Dan Snow's History Hit

The dawn of the age of European exploration in the 16th century was absurdly dangerous. Crews on the ships of Christopher Columbus, Vasco De Gama and Ferdinand Magellan often sailed blind into uncharted waters, battling hurricanes and deadly reefs. With crude navigation tools, rotting food, and disease-ridden ships, survival was never guaranteed. Crews were pushed to their limits—physically, mentally, and morally. Some were deceived into the journey, and others driven by blind hope.

In this episode, Dan is joined by Simon Parker, an associate professor in Medieval and Renaissance Portuguese at the University of Oxford, to tell some of the stories of extraordinary failure and disaster in the age of discovery.

His new book is called Wreckers: Disaster in the Age of Discovery

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore

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Was this the world’s first empire? To uncover the story of ancient history's most formidable powers, Dan is joined by Yale University’s Professor Eckart Frahm to explore Assyria’s military machine, its sophisticated communication networks and the monumental architecture that defined its dominance. But what caused this ancient superpower to fall—and why so suddenly?

Produced and edited by Dougal Patmore

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A dive into the history behind today's tensions. In this episode, Dan is joined by historian and journalist Andrew Whitehead to explain the historical context behind the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir region, stemming from the partition of India in 1947 to the present day. They examine the political and cultural complexities of this contested and heavily militarised region.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore

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Genghis Khan reshaped the world with brutal force and brilliant organisation. He began life in exile and rose to be a powerful nomadic warrior who united the disparate Mongol tribes to create the largest contiguous empire in history. Dan is joined by economic historian Duncan Weldon to explain how his empire revolutionised global trade via the Silk Road and changed the tactics of global warfare for centuries to come. They discuss how he unified vast territories with a common legal code, developed a pioneering communication system, connected East and West and laid the groundwork for the eventual industrial revolution.

Duncan's new book is called 'Blood and Treasure: The Economics of Conflict from the Vikings to Ukraine.'

Produced by Mariana Des Forges 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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Warning: this episode contains descriptions of violence against children and suicide.

The Battle of Okinawa was the final, climactic battle of the war in the Pacific. The largest naval fleet in human history assembled to support the amphibious invasion of the island. But the Americans would learn the hard way that the Japanese intended to fight tooth and nail to protect their home soil. The gruelling battle that ensued would influence the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan and ultimately alter the course of history.

Joining us is Seth Paridon, a historian for the US Army and co-host of the podcast ‘The Unauthorised History of the Pacific War’. Seth provides an in-depth analysis of the battle's importance and how it played out, and explains its devastating human cost.

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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Dan tells the extraordinary tale of Captain James Cook. Born a labourer's son, he would rise to become one of history's greatest explorers. He went about as far as it was possible to go, sailing the Pacific Ocean and arriving on the shores of Australia and New Zealand.

For these voyages, he assembled an A-Team of maritime explorers - marines, scientists, and a Polynesian explorer who had memorised the constellations of the stars. So what trials did he face on these epic voyages? Which peoples did he come across? And how did it all end? Tune in to today's Explainer to find out more.

Written by Dan Snow 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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Assassin's Creed: Shadows gives players the chance to visit the imperial capital of medieval Japan. But today, we're heading to a mountain lying just northeast of the capital: Mount Hiei, a sacred site that was protected by a powerful army of warrior monks.

Dr Chris Harding, Senior Lecturer in Asian History from the University of Edinburgh, returns to help Matt Lewis understand what life was like on Mount Hiei during the late Sengoku period; its role in the story of Japanese unification; and what all this can tell us about Japanese religious beliefs at the time.

Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Listen here.

Hosted by: Matt Lewis

Edited by: Tim Arstall

Produced by: Matt Lewis, Robin McConnell

Senior Producer: Anne-Marie Luff

Production Manager: Beth Donaldson

Executive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen Bennett

Music by The Flight

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 only British territory ever occupied by the Nazis was the Channel Islands. From 1940 to the end of the war, the Germans turned Jersey, and some of the islands around it, into an impenetrable fortress. It became a key strategic part of Hitler’s defensive Atlantic Wall and a base from which he hoped to invade Britain. Under German occupation, islanders suffered under a repressive regime… Some were even sent to internment camps in Germany. In return, thousands of prisoners of war were brought over to work as slave labourers, building the Nazi’s extensive defence network across the island. 

On the 80th anniversary of its liberation, Dan explores the island and tells the story of Jersey’s suffering and resilience under enemy control. 

This episode was made in collaboration with Visit Jersey. You can find more information on all the places Dan visits in this episode here:

Visit Jersey: https://www.jersey.com/

Jersey Heritage: https://www.jerseyheritage.org/

Jersey War Tours: https://www.jerseybunkertours.com/

Jersey War Tunnels: https://www.jerseywartunnels.com/

ArtHouse Jersey 'Structures & Memory' Exhibition: https://www.arthousejersey.je/our-work/structures-memory-a-place-called-wurzach

WIth thanks to Lucy Layton, Lola Garvin & ArtHouse Jersey, Michael Billings, Chris Addy, Phil Marett, Jersey Heritage and BBC Jersey for the archive, Fishing Jersey and Aaron from Lakey Bikes. 

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore. The production manager was Beth Donaldson and production support from Annie Woodman and Peta Stamper. 

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Synonymous for somewhere far away, Timbuktu has been mythologised by the stories of old European explorers. But in fact, for centuries it was in fact a key trading post on the edge of the Sahara and the centre of the Islamic Golden Age- home to some of the most important manuscripts in African history. Dan is joined by Kai Mora, an author and historian in African and African American Studies as she takes Dan on a tour of its history and explains how this city of gold, an ancient centre of learning, is slowly turning to dust.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and James Hickmann, and edited by Tim Arstall.

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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In this episode we hear all about the Glorious Revolution, a pivotal moment in British history that saw the overthrow of King James II and the accession to the throne of William III and Mary II.

For this we're joined by Professor Clare Jackson, a distinguished historian from the University of Cambridge. She joins us to delve into the religious, political, and military tensions of 17th-century Britain.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Tim Arstall.

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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