In the summer of 1969, Hollywood was shaken by a set of brutal murders. Their perpetrators? The infamous Charles Manson and his 'family'. In this episode Jeff Melnick joins Don to discuss how Manson and his followers came to occupy such a strong position in our cultural imagination. Jeff is Graduate Program Director for American Studies at the University of Massachusetts, and the author of 'Creepy Crawling: Charles Manson and the Many Lives of America's Most Infamous Family'. Edited by Aidan Lon...
May 19, 2025•56 min•Ep. 280
How did cities grow in America's largest and hottest desert? How did the rivers of the South West shape its history? Don is joined by Kyle Paoletta, author of American Oasis, to explore the complex and diverse history of the American South West. Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Sophie Gee, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long. 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/subscri...
May 15, 2025•39 min•Ep. 279
Did you ever wonder where the phrase 'drink the Kool-Aid' came from? In this second episode about the Peoples Temple, we rejoin them in Jonestown, Guyana. How planned was the final 'white night'? Did anyone survive? And what happened to the notorious Jim Jones? Don is joined once again by author and scholar Annie Dawid, who has spent over two decades researching Peoples Temple. Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Tim Arstall. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds ...
May 12, 2025•24 min•Ep. 278
May 8th saw the final surrender of Nazi Germany, marking the end of the Second World War in Europe. Eighty years on, we're taking a look at the final months of fighting in 1945. What were the experiences of US troops like on the ground? And what motivated the strategies of its political leaders? Don's guest is James Holland, co-host of the podcast We Have Ways of Making You Talk . His new book, Victory ‘45: The End of the War in Eight Surrenders, is out on April 24th. Edited and produced by Tom ...
May 08, 2025•35 min•Ep. 277
On November 18th, 1978, over 900 people died at an American settlement in the jungle of Guyana called Jonestown. In this first of two episodes, we are going to find out how they ended up in South America. Who was the eponymous Reverend Jim Jones, notorious leader of the cult? What did the Peoples Temple believe in? How and why did they make the journey from Indiana to California to Guyana? Don is joined by author and scholar Annie Dawid, who has spent over two decades researching Peoples Temple....
May 05, 2025•51 min•Ep. 276
Who was the real Richard Nixon? There are sides to him that get overlooked, like that he had a deeper understanding of foreign affairs than any other US President. But it's hard to see the light for the shade and the tragic fall that overshadows everything. Don's guest today is Professor Nicole Hemmer whose latest book is " Partisans: The Conservative Revolutionaries Who Remade American Politics in the 1990s ". Produced by Freddy Chick. Edited by Tim Arstall. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. ...
May 01, 2025•37 min•Ep. 275
How did the US get out of Vietnam? In this episode, we are diving into how 'peace' was agreed in Paris, and what it really meant for Vietnam. Don is joined by Pierre Asselin, professor at San Diego State University and author of, among others, ‘A Bitter Peace: Washington, Hanoi, and the Making of the Paris Agreement’ and ‘Hanoi’s Road to the Vietnam War, 1954-1965’. Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Tim Arstall. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of ...
Apr 28, 2025•39 min•Ep. 274
To understand Watergate, to understand the fall of Nixon, you need to look first at the rise. How the turbulence of his sky rocketing career left bruises and bitternesses that lingered. Don's guest today is Professor Nicole Hemmer whose latest book is " Partisans: The Conservative Revolutionaries Who Remade American Politics in the 1990s ". She takes Don on a journey into the psychology and politics of the most fascinating President of them all. Produced by Freddy Chick. Edited by Aidan Lonergan...
Apr 24, 2025•40 min•Ep. 273
During the Vietnam War, 170,000 men received conscientious objector deferments. In this episode, we speak to one of them. Sidney Morrison joins Don to discuss his service and experiences as a medic during the war, from camaraderie in the face of danger to the psychological impacts of war. Sidney is the author of 'Frederick Douglass: A Novel'. Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Max Carrey. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, w...
Apr 21, 2025•49 min•Ep. 272
Paul Revere's Midnight Ride is a legend of the American Revolutionary War - galloping through the Massachusetts' dark to warn Sam Adams, John Hancock and the rest that the British were coming. The next morning, those Patriots in Lexington and Concord were ready for battle. But what really happened? Who was Paul Revere? Why has his name gone down in history? Don's guest is Michael Hattem, historian of the American revolution and author of The Memory of ’76: The Revolution in American History. Pro...
