The Rest Is History

182. Operation Barbarossa

05 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What military parallels does Putin's invasion of Ukraine have with Hitler's attempt to invade the Soviet Union? On today's pod Tom and Dominic are jo...

181. The Birth of Babylon

02 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In January, Tom and Dominic explored the history of Babylon, from Nebuchadnezzar onwards (episode 145 in the Rest Is History feed). At the end of tha...

180. England & Englishness

28 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

George Orwell, a love of wildlife, and Raheem Sterling - but what does it mean to be English in the modern world? In today's episode, Tom and Dominic...

179. French Presidents: 1981-2022 (Part 2)

26 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the second of two episodes covering France's post-war presidents, Tom and Dominic drill down into the remaining historical statesmen, bringing us r...

178. French Presidents: 1958-1981 (Part 1)

25 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's the day after the French election runoff between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, so naturally here's a Rest Is History French Presidents speci...

177. The Jewish Revolt (Part 3)

21 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the second of two episodes on the Jewish Revolt, Tom and Dominic discuss the burning of the Temple, Vespasian & Titus' triumph, and Masada. Why wa...

176. The Jews Against Rome (Part 2)

18 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"The destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans: a thrilling, terrible, and blood-soaked story." Following on from last week's episode on the Crucifixion...

175. Crucifixion (Part 1)

14 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Crucifixions were a form of public execution so heinous that the Romans themselves were reluctant to document their gory details... In this Easter sp...

174. Merlin, Magic and the British

11 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Richard II, Prince Charles, and Tony Blair. From Merlin, to the middle ages, to the modern day, the mysterious world of magic, necromancy and the occu...

173. Chairman Mao & the Cultural Revolution

07 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

China's Cultural Revolution under Chairman Mao was one of the most staggeringly brutal events in recent human history. Tom and Dominic are joined by h...

172. The Falklands War: Afterlife (Part 4)

04 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the final part of our Falklands series, Tom and Dominic discuss the legacy of the war in both the UK and Argentina, and debate whether the nostalgi...

171. The Falklands War: Battle for the Islands (Part 3)

31 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the third episode of our Falklands War mini-series, the story heats up. The most controversial episode of the war, the sinking of the Belgrano, ta...

170. The Falklands War: The Task Force Sails (Part 2)

29 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the second episode of our Falklands War mini-series, Britain is faced with an Argentine occupation and prepares to go to war. Margaret Thatcher di...

169. The Falklands War: Countdown to Invasion (Part 1)

28 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to our mini-series on The Falklands War, where Tom and Dominic will break down the causes, conflict and aftermath of the war on its fortieth a...

168. Oil: Conflict, Chaos and Climate Change

25 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tom and Dominic are back with Helen Thompson for a second episode on the history of oil, its impact and how it shapes geopolitics. Tune in to hear ab...

167. Oil: The Making of the Modern World

24 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tom and Dominic are joined by Helen Thompson, Professor of Political Economy at the University of Cambridge, to talk about the incredible influence of...

166. Genghis Khan: Lord of the Mongols

22 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The second of two episodes on Genghis Khan, listen to yesterday's pod (165. The Rise of Genghis Khan) before listening to this one! 'An almost sacral...

165. The Rise of Genghis Khan

21 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook speak to Ali Ansari about the origins of one of the greatest warlords in human history - Genghis Khan. They discuss...

164. Saint Patrick

17 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  No, Tom isn't turning Brixton's River Effra green, nor is Dominic distributing shamrocks throughout the Oxfordshire coun...

163. The Last Emperor of Mexico

14 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What links the Mexican Republic, Palmerston, the Hapsburgs, Napoleon III and butterfly catching? Please tweet us if you can think of anything other ...

162. Putin's Russia

10 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

[Episode 4 of 4] 'In the noughties, Russian democracy becomes a form of show business' In the final instalment of our Russia mini-series, Tom and Do...

161. Yeltsin, Economic Chaos and President Putin

09 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

[Episode 3 of 4] 'You certainly won't understand what ordinary Russians see in Vladimir Putin if you don't understand what happened in the 1990s. A t...

160. The Fall of the Soviet Union

08 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

[Episode 2 of 4] This episode of The Rest Is History marks the second instalment in our four part series on the Soviet Union, Russia and the rise of ...

159. Young Putin, the KGB and the Soviet Union

07 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

[Episode 1 of 4] Welcome to our new four part series on the latter years of the Soviet Union, its fall, Putin's early life and his subsequent rise to...

158. Killer Fashion

03 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How much do you know about the lethal price people have paid over the centuries to look fashionable? In today's episode Tom and Dominic are joined by...

