As five dear friends who share a passion for history, New York Times bestselling historical authors Kristina McMorris, Kate Quinn, Allison Pataki, Stephanie Dray, and Madeline Martin combined forces to spotlight the past in an exciting new way.
Given how often they’re asked about the true stories and research behind their novels, including the real-life sources they rely upon, an idea quickly formed: create a fun, unique, insightful video podcast called The History Hive Five!
What’s it all about? Well, here’s the buzz (pun intended, naturally)…
Co-hosted in rotating pairs and frequently joined by bestselling literary guests known for in-depth research, the biweekly episodes will feature renowned experts on a wide range of historical topics—from daring heists and prison escapes to WWII codebreakers and the Soviet Night Witches.
The show, brimming with laughter and gasps will uncover remarkable, often-forgotten true accounts while amplifying voices of the past. And what better way to do that than as a hive, where community thrives and history is served raw, unfiltered, and packed with a sting.
To top it off, in special roundtable episodes, all five co-hosts will sit down together to both sip and spill the tea on everything from their craziest experiences on book tours to which jobs they’ve been fired from (that now make them laugh), plus which pivotal events and inspirations led to their literary journeys.
So mark your calendars for the official launch of the show on September 29th!
In the meantime, subscribe to their YouTube channel, ensuring you don’t miss a single episode. And for near-daily new content, follow the Hive on Instagram and FaceBook, where they’ll post the latest updates, sneak peeks, and of course fascinating historical tidbits.
You’d be hard pressed to find anyone more enthused about history than an historical author, let alone five together. So imagine how eager we are to trade a flurry of stories with our incredible guests!
— Kristina
Here at The History Hive Five, we know that history is the furthest thing from boring. In fact, raw materials of the past give us the juiciest and most dramatic tales and characters—and our show is all about telling these stories.
— Allison
Scandal. Drama. Thrilling escapes. Incredible stories. We’re dishing the dirt and spilling the tea on history in all the best ways—and we have expert guests to help us!
— Madeline
In short, we put facts first and have a blast doing it: interrogating myths, reframing perspectives, and peeling back the curtain to uncover what actually happened and why it still matters.
— Stephanie
Together, we aim to shock, educate, and above all entertain with tales of seances and coronations, resistance fighters and redoubtable leaders, unsung heroines and untold heroes. You never knew history could be this much fun!
— Kate
A proud sponsor of the show, Adventures by the Book® is a driving force in the literary community, connecting authors with book clubs throughout the world and bringing books to life through unforgettable travels and events for readers. Would your book club like to Zoom with any of the History Hive co-hosts? Just schedule a chat at Adventuresbythebook.com. (Sign up is simple and free!)