Dan Snow's History Hit

Trap doors under toilets, hidden radio rooms in the back of wardrobes, secret bases behind waterfalls....Dan investigates an extraordinary network of secret resistance cells set up during Britain's "darkest hour".In the summer of 1940, Britain and its empire stood alone as the Nazi war machine stormed through Europe. Prime Minister Winston Churchill created something extraordinary: secret factions of men and women trained to wreak havoc behind the lines of an invading army.Dan once again joins forces with Andy Chatterton from the Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team, who are unearthing this incredible part of World War Two for another bunker hunt. What they find on this adventure is truly extraordinary.You can learn more about Britain's secret resistance in Andy's book 'Fortress Britain 1940: Britain's Unsung and Secret Defences on Land, Sea and in the Air'.With thanks to Chris Hale, Nina, Will and Martyn from CART, Andy Aust and Duncan Akers.Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.You can watch our video documentary on Churchill's Secret Army! Sign up here to watch: https://access.historyhit.com/videos/churchills-secret-armyYou can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.We need your help! Let us know what you want from Dan Snow's History Hit by filling in our anonymous survey here: https://forms.gle/PvgayWLkWGjYT4St6

For the third episode in our mini-series on the Crusades, we dive into the 1291 Siege of Acre - the desperate, violent last stand that ended two centuries of crusading in the Holy Land. We hear how, outnumbered, divided and desperate, the Christian defenders decided to fight to the bitter end against the Mamluk forces of Al-Ashraf Khalil.For this series, we're joined by Steve Tibble, author of many books on the Crusades, including 'The Crusader Strategy: Defending the Holy Land'.Produced by James Hickmann and McKenna Fernandez, and edited by Jhenelle White.We need your help! Let us know what you want from Dan Snow's History Hit by filling in our anonymous survey here: https://forms.gle/PvgayWLkWGjYT4St6Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcastSign 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 also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the most powerful figures of the medieval world: twice a queen, a crusader, a rebel and the architect of an empire. Through her marriages to Louis VII of France and Henry II of England, she helped create the vast Angevin Empire and reshape European politics. She led forces on the Second Crusade, rebelled against her husband and played a decisive role in the rise of her sons, including Richard the Lionheart and King John.Historian Dr Elena Janega, host of Gone Medieval, joins the podcast to explore Eleanor’s extraordinary life - from the vibrant court of Aquitaine and the failure of the Second Crusade, to her dramatic divorce, imprisonment, and enduring political influence. This episode reveals how Eleanor’s authority and intelligence held a volatile dynasty together until her death.Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.Listen to Richard the Lionheart.Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/richard-the-lionheart/id1042631089?i=1000714361834Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Pm3oWHAeOHfzLdufvqlDS?si=ZKlCSV_YRwGvS64dQCiWzgListen to The Greatest Knight That Ever Lived: William the Marshal.Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-greatest-knight-that-ever-lived-william-the-marshal/id1042631089?i=1000726107916Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5h09dhQsoEN3MEPUGmPyLL?si=ZV4Z4gMDRtKaRBiK2PmmfgWe need your help! Let us know what you want from Dan Snow's History Hit by filling in our anonymous survey here: https://forms.gle/PvgayWLkWGjYT4St6Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcastSign 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 also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

They were some of Britain's best and brightest - and they were working for Stalin all along. In this episode, we unpack the true story of the Cambridge Five, the most damaging spy ring in British history.To take us through this, we're joined by Antonia Senior, journalist and author of "Stalin's Apostles: The Cambridge Five and the Making of the Soviet Empire".Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

For the second episode in our mini-series on the Crusades, we explore the legendary rivalry between two extraordinary medieval orders: the Assassins and the Templars. Separating myth from history, we uncover their beliefs, covert operations and lasting legacy, revealing how truth and legend became forever entwined.For this series, we're joined by Steve Tibble, author of many books on the Crusades, including 'Assassins and Templars: A Battle in Myth and Blood'.Produced by James Hickmann and McKenna Fernandez, and edited by Jhenelle White.Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcastSign 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 also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

For the final episode in our 'Commanders' series, we've drawn on your suggestions to pay tribute to the commanders who didn’t make our main episodes, but left a lasting mark on the Second World War.Joining us is Jonathan Bratten, a historian and serving Major in the Maine National Guard.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcastSign 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 also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

To launch our mini series on the Crusades, we've put together your complete guide to almost two centuries of holy war - from start to finish. We untangle faith, politics and myth, and reveal how the Crusades reshaped Europe, the Middle East and relations between Islam and Christianity forever.For this series, we're joined by Steve Tibble, author of many books on the Crusades, including 'The Crusader Armies: 1099 - 1187'.Produced by James Hickmann and McKenna Fernandez, and edited by Jhenelle White.Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcastSign 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 also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

Marshal Georgy Zhukov was undoubtedly one of the Second World War's most formidable figures. Rising from humble peasant origins, Zhukov became the archetype of the Soviet warrior. He commanded vast armies of millions in some of the biggest, bloodiest and most pivotal battles not just of the Second World War but, in all human history. He was celebrated as the saviour of Moscow and the commander who captured the capital of the Third Reich, and is believed by many to be one of history’s greatest military leaders. But his immense popularity and success may also have sown the seeds of his political vulnerability at home in the paranoid Soviet system.In this episode of Dan Snow's History Hit, part five of The Commanders series, we go beyond the legend to explore the man behind the myth. What made Zhukov the leader he became? How did he not only survive the tumultuous world of Soviet politics but thrive? And, does he truly deserve his towering reputation or were his victories at the expense of the men who served under him?Our guide to explore Zhukov's life is the renowned historian Geoffrey Roberts. He is an emeritus professor of modern history at University College Cork and a leading expert on Soviet military history. He is also the author of Stalin's general: the life of Georgy Zhukov, so there is no one better to unpack the life, decisions, and legacy of the man who helped shape the outcome of the Second World War, and examine the fine line between glory and danger in Stalin’s Soviet Union.If you would like to read more of Geoffrey's work, his latest book is Wartime Letters – Kathleen HarrimanProduced and edited by Dougal Patmore.Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcastSign 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 also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

Have you ever wondered what the History Hit podcast hosts talk about after the mics turn off? Wish you could go to the pub with Dan, Dr Kate Lister from Betwixt the Sheets, Dr Anthony Delaney from After Dark or Professor Suzannah Lipscomb from Not Just The Tudors? Well, this new, exclusive series takes you into History Hit HQ as some of the hosts get together after hours to chat about everything from the behind-the-scenes happenings of your favourite History Hit shows to their bad dates and history hot takes.We'd love to know what you think! If you're a subscriber, let us know your thoughts on ds.hh@historyhit.com