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The Battle of Midway
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 Allies. Never again would Japan be able to project power across the ocean as it had done at Pearl Harbour. In this explainer episode, Dan takes you through this key turning point in the Pacific War. He examines the key intelligence that allowed the American Navy to turn the tables on the Japanese fleet, a blow-by-blow account of the battle itself, the terrible human cost of the fighting and the aftermath of this decisive American victory.
Edited by Dougal Patmore
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1509. Sir Walter Raleigh's Search for El Dorado
36:31||Ep. 1509Sir Walter Raleigh's life was a turbulent one, to say the least. The Elizabethan statesman and explorer climbed to the top rung of Queen Elizabeth's court; he founded the ill-fated Roanoke colony in North America; he was imprisoned in the Tower of London for various offences against the crown - not once, but three times. Ultimately, he was beheaded outside the Palace of Westminster. But perhaps his most outlandish exploits were two failed expeditions to find the legendary city of gold, El Dorado.Mathew Lyon joins us to tell us about what Raleigh was like, and why he undertook these expeditions to find a lost city in the jungles of South America. Mathew is the author of 'The Favourite: Ralegh and His Queen'.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.You can take part in our listener survey here.1508. The Heist of the Century: The Missing Irish Crown Jewels
39:10||Ep. 1508In the shadowy halls of Dublin Castle, 1907, a daring heist shook the British Empire. Four days before King Edward VII's royal visit, the priceless Irish Crown Jewels vanished without a trace. Sir Arthur Vicars, the somewhat incompetent Ulster King of Arms, found himself at the centre of the scandal that threatened to expose dark secrets lurking in Ireland's high society. As Scotland Yard tried to unravel the mystery, suspicion fell on the charismatic Francis Shackleton, brother of the famed explorer...To this day the jewels have never been found. But now, Dan wants to try and find them, with your help. If you've ever come across any information relating to this story - an old newspaper article, a story from a relative or friend... we want to hear from you! Please write to us at ds.hh@historyhit.com.Maybe Dan Snow's History Hit can solve the case once and for all.Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off for 3 months using code ‘DANSNOW’.We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.You can take part in our listener survey here.1507. Machu Picchu: The Lost City
43:07||Ep. 1507Part 1/4. Dan takes the podcast to the Peruvian Andes as he follows in the footsteps of intrepid American explorer Hiram Bingham who revealed Machu Picchu to the world.At the turn of the 20th century, Bingham heard rumours of a fabled lost city in the clouds that revealed the power and brilliance of the Inca and their vast empire that once spanned a continent from the Amazon rainforest to the Pacific coast. With the help of expert guests, Dan tells the story of Hiram Bingham's discovery and reveals the mysteries hidden within the walls of Machu Picchu.Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.The Rest of the Series:Episode 2: The Rise of the Inca EmpireEpisode 3: Inca Gods and Human SacrificesEpisode 4: The Fall of the Inca EmpireEnjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/We'd love to hear from you- what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.You can take part in our listener survey here.1506. Hitler's V1 & V2 Rockets
28:38||Ep. 1506As the world closed in on the Third Reich in the final chapter of World War Two, a desperate Adolf Hitler turned to his so-called 'Revenge Weapons' for salvation; cutting-edge armaments specifically designed to terrorise civilian populations and break their morale. His hope was that breaking the spirit of the Allies would reverse the course of a war that Germany was clearly losing.Joining us is historian Murray Barber, author of 'V2: The A4 Rocket from Peenemünde to Redstone'. Murray tells us all about the most infamous of these weapons, the fearsome V1 and V2 rockets - did they actually have any impact on the course of the war, and how did they shape events later in the 20th century?Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off for 3 months using code ‘DANSNOW’.We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.You can take part in our listener survey here.1505. How WWII Started
01:02:07||Ep. 1505On September 1st, 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Two days later, France and the United Kingdom declared war on the Third Reich. This was the beginning of what would become perhaps the most devastating clash in human history. By the end of the war, tens of millions of people had been killed, wounded or displaced, and the world order had been irrevocably altered. So how exactly did WW2 start?In this episode, Dan explains how and why the Second World War came about. He examines both the immediate triggers and the big substructural forces that pushed humanity into a devastating conflict that continues to shape our world today.Written and produced by Dan Snow, and edited by Dougal Patmore.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off for 3 months using code ‘DANSNOW’.We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.You can take part in our listener survey here.1504. The History of Mountaineering
25:05||Ep. 1504From Incan monks braving the peaks of the Andes more than 500 years ago, to George Mallory scaling Everest in the 1920s, humans seem to have an unshakeable urge to climb higher and higher. But it's an urge that comes at great peril, so why exactly do we climb?Dan is joined by Daniel Light, mountaineer and author of 'The White Ladder: Triumph and Tragedy at the Dawn of Mountaineering'. Daniel explains why all sorts of people have been drawn to the mountains, and gives some examples of humanity's long obsession with climbing.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off for 3 months using code ‘DANSNOW’.We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.You can take part in our listener survey here.1503. Boudica, Britain's Warrior Queen
38:50||Ep. 1503In 61 CE, Boudica of the Iceni led a bloody revolt to end Roman rule in Britain. Roman historians tell us with great drama and flair that the grand finale is a huge battle between Boudica and the Roman governor, Suetonius. Tens of thousands of Celtic warriors went head-to-head with a small force of veteran legionaries to decide the fate of Roman Britain.Today we're joined by Caitlin Gillespie, a historian and author of Boudica: Warrior Woman of Roman Britain. She tells us the story of this revolt, the famed warrior queen who led it, and how it all ended.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off for 3 months using code ‘DANSNOW’.We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.You can take part in our listener survey here.1502. The Battle of Britain Explained: The Blitz
01:07:11||Ep. 15022/2. The Battle of Britain was Hitler's first and potentially most important defeat. It defined the course of the war, forcing him to make a series of decisions that guaranteed his own destruction. In this two-part series, we'll trace this monumental story from the dark days of the defeat of France, through to the triumph of RAF Fighter Command in the skies above Britain.In Part 2 Dan takes us through the battle's crescendo, as British, Commonwealth and European pilots took to the skies time and again to contest Luftwaffe raids. He explains why Hitler decided to turn away from this attritional battle and direct his rage against London - and how that terrible decision affected the course of the war.Written and produced by Dan Snow, and edited by Dougal Patmore.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off for 3 months using code ‘DANSNOW’.We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.You can take part in our listener survey here.1501. The Battle of Britain Explained
51:33||Ep. 15011/2. The Battle of Britain was Hitler's first and possibly most important defeat. It defined the course of the Second World War, forcing him to make a series of decisions that guaranteed his own destruction. In this two-part series, we'll trace this monumental story from the dark days of the defeat of France, through to the triumph of RAF Fighter Command in the skies above Britain.In Part 1, Dan takes us from the total defeat of the Allied armies on the European mainland through to the all-out air assault in the skies above Britain. He shares the exhilarating stories of pilots in their iconic fighter planes and outlines the crucial factors that would turn the tide in favour of the Allies.Written and produced by Dan Snow, and edited by Dougal Patmore.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off for 3 months using code ‘DANSNOW’.We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.You can take part in our listener survey here.