Step into the past with the best history podcasts of the present

History is an endlessly fascinating and illuminating topic that can tell us a great deal about where we came from, how we got where we are today, and even what might happen next. Too many people are turned off it by the limited scope of school history classes, but in enthusiastic and knowledgeable hands, history can be wonderfully entertaining.

In this roundup we have deep dives into popular events and characters, the past divided into digestible chunks, passionate explorations, academic vigor, and more than a touch of comedy and drama. Sit back, relax, and take a trip through the ages with the best history podcasts.

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Revolutions

This sweeping podcast covers various revolutions that have occurred around the world. It starts with King Charles and the English civil wars of the 17th century, and then goes on to cover the complex French and American revolutions, and more. Mike Duncan mixes some anecdotes and interesting facts into his research and has a gentle narration style that makes for easy listening. If you enjoy this, then you’ll also want to seek out Duncan’s earlier podcast series, The History of Rome.

Available via:

iTunes

The Memory Palace

With a focus on interesting nuggets of American history, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more professionally produced historical podcast. The supremely talented Nate DiMeo weaves together soundscapes with engagingly concise narration to tell a wide range of intriguing tales from the past. These elegantly constructed historical snapshots are usually around 10 minutes long, sometimes longer, sometime shorter; they can be humorous or tragic, but they’re always enthralling.

Available via:

iTunes

Something True

If you love the bizarre forgotten tales of history, then this witty, sardonic podcast series should delight you. Duncan Fyfe researches and writes entertaining scripts, while Alex Ashby recites them with dramatic flair. Each episode explores a single story starting with U.S. president, Warren G. Harding’s famous dog and ending with a monstrous Victorian pie. The episodes are short, at between 10 and 15 minutes, and there aren’t enough of them.

Available via:

iTunes

Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History

If you find historians a bit too dry, then you might want to give this podcast a try. Thanks to its accessible nature, entertaining style, and the enthusiasm of the host, it’s one of the most successful history podcasts around. Carlin covers all sorts of topics, does a fair bit of research, and stirs up some interesting arguments. If you’re looking for a deep dive into topics over several hours, then Carlin’s series should please you. He’s a very entertaining storyteller.

Available via:

iTunes

Witness

Served up in easily digestible 10-minute chunks, this BBC podcast series brings us voices from the past, as people who were actually present at various major historical events talk about their experiences. It offers unique, first-hand insight into everything from submarine warfare in the First World War to the invention of the iPhone.

Available via:

iTunes

Lore

With the tagline “Sometimes truth is more frightening than fiction” this podcast transforms the darker corners of history into engaging, creepy campfire tales. Hosted by author Aaron Mahnke, the meticulously researched show mines folklore, superstition, and urban legends to uncover the roots of supernatural history and find the real-life inspirations. Amazon has turned this podcast into a TV show.

Available via:

iTunes

A History of the World in 100 Objects

This 100-part BBC series was narrated by the erudite Neil MacGregor when he was director of the British Museum and it focuses on a single object in each episode. The objects span two million years of human history, from an ancient Egyptian mummy to a Chinese bronze bell to pieces of eight, all the way through to a solar-powered lamp and charger.

Available via:

iTunes

Revisionist History

Master storyteller Malcolm Gladwell revisits events, people, and ideas from modern history that he feels “deserve a second chance.” He draws on a wide range of source material, including audio files and documents, and the opinions of experts and journalists, to weave together a fresh perspective on an eclectic mix of topics that range from secret Pentagon projects to Toyota’s self-accelerating car scandal. This isn’t objective analysis; Gladwell always puts his opinion across, but whether you agree with him or not, the stories are beautifully told.

Available via:

iTunes

Medieval Death Trip

If you ever study history and feast your eyes on primary sources, then you’ll know that many of them reveal fascinating insights about the times in which they were written. Contrary to popular belief, they’re not always dry, but can be witty, illuminating, and downright weird. Patrick Lane combines portions of source material with historical interpretations to pick out interesting characters and events from medieval times and explore them in an enjoyable, rambling manner.

Available via:

iTunes

Dan Snow’s History Hit

You’ll find explorations of all sorts of historical topics in this podcast and fascinating interviews with a laundry list of expert historians. Snow is enthusiastic and elicits a lot of insight from his guests. This podcast tackles the span of history from ancient times through to modern breaking news events, each episode is packed with information, and it often poses interesting questions and then attempts to answer them.

Available via:

iTunes

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