Best Dan Berlin Podcasts (2024)

1
Coming Soon! D-day to Berlin 1:00

19h ago1:00

1:00

June 6th marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day and Dan Snow's History Hit is it by bringing you its biggest series yet. From now until May next year, we'll be marking the pivotal moments from D-Day to VE Day. This was the titanic struggle that saw the Allies advance from East and West to crush the Third Reich and hasten the end of the most terrible w…

1
D-Day: The Land Invasion 1:45:53

13m ago1:45:53

1:45:53

Dan and military historian Stephen Fischer record a moment by moment play of the dramatic and bloody first crucial hour and a half of D-day, as it happened. They breakdown the assaults across the Normandy Beaches including Sword, Omaha and Gold, where over one hundred thousand British, American and Canadian troops landed under a barrage of German f…

1
D-Day: The Air Invasion 26:41

1h ago26:41

26:41

In the second episode of our D-Day series, we look to the skies. In the build-up to Operation Overlord, thousands of Allied pilots in heavy bombers and fighter planes ground down the Luftwaffe and destroyed vital infrastructure. On D-Day itself, they supported their comrades on the ground and at sea in roles ranging from reconnaissance to close air…

1
D-Day: The Sea Invasion 51:27

1d ago51:27

51:27

This is the often forgotten chapter of the D-Day story. To begin our series for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, we turn to the massive naval operations that made it all happen. On D-Day itself, 7,000 ships and 195,000 sailors undertook the gargantuan challenge of ferrying men, weapons and supplies ashore to begin the liberation of Europ…

1
Mutiny on the Rising Sun: Smuggling in Colonial America 34:06

3d ago34:06

34:06

This is the story of a bloody mutiny aboard the Boston-based schooner, the Rising Sun. The ship had been on a routine smuggling voyage before it was violently seized by three opportunistic crew members. They had their sights set on the lucrative cargo she carried, but below decks, the Rising Sun hid an even more sinister secret; 15 terrified enslav…

1
Jane Seymour: Henry VIII’s Third Queen 35:23

7d ago35:23

35:23

Jane Seymour is a paradox. Of Henry VIII’s six wives, she is the one about whom we know perhaps the least. She was the most lowly of the queens, but she had royal blood. She's often described as plain and mousy and lacking opinions, but when we do see her in the sources, she tends to be doing something that shows agency, while wearing some very fla…

1
The Opium Wars 37:58

8d ago37:58

37:58

2/2. The British Empire aggressively pursued the opium trade well into the 19th century, fueling an addiction epidemic within China. The Qing government was determined to stamp out this destructive trade, leading to the First and Second Opium Wars. But the British Royal Navy was at its apogee, and re-exerted British control over the Chinese state. …

1
The British Empire, China and Opium 50:01

10d ago50:01

50:01

1/2. Victorian readers were captivated by descriptions of smoke-filled opium dens among backstreet brothels and pubs in London's East End in Oscar Wilde novels. Opium use in Britain in the 19th century was widespread and while opium dens were scarce, Victorians could buy opium over the counter in chemists as treatments for headaches, coughs and eve…

1
Civil War in Feudal Japan: The Sengoku Period 35:16

10d ago35:16

35:16

Dating from 1467-1603, the Sengoku or ‘Warring States’ period is known as the bloodiest in Japan’s history; an era of continuous social upheaval and civil war which transformed the country. Shogun-led authority was shattered and 150 years of murder and betrayal followed as fearsome warlords ruled local territories with unflinching ruthlessness. In …

1
The Royal Navy's Darkest Night & The Origins of Longitude 33:13

14d ago33:13

33:13

A mix of treacherous seas, navigation errors, and historical intrigue led to one of the Royal Navy's darkest nights. Dan travels to the Scilly Isles to tell the tragic tale of Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell and the 1707 naval disaster off the Isles of Scilly that caused a staggering loss of over 2000 men. Dan ventures out to the place where the shi…

1
Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt: The Impossible Alliance that Won WWII 31:28

15d ago31:28

31:28

In the summer of 1941, Hitler invaded the Soviet Union. As the Germans drove towards Moscow, a catastrophic Soviet defeat seemed imminent - a defeat that would have made the Allied liberation of Europe virtually impossible. To keep the Allied victory in sight, Roosevelt and Churchill assembled a crack team of diplomats to secretly travel to wartime…

1
Twelve Caesars with Mary Beard 50:42

16d ago50:42

50:42

The title of Caesar has echoed down the ages as the pinnacle of absolute power and perhaps even tyranny. A single man at the head of a nation or empire with untouchable power. But how powerful were they really and why are they seen as an example to follow when many of the men who became Caesar met a bloody end? Dan is joined by the legendary classi…

