My 42 Favorite Ongoing History Podcasts

Each morning as I prepare to take my dog for a walk I refresh my podcast app in order to see if any of my many subscriptions have published a new episode. In the few moments it takes to refresh I sometimes imagine what I would do if every single ongoing history podcast that I follow were to have published an episode at the same time. So far that has never happened, but nonetheless, the moment brings up a great question. If every podcast I follow had a new episode, which episode would I listen to first?

I have decided to explore this question by making a list of my 42 favorite history podcasts ordered from which show I would listen to last to which show I would listen to first. I would, of course, eventually listen to all of the episodes; partially because I love all of these shows and partially because I have a podcast problem/addiction, but an order would have to be decided. “Why 42?” you may ask, well 42 is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything; so why not?

The one rule I had for this list is that it has to at least be realistic that the show would update with a new episode. That means I did not include any retired shows (sorry Lars Brownworth and Neil MacGregor) and the show has to have an episode dropped in 2018. 

42. This Podcast is Doomed

I have loved this podcast so far and I had previously loved the predecessor, the Thank You Rob Podcast. The reason I kept this show lower on my list is two fold. One, This Podcast is Doomed is a newer show with only a handful of episodes out so far so it is still winning the listener loyalty. Two, it could be argued that this show is more of a music/entertainment podcast, but I am including it on this list as it deals directly with modern music history. The show has covered Grunge, the Beatles, Leslie Gore and Nina Simone, and Prince. So with the aspect of covering recent music history I am including it in my list and I would encourage you giving it a listen.

https://www.thispodcastisdoomed.com/

41. The Football History Dude

This is also a newer podcast that just launched in April. I was lucky enough to find it through Twitter and am happy I did. Beyond history one of my favorite hobbies is football, specifically the NFL and Fantasy Football, so a combination of football and history is right up my alley. Host Arnie is off to a great start and I look forward to watching the show grow.

https://www.thefootballhistorydude.com/

40. The History of Germany

The History of Germany Podcast is a great show from a fellow Travis. This Travis, the host, is Travis J. Dow. He is taking us on the epic journey that is German history that started way back with the Proto-Germans and eventually will get to today. The nine part series that documented the Germans and the Romans through to the sack of Rome made for a fascinating story from the perspective of the barbarians, which is not often the perspective we get to enjoy. The end of that series and the fall of the Romans, however, has allowed this podcast to grow ever more interesting.

http://www.podcastnik.com/history-of-germany-podcast

39. The History of Poland

I will admit that prior to listening to this podcast I had a very limited knowledge of Polish history. Sure, I knew about World War II and the various partitions, but not a lot else. This podcast is another great addition to the narrative history of a singular place. Host Trevor Gilbert has put together a great start to the show and I look forward to the continued struggle against the Mongols, Ottoman Empire, and literally every European power. Plus, can you really say no to a show where the first episode is titled, “Rats!”

https://www.historyofpolandpodcast.com/

38. The History of China

The History of china Podcast has been chugging along through the massive history of China since 2013 and has only gotten better with age. The host, Chris, is doing a wonderful job of taking us along on a story that spans 5000 years. I really enjoyed the recent episode, ‘A Song of Rice and Flour.’ For one, the episode name is hilarious. For two, the episode does a tremendous job of talking about one of the most important pieces of any country, its food and for China that specifically means its rice.

https://thehistoryofchina.wordpress.com/

37. Well Behaved

Riffing on the well known quote from Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, “well behaved women seldom make history,” hosts Molly Ruben-Long and Ariel Elias tell the story of women who changed history, but did not make it into public school history books. Both hosts are comedians and they share from their lives as well as their subjects, which can be different from your standard history podcast, but in an enjoyable way that can help break up the monotony of the standard narrative histories.

https://wellbehaved.libsyn.com/

36. Latin American History

Latin American history is one that can be easy to overlook or only tell as a periphery of the story in terms of colonialism. However, as this podcast shows it is a story worth telling by itself and after subscribing fairly early in the show’s run I have come to really enjoy the story of Latin America. The host, Max, has an excellent way of explaining the complex history and he really brings the extremes of the region’s history to life.

https://latinamericanhistory.podiant.co/

35. History Unplugged

History Unplugged offers a nice combination of interview and audience questions. This allows the show flexibility from episode to episode that keeps me entertained each and every episode. My personal favorite series was the Presidential Fight Club because not only did it give great information about the Presidents, but I like to imagine historical figures fighting. It would just be interesting to be able to watch these giants of history resort to fisticuffs to be named the best. Plus, who doesn’t want to know who would win in a fight between John Adams and John Quincy Adams?

