Best Cutty Podcasts (2024)

1
The Cutty Sark 33:07

37m ago33:07

33:07

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…

1
Britain's Secret Atomic Tests in Australia 42:17

3d ago42:17

42:17

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 …

1
Was Scott's Antarctic Expedition Sabotaged? 44:38

4d ago44:38

44:38

In the winter of 1911, Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his party set out into the frozen heart of Antarctica. Battling blizzards and treacherous terrain, they were determined to be the first people to reach the South Pole. But when they arrived in early 1912, they discovered that a Norwegian team had beaten them to it. As if that weren't enough, th…

1
Communism in America 52:22

5d ago52:22

52:22

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 Sharja…

1
Emperor Heraclius: Rome vs Persia 32:09

6d ago32:09

32:09

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 …

1
A Short History of Pirates 25:48

10d ago25:48

25:48

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…

1
The Inside Story of the Brexit Referendum 35:35

11d ago35:35

35:35

On the eve of the 2024 General Election, we're joined by Tim Shipman, chief political commentator at The Sunday Times, to hear about how things really work in Westminster. Tim draws on his first-hand experience to explain the tumultuous last decade of British politics. How are crucial decisions made in the halls of government? Who can we trust when…

1
How did Brexit Happen? A History 44:37

12d ago44:37

44:37

On the eve of the 2024 General Election, we're tackling one of the UK's most divisive topics; Brexit. The 2016 referendum on EU membership split voters in two, creating two entrenched camps - Brexiteers and Remainers - whose differences show no signs of abating 8 years later. To better understand this political hot potato, we're charting Britain's …

1
How WWI Started 54:25

13d ago54:25

54:25

110 years ago today, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire was struck down by an assassin's bullet. His death triggered one of the most destructive wars in human history, a conflict that set the stage for the 20th century. With the help of historian Sue Woolmans, Dan gives a minute-by-minute account of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinan…

1
Origins of the Silk Road 44:03

17d ago44:03

44:03

The Silk Road was a pivotal ancient exchange network that connected the grassy steppes of Asia and the Middle East with the Western world. The passage of goods, ideas and technologies along this bustling commercial artery was crucial to the development of the ancient East and West. It was, quite simply, the glue that held the ancient world together…

1
The Real Moriarty with Ben McIntyre 25:35

19d ago25:35

25:35

Adam Worth was the quintessential criminal mastermind. He faked his own death, robbed banks in the US, stole diamonds in South Africa and amassed a fortune that helped him evade capture for decades. As a gentleman thief in London high society, he infamously stole Thomas Gainsborough's celebrated Portrait of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. Ben Mac…

151
The Rosetta Stone 25:57

19d ago25:57

25:57

In 1798, the young French General Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt. After successfully taking Alexandria, he ordered the reconstruction of a fort at the nearby city of Rosetta. As his soldiers did the back-breaking work of digging fortifications in the blazing sun, they uncovered an archaeological treasure that would prove to be the key to Egypt's …

151
John the Baptist 27:22

20d ago27:22

27:22

Not long after the turn of the first millennium, a Jewish prophet emerged from a period of desert solitude in the Jordan River valley. He wore simple camel hair garments and ate nothing but locusts and wild honey. His name was John the Baptist, and his pre-messianic preachings about repentance and God's final judgement would form the bedrock of the…

201
The Other D-Day: The Eastern Front 42:38

25d ago42:38

42:38

Historian, broadcaster and author Jonathan Dimbleby joins Dan to explain how Hitler's plans in the East went disastrously wrong. 2 weeks after the D-Day landings, a gigantic Soviet offensive tore through the German lines on the Eastern Front. Named for the Russian general who fought Napoleon, Operation Bagration swept through Byelorussia and put th…

201
Dan's History Heroes: Britain's Greatest Soldier, Part 2 1:12:14

25d ago1:12:14

1:12:14

Please note that this episode contains some explicit language. This is the story of Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart, Britain's most extraordinary soldier. The one-handed, one-eyed, walking stick-wielding war hero fought in the Second Boer War, The First World War and the Second World War. He was wounded countless times, awarded prestigious medals for ga…

201
Dan's History Heroes: Britain's Greatest Soldier, Part 1 46:39

26d ago46:39

46:39

This is the story of Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart, Britain's most extraordinary soldier. The one-handed, one-eyed, walking stick-wielding war hero fought in the Second Boer War, The First World War and the Second World War. He was wounded countless times, awarded prestigious medals for gallantry, and made into a figure of legend. Away from the battle…

201
The Rise and Fall of the Ku Klux Klan 37:59

28d ago37:59

37:59

With a sinister hierarchy of "grand wizards" and "dragons," hooded Klansmen concealed their identities as they unleashed a reign of terror on Black Americans and other minorities across America for almost a century. Dan is joined by Professor Kristofer Allerfeldt from the University of Exeter to map out the rise and fall of the KKK founded in 1866 …

251
Civil War Rivals: Robert E. Lee vs Ulysses Grant 48:03

1M ago48:03

48:03

100 years ago, in the spring of 1864, the Overland Campaign ignited a ferocious clash between two titans of US military history: Ulysses S. Grant, the rugged and relentless Union general, versus the Confederate general Robert E. Lee, a suave southern officer and master of strategy. Theirs was a hotly-contested rivalry, and the debate still rages on…

251
The Early Years of the British Empire 42:15

1M ago42:15

42:15

The British weren't always imperial global players with an empire of viceroys, redcoats and industrialised trade systems. The early years of the British Empire were actually pretty chaotic; for the English in the 17th century, it was a period of exploration, rugged individuals, private companies, pirates, misadventure and failure. Dan is joined by …

