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 candidate. Produced by Dan Snow, Mariana Des Forges & edited by Dougal Patmore Enjoy unlimite ..read more

All told, over 40 attempts were made to assassinate Adolf Hitler - and those are just the ones that we know of. This episode marks the 80th anniversary of the most famous of them, the 20th of July Plot, during which members of Germany's military and political elite attempted to kill the Führer and overthrow his government. Joining us today is the historian and journalist Nigel Jones, author of Countdown to Valkyrie: The July Plot to Assassinate Hitler. Nigel takes us through some of the most famous attempts to assassinate Hitler and the 20th July Plot that came the closest to toppling the Thi ..read more

Members of this elite unit - formed in 1664 under Charles II - were present at the American Revolution, the Battle of Trafalgar, the Crimean War, both World Wars and even joined Shackleton on his expeditions in Antarctica. It's quicker to list the few countries the Marines haven't been deployed to! To trace a potted history of the Royal Marines through its 360-year legacy, Dan visits HMRB Portsmouth to record a special episode from inside their fabled port cellar with Brigadier Chris Haw MC and John Rawlinson, Vice President of the Royal Marines Historical Society. Produced by Mariana Des Fo ..read more

Lincoln, FDR, Reagan, Clinton, Bush and now Trump. All have been targets of assassination attempts while in or running for office. Dan is joined by Professor of American History at Cambridge University Gary Gerstle to take a look at the assassination attempts that could have changed the course of American history and how. Produced by Dan Snow, Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off for 3 months using code ‘DANSNOW’. We'd love to hear from you - what ..read more

2/4. With towering masts and billowing sails, the Cutty Sark and the Thermopylae raced neck and neck through relentless waves to be the first to arrive in London with their tea shipment from Shanghai. The first ship back could claim the highest price for its cargo.   Dan is joined by Senior Archivist at Lloyd's Register Foundation Max Wilson for a dramatic blow-by-blow account of this high-stakes race that gripped Victorians in the late summer of 1872, where fortunes were made and lost by the hour.  This is episode 2 of our mini-series 'Ships that Made the British Empire' that tells ..read more

1/4. Join Dan for the first episode in a mini-series telling four stories of ships that have shaped Britain and its maritime history, from the trade that kickstarted the global food chain to the technology that revolutionised our ability to conquer the seas. The Cutty Sark was the fastest ship of her day and could carry over a million pounds of tea from China back to Britain for a thirsty Victorian public. She ruled the waves at the height of Britain's imperial century as she carried trade goods across the globe as far as Australia. To make the treacherous journey across the world's biggest o ..read more

During the 1950s, in the remote expanses of Australia's outback, the British government conducted a series of clandestine nuclear tests. These were the early years of the Cold War, and Britain was determined to expand its atomic capabilities and shore up its great power status. But these tests came at a harrowing cost to Aboriginal communities and site personnel, who were not sufficiently protected from the deadly nuclear fallout. The full extent of the harm done by these detonations is still not known. We're joined by Elizabeth Tynan, author of 'The Secrets of Emu Field: Britain’s Forgotten ..read more

The history of the United States' relationship with communism is one littered with fear and persecution. So where did the American Communist Party come from? How powerful has it been in the last century? And where is it now? In this episode of American History Hit, Don is joined by Dr. Vernon Pederson, Professor at the American University of Sharjah and President of the Historians of American Communism. Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. The senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign ..read more

Emperor Heraclius took the Byzantine Empire from its lowest ebb to its greatest heights. After years of turmoil at the hands of invading Persian armies, Heraclius led lightning counter-offensives that swept into Mesopotamia and devastated the Sassanid Empire. His battlefield exploits became the stuff of legend, but his success was not to last - in the Arabian Peninsula, a new religion was on the rise that would mark the end of one era and the beginning of another. Jonathan Harris, Professor of the History of Byzantium at Royal Holloway, explains how Heraclius reinstated the empire as a region ..read more

Swashbuckling, murder and robbery on the high seas! We're bringing back the fan-favourite episode on Dr Rebecca Simon's 'Pirate Queens: The Lives of Anne Bonny & Mary Read' from our archive. She takes Dan through a dramatic history of piracy in the Caribbean and the Atlantic World. She tells the extraordinary stories of pirates Anne Bonny, and Mary Read as well as captains Blackbeard, Jack Rackham and the notoriously sadistic Charles Vane. She also gives Dan the lowdown on pirate treasure. Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE ..read more