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.
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Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 2, 2026 • 46sec
NEW SERIES: The Crusades
A three-part mini-series exploring the Crusades, from the 1095 call to arms at Clermont to the major campaigns that followed. It teases deep dives into the Knights Templar, the secretive Nizari Ismailis, and the dramatic Siege of Acre. Short previews map the people, battles and turning points that reshaped Europe and the Middle East.
Apr 2, 2026 • 50min
The Crusades: A Complete Guide
Steve Tibble, historian and author on the Crusades, gives a panoramic guide to two centuries of holy war. He traces climate and migration as triggers. He follows major campaigns from the First Crusade to Acre, Hattin and Saladin. He explains the rise of military orders, the sack of Constantinople, diplomatic crusading, and the final fall of the Crusader states.
11 snips
Mar 30, 2026 • 1h 5min
The Commanders: Zhukov
Geoffrey Roberts, emeritus professor and expert on Soviet military history, gives a concise portrait of Marshal Georgy Zhukov. He traces Zhukov’s rise from peasant roots to commanding massive wartime offensives. Conversations cover Zhukov’s decisive battles, tactics like maskirovka, his political ups and downs, and debates over his leadership and costs of victory.
14 snips
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.
24 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.
20 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.
22 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.
