Was Caesar's invasion of Britain a disaster?

Was Caesar's invasion of Britain a disaster?

Author: History Hit July 30, 2026 Duration: 34:25

Today, we trace Julius Caesar’s dramatic invasions into Britain - two bold expeditions that tested Rome’s reach at the very edge of the known world. Ships were battered by storms, soldiers struggled with unfamiliar tides, and British warriors offered fierce resistance. Caesar never secured a lasting conquest of the island - so what drove him to try? Military necessity, retribution or a calculated move in his rivalry with figures like Pompey?


Joining us is historian and author Simon Elliott to unpack the politics, ambition and spectacle behind these campaigns, and to explore how these risky ventures helped shape the larger-than-life reputation that still defines Caesar today.


Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.


We need your help! Let us know what you want from Dan Snow's History Hit by filling in our anonymous survey here: https://forms.gle/PvgayWLkWGjYT4St6


Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcast


Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.


We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.


You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


There’s history you might recall from a textbook, and then there’s the kind that feels like you’re standing right there in the moment. Dan Snow's History Hit is firmly in the latter category. Hosted by the historian Dan Snow, this podcast doesn't just recount dates and facts; it transports you. Each episode is built from Dan's travels to the actual locations where history unfolded, from the echoing floor of the Roman Colosseum to the silent expanse of the Waterloo battlefields and the awe-inspiring presence of the Great Wall of China. The conversations dig into the compelling human stories-the motivations of heroes and villains, the engineering behind great monuments, and the pivotal decisions that changed everything. You’ll hear the how and why behind the world's most defining events, delivered with a palpable sense of place and curiosity. New episodes arrive twice weekly, on Mondays and Thursdays, with additional subscriber episodes every other Friday, making this a consistently engaging dive into our shared past. It’s a history podcast that treats the subject not as a static record, but as a living, breathing narrative waiting to be explored.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Dan Snow's History Hit
Podcast Episodes
Was Henry VIII England's Most Evil King? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:47
This is the turbulent reign of that infamous Tudor monarch, Henry VIII. His spectacularly complicated love life, break with Rome, political executions and ruthless pursuit of power. Today we examine his rule and the many…
The Making of Osama bin Laden [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:02
A deep dive into the rise and fall of Osama bin Laden, from his affluent childhood in Saudi Arabia to his assassination during the biggest manhunt in modern history. For this, Dan is joined by Jason Burke, author of 'The…
Marco Polo and The Court of the Great Kublai Khan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:48
No throne on Earth came close to rivalling it. The court of Kublai Khan stood at the centre of an empire that threw every other power of its age into shadow. Vast and wealthy beyond comprehension, it seemed a world away…
The Naval Revolution: Triumph and Disaster [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:58
A deafening impact, a shattered destroyer, and a legacy that completely revolutionised warfare at sea.When HMS Tiger sank beneath the waves one dark night in 1908, over half of her crew were lost to the depths, and the n…
The Fall of the Ancient Maya [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:33
What happens when a civilisation at its peak begins to fail? Historians have long been fascinated by the Maya Collapse in the 9th century: why the great cities of Mesoamerica were abandoned, why their populations disappe…
The Rise of the Ancient Maya [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:31
For more than 3,000 years, the Maya built one of the Ancient world's greatest civilisations. They raised towering pyramids in the rainforest, mastered the environment and established powerful dynasties- long before the r…
The Blitz Beyond London [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:31
Newcastle, Liverpool, Glasgow, Cardiff - all of these places and more were bombed during the Blitz. From the devastated shipyards of Tyneside to the bombed-out docks of Shieldhall, we strip away the myth of the Blitz spi…
A Short History of The Airport [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:00
It’s where our ancient instincts to travel, to trade, to reunite with family and explore meet modern technology and innovation. From muddy airfields to gleaming cathedrals of designer shopping, fancy restaurants and even…
The Mycenaean World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:05
Before 1200 BC, the ancient world was more connected than you'd ever imagine. Egyptian pharaohs, Hittite emperors and Mycenaean warrior-kings trading gifts, forging alliances and going to war across the glittering Medite…
BONUS: The Complete Map of the Odyssey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:54
A special video podcast where Dan charts the course of Odysseus through the Mediterranean as he investigates the true places that could have inspired the Odyssey. Using his new Big Pad, Dan investigates the theories of a…