The Malleus Maleficarum, or the 'Hammer of Witches', was a 15th-century book that sparked mass hysteria about the existence of witches in Europe - and it wasn't long before North America had fallen for the same obsession.

In a special Halloween episode, Dan is joined by the co-host of the Gone M...

The urban cultures of ancient Mesopotamia formed the foundation for so much of our modern world. Nowhere exemplifies this better than the city of Babylon, which was the cultural seedbed for the Greek and Roman civilisations that in turn left such lasting legacies.

On this episode, Dan is joined ...

James Beckwourth was a pioneering frontiersman and fur-trapper who conquered the American West by embedding himself in the Native American tribes who called it home. Although Beckwourth wasn’t a runaway slave, he'd been born into slavery in the Deep South at the turn of the 19th century. As a you...

In celebration of recently winning a gold Signal Award, we are revisiting our series from last year on the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.

On the West Bank of the Nile in Luxor lie the burial chambers of some of Ancient Egypt's greatest pharaohs - Ramses II, Seti I...

Dan attends the funeral of British and American soldiers, over 240 years after they died fighting one another at the Battle of Camden. He takes us through the battle step by step, walking the fields of South Carolina and speaking with archaeologists, locals and soldiers to bring this British vict...

Also known as the October War and the Ramadan War, this conflict was initiated by Egypt and Syria on October 6, 1973, as a surprise attack on Israel during the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur and the Muslim month of Ramadan. It was motivated by a desire among Arab states to regain territory taken b...

The Orkney Islands have charted a unique course through history. Populated for thousands of years by Neolithic tribes, Picts, Norsemen and then the Scots, the archipelago now has a distinct cultural ambiguity; recognisably Scottish, yet with a deep-rooted Norse ancestry. So, what exactly is the h...

This is the story of the incredible rise and fall of Mary, Queen of Scots. She was queen of Scotland, she was queen of France, and she could have been queen of England. She led armies, lived as a fugitive, became embroiled in love affairs and spent nearly two decades in jail.

Dan is joined by th...

During WWII, the sailors of the British merchant navy played a vital role in keeping the UK fed and armed. They carried essential supplies across the treacherous Atlantic - and many paid with their lives. What's less well known is that many of those sailors were Chinese - volunteers who came to B...

In light of the complex and tragic situation unfolding in Gaza and Israel, this episode looks at the past 100 years of the history of the region of Palestine. As well as an explanation from Dan, we hear from experts who have been on the podcast before to explain the background to the conflict we'...

The Hundred Years' War plunged England, France and their allies into over a century of conflict. This bleak period of history had rebellions, assassinations, open warfare and even the Black Death as the two rival dynasties went head-to-head for the French throne.

Dan is joined by the historian a...

The renowned conqueror Alexander the Great was known as 'the two-horned one' by his enemies, and for good reason. His campaigns were bloody affairs even by the standards of the time. But the city of Tyre was not going to be intimidated - Alexander would have to think outside the box if he was goi...

This is everything you need to know about the famed conqueror Alexander the Great. Alongside Tristan Hughes, host of the hit podcast The Ancients, Dan follows Alexander on a whistle-stop tour from his life in Macedonia to his epic battles with the Persians and eventually, to his death in Babylon....

David Mitchell joins Dan in today's episode to ask the all-important question - who was England's greatest monarch? From the 'overrated' William the Conqueror to the tantrum-throwing Henry VIII, anyone is up for grabs.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges, James Hickmann and Beth Donaldson. Edited by ...

The Lion House is a riveting new book from journalist and historian Christopher De Bellaigue, written like a novel that tells the dramatic story of Suleyman the Magnificent and his power and influence over 16th-century Europe. In this episode recorded at the Chalke Valley History festival during ...

Dan tells the extraordinary tale of Captain James Cook. Born a labourer's son, he would rise to become one of history's greatest explorers. He went about as far as it was possible to go, sailing the Pacific Ocean and arriving on the shores of Australia and New Zealand.

For these voyages, he asse...

What did it take to become a Roman emperor? Pliny the Elder wrote that a ruler should be generous, victorious in battle and a father to his people. But how many emperors were able to live up to these expectations? And were these really traits that the typical Roman cared about?

Dan is joined by ...

On the 4th of June 1942, the US Navy took on the might of Japan's Imperial Navy in the battle of Midway. It was America's Trafalgar! At the end of the fighting devastating losses had been inflicted on the Japanese and the entire strategic position in the Pacific was upended in favour of the Allie...

It's the 13th of December, 1642, and Parliamentarian soldiers have just stormed the city of Winchester. They burst into the city's grand cathedral on horseback, and begin tearing it apart. The soldiers smash windows, burn tables and tapestries and steal anything of value. Stashed away in ornate w...

This is the story of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as you've never heard it before. From their childhoods and courtship through to their union and Anne's brutal execution, we'll peel back layers of historical myth to find out how this marriage changed England forever.

Dan is joined by the Tudor his...

In our first subscriber-only episode, Dan explores his great-grandfather's part in the First World War. Lieutenant-General Thomas Snow was a senior officer in the British Army who commanded troops on the first day of the Somme. It was a disaster; thousands of men died for almost no strategic gain...

The popes of Rome emerged from the humblest of beginnings. The first was a fisherman, charged with spreading the word of God under the watchful eye of a pagan Roman Empire. But just a few centuries later, the papacy had flourished into one of the wealthiest, most powerful institutions on the plan...

The Harappan civilisation, also known as the Indus Valley civilisation, was an ancient urban civilisation that thrived in the Indus River valley in South Asia around 4000 years ago. Known for its well-planned cities, advanced drainage systems, and incredible culture - it played an integral role i...

From tip-off letters about the gun powder plot to village quarrels that lead to jail time - today we’re going Betwixt the Sheets to find out about the history of hate mail. 

Joining Kate is Dr. Emily Cockayne, author of Penning Poison and consultant on the forthcoming film Wicked Little Letters,...