https://art19.com/shows/history-unplugged

34. HI101

HI101 is a little different from a lot of the shows on this list as it draws on guest hosts to help tell the stories of various historical topics in a conversational rather than lecture style. The show recently covered King Arthur and previously covered such topics as Alchemy, Occultism and American Expansion. Adam keeps the narrative running and it is easy to get lost in each and every episode.

http://www.hi101.ca/

33. 10 American Presidents

Most podcasts on this list and most podcasts in general are more of the independent shows where the host writes, records, edits and posts their shows. 10 American Presidents is a little bit different in that it is centered around a producer who works with other podcasters and experts to tell the story of different American Presidencies. That producer: Roifield Brown. Roifield emerged on the podcast scene with How Jamaica Conquered the world and he has brought that same amazing production value to this show. With hosts like Dan Carlin, Mike Duncan, Zack Twamley and doing an episode himself this podcast is full of amazing talent and it delivers the content.

http://www.10usp.com/

32. Shot of History

The Shot of History Podcast does not refer to a snapshot of history, no, it is much better. The shot is alcohol. The host, Cody, takes a rather unique approach by teaching us about history through the story of alcohol. Alcohol has been with us humans since the dawn of civilization and this show gets into the depths of the people and events that shape the way we drink.

http://shotsofhistory.com/

31. History in the Making

History in the Making is brought to us from host Rob and he uses character focused storytelling to tell the story of history. He recently completed his 27 episode first season which covered classical Greece, specifically the Peloponnesian Wars. The Peloponnesian Wars has been fascinating historians for 2400 years ever since one of the first historians, Thucydides, wrote his ‘The History of the Peloponnesian War.’ Rob does a fantastic job of recreating the drama of this old war and I cannot wait for season 2.

http://www.hitmpodcast.com/

30. Viking Age Podcast

The Vikings are one of the most interesting groups of people of all-time. Many of the shows on this list have a need to mention the Vikings as they pretty much invaded everywhere. The Viking Age Podcast finally shines the spotlight on these fascinating warrior people and Lee does a terrific job of bringing these Scandinavians to life.

http://vikingagepodcast.com/

29. The History of the United States

A history Of Podcasts from Jamie Refern are always great. His Hannibal and the Punic Wars was a masterpiece, Alexander the Great was shorter but no less amazing and of course we have to mention the Arab Spring. Jamie is now lending his skills to the United States and as we approach episode 100 I am sure glad he did. The show is great as it starts with Jamestown and as we have not even made it to independence yet we are really just getting started.

http://thehistoryofpodcast.blogspot.com/

28. The History of World War II

Ray Harris, Jr. is one of the greats when it comes to history podcasting. The History of World War II Podcast has been around since New Year’s Eve 2011 and is just delightful in the sheer amount of details it gives on a war that engulfed the globe. With over 200 episodes this show is sure to fill any gaps in your knowledge of the struggle between the Axis and Allied Powers.

https://worldwariipodcast.net/

27. Ancient Warfare Magazine

War, huh, what is it good for? Well, for one thing an incredibly interesting podcast about ancient warfare. The Magazine portion of the podcast title might make you pause, but in my opinion the magazine is not required reading, but instead just adds. For instance, in April the show had an episode about why the host loves Ancient Warfare. It is a great episode and if you love ancient warfare then you are sure to love this podcast.

https://thehistorynetwork.org/category/podcasts/ancient-warfare-magazine/

26. The Civil War Podcast

Move over Ken Burns there is a new king and queen of the Civil War and it is Rich and Tracy. With well over 200 episodes this show can be a little daunting to start as you aren’t sure how you will ever catch up, but take my word for it it is worth every minute. The Civil War has a tendency to either be entirely too simplified, skipped over or just seem like a mess. Rich and Tracy have dedicated themselves to wading through all of that to deliver a concise show with a straight forward telling of the bloodiest war in US History.