Apr 17, 2025•41 min•Ep. 271
How did a US Army mission in Vietnam end with the massacre of up to 500 people? In this episode, Don is joined by Christopher Levesque to examine one of the most harrowing chapters of the war in Vietnam. They return to March 1968, when the men of Charlie Company undertook a 'search and destroy' mission in the Quang Ngai province village of Son My. Chris holds a joint appointment at the University of West Florida Libraries and the UWF Historic Trust. He is an archivist and teaches at the Universi...
Apr 14, 2025•54 min•Ep. 270
Born in poverty in Texas Hill Country, President Johnson delivered an unsurpassed series of legislation, including the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act. Yet by 1968 he was so toxically unpopular that he decided against running again. Don's guest today (for the second time in a row!) is Mark Atwood Lawrence. Mark is Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin and author of ‘The Vietnam War: A Concise International History’, ‘Assuming the Burden: Europe and the American Commitm...
Apr 10, 2025•44 min•Ep. 269
The Vietnam War is a defining chapter in American military history. But how did the US get so involved in this far away conflict? And when did those in command realise that they had to leave? To answer these questions in this first episode of our series about the Vietnam War, Don if joined by returning guest, Mark Atwood Lawrence. Mark is Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin and author of ‘The Vietnam War: A Concise International History’, ‘Assuming the Burden: Europe and th...
Apr 07, 2025•51 min•Ep. 268
Almost a year into the American Civil War, Union forces laid siege to Fort Donelson. In this episode, we're going to find out why this fort was strategically important, and how Ulysses S Grant got his nickname - Unconditional Surrender. Don is joined by Chris Mackowski, Copie Hill Fellow at the American Battlefield Trust and professor at the Jandoli School of Communication at St Bonaventure University. Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up ...
Apr 03, 2025•30 min•Ep. 267
Bobby Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign had an aura around it. Its urgency, idealism and raw emotion connected with a nation in turmoil. But his life was cut short, just as his brother's had been, by an assassin's bullet. Don's guest to help capture this remarkable man and campaign is Patricia Sullivan, Professor of history at the University of South Carolina and author "Justice Rising: Robert Kennedy’s America in Black and White". Please note this episode contains outdated strong language wh...
Mar 31, 2025•41 min•Ep. 266
80 years ago, the battle of Iwo Jima came to an end on 26 March 1945. After 36 days of fighting, nearly 7,000 US Marines had been killed and another 20,000 injured. Don is joined by historian Timothy Heck, naval historian, artillery officer and author of two books on amphibious warfare. They discuss the tactical importance of Iwo Jima, the battle itself and its outcomes, including that famous image of the marines raising the US flag. Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Produ...
Mar 27, 2025•49 min•Ep. 265
How do you justify a war you lost, and that destroyed countless homes, businesses, towns and families? This was a question facing the southern states after the Civil War. Their answer? The myth of the Lost Cause. In this final episode of our series on the Confederacy, Don catches up with Ty Seidule to find out where this myth came from, and what it really is. Ty is a Brigadier General (Ret.) of the US Army, Professor Emeritus of history at West Point and author of 'Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southe...
Mar 24, 2025•38 min•Ep. 264
The biggest counterfactual that hangs on the assassination of JFK is this: Would JFK have launched a ground war in the jungles of Vietnam? Don Wildman and his guest Fredrik Logevall explore what might have happened if JFK didn't die. Fredrik Logevall is a Pulitzer Prize winning historian at Harvard who is working on a definitive three-part biography of JFK. The first volume is out now, J FK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956. Produced by Freddy Chick. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Sen...
Mar 20, 2025•41 min•Ep. 263
Did the Confederates predict that secession would lead to war? How ready were they to fight? And what was their military strategy? Cecily Zander is back on the podcast for this third part of our series on the Confederacy. Listen to find out who was in charge, and whether there was ever a point when they might have won. Cecily is the author of the upcoming 'Abraham Lincoln and the American West', and 'The Army Under Fire: Antimilitarism in the Civil War Era'. Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Se...
Mar 17, 2025•32 min•Ep. 262
Dwight D. Eisenhower is a fixture in the lists of America's favourite Presidents. How did Eisenhower change America? How did the Cold War and Civil Rights become intertwined in this period? What doomsday did Eisenhower foresee for America at the end of his time in office? Don's guest today is Christopher Nichols, professor of history at The Ohio State University. Chris is working on a book about Eisenhower and the 1952 election. Produced by Freddy Chick. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer...
