The Deadly Dad’s Army: In Spite of All Terror

Witch Hunts in 17th Century Norway: The Mercies: In the winter of 1617, the sea around the remote Norwegian island of Vardø was thrown into a reckless storm. The men of the island, out fishing, perished in an instant and Vardø became a place of women. Eighteen months later, a sinister figure arrives.... by Historical Fiction

24 min listen

Cleopatra - On Stage and in Fiction: Cleopatra was one of the most famous women of all history. For centuries she has been presented by writers and artists as a seductive temptress, a femme fatale, the tragic lover of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. But who was the real Cleopatra? How true... by Historical Fiction

34 min listen

The Year Without Summer: 1816 - One Event, Six Lives, A World Changed: In 1815, Mount Tambora in Indonesia erupted, impacting the weather throughout the world. The Year Without Summer imagines its impact on six separate lives, thousands of miles away. They include a fenland farm labourer, a soldier returning from Waterloo... by Historical Fiction

21 min listen

A Writer's Guide to Ancient Rome: Have you ever thought about writing an historical novel? Perhaps you fancy setting it in Ancient Rome? But how would you start researching, for example, what the different classes of Roman would be wearing, or eating, or talking about, at different tim... by Historical Fiction

26 min listen

Power and Intrigue in The Court of Henry II: The Irish Princess: In 1166, the King of Leinster in Ireland is forced into exile and throws himself at the mercy of Henry II to help regain his kingdom. His biggest bargaining tool in getting England’s support is his teenage daughter Aoife who has caught Henry’s eye. Aut... by Historical Fiction

22 min listen

The Haunting of the Titanic: The Deep: The Deep gives an eerie, psychological twist to the sinking of the Titanic, and the fate of her sister ship the Britannic. The American novelist Alma Katsu spent 35 years as an intelligence analyst for the US government, but after six acclaime... by Historical Fiction

39 min listen

The Royal Princesses in World War II: The Secret Guests: Set in 1940, The Secret Guests speculates what would have happened if the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were sent to a remote stately home in Ireland to get away from the Blitz on London. When a dead body turns up, it takes every effort to un... by Historical Fiction

20 min listen

The Search for a Forgotten Artist: The Pelton Papers: Artist Agnes Pelton lived through the early days of modernism in America. Fame seemed inevitable but the shy and retiring Pelton retreated to a contemplative life in the California desert where she produced scores of deeply spiritual, abstract painting... by Historical Fiction

22 min listen

The Name Beneath the Stone: Secrets of the Unknown Warrior: What would happen if the identity of the unknown warrior, entombed in Westminster Abbey, was ever uncovered? This new novel tells the story of Sarah Harding, who discovers letters from the trenches from a British Tommy, and the 1920 diaries of Captain ... by Historical Fiction

25 min listen

Forgery, The French Resistance and The Book of Lost Names: Inspired by an amazing true story from World War II, a young woman with a talent for forgery helps hundreds of Jewish children flee the Nazis in an unforgettable historical novel. History Hit's Rob Weinberg talks to author Kristin Harmel about her... by Historical Fiction

21 min listen

Radar and The Winning of WWII: Under a Wartime Sky: As the threat of war with Germany hung over Britain, Winston Churchill gathered the country’s brightest minds at a remote gothic mansion in Suffolk to work together on an invention that could help the Allies to victory – the Chain Home radar system. Th... by Historical Fiction

27 min listen

Love and Loss in World War II: The Lost Lights of St Kilda: In 1940, the thoughts of a captured prisoner of war return to the isolated Scottish island of St Kilda – where he once took a summer job – and to the island woman he can’t forget. Alice Loxton talks to novelist Elisa... by Historical Fiction

21 min listen

Marie Curie on Film: The new film Radioactive charts the life and career of double Nobel Prize-winning physicist/chemist Marie Curie, woven together with the scientific developments and disasters that emerged from her discovery of radioactivity. In this edition of Historic... by Historical Fiction

30 min listen

Queen Anne’s Favourite: The Real Sarah Churchill: Sarah Churchill – Duchess of Marlborough – was the politically influential intimate and then, blackmailer of Queen Anne. Sarah Churchill was vividly brought to life in the film The Favourite, in which she was played by Rachel Weisz. But does the film d... by Historical Fiction

25 min listen

The Lost Words of Lady Jane Grey: In July 1553, 16-year-old Lady Jane Grey became de facto Queen of England and Ireland for just nine days. In a new novel Before the Reign Falls, a group of friends renovating an old barn chance upon a stash of manuscripts that reveal clues to ... by Historical Fiction