http://civilwarpodcast.org/

25. The History of Ancient Greece Podcast

THoAG is great. Like the host, Ryan, I am definitely a Philhellene, lover of Greece, and this podcast gives the perfect dose of Greek history in my podcast feed. The show begins, as all ancient history podcasts do, with the mythological past. Prior to listening I was already rather familiar with the myths and the general outline of Greek history. This is why my favorite episodes and parts of the show are when Ryan dives into the culture. The Ancient Greeks are renowned throughout the world for their culture and it is very nice to be steeped in it while listening to this fantastic show. Plus this show has some of the best episode names in the business.

http://www.thehistoryofancientgreece.com/

24. The British History Podcast

One of my favorite things about the British History Podcast is that it is truly a British History Podcast and by that I mean the host, Jamie, takes the time to tell the history of the British people rather than just episode after episode about the next English or Scottish King and when a Kingdom has as grand personalities as some of those kings did the ability to keep the common people in view is truly admirable. At the same time though Jamie still gets into the high politics and bloody battles to keep everything from getting dull.

https://www.thebritishhistorypodcast.com/

23. Stuff You Missed in History Class

Stuff You Missed in History Class has become a podcasting institution and is commonly one of the most popular shows for history podcasts. The show is also one of the most consistent shows and will always give you something to listen to each and every week. For instance in April they released 13 different episodes, though 4 of them were classics, but 9 is still a great number of shows to add to my library. Check it out and you will quickly learn why it is so popular.

https://www.missedinhistory.com/

22. Early and Often: The History of Elections in America

Host David Severa starts this show by bringing us back to the founding of Jamestown where the first election occurs in the lands of what would become the United States. I have long been a fan of American history and I greatly enjoy the decision to tell the story of the United States through the influence of elections. As we grow closer to the American Revolution I look forward to following the show to explore the way these elections and colonial government experiences inform what would eventually form the United States Constitution. Once we get to the Constitution then the real fun will begin!

https://earlyandoftenpodcast.wordpress.com/

21. The History of the Ottoman Empire

As a fan of the History of Rome and History of Byzantium Podcasts the natural next stop on the Empire bandwagon is the History of the Ottoman Empire. The logical next jump of the Empire Train is only the reason I typed Ottoman into the podcast search field one day and has nothing to do with the reason why I stayed on with this podcast. Host Lynn Perkins has put together a remarkable podcast series thus far and he has the academic chops of a Master’s Degree in Middle Eastern Studies to back up his take on such a huge endeavor as the Ottomans. I have personally enjoyed the Magnificent tales of Suleiman and if you do not understand why that is funny then you should check out this podcast now. 

http://www.thehistoryoftheottomanempire.com/

20. In Our Time

Perhaps it is cheating to place a podcast that was being produced as a radio show before podcasts were even a thing, but I did not discover the program until it became a podcast and I have only ever experienced the show in a podcast app so I think it counts. Melvyn Bragg has been creating this absolutely phenomenal series for going on 20 years now and I personally hope he keeps it up for another 20! The BBC has become one of my favorite producers of podcasts and this is one of their greatest projects.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qykl/episodes/downloads

19. A History of Europe, Key Battles

I have long enjoyed military history; specifically the descriptions of battles. The one difficulty that I have noticed in podcasts is that so much of what I enjoyed in my studies of military history are the charts and visual representations of battle as they really helped to illustrate what happened during the battle. Obviously having the visual representation is not always possible in an audio podcast (sure you can look on the website, but how often does a listener actually do that?). Carl has put together a battle history podcast that rises above that difficulty to create a superb podcast. He gives great descriptions so that the listener is able to picture the battle without the use of images and the multiple episode arcs to cover a battle allows Carl to provide both sides of the story so that we get a full picture of these key battles.

http://www.historyeurope.net/

18. Our Fake History

What if MythBusters had been on the history channel rather than the Discovery Channel? Well, then they might have called it Our Fake History! This podcast explores the myths that people think are history along with the actual history that is hidden within myths. This podcast is fun and has nice dosage of humor, but it is also quite informative making a nice combination to form an entertaining history podcast. It is definitely my opinion that you should make Sebastian a part of your day.

http://ourfakehistory.com/

17. How It Began: A History of the Modern World

This podcast was launched in 2017 and has been quickly rising up this list ever since I discovered it and if I update this list next year I would not be surprised to find it solidly in my top ten. Host Brad Harris describes the show as a cinematic-like history podcast. By that he means it includes high production value, a nice score, and excellent story-telling. My personal favorite episode so far has been ‘Wolves to Dogs,’ but episodes on the Stock Market and Refrigeration have also been spectacular.

