Al Murray, host of WWII podcast We Have Ways of Making You Talk joins Dan to tell the story of the most catastrophic 24-hours the British military faced in the Second World War. Known as ‘Black Tuesday’ the battle of Arnhem was a daring but doomed attempt to secure a vital bridgehead across the Rhine in order to end the war before Christmas 1944. Al takes Dan through a moment by moment retelling of those 24 hours, the key characters, what went right, what went wrong and where bad decisions were ...
Sep 19, 2024•36 min•Ep 1514•Transcript available on Metacast Operation Market Garden was an ambitious Allied airborne offensive to secure a quick victory in WWII. It failed disastrously. The plan was to capture key bridges in the Netherlands via a frank plan to outflank German defences and bring an early end to the conflict. But the Allies hadn’t anticipated the extent of German resistance. Dan is joined for the first episode in this two-part series by military historian Mike Peters as they delve into the planning, the chaotic execution, and what exactly ...
Sep 17, 2024•41 min•Ep 1513•Transcript available on Metacast Jesse Owens' victories at the 1936 Berlin Olympics made him an international sports hero, and a symbol of the civil rights movement. His friendship with the German long jumper Carl 'Luz' Long also stood as an outward act of defiance against Adolf Hitler, and fuelled condemnation of the racial ideology of the Third Reich. However, his life away from the Olympics is less widely understood, as are the challenges that he faced back in the United States. Today we're joined by David Lee Morgan Jr., a ...
Sep 15, 2024•25 min•Ep 1512•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever wondered what it would take to live in Viking Britain? When they arrived and settled in the British Isles, Viking settlers didn't just face a violent death at the hands of disgruntled locals. They had to contend with vicious weather, famine and disease, as well as simply navigating a new and unfamiliar world. Today we're joined by Eleanor Barraclough, a cultural historian and broadcaster. She explains exactly what it would have been like to survive and thrive in Viking Britain. Pro...
Sep 12, 2024•56 min•Ep 1510•Transcript available on Metacast Sir Walter Raleigh's life was a turbulent one, to say the least. The Elizabethan statesman and explorer climbed to the top rung of Queen Elizabeth's court; he founded the ill-fated Roanoke colony in North America; he was imprisoned in the Tower of London for various offences against the crown - not once, but three times. Ultimately, he was beheaded outside the Palace of Westminster. But perhaps his most outlandish exploits were two failed expeditions to find the legendary city of gold, El Dorado...
Sep 10, 2024•37 min•Ep 1509•Transcript available on Metacast In the shadowy halls of Dublin Castle, 1907, a daring heist shook the British Empire. Four days before King Edward VII's royal visit, the priceless Irish Crown Jewels vanished without a trace. Sir Arthur Vicars, the somewhat incompetent Ulster King of Arms, found himself at the centre of the scandal that threatened to expose dark secrets lurking in Ireland's high society. As Scotland Yard tried to unravel the mystery, suspicion fell on the charismatic Francis Shackleton, brother of the famed exp...
Sep 08, 2024•39 min•Ep 1508•Transcript available on Metacast Part 1/4. Dan takes the podcast to the Peruvian Andes as he follows in the footsteps of intrepid American explorer Hiram Bingham who revealed Machu Picchu to the world. At the turn of the 20th century, Bingham heard rumours of a fabled lost city in the clouds that revealed the power and brilliance of the Inca and their vast empire that once spanned a continent from the Amazon rainforest to the Pacific coast. With the help of expert guests, Dan tells the story of Hiram Bingham's discovery an...
Sep 05, 2024•43 min•Ep 1507•Transcript available on Metacast As the world closed in on the Third Reich in the final chapter of World War Two, a desperate Adolf Hitler turned to his so-called 'Revenge Weapons' for salvation; cutting-edge armaments specifically designed to terrorise civilian populations and break their morale. His hope was that breaking the spirit of the Allies would reverse the course of a war that Germany was clearly losing. Joining us is historian Murray Barber, author of 'V2: The A4 Rocket from Peenemünde to Redstone'. Murray tells us a...
Sep 03, 2024•29 min•Ep 1506•Transcript available on Metacast On September 1st, 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Two days later, France and the United Kingdom declared war on the Third Reich. This was the beginning of what would become perhaps the most devastating clash in human history. By the end of the war, tens of millions of people had been killed, wounded or displaced, and the world order had been irrevocably altered. So how exactly did WW2 start? In this episode, Dan explains how and why the Second World War came about. He examines both the immedi...
Sep 01, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep 1505•Transcript available on Metacast In 61 CE, Boudica of the Iceni led a bloody revolt to end Roman rule in Britain. Roman historians tell us with great drama and flair that the grand finale is a huge battle between Boudica and the Roman governor, Suetonius. Tens of thousands of Celtic warriors went head-to-head with a small force of veteran legionaries to decide the fate of Roman Britain. Today we're joined by Caitlin Gillespie, a historian and author of Boudica: Warrior Woman of Roman Britain . She tells us the story of this rev...