23 min listen

Napoleon: Propaganda and The Theatre: Few historical figures have made as much of an impact on the arts and popular culture as Napoleon Bonaparte, portrayed at times as a heroic visionary, and at others as comically short and bossy. But how does the Napoleon of novels, plays and films, com... by Historical Fiction

27 min listen

Forgotten Novels of World War II: In 2019 four novels that had long been out of print were re-published in the Imperial War Museum Wartime Classics series. It aims to give forgotten novels set in the Second World War a new lease of life. Two more have now been publish... by Historical Fiction

17 min listen

Marketing Hitler: Propaganda, Power and Post-truth: Adolf Hitler understood that persuasion was everything and was the prime mover in the propaganda regime of the Third Reich. For Hitler, everything was a propaganda medium – from typography to architecture, from film to the design of uniforms.... by Historical Fiction

37 min listen

Scandal, Intrigue and the Orange Revolution: Independence Square: Once a senior British diplomat in Kiev, Simon Davey lost everything after a lurid scandal. Back in London, still struggling with the aftermath of his disgrace, he is travelling on the Tube when he sees the woman he holds responsible for his downfall. S... by Historical Fiction

29 min listen

A Viking Dystopia: Loki’s Wager: In an alternative version of reality, Britain’s culture and traditions are rooted in the legacy of Norse pagans, the Royal Family are of Scandinavian descent, and Norwegians lead the crusades. In this edition of Historical Fiction, Alice Loxto... by Historical Fiction

26 min listen

The Deadly Dad’s Army: In Spite of All Terror: In September 1940, as Britain faced an imminent Nazi invasion, handpicked groups of ordinary men – known as scallywags – were trained in top secret to act as saboteurs and assassins. In a new series of wartime thrillers, author V.M. Knox has created th... by Historical Fiction

29 min listen

A Jewish assassin, a boxer and Kristallnacht: Champion: On 7 November 1938, 17-year old Polish Jew Herschel Grynszpan shot a Nazi official dead at the German embassy in Paris. The repercussions triggered a calamity which has been called the opening act of the Holocaust. In the novel Champi... by Historical Fiction

29 min listen

Philopoemen: The Last Greek: In 209 BC, as the most powerful empires in the world brawled over the spoils of a fading Greece, Philopoemen had a vision to stop the anarchy and endless wars. To preserve the homeland he loved, he raised an army to defend his countrymen from the power... by Historical Fiction

31 min listen

Evacuating Museums in World War II: The Animals at Lockwood Manor by Historical Fiction

20 min listen

Nazi Collaborator or Victim: Finding Klara: In the aftermath of World War Two, Clara – once a Nazi icon and heiress to the Falkenberg Iron Works – finds herself on the run, accused of complicity in her father’s war crimes. When she returns to her hometown of Essen, Clara finds everything she onc... by Historical Fiction

30 min listen

A Young Girl in Restoration London: The Strange Adventures of H: In 1660, with Charles II restored as King after Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth, an orphaned girl named H arrives in London, for a happier life with her Aunt. But the Plague and the Great Fire take away the people and the city that she loves.... by Historical Fiction

20 min listen

Degas in New Orleans: Estelle: When the painter Edgar Degas visits his French-Creole relatives in New Orleans in the 1870s, his cousin and sister-in-law Estelle encourages him to make portraits of their family members. One hundred years later, a young artist finds connectio... by Historical Fiction

16 min listen

The Rise of Richard the Lionheart: In 1179, rebellion was brewing against King Henry II. The King’s son Richard earns his name ‘Lionheart’, crushing rebels in Aquitaine but treachery and betrayal lurk around every corner. In his new novel Lionheart, Ben Kane – best-selling author of fic... by Historical Fiction

29 min listen

A Serial Killer Rocks Ancient Rome: The Grove of Caesars: In 1st century Rome, public gardens created by Julius Caesar have become dangerous haunts, especially for women alone. When her husband has to leave the city, Flavia Albia is left to supervise his building project in an old grotto. So... by Historical Fiction

29 min listen

Constantine’s Conquest of Rome: The Conqueror: In the year AD312 Rome is teetering on the brink of war and Constantine's army is on the move. On the Rhine frontier, a Germanic pagan joins the Roman army as a spy, while in Rome itself the pious daughter of a senator finds her self caught in ant... by Historical Fiction

34 min listen

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The Deadly Dad’s Army: In Spite of All Terror

The Deadly Dad’s Army: In Spite of All Terror

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