1
Marshal Pétain: Hero or Traitor? 40:19

17d ago40:19

40:19

Marshal Pétain emerged from the First World War as a French national hero. His defence of Verdun had set him on course to become one of France's most venerated commanders. But by 1945 the Marshal was on trial for treason, having collaborated with Nazi Germany as the head of the Vichy regime. Dan is joined by Julian Jackson, author of the Pol Roger …

1
Merlin, The Occult and British Politics 30:10

21d ago30:10

30:10

Who was the real Merlin? Dr Francis Young says the closest is John Dee, Elizabeth I's occultist advisor who gave her the idea for a British Empire. Dee believed it was her destiny to rule the New World - from his supposed conversations with angels - and that she could trace her lineage back to King Arthur. His mystical and astrological calculations…

1
The Dynasty That Made Medieval France 37:22

22d ago37:22

37:22

From Hugh Capet to Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Capetian dynasty considered itself divinely chosen to fulfil a great destiny. From an insecure foothold around Paris, the Capetians built a nation that stretched from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and from the Rhône to the Pyrenees, founding practices and institutions that endured until the French Re…

1
Why Are We Drawn to Dictators? 49:14

25d ago49:14

49:14

Is liberal democracy facing an existential crisis? A 2023 poll conducted by the Open Society Barometer found that faith in democracy among young people is waning. But what does this mean? Why might young people become more 'strongman-curious'? To get to the bottom of this, Dan is joined by an all-star cast of experts. We have the renowned journalis…

1601
The Atomic Bomb & Civil War Cigars: Greatest 'What Ifs' from History 29:28

26d ago29:28

29:28

We think of history as a neat chain of predictable events; but what if the truth is far wilder than that? Today, we're talking about the pivotal forces of randomness and chance, and how tiny moments can change the course of our human story. Dan is joined by Brian Klaas, associate professor in global politics at University College London and author …

1851
The Battle of Okinawa 27:32

1M ago27:32

27:32

Please note, this episode contains discussion of suicide. On 1 April 1945, as the Second World War in Europe was reaching its end, one of the bloodiest battles in the whole conflict commenced on a small island south of mainland Japan. It was the Battle of Okinawa. Saul David comes on the show to provide a fascinating rundown of this truly horrific …

1
The Original Kamikaze: The Mongol Invasions of Japan 29:44

1M ago29:44

29:44

At the height of the Mongol Empire, Kublai Khan set his sights on the island of Japan. He launched two enormous invasions of that nation in 1274 and 1281 - but both of them were defeated, aided by sudden and disastrous storms that tore his fleets apart. The story of these kamikaze, or 'Divine Winds', would become legend in Japan, and inspire the na…

1
The Kamikaze Hunters 30:21

1M ago30:21

30:21

Please note, this episode contains discussion of suicide. In 1945, after lengthy delays, the Royal Navy sent a powerful fleet into the Pacific. After the disastrous Japanese invasions in Southeast Asia, Churchill was desperate to reassert British military might in the region. Aboard the carriers of these fleets were elite British and Commonwealth p…

1
The Kamikaze Pilots 28:46

1M ago28:46

28:46

Please note, this episode contains discussion of suicide. By October 1944, the Japanese were in real trouble. The Allies had made great strides in their Pacific island-hopping campaign and were advancing on the Japanese home islands. In a desperate attempt to stem the tide, Japan created the 'Special Attack Units', which included the kamikaze - you…

1
Rwandan Genocide Explained 48:26

1M ago48:26

48:26

Warning: This episode contains some upsetting descriptions of human suffering. The Rwandan Genocide is a dark and pivotal moment in modern history; the catastrophic consequence of ethnic division and global inaction. Over 100 days in 1994, it's estimated around 800,000 predominantly Tutsi people were killed by the Hutu government and civilian milit…

1
Pontius Pilate 46:10

1M ago46:10

46:10

Pontius Pilate was the Roman Prefect of Judea during the reign of Emperor Tiberius and is most famous for condemning Jesus of Nazareth to death by crucifixion in the Four Gospels. But who really was he? And how much do we know about him? In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan speaks to Prof. Helen Bond to delve deeper into the life of Pontius Pil…

1
The Battle of Crécy 31:27

1M ago31:27

31:27

The English won a decisive battlefield victory over the French in the first decade of the Hundred Years' War. At the Battle of Crécy, an outnumbered English army went up against thousands of French mounted knights, the finest cavalry in Western Europe at that time. Relying on their famed longbowmen, The English under Edward III weathered French cav…

1
Iran & Israel: From Allies to Enemies 38:55

1M ago38:55

38:55

On the 1st of April, 2024, a presumed Israeli airstrike destroyed the Iranian consulate in Damascus, killing 13 people. Amongst them was a Brigadier General of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mohammad Reza Zahedi. In retaliation, Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israeli soil, firing some 300 missiles and drones at target…

