Hardcore History
Dan Carlin · History · Military & War
Community rating
Read and write reviewsMulti-hour narrative history, a few episodes a year. Regularly called the best history podcast made; the only complaints are the wait between episodes and that the host is a storyteller, not an academic.
Praised for
- Gripping storytelling: listeners describe finishing a four-hour episode in one sitting.
- 'Blueprint for Armageddon' (WWI) and 'Supernova in the East' (Pacific War) are the usual starting points.
- Makes listeners feel they finally understand events school skipped over.
Common criticisms
- Only one or two episodes a year; older ones are paid.
- Not an academic historian; some simplifications and dramatic framing.
- Episodes are very long and not easy to listen to in pieces.
Sources
Just finished Blueprint for Armageddon. I feel robbed by high school. · r/historyr/dancarlin — the show's own community · r/dancarlinReviews on Apple Podcasts ↗Find on Spotify ↗
Summary written by The Pods from public discussion; it is not a quote. Last checked 2026-11-05.
Summaries are written by The Pods in its own words from public discussion; they are not quotes and not endorsements. Reddit threads belong to their authors. Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not make their star ratings available to other sites, so we link to them instead of copying them. The Pods has no affiliation with Reddit, Apple or Spotify. Own a show and disagree with a summary? Email hello@thepodatlas.com.