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Dan Snow's History Hit
The Marines in the Battle of Normandy
The Royal Marines played a huge part in the Battle of Normandy. Whether helping to plan the gigantic D-Day operation, storming the beaches themselves or supporting the advance further into France, the Royal Marines were at the heart of the Allied effort to liberate Normandy.
We're joined by John Rawlinson, Vice-President of the Royal Marines Historical Society to hear all about the Royal Marines and the role that they played.
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.
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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.1500. The Terracotta Warriors
46:26||Ep. 1500The world was astonished when 8000 terracotta soldiers were unearthed in 1974 by Chinese farmers digging a well; the warriors opened a window to the first dynasty of China unlike anything seen before.Dan travels to the mausoleum of the First Emperor Qin Shi Huang in China to discover what this clay army and his enormous mausoleum can tell us about life in the court of the First Emperor. Dan also goes in search of the mass graves of the workers who toiled to their deaths to build the mausoleum and traces the chaotic fall of the Qin and how the Emperor's pursuit of eternal life led to a gruesome and premature death.This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore. The translator was Ellen Xu and the fixer was Chao.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.1499. The First Emperor of China
42:54||Ep. 1499Dan heads to China to discover the incredible story of Qin Shi Haungdi, the man who built the mysterious Terracotta Warriors, the Great Wall and founded China. Dan travels to the First Emperor's magnificent mausoleum complex in Xian, once the Ancient capital, to trace his rise to total power, conquering the neighbouring states to create one mighty Chinese Empire. Qin Shi Huangdi was as visionary as he was tyrannical, often remembered for his brutal punishment methods that enabled him to centralise power. He's also remembered for his obsession with immortality and the astonishing lengths he went to try and secure it...This is the first episode in a two-part mini-series. Part Two was released on Friday 23rd.This episode was produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore. The translator was Ellen Xu and the fixer was Chao.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.