History Hack

#113 History Hack: Pole Position

Historian Christopher Lash stops by for a fascinating discussion about sport and smuggling in Poland in the Communist era

#112 History Hack: The US Marine Corps Toughest Fight in Vietnam

Pulitzer finalist Gregg Jones joins us to talk about a poignant moment. The fighting at Khe Sanh in 1968 was the arguably the bloodiest moment suffered by the Marines in Vietnam, and we learn all about the battle, the evacuation, and how it is recorded in history

#111 History Hack: War in Ancient Greece

Owen Rees joins us for a primer on Greek military history: from Peloponnesian to over-rated Spartans to the role of women and a really interesting discussion on remembrance and the relevance on modern concepts like PTSD. 

#110 History Hack: The Doolittle Raid

Author and Historian James Scott joins us in full storyteller mode to share the tale of the Doolittle Raid; America's immediate and daring response to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour.

#109 History Hack: Knightfall

Alex, Alina and Woody are joined by the stars of the hit medieval romp Knightfall. Tom Cullen, Ed Stoppard, Julian Ovenden and Simon Merrells talk all things Templar, with medieval historian Eleanor Janega supposedly bringing the adult. In amongst the cackling you can hear the history behind the show and all sorts of anecdotes from filming. Warning. You will never want to eat beef carpaccio again. 

#108 History Hack: The Somme: A Tragic Necessity

Based on her book, Somme: 141 Days, 141 Lives, Alina interviews Alex on the subject of one of the most iconic battles in British history. What was the Battle of the Somme good for, why did Britain embark on such a huge endeavour and what was it like for the men on the ground? 

#107 History Hack: Down the Pub

Join the regulars at The Mary Rose as they cackle their way through a debate on the silliest assassination attempts in history. Verily, there have been some idiots across the globe hell bent on murder across the years... 

#106 History Hack: An Introduction to Conflict Archaeology

Terence Christian joins us to tell us all about the field of conflict archaeology. From the premise, to standardisation, to conservation he also tells us about some of his favourite digs and where you can see some intriguing ruins... 

#105 History Hack: Queen Victoria's Wicked Uncles

If you think you know what it's like to have a dysfunctional family, wait until you hear about the generation of royals that immediately preceded the Queen who defined an era. Historian Charlotte Ward takes us through the complicated family tree of George III, explains why more than a dozen of his children struggled to form a line of succession and tells us how this impossibly tiny slip of a girl ended up on the throne.

#104 History Hack: Dunkirk 80 with Joshua Levine

Joshua Levine, historian and advisor on Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, commemorates the 80th anniversary of the evacuations with a special programme. Assisted by voice actors Jonathan Kydd, Louisa Gummer and Sharpe's Jason Salkey, as well as a number of History Hack listeners; he describes events on the beaches and places the whole affair into its proper context in the Second World War.