeppelins to NATO in Kosovo. He contrasts strategic and tactical air power. He examines cases like Guernica, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Kosovo. He discusses drones, Russia–Ukraine and why air strikes can coerce but rarely create lasting political change.
10 snips
Mar 9, 2026 • 1h 19min
The Commanders: Montgomery
Peter Caddick-Adams, a military historian and WWII author, guides a lively probe of Bernard Montgomery. They explore how a WWI wound and Victorian upbringing shaped his caution. Discussions cover his training focus, Alamein tactics, rivalry with Allied commanders, the gamble of Market Garden, D-Day planning, and his Rhine crossing and postwar governance.
9 snips
Mar 5, 2026 • 39min
Edward VIII & Wallis Simpson: A Royal Scandal
Kate Williams, historian and broadcaster known for her work on royal history, traces Edward VIII’s charm and modern prince persona. She recounts how his romance with Wallis Simpson spiraled into a constitutional crisis. The story touches on royal expectations, attempts at compromise, abdication, exile, and the couple’s controversial links with 1930s Europe.
15 snips
Mar 2, 2026 • 1h 7min
The Commanders: Rommel
Saul David, historian and author of Tunisgrad, gives a concise portrait of Rommel and his rise from Württemberg infantryman to famed commander. They explore his daring desert tactics, clashes over logistics, the push to Suez and El Alamein, his 1944 defensive plans for France, and the fraught collapse of his reputation and fate under the Nazi regime.
15 snips
Feb 26, 2026 • 1h 15min
The Forbidden City
Matthew Hu, a cultural heritage preservationist who guides the site’s architecture and symbolism, and Dr. Jeremiah Jenny, a historian of China who taught in Beijing, take listeners through the Forbidden City. They tour its construction, cosmic symbolism, ceremonial layout, palace life, dynastic coups, and survival through revolution and modern preservation efforts.