16. Second Decade

I was originally introduced to the work of Sean Munger when his book Zombies of Byzantium was mentioned on The History of Byzantium Podcast. That is a fictional book about what would happen if the Byzantine Empire had been invaded by zombies in the 8^th century CE. The Second Decade has shown that he is just as good at non-fiction as he is fiction. Second Decade tells the story of the second decade of the 19^th century, the 1810’s. His recent episode on the Zulus is the perfect episode to create an addiction.

https://seconddecade.net/

15. History of the Papacy Podcast

Steve started the History of the Papacy Podcast back in 2013. Since then he has been putting out excellent main canon and sidetrack episodes. I particularly love the Arian Century series as the Arian heresy has quickly become one of my favorite impacts on history that can be pretty easy to glaze over when talking about general world history.

https://www.atozhistorypage.com/papacy

14. The Age of Napoleon

Napoleon, you know him, you love or hate him, but either way you have definitely heard of him. Napoleon is an individual whose footprints and fingerprints are on much of the past 200 years of history (thank you for Louisiana and the Napoleonic Code, less thank you for other thing.). As Napoleon is so famous he has been mentioned in many podcasts, on both ones on this list and ones not on this list. Can you get too much of Napoleon? If you haven’t listened to the Age of Napoleon then that answer is a resounding no.

https://ageofnapoleon.libsyn.com/website

13. Tides of History

The Tides of History is the follow-up to the wildly popular The Fall of Rome Podcast both from Patrick Wyman. In Tides we get a nice mix of different subjects from the transformation of Latin into the Romance languages to the Age of Discovery. We also get some phenomenal interviews with truly interesting history personalities. The first interview was with Mike Duncan about his at the time forthcoming book and more recently we have been treated with an interview with Roger Crowley about Portuguese Voyages to India.

https://wondery.com/shows/tides-of-history/

12. Giants of History

Regardless of your opinion on the ‘great man theory,’ I still think it is highly enjoyable to learn about the lives of some of the Giants of History. This podcast provides exactly that piece of enjoyment and by dedicating multiple episodes to the biggest historical figures we are treated to hours of learning about these individuals rather than a simple twenty minute episode so that we actually can learn something new about these figures whose names are already familiar. With series on Teddy Roosevelt, Che Guevara, Cleopatra and many others there is something for everyone.

http://www.giantsofhistorypodcast.com/

11. History of Philosophy without any gaps

Professor Peter Adamson hosts this cornerstone of the history podcasting genre. I have always thought that the ‘without any gaps’ piece was quite a boast, but with over 300 episodes this show is quickly looking to realize that lofty title. I love learning about thought and any series that can put together the ideas and lives of the prominent philosophers who shaped the way we think today while also putting it all into an historical context is well worth the time.

https://historyofphilosophy.net/

10. The Eastern Border Podcast

One of my favorite things about podcasts is their ability to allow us to hear perspectives that we may not get on a regular basis. The Eastern Border is one of those unique perspectives. The host, Kristaps, lives in Riga, Latvia and was educated at the University of Latvia. This allows for a fascinating take on Eastern European history along with some great Soviet and Russian jokes. Also, if we were going to make list of best accents for podcast hosts who would we nominate for the list? Kristaps? Daniele? Who would win?

http://theeasternborder.lv/

9. The History of Egypt Podcast

As a child Ancient Egypt was my second historical love (the first was Greece) so it seems natural that an Egyptian history podcast would be right up my alley. However, I have found that the difficult part about having a long standing interest in period in history is that I have read about, taken classes about, been to museum exhibits dedicated to and conducted independent research into that historical period and that means I can spend whole podcast episodes saying, “yeah, I know. Yep, knew that,” instead of spending my time enjoying every minute. That is the great thing about Dominic and the History of Egypt Podcast. Dominic holds a Masters in Egyptology and uses that specialized education to dig a little deeper and explain things in a meaningful way so that people like me with pre-knowledge of the period are able to enjoy the show just as much as someone new to the material.

https://egyptianhistorypodcast.com/

8. Backstory

Backstory is long running show, launched in 2008, and was one of the inspirations for my show, the Why Is That Podcast. The concept behind the show is that hosts are U.S. historians who base each show on current events from the previous week to look at the history or the backstory of these events. It provides a fascinating tale that explores the different perspectives and where these perspectives come from.