157. Byzantium and the Ghosts of Rome

01 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What happened to the Roman Empire after its fall? In the second of two episodes, Tom and Dominic discuss where Rome endured, how its ghost still haun...

156. When did the Roman Empire fall?

28 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tom and Dominic explore what Edward Gibbon called “the greatest, perhaps, and most awful scene in the history of mankind”: the decline and fall of...

155. Ukraine and Russia

23 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With eastern Europe apparently on the brink of war and Vladimir Putin citing history as pretext, what exactly is Ukraine? Is it distinct from Russia, ...

154. The Most Disastrous Party in History

21 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We've all been to some terrible ones, but what is the most disastrous party in human history?  Not at all inspired by recent political events, Tom a...

153. God and the American Empire

18 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode Tom and Dominic are joined by Friend of the Show, Professor Andrew Preston, to talk about the relationship between the US and relig...

152. American Crusades

17 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode Tom and Dominic are joined by Andrew Preston, a Cambridge University professor whose new book focuses on religion in American war a...

151. Valentine's Day

14 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Valentine's Day! Have you ever wondered why we send each other cards and go out to Carluccio's for dinner on a weeknight? In today's episode, T...

Real Dictators: Adolf Hitler's Day In Court

11 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we're dropping an episode from our friends at Noiser. Their podcast brings us to Munich, Germany. November 1923. The Nazis have just attempted...

150. Smuggling

10 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Did you think smuggling in Britain was confined to the Jamaica Inn and the beaches of the Cornish coast? If so, you might want to listen to today's po...

149. The Birth of Russia

08 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the second of two episodes on the Vikings in the East, Tom and Dominic investigate their role in the birth of Russia. Producer: Dom Johnson Exec P...

148. The Vikings Go East

07 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, Tom and Dominic take a look at the actions, influence and brutalisation of the Vikings in Eastern Europe, including their role...

147. Disease, the New World and modern pandemics

04 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How devastating were European arrivals to the Americas in terms of deaths and the introduction of new infectious diseases? Tom and Dominic are joined...

146. Disease vs. the rise of civilisation

03 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The way we die has been utterly transformed. There have been around 10,000 generations of human beings, but only in the last 3 or 4 have infectious d...

145. Babylon

31 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Greatest city on earth. Den of iniquity. Imperial oppressor. Wealth and power. The ancient city of Babylon has been mythologised for millenia, but ho...

144. The Trial of Charles I Part 2

28 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tune in to hear the second part of The Rest Is History's take on the execution of Charles I and its aftermath. Charles I was executed 373 years ago t...

143. The Trial of Charles I Part 1

27 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Charles I was executed 373 years ago to the day on 30th January. But was his killing a sinful act of treason or merely one of retributive justice? To...

142. General Gordon and the Siege of Khartoum

25 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What happened to Gordon at Khartoum? Described by Dominic as the 'greatest media event of the Victorian era', this second parter is not to be missed....

141. General Gordon: The Ultimate Victorian Hero

24 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Who was General Gordon?  Tune in to hear about the life and times of the 'emblematic martyr of the Victorian age'. Producer: Dom Johnson Exec Produ...

140. The Birth of the Railways

20 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today Tom and Dominic are joined by historian Dan Jackson to talk about one of the greatest inventions known to man - the railways. Where were they f...

139. The Princes in the Tower Part 2

18 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Who killed the Princes in the Tower? The inspiration behind Shakespeare's Richard III, their murder remains one of the greatest mysteries in English h...

138. The Princes in the Tower Part 1

17 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Who killed the Princes in the Tower? The inspiration behind Shakespeare's Richard III, their murder is one of the greatest mysteries in English histor...

137. 1922: The Birth of the Modern World Part 2

14 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In part 2 of this centennial episode, Tom and Dominic cover the triggering of the Irish Civil War, the birth of the BBC, and Howard Carter's 'Tutmania...

136. 1922: The Birth of the Modern World Part 1

13 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

2022 marks 100 years since one of the most important years in modern history. In part 1 Tom and Dominic discuss all things 1922: Bolshevism, fascism, ...

135. Crossing the Rubicon: The die is cast

11 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Now ready to take on Pompey and the Senate, Julius Caesar must take the final step and cross over into Italy with his legion. Join The Rest Is Histor...

134. Crossing the Rubicon: The rise of Julius Caesar

10 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Julius Caesar crossed the banks of the Rubicon river with his legion on this day (maybe) over 2000 years ago. In the first of a two-parter, Tom explai...

