Interviews
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Debunking the Myths of Ancient Sparta
"Did 300 Spartans Really Fight at the Battle of Thermopylae?"
Ancient historian Professor Michael Scott sits down with History Hit's Tristan Hughes to dispel some of the myths we continue to believe about Ancient Sparta.
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Mary Ellis: Touching the Sky
During the years of World War Two, a short lived, but remarkable, organisation existed. The Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) was a civilian service that was tasked with the delivery of aircraft from factories to the squadrons of the RAF and Royal Navy, and the delivery of supplies. Featuring pilots ...
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What Killed Alexander the Great?
Alexander the Great forged one of the largest empires of ancient history. But his early death, aged 32, ensured that it came crashing down within decades of his passing. In many ways, the story of this extraordinary conqueror’s early demise is more fascinating than that of his life.
Over the yea...
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The Room Where It Happened: Versailles 1919
Join Dan Snow and a hand picked team of experts for a thought-provoking panel discussion that delves into one of the most consequential diplomatic agreements of the 20th century: the Treaty of Versailles.
Representing Woodrow Wilson and America is Historian Alexandra Churchill, taking the perspe...
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The Fall Of The Western Roman Empire
The Roman Empire remains one of the most enduring and prolific civilisations of written history. Yet it, like all great civilisations, would eventually come to an end. Join Dan Snow as he speaks to historian Tom Holland about the many contributing factors that would bring this seismic and seeming...
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Dan Snow and James Holland talk D-Day
In today's very special episode of History Hit Live, Dan is joined by fellow historian and presenter James Holland. James is here to discuss the Normandy Landings in 1944, better known as D-Day.
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The Falklands: The Last British War
1 season
On the night of the 2nd April 1982, without warning, Argentina launched the invasion of the Falklands Islands. What followed was Britain’s last solo war: the last major conflict fought over British imperial territories, the last major conflict Britain fought by itself rather than as part of a coa...
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Ask a Historian: With Greg Jenner
Dan chats to Greg Jenner about how we should interpret the past and what the role of a historian is - featuring meringues, ear trumpets and Agincourt!
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The Real Story Behind Anne Boleyn's Ghost
Get ready for carriages pulled by headless horses, spooky palaces, a weird floating cylinder thing...and a single moment in history that has haunted England, and now Britain's, imagination for hundreds of years.
In this episode of After Dark, Anthony and Maddy talk the ghost of Anne Boleyn, Quee...
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Quickfire Questions with Author Bernard Cornwell
English author Bernard Cornwell, best known for his novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe, sits down with Dan Snow to answer some quickfire questions for the fans. Ever wondered if an early 19th Century infantryman could really fire three rounds a minute? Or whether Bernard plans o...
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Ancient Egypt
Egyptologist Answers Google’s Most Popular Questions About Ancient Egypt
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The Battle of Agincourt with Mike Loades
Legend of popular history Mike Loades provides Dan a detailed run down of Henry V's famous victory at Agincourt on 25 October 1415 and how his men were more a band of brigands than a 'band of brothers'. They discuss the arms, the armour, the tactics and the popular myths today associated with the...
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The German Invasion of Poland with Roger Moorhouse
The German invasion of Poland in September 1939 is often seen as a contest between the might of Hitler's war machine and an antiquated Polish military. But this perception of a modern, German force sweeping aside a fragile, backward enemy is far from the truth. Dan sat down with Roger Moorhouse t...
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The History of The Space Race
On the 51st anniversary of the Moon Landing, join Dan Snow and historian & author Tom Ellis as we take a look at the USA and USSR's race to the stars, and how the major victories and defeats of their representative space programs would define the political discourse of their nation.
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10 Big Myths About the Vikings
People seem forever reimagining the seafaring Vikings from northern Europe, but 'the Viking Age' is one of the most confusing periods in European history. When did it really start and why? What does 'Viking' really mean? What kind of helmets did they actually wear?
One of the best ways to delve ...
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Secrets of Shakespeare's Stratford Episode 2
In this episode, Alice and Dan discover how the Shakespeare family were rocked by religious turmoil of the 16th century. They visit one of the most notorious Catholic houses in the county, William Shakespeare's schoolroom and the ruins of Evesham Abbey.
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HMS Terror and Erebus: With Sir Michael Palin
In 1845, a British voyage of Arctic exploration led by Captain Sir John Franklin departed England aboard two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. The expedition was assigned to traverse the last unnavigated sections of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic and to record magnetic data to help ...
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D-Day Veteran Interviews: WarGen
A series of four D-Day veteran interviews from WarGen - an online repository of oral history from the people who lived through World War Two. Short versions of these interviews with Arthur Davis, Ken Stone, Harry Appleton and Jack Bracewell also feature in our documentary D-Day: As It Happened.
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The Crusaders' Last Battle for the Holy Land
Roger Crowley is the author of the new book, Accursed Tower: The Crusaders' Last Battle for the Holy Land. The city of Acre, powerfully fortified and richly provisioned, was the last crusader stronghold. When it fell in 1291, two hundred years of Christian crusading in the Holy Land came to a blo...
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Ottoman Empire with Kate Fleet
The region stretching from eastern Europe and sweeping right across into Arabia and the north coast of Africa, was home to one of the most extraordinary empires in history: the Ottoman Empire. Along its routes flowed ideas, goods, disease and death. In existence for 600 years, it also saw the swe...
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Unpacking the Myths of King Arthur with Eleanor Janega
King Arthur. Merlin. The Knights of the Round Table and the Sword in the Stone. We think we know these stories but they've changed a lot since they were first told...
In this episode of History Hit's After Dark podcast, Maddy and Anthony are joined by Dr. Eleanor Janega, host of the Gone Mediev...
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Medieval Punishments
Historian Matt Lewis explains the worst medieval torture techniques.