After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal

The Chevalier d’Éon was one of France’s most daring spies... until they began making headlines for all the wrong reasons.Armed with explosive state secrets and at the centre of a very public scandal over their identity, d’Éon went from trusted agent to international sensation.Join Anthony and Maddy as they explore this story of espionage, blackmail and disguise.This episode was edited by Anna Brant. The producer was Stuart Beckwith and McKenna Fernandez. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.UK listeners: voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards! Click to place your vote on the Spotify mobile app: https://open.spotify.com/s/xhg6PJaSign 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.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.After Dark is a History Hit podcast.History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

She was the only person during World War Two to parachute from Britain behind enemy lines into Nazi-occupied Germany, all while wearing a dress.Who was Agent Zo? And what were the incredible missions she was involved in as part of the Polish resistance?Joining Anthony and Maddy to tell her story today is author and historian Clare Mulley, who wrote the book Agent Zo: The Untold Story of a Fearless World War II Resistance Fighter.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.UK listeners only: Voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards. Click to place your vote on the Spotify mobile app: https://open.spotify.com/s/xhg6PJaSign 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.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Ruth Ellis made history in 1955 when she was the last woman hanged in Britain.She shot and killed her abusive lover, the racing driver David Blakely, at point blank range on a spring evening outside a pub.What events led up to this seemingly cold-blooded moment? And is it right that Ellis was recently granted a pardon for this murder?Trigger warning: this episode contains themes of abuse which some may find upsetting.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards. Click to place your vote on the Spotify mobile app: https://open.spotify.com/s/xhg6PJaSign 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.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Look closely at the Bayeux Tapestry and you will see a medieval spy.But far from the world of James Bond gadgetry, what was medieval spycraft like? Why were they referred to as 'little birds'? And why were women often used in medieval espionage?Joining Anthony and Maddy today is Professor of Medieval History at Cardiff University and expert in all things medieval spycraft, Jenny Benham.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick.Voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards. Click to place your vote on the Spotify mobile app: https://open.spotify.com/s/xhg6PJaSign 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.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.

The world of Viking death rituals and their beliefs surrounding the afterlife is truly fascinating... What happened when a Viking died? What ceremonies and practices did they partake in? And what awaited the spirits of the dead when they departed the world of the living? Today we welcome our returning guest and go-to expert on all things Viking Eleanor Baraclough! Eleanor is a historian and author of books including Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick.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.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.

When a whaling ship sank in 1820, her crew were cast adrift thousands of miles from land, and faced starvation, madness, and death. Their ordeal would become one of the most extraordinary survival stories in maritime history… and would become immortalised by Herman Melville's novel, Moby-Dick.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick.Voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards. Click to place your vote on the Spotify mobile app: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX74ZgzrlyH29Sign 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.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.

The captain of the HMS Hermione was a sadist even by the not-very-high standards of the British Royal Navy in the 1700's. He was a prolific flogger, subjecting his crew to the cat-of-nine-tails. It was hardly a surprise when his crew rose up and mutinied. Even if the British Navy couldn't for one second let them get away unpunished.This is the brutal and bloody story of Britain's most horrific mutiny, told by the one and only Dan Snow!This episode was edited by Anna Brant. The producer was Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick.Voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards. Click to place your vote on the Spotify mobile app: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX74ZgzrlyH29Sign 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.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.

In Medici Florence there were two ways of maintaining power - one was money and the other was murder. Isabella de’ Medici was the believed daughter of the Medici patriarch, a patron of the arts and a sparkling wit. But that meant nothing to her own husband, who murdered her, or her own brother, who turned a blind eye.Maddy and Anthony are joined by Estelle Paranque author of numerous books, including most recently Thorns, Lust and Glory: the Betrayal of Anne Boleyn.This episode was edited by Amy Haddow. The producer was Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick.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.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.

It's hard to wrap your head around all the disasters that befell Captain Anson's Royal Navy voyage around the world in the 1740s. Rampant scurvy, horrendous storms, marooning and mutiny to name but a few. 90% of the original crew never returned. Those who made it back to Britain were hailed as heroes for surviving!The one and only Dan Snow joins Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling for this unbelievable tale of naval adventure and endurance.This episode was edited by Anna Brant. The producer was Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick.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.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.