12 Days: Alfred the Great and Pepys' 'Fanatiques'

06 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A key battle in the history of England and a forgotten uprising in 17th century London round off our 12 (13) Days of Christmas. Back with to our regul...

12 Days: Death of Edward the Confessor and the Dreyfus Affair

05 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The catalyst for the upheaval of 1066 and one of the most controversial episodes in French history happened on this day in history. *The Rest Is Hist...

12 Days: Solomon Northup and Albert Camus

04 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tom analyses the historical importance of Solomon Northup's story, made famous by Steve McQueen's '12 Years A Slave'. Then, Dominic delves into the de...

12 Days: Martin Luther and J.R.R. Tolkien

03 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Luther's excommunication from the Catholic church and the birth of the author of Lord of the Rings happened on this day. *The Rest Is History Live To...

12 Days: Reconquest of Spain and the Old Queen of Hawaii

02 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The conquest of the kingdom of Grenada by Christian forces reclaimed southern Spain from the Moors, and the forgotten monarchs of Hawaii. *The Rest I...

12 Days: Nero's succession and the fall of the Byzantine Empire

01 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In a distinctly Roman start to 2022, Tom sets the scene for Rome's "Year of the four Emperors", while Dominic recounts a battle which was the beginnin...

12 Days: Jean-Bédel Bokassa and the memory of pandemics

31 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's New Year's Eve - switch off the Hootenanny and tune in to hear Dominic recount extraordinary tales of coups, cousins and the rise of an emperor i...

12 Days: The Battle of Wakefield and Emperor Karl I

30 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tom dissects the Battle of Wakefield and the subsequent fall of Richard, Duke of York, while Dominic talks us through the last ‘great’ Habsburg em...

12 Days: The Murder of Thomas Becket and the Wounded Knee Massacre

29 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tom takes us through the murder of Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral in 1170, while Dominic looks at one of the United States' most tragic massacr...

12 Days: Massacre of the Innocents and the Tay Bridge disaster

28 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In a suitably festive edition, Tom recounts the biblical story of King Herod's massacre of babies in Jerusalem, and Dominic remembers a rail disaster ...

12 Days: Port wine and Darwin sets sail

27 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How the English's fondness for Portuguese fortified wine began, and the unlikely story of the voyage which inspired Charles Darwin's natural philosoph...

12 Days: Good King Wenceslas and the first Gilbert & Sullivan

26 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Was Wenceslas good? Was he a king? And Dominic remembers the popular Victorian light opera maestros first production "Thespis". *The Rest Is History ...

12 Days: Coronation of Charlemagne and the collapse of the Soviet Union

25 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

To kick off our 12 Days of Christmas mini-series, Tom and Dominic remember the birth of the Holy Roman Empire and Mikhail Gorbachev's resignation *Th...

133. Christmas churches

23 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Fan favourite Rachel Morley from Friends of Friendless Churches is back to count down her top ten churches with a festive connection Go to restishi...

132. A Christmas Carol

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Join Tom and Dominic in this festive special as they retrace the steps of Scrooge, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim in an episode dedicated to Charles Dicken...

The 1960s (preview)

18 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In Tom and Dominic's inaugural livestream for the Rest is History Club, we dive into one of the most seminal decades in modern history: the 1960s. Sho...

131. Burgundy: Europe's forgotten superpower

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Now mostly overlooked by history, Burgundy was a major political and cultural power in western Europe during the Middle Ages, rivalling France and Eng...

130. Superheroes

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From their origins in the 1930's running parallel to the rise of fascism in Europe, to the Adam West camp of the 1960's, to the gritty modern reboots ...

129. Cricket

09 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How did a game played by peasants in the English countryside as early as the 17th century evolve into one of the most popular sports in the world? Jon...

History's greatest clubs (preview)

07 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A chance to peek behind the curtain into the new weekly bonus episode for subscribers to the Rest Is History Club. As well as the extra episode, subsc...

128. Rasputin

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The peasant who became one of the most influential figures in the final days of the Russian Empire is an unbelievable story. But how much of the gossi...

127. Neanderthals

02 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Where did Neanderthals come from? How are they related to homo sapiens? And why are they no longer with us? Tom and Dominic are joined by Professor Ch...

126. Napoleon in Egypt

29 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“God is too late, you have begun, now I will finish it.” Swash-buckling hero or sacrilegious tyrant? Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook explore Nap...

125. The CIA

25 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The USA's Central Intelligence Agency is a mysterious organisation which has used covert methods to assassinate enemies, influence governments and tip...