2651
Mao's China, The Berlin Wall and WWII Egypt: Witnessing History with Peter Snow 22:27

1M ago22:27

22:27

As a foreign correspondent for ITN in the 70s, Peter Snow remembers handing tins of film to strangers on airport runways, hoping they would take it back to Britain to hand over to his colleagues on the other side. It was a tough and thrilling job as a travelling reporter before the internet, and Dan remembers hearing his dad's travel stories as a c…

1
The Battle of El-Alamein Explained 41:58

1M ago41:58

41:58

Fought in the second half of 1942, the Battles of El Alamein were a series of climactic confrontations in Egypt between British Imperial and Commonwealth forces and a combined German and Italian army. Intended as a last-ditch attempt by the British to halt Axis gains in North Africa, they resulted in a clear victory for the British and represented …

1
The Trial of Charles I 44:55

1M ago44:55

44:55

In the mid-17th century, King Charles I of England was put on trial for treason against the sovereign state. Such a process involved a singular determination by Parliament to find a way, through due legal process, to try the one they saw as a man of blood, to ensure that he paid the price for his faults and failings, but not through extrajudicial s…

1
What is Zionism? 44:08

2M ago44:08

44:08

Dan delves into the complex history of Zionism, exploring its multifaceted origins and the various ideological strands that have shaped it over the years. From its early beginnings in the 19th century to its pivotal role in the establishment of the State of Israel. With expert insight and analysis from Peter Bergamin, lecturer at the University of …

1
Plagues 21:36

2M ago21:36

21:36

From a plague in Athens during the Peloponnesian War in 430 BCE, to another in 540 that wiped out half the population of the Roman empire, down through the Black Death in the Middle Ages and on through the 1918 flu epidemic (which killed between 50 and 100 million people) and this century's deadly SARS outbreak, plagues have been a much more relent…

1
Hollywood Spy: The British WW1 Hero Who Helped Japan Attack Pearl Harbour 25:28

2M ago25:28

25:28

Frederick Rutland was one of Britain's finest naval pilots and a celebrated hero of the First World War. And yet in the interwar period, he would become a turncoat, feeding information to Japanese intelligence whilst living undercover in the glitz and glamour of 1930s Hollywood. Joining Dan to discuss Rutland's life is Ronald Drabkin, author of 'Be…

1
HMS Wager: Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder 54:24

2M ago54:24

54:24

Join Dan as he narrates the harrowing story of the HMS Wager and its crew's descent into mutiny and survival against all odds. Set against the backdrop of the War of Jenkins' Ear, the Wager, a British warship, was part of a secret squadron sent to attack Spanish holdings in the Pacific but, tragedy struck as the ship was wrecked off the desolate co…

1
Nazis, the CIA & Psychedelics 25:33

2M ago25:33

25:33

This is the untold story of how Nazi experiments with psychedelics influenced CIA research and the War on Drugs. From covert mind control programs to experiments with 'truth serums', we trace the connection between the Third Reich's sinister scientific experiments and later US drug policy. To explain this wild post-war history, Dan is joined by the…

1
The Mary Celeste: Ghost Ship 37:52

2M ago37:52

37:52

In 1872 the ghost ship Mary Celeste is found sailing across the Atlantic without a single crew member left onboard. Theories over what happened on the Mary Celeste range from insurance fraud to a violent mutiny... this week, Maddy and Anthony discuss what they think happened to the ship's crew. Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senio…

1
Kensington Palace: Serving the Royal Court 28:11

2M ago28:11

28:11

Kensington Palace was the centre of court life in 18th-century Britain. It was the principal London residence for the Royals, as well as a lavish venue for hosting monarchs and world leaders. But behind this very public world existed an entirely obscured one, made up of a small army of people who kept the royal show on the road. Dan is joined by Dr…

1
George Washington 38:11

2M ago38:11

38:11

As Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, George Washington was a central feature of the American Revolutionary War. He was also the first President of the nascent United States, and his ethics permeated the nation's constitution. Dan is joined by Craig Bruce Smith, Associate Professor of History at the National Defense University specialising…

1
The Amelia Earhart Mystery Solved? 29:13

2M ago29:13

29:13

What happened to the pioneering pilot, Amelia Earhart? In 1937, while attempting to circumnavigate the globe by aircraft, Earhart and her navigator went missing. Some 87 years later, new evidence has emerged - a grainy image of what looks like a plane, thousands of feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. To talk about Earhart and this discover…

1
2. The British Empire: The Raj and Indian Independence 58:36

2M ago58:36

58:36

This is the story of the British Empire in India. Over two episodes, we'll chart India's history from the birth of the Mughal Empire until the Partition of India. Joining us is Shrabani Basu, a journalist, historian and author of books including Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen's Closest Confidant. In this second episode, Dan and Shrab…

