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 from medieval Europe. Yet one young Venetian made the staggering 4-year journey, and wrote down everything that he saw. His name was Marco Polo.

Today, Dan draws on Marco's extraordinary diary to take you on a journey across deserts, mountains and oceans, to glimpse the splendour and spectacle of this medieval superpower.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Natasha Hughes.

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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 nation went into mourning. But this was more than a tragic, peacetime accident. It was a warning that the age of steam, steel and speed had transformed warfare faster than navies could adapt. And the sinking of HMS Tiger revealed the hidden dangers and profound upheavals of this naval revolution.

Today we're joined by expert divers and wreck specialists Dan, Dave and Leo, who have just discovered the wreck of HMS Tiger, 118 years after her sinking. They tell us all about this remarkable find, and the advent of a revolutionary new class of warship - the destroyer.

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.

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

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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 disappeared, and why the construction of magnificent monuments came to a halt.

To trace the story of this mighty fall, Dan travels to the ancient Maya cities hidden in the jungles of Belize to investigate star wars, climate crisis, Spanish conquest and Maya resistance. He also ventures deep into Belize's extraordinary cave system with archaeologist Dr Rafael Guerra to uncover how the ancient Maya turned to human sacrifice in an attempt to appease forces beyond their control- leading to an astonishing discovery.

If you'd like to visit any of the places mentioned in this episode, like the ancient cities of Caracol, Lamanai or Belize's many caves, you can find out more at www.travelbelize.org.

If you want more Maya history, you can sign up to watch our History Hit documentary The Secrets of the Maya at https://access.historyhit.com/videos/secrets-of-the-maya

With huge thanks to Jonnell Augustine and Simon Noralez from the Belize Tourism Board, Natalie Wilson and Gabriella Bustone from Finn Partners. Thank you to all our contributors, including archaeologists Dr Adrian Chase, Dr Rafael Guerra, guide Reuben Arevalo and Juan Cal.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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