124. World Cup of Kings and Queens part 2

23 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Elizabeth II. Henry V. William the Conqueror. All pretenders, according to our twitter poll to find England’s greatest monarch, which has been runni...

123. World Cup of Kings and Queens part 1

22 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Oliver Cromwell. Queen Victoria. George V. All contenders for the title of England's greatest monarch, a poll for which took place on a twitter over t...

122. Æthelstan: OFFICIALLY England's greatest monarch

19 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After an intense tournament featuring sixteen of the finest Kings and Queens this island has to offer, the people have decided the greatest king of En...

121. Australia Before Cook

18 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Discovered this territory, 1770". So reads the inscription on a statue of Captain Cook in Hyde Park, Sydney. But did he really discover it? Tom and D...

120. The Oil Weapon

15 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

1973: Major oil-producing nations led by Saudi Arabia quadruple the price of oil overnight, sending the West (particularly the United Kingdom) into cr...

119. World Cup of Kings & Queens preview

12 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Who's England's greatest monarch? Voting starts on Saturday 13th November, go to @TheRestHistory on Twitter to get involved. *The Rest Is History Liv...

118. End of the First World War & Remembrance

11 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the anniversary of the day the guns fell silent on the Western Front, we look at the last moments of the First World War – and how we remember th...

117. Alexander the Great part 2

09 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the second part of our Alexander the Great special, we head to the limits of the known world, burning down palaces, storming mountain-top fortresse...

116. Alexander the Great Part 1

08 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Alexander the Great is the most charismatic conqueror in history. Tom and Dominic, in the first of a two part special, trace the course of his dazzlin...

115. The Gunpowder Plot

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

‘Remember, remember / the Fifth of November / Gunpowder, treason & plot.” But what is it exactly we are remembering on Bonfire Night? Tom & Domini...

114. Stonehenge, ancient ritual and the origins of paganism

02 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Like Merlin, who lived his life in reverse, we go backwards in time as we continue our two-part series on paganism. Renaissance philosophers; green me...

113. Hallowe'en and modern paganism

01 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the first of a two part Hallowe’en special, Tom and Dominic are joined by Professor Ronald Hutton to explore the history of modern paganism: from...

112. Medieval Science

28 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The word ‘medieval’ is often used to mean backward, benighted, unscientific. But is this fair? Historian of science Seb Falk joins Tom and Dominic...

111. Golden Ages

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Oh, to be Dutch in the seventeenth century. Or Roman in 150 AD. Or British in the 1990's. Tom and Dominic debate the merits of various "Golden Ages" i...

110. History of India in 10 Buildings

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Curator and art historian Aparna Andhare gives Tom and Dominic her selection of the ten buildings that best illustrate India’s past 4,500 years. Ra...

109. Dinosaurs

18 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How did the existence of dinosaurs come to be discovered, & what role have they played in the popular imagination over the past 200 years? And what c...

108. The Industrial Revolution

14 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Did the industrial revolution really improve people’s lives? And why was Britain first to industrialise? Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook are joine...

107. Watergate: Part 2

12 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Despite his overwhelming lead in the polls, President Richard Nixon’s paranoia leads to the criminal actions of the Watergate scandal. In this secon...

106. Watergate: Part 1

11 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What led Richard Nixon into the greatest political scandal in American history? Dominic Sandbrook, acclaimed historian of the period, leads Tom Hollan...

105. Classics

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The world’s most famous classicist, Professor Mary Beard, joins Tom and Dominic to discuss how the legacy of classical Greece and Rome has been inte...

Bonus Episode: No Time to Die

06 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

WARNING: THIS PODCAST INCLUDES SPOILERS ABOUT THE NEW JAMES BOND MOVIE. DO NOT LISTEN UNTIL YOU’VE SEEN THE FILM. What does the new Bond movie tell ...

104. Macbeth

04 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Something wicked this way comes. Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook take a deep dive into the real history of Scotland’s most notorious king. Was he ...

103. The Norse Sagas

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Tom and Dominic are joined by Dr Eleanor Barraclough as they sail across the Atlantic in a dragon-ship, bound for the epic world...

102. Germany from Adenauer to Angela

28 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As Angela Merkel bows out of German politics, Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland explore the surprisingly colourful world of Germany’s Chancellors si...

101. James Bond

27 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The fictional British agent James Bond returns to our cinema screens this week, but what do the history and evolution of Ian Fleming’s iconic charac...

100. Decolonising Africa

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Writer and critic Tomiwa Owolade joins Dominic and Tom to discuss the pan-African movement and the varying ways in which African states became indepen...