Best Why Waterloo Podcasts (2024)

1
The Terracotta Warriors 46:26

3h ago46:26

46:26

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…

1
The First Emperor of China 42:54

22m ago42:54

42:54

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 …

1
The Cocaine Craze in Victorian Britain 30:07

27m ago30:07

30:07

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, …

1
The Real Society of the Snow: I Survived the Andes Flight Crash 56:25

29m ago56:25

56:25

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 …

1
The Fall of Roman Britain 36:10

1h ago36:10

36:10

By 410 AD, over 450 years after Julius Caesar first landed on its shores, the Romans had formally withdrawn from Britain.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 sett…

1
The Rise of Roman Britain 37:19

3d ago37:19

37:19

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 loca…

1
The Bronze Age Collapse 41:24

4d ago41:24

41:24

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 Su…

1
Lawrence of Arabia 59:29

15d ago59:29

59:29

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, …

1
The Scottish Island, The Shipwreck and The Whisky 28:24

4d ago28:24

28:24

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 custo…

1
The Falaise Pocket: WWII's 'Corridor of Death' 37:27

14d ago37:27

37:27

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 …

1
Hellfire Club: Scandal & Satanism in Georgian England 47:23

10d ago47:23

47:23

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 …

1
The Battle of Hastings 53:04

17d ago53:04

53:04

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 ex…

1
The Warsaw Uprising 36:58

13d ago36:58

36:58

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…

1
The Boy Who Hid in the Woods: How I Survived the Holocaust 59:51

21d ago59:51

59:51

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…

1
A History of Cheating at the Olympics 38:21

24d ago38:21

38:21

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…

1
Harris vs Trump: How We Got Here 26:11

16d ago26:11

26:11

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 …

1
The Voyage That Changed the Way We Eat 20:59

22d ago20:59

20:59

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 usi…

1
Bidens Out: A History of What Could Happen Next 32:26

29d ago32:26

32:26

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…

1
Operation Valkyrie: The Attempted Assassination of Hitler 39:53

1M ago39:53

39:53

On the 80th anniversary of the 20th of July Plot, Dan explores the dramatic events when members of Germany's military and political elite attempted to kill the führer and launch Operation Valkyrie to overthrow his government. Joining us today is the historian and journalist Nigel Jones, author of Countdown to Valkyrie: The July Plot to Assassinate …

1
The Royal Marines 33:34

1M ago33:34

33:34

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 thr…

1
US Presidents Who Were Almost Assassinated 39:17

29d ago39:17

39:17

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, Mari…

1
The Greatest Tea Race of the Victorian Age 37:42

1M ago37:42

37:42

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 dr…

1
The Cutty Sark 33:07

1M 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

1M 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

1M 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

2M 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

2M 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

1M 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

1M 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

1M 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

2M 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

2M 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 Macintyre 25:35

2M 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…

1
The Rosetta Stone 25:57

2M 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 …

1
John the Baptist 27:22

2M 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…

1
The Other D-Day: The Eastern Front 42:38

2M 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…

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

2M 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…

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

2M 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…

1
The Rise and Fall of the Ku Klux Klan 37:59

2M 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 …

1
Civil War Rivals: Robert E. Lee vs Ulysses Grant 48:03

2M 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…

1
The Early Years of the British Empire 42:15

2M 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 …

51
The Challenger Disaster 29:49

2M 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 …

51
Lost on Mount Everest: The Mystery of Mallory and Irvine 50:58

2M 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…

51
Inside North Korea 39:57

3M 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…

51
Pegasus Bridge: The First Assault of D-Day 32:14

3M 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…

51
D-Day: The Deception that Made it Possible 29:17

3M 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…

51
D-Day: The Land Invasion 1:45:53

3M 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…

51
D-Day: The Air Invasion 26:41

3M 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…

51
D-Day: The Sea Invasion 51:27

3M 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…

51
Las Vegas & Atomic Tourism 25:35

3M 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…

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