Dan Snow's History Hit

The Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 shocked the world. But, it was not an abrupt collapse — it was decades in the making. Lyse Doucet has spent her career reporting from the world's war zones and at the key moments in modern history as the BBC's Chief International Correspondent. She's followed the events in Afghanistan for decades and joins Dan to explain the rise of the Taliban from the chaos of the Soviet invasion in the 1980s, through their brutal rule in the 1990s, the impact of American and British intervention after 9/11 and explains how they returned to Kabul in 2021, plunging Afghanistan into another era under their grip. Her new book, which explores this history through the lens of the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, where both international journalists and the Taliban stay, depending on who is running the country. It's called 'The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People's History of Afghanistan'Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal PatmoreDan 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.

In this recording from our live show earlier this year, Dan discusses the greatest naval officer who ever lived - the swashbuckling sailor and political firebrand Thomas Cochrane, who lived one of the most extraordinary lives of the nineteenth century.From daring naval raids during the Napoleonic Wars to scandal, exile and revolutionary adventures across South America, we explore the brilliance, controversy and restless ambition of the “Sea Wolf.”Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.If you want to hear more about the extraordinary life of Thomas Cochrane, then check out the three-part series we published in 2024. 1. Thomas Cochrane: The Real Master and CommanderApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/1-thomas-cochrane-the-real-master-and-commander/id1042631089?i=1000639351839Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ispIHiXbKt6ocJJH4RqN6?si=PyenzMEpRQ2YNDz9XH_3mg2. Thomas Cochrane: The Battle of Basque RoadsApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/2-thomas-cochrane-the-battle-of-basque-roads/id1042631089?i=1000639355584Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3JR4Vj3oVmRzoyHtXSIB0L?si=0wAAoNWFTW-VbWmAyxxOJg3. Thomas Cochrane: From Disgrace to Freedom FighterApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/3-thomas-cochrane-from-disgrace-to-freedom-fighter/id1042631089?i=1000639357402Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1MVZGYc2CbIl3M0tb3XzPu?si=Hk0qNkkiT0WpGgiw9vw6ZAWe'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.

Around 50 CE, a small group of travellers began to preach that a Jewish man, crucified by the Romans, had risen from the dead. Teaching love, forgiveness and eternal life, this new faith quickly gained followers. By the early fourth century, it was thriving, and over the next hundred years, it exploded, spreading across the entire Roman Empire before becoming its official religion. What enabled it to take such a strong hold so quickly and so steadfastly? Dan is joined by author, broadcaster and historian Professor Alice Roberts to examine how Christianity out-organised and outlasted the Roman Empire. Alice's new book is called 'Domination: The Fall of the Roman Empire and the Rise of Christianity'.Produced by James Hickmann, Mariana Des Forges and edited by Matthew Wilson and 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.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.

The Hanseatic League was a medieval trading network that stretched across Northern Europe. Formed in Northern Germany in the 12th century, it was an economic powerhouse of the age. Over the next five centuries, it negotiated with kings, standardised regulations, created outposts across Europe, blockaded ports and even went to war to protect its trading interests.In this episode, Dan is joined by Dr Justyna Wubs-Mrozewicz, associate professor of medieval history at the University of Amsterdam, to discuss the League's unique structure, operations, and legacy. Together, they examine its innovative and flexible approach to trade, politics, and conflict management. Also, how the Hansa functioned without becoming a formal nation-state and its lasting imprint on European history and economics.To discover more about Justyna's work, please visit: https://premodernconflictmanagement.org/ or her personal page https://justynawubs-mrozewicz.blogspot.com/Produced by Dougal Patmore and James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.This was originally released as a subscriber-only episode in August 2025Sign 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.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.

Tobacco, sugar, rum, cotton, rubber, tea, coffee, spices, industry, borders, slavery, war - all things spread across the globe thanks to the British Empire. At its height in 1922, it was the largest empire the world had ever seen, covering around a quarter of Earth's land surface and ruling over 458 million people - that's a lot of influence. Dan is joined by journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera to measure the impact the British Empire has had on our world, for better and worse. Sathnam's new book for kids is called 'Journeys of Empire'.Produced by James Hickmann, McKenna Fernandez and edited by Matthew Wilson and Dougal Patmore. Did you know you can watch this episode 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.

Appointed by the Romans as king of Judaea, King Herod's reign was defined by great architectural projects and canny diplomacy. But he could also be cruel and paranoid, with scandal and family intrigue marring his rule. King Herod even appears as an unlikely and unlikeable character in the Christmas tale; the king who ordered the execution of children in an effort to kill Jesus. But did this really happen?Dan is joined by Seth Schwartz, professor of Classical Jewish Civilisation at Columbia University, to explore the life of this ancient king and the Hellenistic world in which he ruled.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.This episode was first released in December 2023.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.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.

In this episode, we chart the sweeping story of Hitler’s U-boat war - from its early triumphs in the Atlantic to the relentless Allied fightback that ultimately sealed its fate. Along the way, we step inside a German submarine to explore the cramped routines, ever-present dangers and harsh realities faced by the men who lived and fought beneath the waves.For this, we're joined by Roger Moorhouse, historian of modern German history and author of 'Wolfpack: Inside Hitler's U-Boat War'.Produced and edited by James Hickmann.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.

Porpoises, beaver tails, boar's head and puffins were just some of the exquisite dishes on medieval tables during the festive season. In this episode, food historian Annie Gray joins Dan in his kitchen to cook up some delicious Christmas fare from ages past. They make wassail - an ancient alcoholic punch - and mince meat pies as they talk about the Pagan rituals, Medieval feasts and Victorian traditions that dictate what we put on our Christmas dinner tables.Did you know you can watch this episode on YouTube? Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcast Annie's book is called 'At Christmas We Feast'Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal PatmoreSign 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.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.

Henry VIII wanted to have the most powerful Navy in Europe; he also didn't want to have to travel very far to get it. Around 1512, he built a colossal Naval dockyard on the southern banks of the Thames in London up river from his Greenwich Palace, where he set about building the biggest ships the world had ever seen. Today, you can still find the telltale signs of the history that took place here if you know where to look. Dan joins London tour guide and friend of the podcast, Rob Smith, to trace the beginnings of Britain's Navy and tell the curious tales of early life in the dockyard, the mega ships, the disastrous failures and incredible innovations that made Britain a naval superpower in the 16th century and beyond. If you'd like to take a tour with Rob, you can check out his events here: https://footprintsoflondon.com/live/guides/rob-smith/Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal PatmoreSign 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.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.