Retracing The REAL Great Viking Army | With Dan Snow and Dr Cat Jarman

Ahead of the coronation of King Charles III, historian Dan Snow reviews depictions of kings and queens of England and Great Britain in famous movies, from Edward I to George VI. First up, he rates Colin Firth's depiction of the stammering George VI in 'The King's Speech' (2010), with sibling rivalry within the royal family popping up as a theme. Next, it's Queen Anne as played by Olivia Colman in 'The Favourite' (2018). Dan thinks we should give more credit to Queen Anne for her role in making Britain a global power. Inaccuracies in the chilling portrayal of Edward I 'Longshanks' in the 90s blockbuster Braveheart (1995) also come under scrutiny. Interactions between Edward and the Prince of Wales, who would go on to become Edward II, are seen as particularly problematic. Kenneth Branagh played Shakespeare's Henry V in a movie of the same name, but how close to reality is the famous speech given by Henry before the Battle of Agincourt? 'The Madness of King George' (1994) is up for review next. Dan discusses the complicated relationship between George

Dan Snow interviews Chris Stringer about human evolution, neanderthals, new science and migration patterns. Humans are everywhere. How did we get from the savannahs of Africa across to the most northern reaches of Alaska and Greenland, to the outbacks of Australia and the islands of the Pacific millennia ago? How did we master fire, figure out how to craft tools and survive the Ice Ages? In this episode, Dan is joined by Professor Chris Stringer, Research Leader in Human Evolution at London's Natural History Museum, to talk about how Homo Sapiens managed to outlive other human cousins like Neanderthals and Denisovans, cross oceans, shape landscapes and one day, build cities and space shuttles. You can now become a History Hit member right here on the original video platform! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.

Iszi Lawrence, comedian, podcaster and history presenter rates portrayals of pirates in four Hollywood movies. Iszi worked on the Netflix documentary 'The Lost Pirate Kingdom' and is the author of Blackbeard's Treasure, a tale set in the eighteenth century during the golden age of piracy in the Caribbean. Iszi first reviews scenes from 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' (2003). She thinks Johnny Depp's portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow as a 'rockstar' is accurate, given contemporary perceptions of pirate captains. Next, she looks at modern piracy in 'Captain Phillips' (2013), which recreates the true story of the Maersk Alabama hijacking by Somali pirates. Scenes from the classic film 'Treasure Island' (1950) are broken down next. Robert Newton's version of Long John Silver, with his distinct West Country accent, has been credited with creating the archetypal pirate for modern film. Finally, Iszi reviews more humorous depictions of pirates in 'Muppet Treasure Island' (1996), starring Tim Curry as Long John Silver.

From the iconic Huey helicopter to the brutal B-52 bomber, the Vietnam War saw America unleash their incredible air power. Discover how the aerial assaults led by these war machines proved too much for the North Vietnamese Army. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

Oscar Wilde was a famous Victorian queer icon for his writing, for fame itself but also for his scandals. Merlin Holland has studied the life of his grandfather and is meeting with Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling to talk about Wilde's legacy, trials, affairs, prison and the impact on his family. You can now become a History Hit member right here on the original video platform! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more. History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Could You Survive in the Duke of Wellington's Army?' During the Napoleonic Wars the British Army experienced a time of rapid change. At the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793, the army was a small, awkwardly administered force of barely 40,000 men. By the end of the period, the numbers had vastly increased to over a quarter of a million soldiers by 1813. Whilst the battlefields of the early 1800s looked similar to those of centuries gone by, with columns of infantry advancing slowly toward the enemy musket volleys, the British army was starting to diversify, adding specialised and elite units to its forces. In this video, History Hit presenters Luke Tomes (@histluketomes) and Louee Dessent (@loueedj) join the Coldstream Guards 1815 and 95th Rifles - reenactment groups representing real units that served in the Peninsular War and helped to defeat Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo… You can find out more about the groups here: Together, they'll find out how your regiment in the Duke of Wellington’s army would shape your experience on the battlefield and determine