1
1. The British Empire: Mughals & the East India Company 40:54

2M ago40:54

40:54

This is the story of the British Empire in India. Over two episodes, we'll chart India's history from the birth of the Mughal Empire until the Partition of India. Joining us is Shrabani Basu, a journalist, historian and author of books including Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen's Closest Confidant. In this first episode, Dan and Shraba…

1
D.B. Cooper & the 70s Hijacking Craze 41:40

2M ago41:40

41:40

On 23 June 1972, a man boarded American Airlines Flight 119 in St Louis. He sat most of the way to Tulsa before donning a wig and a pair of gloves in the restroom, taking out a gun and handing a member of the cabin crew a note. 'Don't panic. This is a ransom hijacking.' To find out more about this man, what he hoped to gain from his crimes, and how…

1
The Real Shogun: The English Navigator Who Became a Samurai 55:45

2M ago55:45

55:45

In the year 1600, a bedraggled English sailor and his sick and dying crewmates anchored off the coast of Kyushu, Japan. His name was William Adams, and over the next two decades, he would rise through the ranks of Japanese society to become the first Western samurai. As a close advisor to the revered shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, Adams was a first-hand w…

1
Atlantis 22:16

2M ago22:16

22:16

The fictional island of Atlantis has intrigued and eluded us for millennia. First mentioned in the works of Plato, it's a story that captures our collective imagination - and yet it's almost certainly false. Dan is joined by Stephen Kershaw, author of "A Brief History of Atlantis: Plato's Ideal State". We're going to see if there are any grains of …

1
Persia: Rise of the Sasanians 51:34

2M ago51:34

51:34

The Sasanians are renowned as one of Rome's most feared enemies. Founded in third-century Persia by an Iranian noble called Ardashir, their dynasty oversaw the growth of a mighty empire that brought down the Parthians and survived into the early Middle Ages. But how did one family oversee the rebirth of Persia as a Mesopotamian heavyweight? In this…

1
The History of the RNLI 22:46

2M ago22:46

22:46

In the tempestuous waters of the 18th century, a revolutionary idea emerged from the depths of despair and necessity: the lifeboat. Born from the genius of Lionel Lukin in 1785, the invention redefined maritime rescue. Amidst the roaring seas, innovations flourished and a new institution was set up. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) wh…

1
Warfare in Ancient Greece 49:15

2M ago49:15

49:15

How did warfare work in Ancient Greece? The weapons and armour of the Greek hoplite are legendary, as are the warrior cultures of city-states like Sparta. But how would a Greek battle have played out on the ground? Dan is joined by Roel Konijnendijk, Darby Fellow in Ancient History at the University of Oxford and an expert in warfare in the Greek w…

1
Boudica: Queen of the Iceni 42:04

3M ago42:04

42:04

She's the warrior queen who took on the mighty Roman Empire, but who really was Boudica? Separating facts from the myths we've read can be tricky, but thankfully Kate is joined by the wonderful Emma Southon, author of A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women, to find out the truth and explore our most reliable sources. What happened when Boudica l…

1
Infiltrating the IRA: Murder & Espionage in Northern Ireland 47:49

3M ago47:49

47:49

With Operation Kenova back in the headlines, we look to the story of Frank Hegarty, an IRA member turned British informant whose assassination led to the largest murder investigation in British history. Dan is joined by Henry Hemming, the bestselling author of Four Shots in the Night. Henry unravels this tale of espionage, murder, and justice, and …

1
The Financial Crashes that Changed the World 39:53

3M ago39:53

39:53

Over the last turbulent century, the global economy has suffered the shockwaves of recessions and depressions, bubbles and unchecked investor euphoria. And with the UK's spring budget announced this week, we ask the question - have we learnt from the economic mistakes of the past? In this episode, Dan is joined by Linda Yueh, Fellow in Economics at…

1
Oppenheimer vs Einstein 44:23

3M ago44:23

44:23

Today we're talking about two 20th century titans, the physicists J. Robert Oppenheimer and Albert Einstein. Their scientific achievements changed the world, and yet they were sceptical of one another. In the 1930s, Oppenheimer had described Einstein as 'completely cuckoo' - later in his life, Einstein would say that he admired Oppenheimer as a man…

1
4. Machu Picchu: The Fall of the Inca Empire 29:22

3M ago29:22

29:22

Part 4/4. The Spanish conquistadors arrived in Peru in 1526 in a bloody pursuit of gold and riches; it was the beginning of the end for the Inca. The Inca were unable to comprehend the Spanish weapons of war, foresee their underhanded tactics or resist the deadly diseases they brought with them. In the final episode, Dan and his expert guests trace…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Dan Berlin Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide