Interviews
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D-Day Veteran Interviews: Lord Saye and Sele
In this poignant interview, Lord Saye and Sele shares his unique story from the Second World War, which began on D-Day, 6 June 1944.
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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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Operation Margin: The Augsburg Raid
In April 1942 the Second World War hung in the balance. Nazi Germany had occupied most of Europe and its seemingly unstoppable armed forces were driving deeper and deeper into Russia and North Africa. To add to Allied worries, German U-Boats were threatening to cut off Britain’s supply lines in t...
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Hitler's Last 48 Hours
What happened to Hitler's body? When did he die? What really happened in the last 48 hours of his life? In this extraordinary episode of 'As It Happened', historian Emma Craigie and Dan Snow discuss the final moments of the Fuhrer's life in the bunker beneath the Reich Chancellery in Berlin.
Emm...
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Remembering the Few with Wing Commander Tom Neil
Last summer, we were lucky enough to interview Wing Commander Tom Neil, one of the last of 'the Few' who fought in the Battle of Britain. During the Battle he shot down at least 13 enemy aircraft; he saw over half his squadron shot down within 5 minutes; he is also credited with the longest fligh...
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Hitler: The Rise to Power
In the 1930s Germany, one of the World's richest, most technologically-developed and culturally-sophisticated countries, was transformed into an extreme authoritarian state under its dictator Adolf Hitler. His unbridled ambition would plunge the World into a war bloodier and more destructive than...
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Ghosts of the Romanovs
At about 1am on 17 July 1918, in a fortified mansion in Ekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains, the Romanovs – ex-tsar Nicholas II, ex-tsarina Alexandra, their 5 children, and their 4 remaining servants – were awoken by Bolshevik captors and told they must dress and gather their belongings for a swif...
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Sex Lives of the Ancient Romans
Joined by historian Honor Cargill-Martin, Tristan Hughes explores the real sex lives of ancient Rome.
From popular series to kinky paintings, there is a recurring image today of Romans as sex-mad degenerates. And although there are sex stories in the dozens from the Roman period, when it comes ...
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Africa: The Unknown History of Humankind
Africa is the second largest continent in the world and is home to the second largest population; but it is second-to-none regarding its ethnic diversity. Throughout history Africa has been the home of many thousands of ethnological groups; the historic sites, places, cultures, kingdoms and civil...
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Reassessing King George III: With Andrew Roberts
Was King George really mad? Could the American Revolution have been avoided? Does the play Hamilton get George III right? To find out Dan Snow spoke to historian Andrew Roberts, biographer of Churchill, Napoleon and now George III.
George III ruled through an extraordinary period of revolutiona...
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Michael Scott on Classical Connections
When one thinks of the Ancient World you would be forgiven for instantly thinking of either the cultural glories of ancient Greece or the military might of the Roman Empire. Yet the Mediterranean and the Near East was just one part of a much larger, interconnected ancient world. In India and Chin...
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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 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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The Real Life of Gladiators in Ancient Rome
Tristan Hughes sits down with Alexander Mariotti, a leading speaker on gladiatorial life, combat, and weaponry as well as a historical consultant on Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator' movie (2000).
Together they discuss what life was really like for these men entering the arenas of the Roman Empire, wh...
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Sam Mendes on 1917
1917 is a new film directed by Golden Globe winning film maker Sir Sam Mendes. Set in early 1917, at the height of the First World War on the Western Front, Mendes uses the backdrop of the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line as the stage for telling a story inspired by the memories of Alfred Me...
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The Silk Roads with Peter Frankopan
In the East Meets West season, this is the starting point. Frankopan's rightly lauded book has done what it said on the cover: created a new history of the world. For way too long we Westerners have been espying history through the lens of our own success. But truth is, Britain only had its momen...
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Strategic Bombing in World War Two with Victoria Taylor
Aviation historian Victoria Taylor answers key questions about the air war of World War Two: from the significance of the Dambusters raid to how we should remember "Bomber" Harris.
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Fighting Proud: A Gay History of the World Wars
At the end of World War Two the British public wanted to get back to ‘normal’. The gay men who had served their King and country found themselves subjected to a vigorous enforcement of the draconian law that would put them into prison if they were found guilty of indecency. But servicemen living ...
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Dan Snow's Favourite Historical Movies
In this Easter special episode of History Hit Live on Timeline, Dan Snow takes us through some of his favourite historical movies from the most accurate, to the most technically impressive - and perhaps a couple of guilty pleasures…
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The Peterloo Massacre with Robert Poole
The Peterloo Massacre was a critical moment in the reform movement at the start of the 19th century. Thousands of people gathered at St Peter's Fields near Manchester to protest for an expansion of the franchise. The local magistrates summoned yeomanry to dispel what they saw as a riot, but as th...
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The Crusades with Dan Jones
The two Dans are back. And this time, they're talking all things crusades. Dan Jones provides his namesake host a thrilling background to the series of holy wars that have come to define Medieval Europe.
If you love Dan Jones, then join him at our book club. He is the History Hit Book Club's aut...