251
The Challenger Disaster 29:49

1M ago29:49

29:49

On January 28, 1986, the nation watched in horror as the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded just 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crew members aboard, including Christa McAuliffe, the first civilian selected to fly into space. The devastating tragedy unfolded live on television, shattering the dreams of millions of schoolchildren who had …

251
Lost on Mount Everest: The Mystery of Mallory and Irvine 50:58

1M ago50:58

50:58

Dan unravels the mystery surrounding George Mallory and Andrew Irvine's daring attempt to conquer Mount Everest in 1924 - a feat that could have made them the first to stand atop the world's highest peak. He tells the tale of Irvine and Mallory's ascent into the 'Death Zone' where they embarked on their final summit push amidst biting winds and pun…

251
Inside North Korea 39:57

1M ago39:57

39:57

With closed borders, a totalitarian regime, electricity blackouts and widespread poverty, North Korea is a brutal place to survive; even looking at a foreign media outlet can get a North Korean citizen sent to a concentration camp. So why, in 2011 did leader Kim Jong Il allow Jean Lee, a celebrated American journalist to set up a news bureau in Pyo…

301
Pegasus Bridge: The First Assault of D-Day 32:14

1M ago32:14

32:14

Just after midnight on the 6th of June, 1944, 181 British glider-borne infantry crashed to earth in the Normandy countryside. They clambered out of their gliders and rushed towards their objectives; two German-held bridges near the D-Day landing zones. This was the opening salvo of D-Day, and their mission was vital - if they failed, their comrades…

301
D-Day: The Deception that Made it Possible 29:17

1M ago29:17

29:17

Please note that this episode contains explicit language. On the 29th of May, 1944, less than a week before D-Day, General George S. Patton gave a rip-roaring speech to the First US Army Group. He spoke of the indomitable American spirit and the fear that his men would inspire in their enemies. He'd given this expletive-riddled address dozens of ti…

301
D-Day: The Land Invasion 1:45:53

1M 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…

301
D-Day: The Air Invasion 26:41

1M 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…

301
D-Day: The Sea Invasion 51:27

1M 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…

301
Las Vegas & Atomic Tourism 25:35

1M ago25:35

25:35

In the 1950s, the US government conducted a series of nuclear bomb tests in the Mojave desert, right next door to Las Vegas. Tourists flocked to the luxurious hotels of America's gambling capital to watch mushroom clouds billow over the horizon. These tests sparked an obsession with a chemical element that still inspires fear and fascination to thi…

301
Julius Caesar's Sex Life 38:12

1M ago38:12

38:12

"I came. I saw. I conquered". Perhaps the most famous Julius Caesar quote of all time. But after hearing all about his bedroom antics, it takes on a slightly...different meaning. From Cleopatra to his three wives, to male lovers, to mistresses - Julius Caesar definitely slept his way around Rome. Today Kate is Betwixt the Ancient Roman Sheets with …

1
Good-bye, London! 38:31

1M ago38:31

38:31

Der Abschluss von Pubs & Souls Carla Maurer verlässt das Pfarramt in London und kehrt mit Sack, Pack und Familie in die Schweiz zurück. Nächste Station: Adliswil in der Reformierten Kirchgemeinde Sihltal, wo sie ab September das Pfarrteam ergänzen wird. In dieser Abschlussfolge sinniert Carla in drei Gedanken über den grossen Wechsel: was das eigen…

1
Ep.87: Restoration of the Schooner L.A. DUNTON 1:14:11

1M ago1:14:11

1:14:11

We are very lucky in New England to have an organization like Mystic Seaport and its Henry B. Du Pont Preservation Shipyard, the first shipyard in the nation dedicated to the preservation of historic vessels, both large and small. Join us on this episode of ATB as we talk with Walt Ansel, Director of the Henry B. du Pont Preservation Shipyard, abou…

351
Mutiny on the Rising Sun: Smuggling in Colonial America 34:06

2M 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…

401
Coming Soon! D-day to Berlin 1:00

2M 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…

401
Jane Seymour: Henry VIII’s Third Queen 35:23

2M 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…

401
The Opium Wars 37:58

2M 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. …

401
The British Empire, China and Opium 50:01

2M 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…

401
Civil War in Feudal Japan: The Sengoku Period 35:16

2M 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 …

451
The Royal Navy's Darkest Night & The Origins of Longitude 33:13

2M 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…

451
Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt: The Impossible Alliance that Won WWII 31:28

2M 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…

451
Twelve Caesars with Mary Beard 50:42

2M 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…

451
Marshal Pétain: Hero or Traitor? 40:19

2M 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 …

501
Merlin, The Occult and British Politics 30:10

2M 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
146 - SEX DILEMMAS - ft Jordan Stephens 1:21:06

2M ago1:21:06

1:21:06

Get LAID with Oloni, Nicky and special guest Jordan Stephens author of Avoidance, Drugs, Heartbreak and Dogs Use the hashtag #LaidBarePodcast send voice note dilemmas under 30 seconds to laidbarepodcast@gmail.com @Oloni @OhSoNicky @jordanfstephens Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

501
The Dynasty That Made Medieval France 37:22

2M 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…

501
Why Are We Drawn to Dictators? 49:14

2M 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…

501
The Atomic Bomb & Civil War Cigars: Greatest 'What Ifs' from History 29:28

2M 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 …

501
The Battle of Okinawa 27:32

2M 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 …

551
The Original Kamikaze: The Mongol Invasions of Japan 29:44

2M 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…

551
The Kamikaze Hunters 30:21

3M 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…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Cutty Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide