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Echoes of History

Echoes of History: A New Chapter

Introducing a new chapter of Echoes of History, the podcast that explores the incredible real-life stories and events that inspire the locations, characters, and storylines of the legendary Assassin’s Creed.


Join your host, historian Matt Lewis, and regular contributor Holly Nielsen, as they guide you into the worlds of Assassin’s Creed, talking to historical experts to uncover the secrets of the past before stepping ‘into the Animus’ to delve into how these moments are recreated.


New weekly episodes every Monday.


Echoes of History - a Ubisoft podcast brought to you by History Hit.


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  • The Crown's Greatest Jewel: The Koh-i-Noor Diamond

    31:37
    The literal jewel in the British crown, the Koh-i-Noor diamond has a history as rich as its caratage. Queen Victoria received it from the last maharaja of the Sikh Empire, and it has become a symbol of British colonialism ever since - even in the eyes of the Empress of India herself.In this episode, thanks to a glitch in the Animus, Dan Snow steps in to interview Shrabani Basu about the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond - its origin and its storied journey to modern day controversy.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. This episode was originally produced for and can be heard in full on Dan Snow's History Hit.Hosted by: Matt Lewis & Dan SnowEdited by: Dougal PatmoreProduced by: Mariana des Forges, Matt Lewis, Robin McConnellSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic:Everyone Has A Price by Austin WintoryA Ballet Of Blades by Austin WintoryIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MKHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Industrial Revolution: The Birth Of Modern London

    54:37
    The Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the late 18th century, giving birth to an era that has changed world history. The period was characterised by rapid economic, social and technological growth. Marked by innovation and inventions like the steam engine, spinning jenny and telephone, industrialisation also saw a rise in urbanisation, the factory system, poverty and the exploitation of a new urban working class. This in turn led to social and political movements such as communism. Matt Lewis and Tom Furber from The London Archives provide an overview of how the Industrial Revolution came about and transformed the city of London as its epicentre. What were some of the most important advances during this period? What were the effects of rapid industrialisation on Victorian society?Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Tim ArstallProduced by: Joseph Knight, Peta Stamper, Matt Lewis, Robin McConnellSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic:The Dance Begins by Austin WintorySoothing Syrup by Austin WintoryDanza alla Daggers by Austin WintoryIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK
  • Scotland Yard: The Origins Of London's Police

    41:31
    Scotland Yard: the home of London's Metropolitan Police Force. In this episode, Matt Lewis and Dr Jonah Miller put a magnifying lens to the history of both Scotland Yard as a place and on the policemen and detectives that worked within it. What went on inside? Why did it come to be known as Scotland Yard? And how significant a role did it play in shaping Victorian London?Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Alex JonesProduced by: Joseph Knight, Peta Stamper, Matt Lewis, Robin McConnellSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK
  • Queen Victoria: The Woman Behind An Era

    50:18
    Queen Victoria was the last English monarch of the House of Hanover and gave her name to an era in British history. Although small in stature, she was a towering figure as she witnessed major turning points in British history. Yet she is often caricatured as a spiky and stubborn woman.In this episode, historian Alex Churchill join Matt Lewis to life the veil on Victoria's life as queen; unpacking the myths about her personality, exploring how she ruled in tandem with her beloved husband Albert, survived eight assassination attempts and then emerged from his shadow to rule with imperial magnificence.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Anisha DevaProduced by: Joseph Knight, Peta Stamper, Matt Lewis, Robin McConnellSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK
  • Shogun and Shinto: What Life Was Like In Feudal Japan

    37:40
    What was life like in feudal Japan? If you were born into the chaos of the Warring States period, would you have been a farmer, a merchant or a samurai? Or perhaps even an Emperor?Delving into the history behind the latest Assassin’s Creed game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Matt Lewis and Dr Tomoko Kate Kitagawa shed light on the customs, culture and class structures of medieval Japan. They explore what daily life would have been like for people beyond the famous names of history and legend, and how they saw themselves within the shifting society of the Sengoku eraEchoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Ella BlaxillProduced by: Joseph Knight, Peta Stamper, Matt LewisSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK
  • Kyoto: Japan's Imperial City

    45:40
    During the Onin Wars of the early Sengoku period, Kyoto was razed as civil war struck the Imperial capital. Only with unification did the city begin to rebuild. This episode will explore the rise and fall and rise again of Kyoto, what life in the city might have looked like, and why it held such significance to unification in the 16th century. In turn, we'll reveal how the Sengoku period shaped the city’s meaning for early modern Japan.Delving into the history behind a major location in the latest Assassin’s Creed game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Matt Lewis and Lesley Downer shed light on the culture, fortunes and misfortunes of the great city of Kyoto.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Ella BlaxillProduced by: Joseph Knight, Peta Stamper, Matt LewisSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK
  • Samurai vs Shinobi: The Tensho Iga War

    35:17
    In the sixth episode delving into the history behind the latest Assassin’s Creed game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Matt Lewis and Nathan Ledbetter follow the sound of marching footsteps and clashing blades into Japan’s mountainous Iga province, to learn about the fearsome conflict between samurai armies and guerrilla shinobi, or ninja, that was the Tensho Iga War between 1578 and 1581.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft Podcast brought to you by History Hit.​​Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Anisha DevaProduced by: Joseph Knight, Peta Stamper, Matt LewisSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK
  • Japan's First Unifier: Oda Nobunaga

    49:12
    Oda Nobunaga. He’s one of feudal Japan’s most infamous and consequential figures, known to many as Japan’s first ‘Great Unifier’. From humble beginnings as the daimyo of Owari province, he embarked on a mission to unite all of Japan under his sole control. But how did he emerge as Japan’s dominant warlord in an era of incessant social upheaval and civil war? In the fifth episode delving into the history behind the latest Assassin’s Creed game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Matt Lewis and Nathan Ledbetter explore Nobunaga’s ruthless ascent to power, his brutal battles with the Shinobi Ikki league and his tragic downfall at the hands of his ally, Akechi Mitsuhide. Echoes of History is a Ubisoft Podcast brought to you by History Hit.​​Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Anisha DevaProduced by: Joseph Knight, Peta Stamper, Matt LewisSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK
  • Yasuke: The First African Samurai

    29:30
    Yasuke is one of the most captivating and yet mysterious figures within Japanese history. In 1581, at the height of the civil war, he crossed paths with the country’s most powerful warlord, Oda Nobunaga. Their meeting bound the two men together and set Yasuke on a path to becoming the first known samurai of African descent in Japan.Delving into the history behind one of the two main characters in the latest Assassin’s Creed game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Matt Lewis and Thomas Lockley examine the few surviving historical sources to reveal what we know about Yasuke, Japan’s first African samurai.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Anisha DevaProduced by: Joseph Knight, Peta Stamper, Matt LewisSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK