Echoes of History

The Borgias are a lynchpin in the history of the Italian Renaissance. Their tale of intrigue, corruption and cut-throat ambition still inspires storytellers, and they appear as primary villains in Assassin's Creed II.But is their reputation deserved? To reveal how much history has underserved the Borgias, Matt Lewis talks to Associate Professor Jennifer DeSilva, whose book The Borgia Family: Rumour and Reputation peels back the layers of fiction shrouding the truth.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Tim ArstallProduced by: Matt Lewis, Robin McConnellSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic:Ezio's Family by Jesper KydEarth by Jesper KydVenice Combat by Jesper KydIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MKTell us your favourite episode or Assassin's Creed game at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com

The Viking Age saw the creation of new towns and new kingdoms in Britain and Ireland. What impact did Norse settlers have on politics, culture and the economy? Professor Fiona Edmonds joins Matt Lewis to reveal the ways in which Vikings shaped medieval Ireland and Britain.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Robin McConnellProduced by: Matt Lewis, Robin McConnellSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic:Bounteous Fields by Max ArujBury the Past, Build the Future by Max ArujCanaid Lia Fáil by Einar SelvikIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MKTell us your favourite episode or Assassin's Creed game at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com

Halloween is a tradition that only grows in popularity each year. Yet its origins are mysterious, shrouded by myth and misconception. Some of its roots trace back to the Gaelic festival of Samhain. In this episode, Matt Lewis and Dr Kelly Fitzgerald explore the traditions and significance of Samhain to the people who celebrated it, and its connections to Halloween.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Robin McConnellProduced by: Matt Lewis, Robin McConnell, Peta StamperSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic:Assassin's Creed Valhalla Main Theme by Sarah Schachner, Einar Selvik, Jesper KydAsgard Hall Of The Aesir by Sarah Schachner, Einar SelvikRavensthorpe by Sarah SchachnerIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MKTell us your favourite episode or Assassin's Creed game at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com

Viking Age Ireland was divided into many rival kingdoms. However, some men could rise to become High King of Ireland. Men like Flann Sinna. How did he become High King? Did he wield real power over the other kingdoms? When did the High Kingship come to an end?Matt Lewis is joined by Professor Máire Ní Mhaonaigh to explain the significance of the High Kingship and the reign of Flann Sinna, which oversaw the profound effects of the Norse arrival.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Robin McConnellProduced by: Matt Lewis, Robin McConnellSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic:Canaid Lia Fáil by Einar Selvik, Julie FowlisRivers and Fjords by Sarah SchachnerNew People, Old Empires by Sarah SchachnerIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MKTell us your favourite episode or Assassin's Creed game at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com

Today, we’ll study someone who was both a cause and a victim of the French Revolution: the cake-promoting queen, Marie Antoinette.In Assassin’s Creed Unity, we glimpse Marie Antoinette living the high-life while the poor people of Paris starve. By walking the streets of Paris, we also get an idea of the public perception of her as a detached, and even cruel, consort. Understanding her reputation helps us understand her fate, which we’ll examine closely today. Matt is helped Maddy and Anthony from the After Dark podcast to take us on a journey through the final days of Marie Antoinette.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Tomos DelargyProduced by: Freddy Chick, Robin McConnellSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic:The Attainted One by Christ Tilton, Jesper KydThe Bottle of Solitude by Christ TiltonNothing Is True by Christ Tilton, Jesper KydIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MKTell us your favourite episode or Assassin's Creed game at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com

The Storming of the Bastille is one of the key events of the French Revolution and is known throughout the world. But it is fair to say that the name is better known than the event itself. Was it more than just a prison break? Why was it so important to the revolutionaries? And what did this event contribute to the democratic and social changes that followed?Matt Lewis is joined by Professor David Andress from the University of Portsmouth to reveal the events of that fateful day, the reasons behind them, and their lasting impact.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Robin McConnellProduced by: Matt Lewis, Robin McConnellSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic:Books of Grievances by Sarah SchachnerVersailles for Sore Eyes by Christ TiltonA Leap Of Faith by Chris Tilton, Jesper KydIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MKTell us your favourite podcast episode or Assassin's Creed game at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com

Napoleon Bonaparte is a household name; a rare example of someone who is as well remembered by his supporters as by his enemies. His life is rich with dramatic irony. He was a key figure in the creation of the First French Republic, yet became a self-appointed Emperor. Surrounded by enemies, he secured peace in France through war abroad and was hated by the monarchies of Europe, who feared he would bring democracy to their lands.Dan Snow from Dan Snow's History Hit joins Matt Lewis to ask who exactly was this man? Where did he come from and what is his legacy for the Western world?Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Alex JonesProduced by: Matt Lewis, Joseph Knight, Robin McConnellSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic:Binding Loyalties by Sarah SchachnerBreach Party by Chris TiltonChase by Chase Basis by Chris TiltonVersailles for Sore Eyes by Chris TiltonThe Nation, The Law, and The King by Sarah SchachnerIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MKTell us your favourite podcast episode or Assassin's Creed game at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com

George Washington is perhaps the most consequential leader in the USA’s short history. Having demonstrated his leadership credentials as commander-in-chief during the American Revolutionary War, he then set a precedent for all subsequent US presidents to follow by refusing the opportunity to seize power. Yet he also craved to be part of the British Empire and ignored pleas to right other wrongs of his era.Alexis Coe, New York Times Bestselling author of You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington, joins Matt Lewis to unpack the complexities and contradictions of History's Greatest Man.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Robin McConnellProduced by: Matt Lewis, Robin McConnell, Joseph KnightSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic:Deadly Performance Suite by Lorne BalfeChurch Threatened by Lorne BalfeEpilogue by Lorne BalfeIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MKTell us your favourite podcast episode or Assassin's Creed game at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com

The shot heard ‘round the world; the start of the American Revolution. An event that would have profound consequences for world history, especially western democracy. Who’d have thought that something of such magnitude would begin in a small settlement with as many cows as people living in it?Don Wildman hops across the Atlantic from American History Hit to help Matt Lewis understand how two tiny towns became the spark that lit the fire of the American War of Independence.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Tim ArstallProduced by: Matt Lewis, Sophie Gee, Robin McConnellSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic:Main Menu Theme by Lorne BalfeBurial Mound by Lorne BalfeThe Convoy by Lorne BalfeFort Attack by Lorne BalfeDeadly Performance by Lorne BalfeIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MKTell us your favourite podcast episode or Assassin's Creed game at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com