Mar 13, 2025•48 min•Ep. 261
The Civil War consumed the Confederacy for its entire existence, draining it of supplies, food and people. In this second episode of our confederacy series, Don is joined once again by Aaron Sheehan-Dean. They explore what everyday life was like for the people of the 11 southern states of the US, and what the Confederate government had in mind for peacetime. Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of origi...
Mar 10, 2025•41 min•Ep. 260
What do Thomas Jefferson and Beyonce have in common? They have both been thought to be members of the Illuminati. But what really is this not-so-secret society? And why was it once called the society of the bee? Don chats to author Michael Taylor about the real Illuminati, separating it from modern day conspiracy theories and assessing its impact on the United States. Michael is the author of Impossible Monsters: Dinosaurs, Darwin, and the War between Science and Religion, and is working on a fu...
Mar 06, 2025•44 min•Ep. 259
Only one person has ever held the title of President of the Confederate States of America. In this episode, we're going to find out more about him and the power structure of the Civil War rebel states. How did the confederate constitution differ from that of the United States of America? How was Davis selected? And what happened to him after the war ended? Don is joined by Aaron Sheehan-Dean, Professor at Louisiana State University and editor of a number of books on this subject. Produced by Sop...
Mar 03, 2025•58 min•Ep. 258
The end of the Second World War. The start of the Cold War. The dropping of the Atomic Bomb and the growth of the Civil Rights movement. When FDR passed, the 33rd President of the United States was truly thrown into the deep end. In this episode of American History Hit, host Don Wildman discusses Truman's presidency with Mark Adams, Director of the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. Produced by Freddy Chick. Edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hu...
Feb 27, 2025•48 min•Ep. 257
In 1699, Virginia’s government and capital moved from Jamestown to Middle Plantation, renaming it Williamsburg. But why did they abandon Jamestown? In this final episode of our series, Don and Willie Balderson of Jamestowne Rediscovery uncover the colony’s last great struggles - from the loss of its charter, to fire and to rebellion. Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a...
Feb 24, 2025•32 min•Ep. 256
What was it like to live in the fort at Jamestown? Who was in charge? What provisions were there? And why is this considered to be the birthplace of enslavement in the United States? Don is joined by Jamestowne Rediscovery's Willie Balderson to dive into the years following the establishment of the British settlement. Join them to hear more about the lives of those who made the journey to the unknown in the 17th Century. Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charl...
Feb 20, 2025•56 min•Ep. 255
What is a Viking? Did they really make it to the United States? And if so, how far did they get? Don speaks to Martyn Whittock about the norse landings in North America. From the Icelandic sagas to the archaeological evidence that supports them, listen as we separate the truth from the myths. Martyn is an author, educational consultant and former teacher. His book on this subject is American Vikings . Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit f...
Feb 17, 2025•40 min•Ep. 254
How did Frederick Douglass, born into enslavement, rise to become one of the most influential orators, writers, and publishers of his time. By the end of his life in 1895, he was world-renowned and owned an estate overlooking the Washington, D.C. skyline. In the first episode on Frederick Douglass, we explored his escape from enslavement and the beginnings of his career. Now, we pick up with him as the Civil War brews, at the time of John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry. Don is joined once again ...
Feb 13, 2025•43 min•Ep. 253
From suspicion, to siege, to collaboration, to all out war - in this episode we uncover the complex reality of the Jamestown colonists' relationship with the Indigenous peoples of the East Coast. What were their first impressions of one another? How did the Powhatan view their dynamic with the British settlers? And how crucial were figures like John Smith, Pocahontas, and John Rolfe to this story? Don is joined once again by Mark Summers, Educational Director of Youth and Public Programmes for J...
Feb 10, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 252
Born enslaved in 1818, by the time of the Civil War Frederick Douglass was famous around the United States and Europe for his work in the abolition movement. So how did this famous orator learn his trade, having never been to school? How did he escape enslavement? And how did his ideals change as war was brewing? Sidney Morrison introduces us to Frederick Douglass in this first of two episodes. Sidney is the author of 'Frederick Douglass: A Novel'. Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonerga...
Feb 06, 2025•52 min•Ep. 251
