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The History Hour

BBC World Service
World War II
Nazi Germany
Taiwan
South Africa
Nelson Mandela
Greece
Apartheid
Second World War
Post-War Germany
Charleston Church Shooting
Paris Climate Agreement
Spain
Iran
Norway
Islamic State
Berlin Wall
Boko Haram
Ireland
Cyprus
United States

A compilation of the latest Witness History programmes.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes521Founded14 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistoryPersonal JournalsSociety & Culture

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Artwork for The History Hour

Latest Episodes

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes.

We hear a survivor's incredible archive account of living through the Siege of Paris in 1870. Sydney Snell was in her 80s when she recorded her memories with the BBC in 1946.... more

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes.

American artist Keith Haring's bold 1986 mural on the Berlin Wall and British naturalist Gerald Durrell's 1950s mission to save species from extinction.

We discuss other exa... more

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.

We hear about the tests on baby rhesus monkeys which would become some of the most controversial in modern science. Also, the chimpanzee who apparen... more

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.

We hear from one of the Peruvian pilots who secretly flew fighter jets to help Argentina during the Falklands War in 1982. We discuss with our guest... more

Key Facts

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Contact Information
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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Witness History
Witness HistoryBBC World Service
The Documentary Podcast
The Documentary PodcastBBC World Service
In Our Time
In Our TimeBBC Radio 4

Recent Guests

Alexandra Hildebrandt
Chairwoman of the Wall Museum at Checkpoint Charlie
Wall Museum at Checkpoint Charlie
Episode: The Berlin Wall mural and a new kind of zoo
Lucy Weir
Head of art history at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
Episode: The Berlin Wall mural and a new kind of zoo
Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando
Maltese MP who introduced the bill that led to Malta's divorce law
Episode: The Berlin Wall mural and a new kind of zoo
Péter Pallai
Hungarian uprising demonstrator and former BBC World Service journalist
BBC World Service
Episode: The Berlin Wall mural and a new kind of zoo
Frances Djulibing
Actor in Ten Canoes
Episode: The Berlin Wall mural and a new kind of zoo
Rose Lokonyen
800-metre runner for the first Refugee Olympic Team
Refugee Olympic Team
Episode: The Berlin Wall mural and a new kind of zoo
Megan McCubbin
Zoologist, wildlife broadcaster, author and conservationist
Episode: The chimpanzee who learned American sign language and monkeys in space
Jehan Sadat
Widow of Anwar Sadat, interviewed about her husband's assassination and peace efforts
Episode: The Falklands War and the assassination of Anwar Sadat
Maxime Aubert
Professor of Archaeology, Griffith University
Griffith University
Episode: Sulawesi's historic cave art and the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Host

Max Pearson
Host of The History Hour

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 2.2k ratings
  • Strangely blind

    Having listened to the podcast by Jad Abumrad called Fela Kuti - Fear No Man, I came looking for more about Fela Kuti and found your episode about Festac ‘77. But I was flabbergasted to hear you cover the festival, the military regime in Nigeria, the brutal treatment of Fela and his mother Funmilayo by soldiers, and not a single mention of the brutal colonisation by the British that led to all of this.

    Seems strangely blind for a history programme.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Deeol99
    Irelanda year ago
  • A diverse selection of historical happenings. Always worth a listen.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    listener alan
    a year ago
  • The first one

    The first time

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sufishuhu
    Switzerland2 years ago
  • Insulting review

    Well that’s just rude!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Vote2018
    United States2 years ago
  • Brilliant

    Well researched stories, 3-4 per episode, about aspects of history, both well known and totally obscure. Well presented, of course— it’s the BBC!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bilas Peles
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Audience appreciates original sources and expert context.
Shows strong archival sourcing and eyewitness voices, making history tangible.
Some reviews mention bias or pacing; overall positive reception of storytelling quality.
Broad range of topics keeps episodes fresh and insightful.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#180
United States/History
Apple Podcasts
#120
Canada/History
Apple Podcasts
#139
United Kingdom/History
Apple Podcasts
#39
Australia/History
Apple Podcasts
#150
France/History
Apple Podcasts
#164
Germany/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Berlin Wall mural and a new kind of zoo
Q: What happened to you once the Soviets regained control of the city?
Péter Pallai describes helping produce leaflets, then fleeing Hungary after his father warned him not to return home. He crossed the border with two others and later lived in exile for 28 years.
The Berlin Wall mural and a new kind of zoo
Q: And do they have an impact?
Lucy Weir says murals can become part of a community's living history, as in Northern Ireland, and that political art can make struggles visible to audiences far beyond the communities affected.
The chimpanzee who learned American sign language and monkeys in space
Q: The argument has always been that good things come from the science learned through animal experimentation. And that perhaps humans have achieved cures for illnesses and diseases and so forth, which would not have otherwise have been achieved without experimenting on animals and indeed on primates.
McCubbin acknowledges that animal studies may have contributed to past discoveries, but says present-day alternatives can produce more accurate and useful results. She points to synthetic methods, plants and chemical analysis as examples.
The chimpanzee who learned American sign language and monkeys in space
Q: So Megan, how far back did we humans first start worrying about the animals in animal experiments?
McCubbin says serious scrutiny came relatively recently, particularly with the UK's 1986 Animal Scientific Procedures Act and a 1997 policy banning great apes from scientific procedures. She describes increasingly strict licensing and the development of alternatives to animal testing.
The first Comic Con and making Oasis’ Wonderwall
Q: How did the 1964 New York Comic Con come together despite early setbacks?
Bernie Bubnis describes how a small team, working on fanzines and using personal funds, pivoted from failed early plans to relocate and finally establish the convention, relying on community, improvisation, and the commitment of a few key allies to turn an idea into a global movement.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The History Hour

What is The History Hour about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Structure focuses on global historical themes delivered through eyewitness accounts, archival recordings, and scholarly context. Episodes span decolonization, political repression, culture, science, and media history, often weaving personal testimonies with expert analysis to illuminate how memory shapes public understanding. Noteworthy is the show's pattern of cross-continental storytelling, blending archival material with contemporary reflections to bring long-forgotten or underrepresented moments to a broad audience. The program is likely to appeal to curious listeners who value original sources, nuanced storytelling, and a mix of political, cultural, and technological history framed by human experiences.

Where can I find podcast stats for The History Hour?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The History Hour. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The History Hour and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The History Hour get?

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What are the audience demographics for The History Hour?

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How many subscribers and views does The History Hour have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The History Hour has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The History Hour?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The History Hour:

1. Witness History
2. The Documentary Podcast
3. HistoryExtra podcast
4. In Our Time
5. Dan Snow's History Hit

How many episodes of The History Hour are there?

The History Hour launched 14 years ago and published 521 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The History Hour?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The History Hour?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The History Hour from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The History Hour?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The History Hour. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The History Hour?

Recent guests on The History Hour include:

1. Alexandra Hildebrandt
2. Lucy Weir
3. Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando
4. Péter Pallai
5. Frances Djulibing
6. Rose Lokonyen
7. Megan McCubbin
8. Jehan Sadat

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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