How instrumental was Roosevelt in the Allied victory? He'd guided America through the Great Depression, he changed American society and his post-war vision shaped the world we see today. He knew WWII would be won through alliances, not bloodshed and America's entry into the war changed the game completely.

To examine how and why, Dan is joined by Dr Graham Cross from Manchester Metropolitan University and Professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St Andrews, Phillips O'Brien as they look at Roosevelt's political career and his biggest wartime decisions.

Produced and edited by Dougal Patmore

Phillip's book 'The Strategists' is available now.

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He was responsible for the fastest trains in history. He built innovative new hospitals for Florence Nightingale. His vessels shattered records for crossing the Atlantic and he enabled the laying of the first transatlantic cables. He is probably the greatest engineer in human history. But what toll did his greatness take on his health and personal life? To explore the life and times of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Dan is joined by biographer and historian Steven Brindle, author of 'Brunel: The Man Who Built the World'.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore

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Was Hirohito really as passive as history has painted him? Emperor Hirohito stood at the head of Japan’s war machine, yet after 1945, both the Japanese and the Americans painted him as a powerless observer.

But is passivity just as bad as collusion? In this episode, Dan is joined by Christopher Harding, lecturer in Asian History at the University of Edinburgh and strategy expert Professor Phillips O'Brien at the University of St Andrews to examine Japan's catastrophic wartime strategy, its army's brutality and debate how much of the responsibility for that lies with Hirohito.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide warfare.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore

Phillips' book that inspired this series is called 'The Strategists' and is available now.

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You can also email the podcast directly at [email protected].

In 711 an Arab and Berber army crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and invaded the Iberian Peninsula. Seven years later, their conquests had birthed the Muslim kingdom of al-Andalus. This marked the beginning of roughly 8 centuries of Moorish rule, during which al-Andalus became a conduit for the transmission of knowledge between the Islamic world and Europe.

Joining us today is Brian Catlos, a Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder and the author of 'Kingdoms of Faith: A New History of Islamic Spain'. He takes us through the history of al-Andalus, from its inception and expansion through to its dramatic downfall.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Max Carrey.

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.

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Was WWII actually Stalin's War? He's a man whose name is synonymous with absolute power, the epitome of ruthless ambition, his story is one of both triumph and unspeakable cruelty. A man whose brutality matched any of the Axis leaders....who worked with Hitler….yet in the end ...aligned himself with the Allies. As a result, he came out of the war on top and shaped the world order for the subsequent 50 years. Even today his shadow falls over the events we're seeing on the evening news.

In this episode of 'The Leaders' Dan is joined by Professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St Andrews, Phillips O'Brien and historian Simon Sebag Montefiore to examine the rise of Stalin's totalitarian power and the way he manipulated everyone on both sides to reach his strategic aims. 

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore

Phillip's book 'The Strategists' is available now.

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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.

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The urban cultures of ancient Mesopotamia formed the foundation for so much of our modern world. Nowhere exemplifies this better than the city of Babylon, which was the cultural seedbed for the Greek and Roman civilisations that in turn left such lasting legacies.

On this episode, Dan is joined by Amanda Podany, professor emeritus of history at the California State Polytechnic University. Amanda draws on an astonishing breadth of original documents and objects to explain just how foundational this civilisation was, and how people learnt to live side by side with one another.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Once a political heavyweight with dreams of a new Roman Empire, Mussolini's journey from a rebellious socialist youth to the fascist leader of Italy is a story of ego, brutality and ultimately incompetence. In this third instalment of The Leaders series, Dan is joined again by Professor Phillips O'Brien, author of 'The Strategists'. They examine Mussolini's rise to power, the catastrophic decisions that led to Italy's devastation during the Second World War and his ultimate downfall.

Produced and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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The Jim Crow era is one of the darkest periods in American history. The country was divided by laws, customs and etiquettes that demeaned African Americans and segregated them from white Americans. But how exactly did this era begin? And was post-Civil War America always destined for racial segregation?

To answer this question we're joined by Aaron Sheehan-Dean, a Professor of Southern Studies at Louisiana State University. He explains why America's attempts to build a multiracial democracy after the Civil War failed, and how the wheels of Jim Crow were set in motion.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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.

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The Great Sphinx of Giza is probably the most recognisable statue in the world but it’s also one of the most mysterious...with conflicting stories about who built it and why have circulated since ancient times. These include tales of what lies inside…

To bust some of these myths, we're sharing this episode of Echoes of History, the podcast that delves into the history behind the Assassin's Creed games. In this episode, Egyptologist Dr Chris Naunton joins host Matt Lewis to explain everything you’ve always wanted to know about the mysteries of the Sphinx…

Echoes of History is a History Hit podcast available on all podcast players.

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.

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Does Churchill deserve the legacy he has? He took the reigns from a foundering Chamberlain and proved himself to be the man the country needed. But of course, he is not a man without controversy or contradiction. In the second episode of The Leaders series, Dan and Professor Phillips O'Brien look at Churchill's biggest strategic moves of the war & how he went from a ridiculed outsider to an energising orator.

Phillips O'Brien is a Professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St Andrews. His book is called 'The Strategists'.

Produced by Dougal Patmore and Mariana Des Forges.

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 [email protected].