This Is Dan Snow's History Hit

Cover Image for the collection 'This Is Dan Snow's History Hit'

Essential listening for history buffs and culture enthusiasts

By The Blinkist Curators

What's it about?

The Blinkist Shortcast of Dan Snow's History Hit explores historical events to reveal how learning from the past can benefit your future. In this collection of the top 5 episodes, you'll find lessons in leadership from Joan of Arc and World War One generals, cautionary tales for risk-takers, and learn how our unconscious biases can influence written history.

This Is Dan Snow's History Hit

Essential listening for history buffs and culture enthusiasts

Joan of Arc: The Importance of Morale

Joan of Arc: The Importance of Morale

Whether you’re the CEO of a company, captain of a football team, or commanding a medieval army—maintaining high morale among colleagues is crucial for success. High morale can make the impossible possible, whereas low morale can bring everything to a crashing halt. In this episode, Dan dives into the story of one of the most effective morale-boosters in history: Joan of Arc.

Caligula and Nero: The Men Behind the Madness

Caligula and Nero: The Men Behind the Madness

It’s common practice to place labels on others. We hear one or two memorable anecdotes, and that’s all we remember about someone. But how much does this cause us to miss? In this episode, Dan hears about two notoriously "mad" Roman Emperors, Caligula and Nero, and how their stories might be a little more complex than their reputations lead us to believe.

Archeology: Discoveries and Historical Biases

Archeology: Discoveries and Historical Biases

How much can a burial really tell us about our ancient past? In this episode, Dan hears about how new DNA analysis techniques can reveal where our ancestors came from, what they ate, and what they can tell us about our own preconceived notions of the past.

Alexander's Successors: Quitting While You’re Ahead

Alexander's Successors: Quitting While You’re Ahead

What can the theft of Alexander the Great’s corpse tell us about quitting while we’re ahead? Depends how much you’re willing to lose. In this episode, Dan hears about the almost unbelievable tale of what happened after Alexander died, and how always wanting more can sometimes leave you with nothing.

The Western Front: The End of the Superstar General

The Western Front: The End of the Superstar General

The generals of the first World War are some of the most criticized military figures in history. But do they really deserve their bad rap? In this episode, you'll learn how transitioning from the Napoleonic idea of a one-man army to a strategy of teamwork made all the difference for the leaders in command of the fabled Western Front.

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