https://www.backstoryradio.org/

7. The History of English Podcast

Based on the Why Is That Podcast’s episodes about the origins of the names of our months (episode 1) and the phrase ‘I Don’t Give a Damn’ (episode 4), it is rather obvious that I love the history and development of language. In the History of English Podcast Kevin guides us on the fascinating journey of the English language on its way to becoming a global language. While it would probably make the most sense to just start from the beginning, if you have never listened and you want to test whether or not you will like the show I might point to the recent episode 107: Parlez-Vous Anglais? We get a nice English proclamation in that episode.

http://historyofenglishpodcast.com/

6. The History Chicks

The History Chicks cover various women throughout history in episodes that typically range to somewhere around an hour and a half. They do not follow a specific chronology (though the website keeps track of that if you have a specific time period of interest), but instead locate jump from one fascinating topic to the next as they please. As one of the many people obsessed with the Hamilton Musical I loved their episode on the Schuyler Sisters. Ever since hearing the musical for the first time I was convinced that Eliza was the real hero of the story so it was great to be able to flush her story out a little more as I was previously more familiar with the Founding Fathers rather than the Founding Mothers. Plus Amanda Vaill was a great guest.

http://thehistorychicks.com/

5. History on Fire

Host Daniele Bolelli has created a show in the mold of Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History in which the university professor tells sweeping epics of history. My favorite episode goes all the way back to episode 3 The Iceman, but even though we have continued for another 30 episodes Daniele has continued to offer high quality history and his recent team up with the aforementioned Darryl Cooper was masterful.

http://historyonfirepodcast.com/

4. When Diplomacy Fails

When Diplomacy Fails is one of my favorite names of any podcast in any genre; it conjures an idea and an image in your head while not being so specific that it restricts the host to a single subject. The show is also one of my favorite twitter follows (@wdfpodcast), but that is really beside the point of this article. Zack guides us through the tense series of the Korean War, Cold War, the Long War and many others. If you have never heard the podcast I would suggest starting with the many remastered episodes that were posted last summer in celebration of 5 fantastic years; you will not regret it.

http://www.wdfpodcast.com/

3. The History of Byzantium

The History of Byzantium Podcast picks up where the History of Rome left off and gives us all the details the details of Eastern Roman Empire that continued for almost another millennia after the West fell. The official line is that this podcast will tell the story of the Roman Empire from 476 to 1453. We have currently reached the year 1025 and I for one cannot wait to get into the days of the Crusades. Plus the host, Robin, is headed off to Istanbul after a successful Kickstarter and I am anxiously awaiting the descriptions and videos from that adventure.

https://thehistoryofbyzantium.com/

2. Revolutions

No introduction is needed for the host and podcasting great Mike Duncan. Originally known for the History of Rome Podcast, Revolutions has actually surpassed the old Rome epic in number of episodes and each one of them has been fantastic. His story telling ability, humor and ability to make sense of complex events highlight the great aspects of the show. If you have ever wanted to learn more about the English Civil War, American Revolution, French Revolution, Haitian Revolution or the year 1848 then this is the place to start. An added bonus is this show is one of the most reliable out there. You can expect that every Sunday a new episode will be added; at least until the year 2021.

http://www.revolutionspodcast.com/

1. The Ancient World

The Ancient World is hosted by Scott and he recently completed his third series within the show. This series was called Bloodlines and traced the generations from Cleopatra to Zenobia. He has yet to announce the subject of series four, but the nice back catalogue of episodes is sure to delight. The episodes are usually around 30 minutes long and are very meticulously researched. His voice makes you feel as though you are listening to an old friend describe these wondrous moments of history.

http://ancientworldpodcast.blogspot.com/

-1. The Why Is That Podcast

The Why Is That Podcast is my podcast so based on the rules of this list if my show had a new episode at the same time as the other 42 shows then I would have already listened to it since I edited it. The show explores the origins of today’s common occurrences. Some of the topics include why the Pope is the supreme Catholic Church authority, why Istanbul is not Constantinople and the history behind the separation of powers. Episodes average around 15 minutes per episode and with the variety of topics there is something for everyone. If you liked the rest of my list then I think you will like this show too.

https://www.acast.com/whyisthatpodcast

That does it for my list of favorite podcasts. If I missed one of your favorite podcasts please let me know. There is a chance I have never heard of it and I always need another podcast to listen to while I walk Bubbles. If you end up listening to any new shows from this list I would love to know which ones you check out and what you think. You can comment below and you can be sure I will reply.