Today, we uncover a forgotten SAS mission straight out of a war thriller: an elite unit jumps the chain of command and hijacks a 'pirate train', turning it into a weapon against fascist Italy. Their goal? To launch a surprise attack deep behind enemy lines on an Italian concentration camp and free its prisoners.

Historian Damien Lewis joins us to reveal the breathtaking tale of WWII’s most cinematic untold raid. Damien is the author of 'SAS: The Great Train Raid' and 'SAS Great Escapes 5'.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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We trace the extraordinary rise and fall of the House of Boleyn. From humble Norfolk tenant farmers, the Boleyns used everything from wool trading to the diplomatic service to climb to the heights of Tudor power.

Novelist and historian Philippa Gregory joins us to explain this family's dizzying ascent, and how their path ultimately led to tragedy, betrayal and execution.

Philippa's book is 'Boleyn Traitor'.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and Peta Stamper, and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Dan explains the Battle of Brunanburh, an epic clash that decided the fate of the British Isles. On one side, the Anglo-Saxon forces of King Æthelstan, fighting for his vision for a unified England; on the other, a massive ‘anti-Wessex’ coalition of Vikings, Scots and Celts, determined to stop the English project from taking hold.

Today, we explore the high-stakes diplomacy that led to this point, hear how this savage battle played out, and dig into its consequences for the modern UK.

Written and produced by Dan Snow, and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Venice was the impossible city that rose from mudflats to become a medieval superpower. Venice dominated Mediterranean trade through its vast navy, revolutionary shipyards, and strategic position between East and West. From the glass furnaces of Murano to the spice-laden ships crowding its ports, Dan is joined by historian and author Roger Crowley to explore how Venice became the commercial powerhouse of medieval Europe and why this extraordinary city-state was pushed into decline by the Ottomans, before finally falling to Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797.

Roger's book is called 'City of Fortune'.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Greed, Lust, Pride, Sloth, Gluttony, Envy, Wrath! You might be surprised to learn the true history of the Seven Deadly Sins doesn't start in the bible. Rather, they were first thought up by a Greek monk in the 4th century who'd fled to the desert after becoming embroiled in a scandal with a married woman…

Dan is joined by historian and author Peter Jones to trace the true history of the Seven Deadly Sins, why they took the Middle Ages by storm, and how they have shaped European society for centuries.

You can learn more in Peter's new book, ' Self Help from the Middle Ages: What the Seven Deadly Sins Can Teach Us About Living'

Produced by Mariana Des Forges, McKenna Fernandez and James Hickmann. Edited by Matthew Wilson

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An underground Nazi weapons factory and stash of 77-year-old Denazification files. What is it really like to discover that your grandfather was a member of the SS?

In 2023, journalist Lorenz Hemicker joined us to tell the tale of his grandfather, who took part in the massacre of 25,000 Jews at Rumbula in Latvia. We heard about how a radicalised First World War veteran took up the cause of National Socialism, became directly involved in the darkest of Nazi atrocities, and tried to justify himself in the years that followed.

But the story goes even deeper than that. Today, Lorenz joins us again to share his incredible discoveries in the years since, and discuss how his family have confronted this legacy of atrocity.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

You can listen to our first episode with Lorenz here - https://shows.acast.com/dansnowshistoryhit/episodes/the-nazi-gravedigger-of-rumbula

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In the 19th century, Japan's samurai era ended, and the country transformed from a secluded feudal society into a modern industrial superpower. From sweeping political reforms to rapid industrialisation, this is the story of how Japan reinvented itself in just decades and emerged as a formidable global power.

Joining us is Dr Chris Harding, a cultural historian of Japan and India from the University of Edinburgh.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Matthew Wilson.

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WARNING: This episode includes discussion of sexual abuse and explicit language.

He appalled and titillated Regency polite society in equal measure. Lord Byron was a poet, a lover, a rebel, a romantic, an appalling husband and eventually a freedom fighter. He made terrible decisions, was notoriously bad-tempered and treated women and men appallingly. Yet, everybody who met him fell in love with him.

Dan is joined by Dr Kate Lister, historian and host of the Betwixt the Sheets podcast, to unravel the many phases and contradictions of Lord Byron's complicated life in an attempt to discover the man behind the scandalous reputation.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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