Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvtunzelmann is a historian and screenwriter. Alex writes a weekly column about historical films for The Guardian Online, entitled Reel Histories.;Alex’s latest book entitled ‘ Reel History ‘, picks through Hollywood’s version of events, sorting the fact from the fiction. ...

During the War of 1812, the last time Britain and the United States went to war with each other, more than six thousand American sailors ended up in Dartmoor Prison. At the end of the war, prisoners remained behind Dartmoor’s walls for months after peace had been ratified. The prisoners’ fury at ...

Dr David Kenyon is a British archaeologist and military historian. He was one of the military advisors on the film War Horse. David is the Research Historian at Bletchley Park @BletchleyPark.

In our first-ever History Hit Live in association with the British Academy, Dan talks to Diarmaid MacCulloch about Thomas Cromwell, whether or not the Reformation was like Brexit, and what is wrong with Putney.

Alfred the Great - King of the West Saxons and later King of all the English not under Scandinavian rule - is the only English King to be given the title “the Great”.

So why did he become such a legend that to become a British citizen you now have to answer questions about him?

In this episode...

Dan and Tim Minchin discuss the value of argument, history, and how approaches to history are changing in Australia at the moment.

Born Malcolm Little in 1925, Malcolm X would become human rights activist— a prominent African American minister and figure during the civil rights movement. As a spokesman for the Nation of Islam until 1964, Malcolm X was a vocal advocate for Black empowerment, Black nationalism and the promotio...

Sir Tony Robinson is a much-loved actor, presenter and author with a career lasting over fifty years. His new book, No Cunning Plan is out now.

Afua Hirsch is a writer, broadcaster, barrister and human rights development worker. She has previously worked as Social Affairs and Education Editor for Sky News and was also a correspondent for The Guardian.

When we think of fairy tales, we think of imprisoned maidens, turreted towers, magic spinning wheels, wicked witches and demonic dwarves and dragons. Much of the iconography of these stories, particularly those from Europe, dates back to Medieval times. Some of them, such as the story of Hansel a...

In the dying days of the eighth century, the Vikings erupted onto the international stage with brutal raids and slaughter. The medieval Norsemen may be best remembered as monk murderers and village pillagers, but this is far from the whole story. Throughout the Middle Ages, long-ships transported...

Castles have held a pivotal place in British life, many of them remaining today as powerful reminders of our history and sources of inspiration. But castles were also homes and status symbols as well as hubs of life, activity, and imagination.

In today’s edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis disc...

Dan talks to Ruth Ben-Ghiat about what the history of Italian Fascism can teach us about the modern political landscape.

Two weeks before the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Richard Brookhiser joined me on the podcast to discuss Trump and presidential history.

Dan talks to Sarah Churchwell, whose new book - Behold, America! - discusses the history of the phrases "the American Dream" and "America First", and what they mean in Trump's America.

Gardens and gardening are aspects of medieval life that rarely get much attention. But it was a period when those with a little more land created gardens for leisure and pleasure, a place in which to stroll or entertain friends.

In this edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis heads to Prebendal Man...

Sarah Churchwell @sarahchurchwell is Chair of Public Humanities, American Literature Professor at the School of Advanced Study, University of London.

Neil Gregor is Professor of Modern European History at the University of Southampton. He has published widely on 20th century German history, including 'Daimler-Benz in the Third Reich' (1998) and 'Haunted City: Nuremberg and the Nazi Past' (2009), both of which won the Fraenkel Prize for Contemp...

Ancient Sparta was co-opted by the Nazis as a supposed model civilisation for the Third Reich’s twisted racial and martial ideologies.

German children were taught that the Spartans had originally been an ‘Aryan’ tribe, and that they should aspire to Laconian ideals such as endurance, discipline ...

Part 1 of our 3 part Tudor series, released to coincide with the 469th anniversary of King Henry VIII’s death. In this podcast historian Anna Whitelock talks with Dan about the often-overlooked Tudor monarchs: Henry VII and Queen Mary.

Most drugs -including cancer drugs- are derived from plants.

Plants are important for so many reasons and more people have to connect with plants.

The guest today has over 500 of them -and counting!- and one of the greenest instagram feeds ever.

James Wong, gardener, ethnobotanist, broadcas...

How do you go about finding your way around the history of a nation and a national identity? For the barrister and author Dominic Selwood, documents are the perfect window through which to watch a country develop and change. His new book Anatomy of a Nation: A History of British Identity in 50 Do...

Dr Andrew Blick is Director of History & Policy and Lecturer in Politics and Contemporary History, King's College London. He is the co-author of Premiership: The Development, Nature and Power of the Office of the British Prime Minister.

Tom Holland is the author of Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic, which won the Hessell-Tiltman Prize for History and was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize. Persian Fire, his history of the Graeco-Persian wars, won the Anglo-Hellenic League's Runciman Award in 2006. His ...