Aug 29, 2024•39 min•Ep 1503•Transcript available on Metacast 2/2. The Battle of Britain was Hitler's first and potentially most important defeat. It defined the course of the war, forcing him to make a series of decisions that guaranteed his own destruction. In this two-part series, we'll trace this monumental story from the dark days of the defeat of France, through to the triumph of RAF Fighter Command in the skies above Britain. In Part 2 Dan takes us through the battle's crescendo, as British, Commonwealth and European pilots took to the skies time an...
Aug 26, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep 1502•Transcript available on Metacast 1/2. The Battle of Britain was Hitler's first and possibly most important defeat. It defined the course of the Second World War, forcing him to make a series of decisions that guaranteed his own destruction. In this two-part series, we'll trace this monumental story from the dark days of the defeat of France, through to the triumph of RAF Fighter Command in the skies above Britain. In Part 1, Dan takes us from the total defeat of the Allied armies on the European mainland through to the all-out ...
Aug 25, 2024•52 min•Ep 1501•Transcript available on Metacast The world was astonished when 8000 terracotta soldiers were unearthed in 1974 by Chinese farmers digging a well; the warriors opened a window to the first dynasty of China unlike anything seen before. Dan travels to the mausoleum of the First Emperor Qin Shi Huang in China to discover what this clay army and his enormous mausoleum can tell us about life in the court of the First Emperor. Dan also goes in search of the mass graves of the workers who toiled to their deaths to build the mausoleum&n...
Aug 22, 2024•46 min•Ep 1500•Transcript available on Metacast Dan heads to China to discover the incredible story of Qin Shi Haungdi, the man who built the mysterious Terracotta Warriors, the Great Wall and founded China. Dan travels to the First Emperor's magnificent mausoleum complex in Xian, once the Ancient capital, to trace his rise to total power, conquering the neighbouring states to create one mighty Chinese Empire. Qin Shi Huangdi was as visionary as he was tyrannical, often remembered for his brutal punishment methods that enabled him to centrali...
Aug 20, 2024•43 min•Ep 1499•Transcript available on Metacast Many things may come to mind when you hear the word 'cocaine' - and we'd wager that the last thing on that list would be the Victorians. But as it turns out, the Victorians were avid cocaine users, whether it be to remedy ailments and injuries, give them an edge in competitive sports or simply put a bit of pep in their step. A hundred years later, it is amongst the most criminalised substances on earth. Dr Douglas Small is a historian of medicine and author of Cocaine, Literature, and Culture, 1...
Aug 18, 2024•30 min•Ep 1498•Transcript available on Metacast Warning: this episode includes descriptions of human suffering and cannibalism. High in the remote Andes mountains, a Uruguayan rugby team resorts to the unimaginable to survive after their plane crashes into the side of a mountain. With no food or water, the survivors endured freezing temperatures and isolation for 72 days. Their story captivated the world, provoking both horror and awe. Dan is joined by survivor Roy Harley, as well as Daniel Nogueira whose brother perished in the ordeal and au...
Aug 15, 2024•56 min•Ep 1496•Transcript available on Metacast By 410 AD, over 450 years after Julius Caesar first landed on its shores, the Romans had formally withdrawn from Britain. Burdened by military threats and political upheaval on the continent, the empire began to contract in on itself. The Romano-Britons were left to fend for themselves, facing internal strife and the growing influence of Saxon settlers. This is the second of a two-part series that tells the story of Roman Britain, from Julius Caesar's first expeditions through to its fall. For t...
Aug 13, 2024•36 min•Ep 1495•Transcript available on Metacast On August 26th, 55 BC, Julius Caesar and his legionaries waded ashore just north of the White Cliffs of Dover. Right there in the surf, they were met by Celtic warriors, who charged them on foot and on horseback. The fighting was fierce, but Caesar's legions prevailed. A few months later, having extracted tribute and pledges of allegiance from local tribes, Caesar returned to Gaul. But this was just the beginning - a hundred years later the Romans would return, beginning a period of Roman rule t...
Aug 11, 2024•37 min•Ep 1494•Transcript available on Metacast Around 3,200 years ago, a vast, interconnected civilisation suddenly collapsed. A 'perfect storm' of climate catastrophe, famine, drought and invasion tore apart the eastern Mediterranean, plunging the survivors into decades of turmoil. Eric Cline is the author of '1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed' and its sequel, 'After 1177 B.C.: The Survival of Civilizations'. He joins us to explain how this interconnected world was toppled, and what came after. Produced by James Hickmann and edited...
Aug 08, 2024•41 min•Ep 1493•Transcript available on Metacast The famed British officer who fought alongside Arab guerrilla forces in WW1. Best known for his legendary exploits as an intelligence officer in the Middle East, Thomas Edward Lawrence was also an archaeologist, scholar and photographer. His life was one of adventure and espionage, where fact went hand in hand with myth. In this explainer episode, Dan tells us the real story of who Lawrence was, and what he did. Written by Dan Snow and edited by Dougal Patmore. Discover the past with exclusive h...
