Echoes of History

Assassin's Creed Shadows gives us the chance to explore the places where history occurred. One such place is recreated in remarkable detail: Azuchi Castle. Built by Oda Nobunaga as his ultimate stronghold, not only was its site of huge strategic significance, but it revolutionised Japanese castle-building and lent its name to a new era of Japanese history: the Azuchi-Momoyama period.

Professor Oleg Benesch, author of Japanese Ca...

Chasing Shadows 4. Warfare

Assassin's Creed Shadows gives players the chance to experience history as two icons of medieval Japan: samurai and shinobi (known today as ninja). In this special series, Matt Lewis and Professor Eric Rath from the University of Kansas take an in-depth look at how these legendary warriors lived and answer the question, what is the difference between samurai and shinobi?

This episode thrusts us int...

Assassin's Creed Shadows introduces us to some of Japan's mightiest historical leaders. Yet, "beside every great man is an ever greater woman". One of the women behind the great unifiers of this era was Lady Nene. Wife of Toyotomi HIdeyoshi, one of the highest-ranking men in Sengoku Japan, she arguably wielded as much political sway as her husband… 

Matt Lewis is joined once again by Lesley Downer to explain the role Lady N...

Chasing Shadows 3. Weapons

Assassin's Creed Shadows gives players the chance to experience history as two icons of medieval Japan: samurai and shinobi (known today as ninja). In this special series, Matt Lewis and Professor Eric Rath from the University of Kansas take an in-depth look at how these legendary warriors lived and answer the question, what is the difference between samurai and shinobi?

This episode dives into the...

Assassin's Creed Shadows transports players to a formative period in Japanese history - the Sengoku era, when warlords vied for control of Japan, and new technology changed samurai warfare forever: the introduction of matchlock guns.

Nate Ledbetter joins Matt Lewis to recount the events of the celebrated Battle of Nagashino - and to present a new perspective on the battle that saw samurai traditions confront the power of the g...

Chasing Shadows 2. Politics

Assassin's Creed Shadows gives players the chance to experience history as two icons of medieval Japan: samurai and shinobi (known today as ninja). In this special series, Matt Lewis and Professor Eric Rath from the University of Kansas take an in-depth look at how these legendary warriors lived and answer the question, what is the difference between samurai and shinobi?

This episode explores the ...

Assassin's Creed Shadows gives players the chance to visit the imperial capital of medieval Japan. But today, we're heading to a mountain lying just northeast of the capital: Mount Hiei, a sacred site that was protected by a powerful army of warrior monks.

Dr Chris Harding, Senior Lecturer in Asian History from the University of Edinburgh, returns to help Matt Lewis understand what life was like on Mount Hiei during the late S...

Chasing Shadows 1. Culture

Assassin's Creed Shadows gives players the chance to experience history as two icons of medieval Japan: samurai and shinobi (known today as ninja). In this special series, Matt Lewis and Professor Eric Rath from the University of Kansas take an in-depth look at how these legendary warriors lived and answer the question, what is the difference between samurai and shinobi?

This episode explores...

In the world of Assassin's Creed Shadows, the legendary Hattori Hanzo embodies both samurai and shinobi warriors, and earned himself the nicknam "The Demon". How did Hanzo reach such legendary status? And what does his story tell us about the loyalties of samurai and shinobi in Sengoku Japan?

Joining Matt Lewis to answer these questions and more are Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt, authors of Ninja Attack!: True Tales Of Assassins, Sam...

Assassin’s Creed Unity puts players right into the Parisian streets where the bloody events of the Reign of Terror occurred, and gives us the chance to see the gruesome guillotine up close.

But were public executions all there was to the Terror? How did such a notorious period come about? And what lessons can we learn from it today? To answer these questions,

Matt Lewis talks to returning guest Prof. David Andress from the U...

Assassin’s Creed Unity allows us to confront one of the most controversial men in history: Maximillien Robespierre. What made him such a successful leader, yet so despised by his followers?

To get a better understanding of the man behind so much death, Matt Lewis speaks to Dr Ruth Scurr from the University of Cambridge, author of Fatal Purity: Robespierre and the French Revolutionaries.

Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast,...

Notre Dame is arguably the world’s most famous cathedral and has watched over the Parisian skyline since its construction in the Middle Ages. But we are lucky that it remains standing at all.

Dr Emma Wells joins Matt Lewis to reveal how Notre Dame acquired this symbolic status. How was it built? And how did the French Revolution nearly destroy it?

Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit.&nbs...

Assassin’s Creed Revelations lets us meet a young Suleiman before he became Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and long before he became “the Magnificent”. 

Matt Lewis is joined by Prof. Giancarlo Cassale to explain how Suleiman earned his epithet, and how the game’s presentation of him compares to reality.

Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. 

Hosted by: Matt Lewis

Edited by: Tim Arst...

Associate Professor Nilay Özlü from Istanbul Technical University joins Matt Lewis to help him understand the Ottoman's most significant mark on the landscape of Istanbul, that players can freely explore in Assassin's Creed Revelations: Topkapi Palace.

Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. 

Hosted by: Matt Lewis

Edited by: Robin McConnell

Produced by: Matt Lewis, Robin McConnell

Senior Produ...

The Hagia Sophia is a landmark that has stood for 1500 years, and that players can clamber all over in Assassin’s Creed Revelations. It is remarkable not only for its longevity, but also for its blending of multiple cultures: their art, architecture, languages and faiths.

To unpack this complex history, Matt Lewis is joined by Emily Neumeier, Assistant Professor of of Islamic art and architecture at Temple University.

Echoes ...

Assassin's Creed Revelations transports us to Constantinople, only a couple of generations after its conquest by the Ottoman Empire. It is one of history’s defining events, turning the city into the bridge between Christian West and Islamic East.

Dr Gemma Masson gives Matt Lewis an overview of the events of the conquest and the impact it had on both the face of the city and the lives of the people who called it home.

Echoes o...

In the ninth century, the Vikings earned a fearsome reputation along the coasts of western Europe. But they also travelled eastwards and reached Constantinople, the Caspian Sea and even Baghdad, the bustling heart of the mighty Islamic Abbasid Empire. 

Matt Lewis is joined by Dr. Cat Jarman to explore why Viking raiders traded the frozen hinterlands of Northern Europe for the heat and hubbub of the Near East. 

Echoe...

In Assassin's Creed Chronicles China, players foil a plot by Altan Khan to invade Ming China with his Mongol army. But who was Altan Khan, and how successful were the Mongols in crossing the Great Wall of China?

To answer these questions and more, Matt Lewis is joined by Nic Morton, Associate Professor at Nottingham Trent University and author of The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires.

Echoes of History is a Ubisoft po...

The infamous eunuchs of the Ming imperial court are the primary villains of Assassin’s Creed Chronicles China. The Eight Tigers were a real threat to the power of the Ming dynasty, but were they as villainous as their reputation suggests?

Matt Lewis is joined by Dr Che Huang to help him learn more about the Eight Tigers, and imperial eunuchs in general.

Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit.&nb...