Aug 08, 2024•59 min•Ep 1360•Transcript available on Metacast In 1941, the SS Politician ran aground off Eriskay in the Scottish Hebrides Islands, carrying 260,000 bottles of whisky. As war rationing gripped Britain, Hebridean islanders saw the wreck as a godsend. Under cover of darkness, they salvaged thousands of bottles, hiding them in caves, haystacks, and peat bogs. A cat-and-mouse game ensued with customs officers who were determined to stop the whisky smuggling. Dan is joined by Laura Boon-Williams, Lloyd’s Register Foundation Senior Cu...
Aug 08, 2024•28 min•Ep 1484•Transcript available on Metacast The D-Day landings were just the first step in the liberation of France. They were followed by two months of vicious fighting for control of the Norman countryside that came at the cost of thousands of casualties. The Allies needed to deal the German defenders a final death blow; and so in mid-August, 1944, they forced a decisive engagement on the Germans near the town of Falaise, the birthplace of William the Conqueror. We're joined by historian Peter Caddick-Adams, author of '1945: Victory in ...
Aug 06, 2024•37 min•Ep 1492•Transcript available on Metacast Sex, Satanism and Scandal surrounded the Hellfire Club that operated out of a network of caves in the country estate of 18th century aristocrat Francis Dashwood. The most powerful men in the country came to Dashwood's underground lair. Rumours swirled of everything from orgies to human sacrifice and Satanic spirits. But was it all as diabolical as it seemed? Maddy tells Anthony the story this week. Produced by Freddy Chick and Charlotte Long. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long. Enjoy unlimited ac...
Aug 05, 2024•47 min•Ep 1491•Transcript available on Metacast On 14 October 1066, the armies of William, the Duke of Normandy, and the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson clashed near Hastings in one of the most famous battles in history and one that would decide the fate of the English throne. We all know the outcome but how and why did the battle take place? To answer this question Dan returns with another explainer episode to put the battle in its proper context and explain how William was able to defeat Harold on that bloody day in 1066 to become King. Y...
Aug 04, 2024•53 min•Ep 1490•Transcript available on Metacast 80 years ago, the Polish resistance rose up against their German occupiers and tried to seize back control of their capital city. For two months a terrible battle raged that saw much of the city levelled, and tens of thousands of its occupants killed. Historian, author and broadcaster Clare Mulley tells us all about the Warsaw Uprising, through the experiences of the relentless resistance fighter, Agent Zo. Clare is the author of 'Agent Zo: The Untold Story of Fearless WW2 Resistance Fighter Elz...
Jul 31, 2024•37 min•Ep 1488•Transcript available on Metacast Warning: this episode contains descriptions of violence. Maxwell Smart was just a boy when the Nazis came for him and his family. Within a few weeks, he would find himself alone, living in the woods of Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe. This is the astonishing story of his survival, told by Maxwell himself and documentary filmmaker Rebecca Snow. Rebecca directed the feature film The Boy in the Woods, based on Maxwell's memoir of the same name . Produced by James Hickmann, Mariana Des Forges and edite...
Jul 30, 2024•1 hr•Ep 1487•Transcript available on Metacast Dan is joined by the QI Elves James Harkin and Anna Ptaszynski to talk about cheating in sports as the 2024 Olympics get underway. Why do we do it and how far back does it go? From the man who jumped into a car during the 1904 Olympic marathon to the Puerto Rican twins who swapped places in the Los Angeles Games long jump, here are some of the most audacious stories. James Harkin and Anna Ptaszynski have a new book called 'A Load of Old Balls: A QI History of Sport' Produced by Mariana Des Forge...
Jul 29, 2024•38 min•Ep 1486•Transcript available on Metacast With the news that Kamala Harris is the assumed Democratic nominee for the November election, the presidential race looks very different than it did just over a week ago. Dan is joined by Ben Rhodes, a Former Deputy National Security Advisor for Obama and host of Pod Save the World, to look at the history that informs the platforms both candidates stand for. They discuss the development of the Republican and Democratic parties over the 20th century, the enduring appeal of the 'strongman' from be...
Jul 28, 2024•26 min•Ep 1485•Transcript available on Metacast 3/4 In February 1882 the SS Dunedin departed New Zealand on a voyage that would revolutionise the way we eat and kickstart the world's food supply chain. Aboard were thousands of mutton, lamb and pig carcasses as well as 250 kegs of butter, hare, pheasant, turkey, chicken and 2226 sheep tongues. This cargo would be kept fresh in the ship's hold using a state-of-the-art Bell-Coleman compression refrigeration machine and would mark the first time fresh goods had ever been transported over such a d...
Jul 23, 2024•21 min•Ep 1482•Transcript available on Metacast How unprecedented is Joe Biden's sudden withdrawal from the presidential race? He's given his endorsement to Kamala Harris to take his place, but not all Democrats have, including former president Barack Obama. How will a new candidate be chosen? Dan is joined by Professor of American History at the University of Cambridge Gary Gerstle to look back to 20th-century presidential campaigns that may shed light on what could happen next and unpick the 'political conventions' process of electing a new...
Jul 22, 2024•32 min•Ep 1483•Transcript available on Metacast 
