The Rest Is History

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...

99. Thermopylae & Salamis Episode 2

21 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook continue their celebration of the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian invasion of Greece. Today, they look at two bat...

98. Thermopylae & Salamis Episode 1

20 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 480 BC, 300 Spartans made a famous stand at Thermopylae, as hordes of Persian soldiers, led by Xerxes, seemed set to succeed in their aim of conque...

97. Top Ten Mistresses

16 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tom Holland is joined by Ali Ansari to discuss the most influential mistresses in history. The definition of success is to impact history, despite oft...

96. The UK’s Best Churches

13 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There are estimated to be around 16 thousand churches in England alone. But which are the finest in the UK? Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook are jo...

95. 9/11

09 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, four commercial airliners were hijacked above the US by the militant Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda...

94. Silicon Valley Part 2

07 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The rise of social media is the central subject of our second instalment with tech pioneer Marc Andreessen. Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook ask wh...

93. Silicon Valley Part 1

06 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland are joined by tech pioneer Marc Andreessen. Has the internet been the most important force in modern history? In par...

92. Nuclear Weapons

01 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The year is 1983, and on November the 8th the world is the closest it’s ever been to nuclear destruction, yet nobody at the time realises. Dominic ...

91. The Beatles

30 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook are live at the Chalke Valley History Festival to discuss the cultural impact of the Fab Four. What were the social...

90. The Western Front

26 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The slaughter and bloodshed on the Western Front in World War One helped shape the narrative of the 20th century. But was it a case of lions led by do...

89. Climate & Weather

23 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From the Ice Age to the Winter of Discontent, climate and weather have hugely impacted historical events. Wars halted by freezing conditions, Prime Mi...

88. The First Anglo-Afghan War

19 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“A war begun for no wise purpose.” This description of the First Anglo-Afghan War, fought in the early-mid 19th Century, could stand as an epitaph...

87. Afghanistan - Part 1

18 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the first of a two-part series exploring the history of Afghanistan, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook examine the nation’s complicated relations...

86. The Enlightenment

16 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Once there was darkness and then there was light. What was the Enlightenment and why did it matter? Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook explore the Enli...

85. Sherlock Holmes

12 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The games afoot! Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss the world’s favourite consulting detective. Why has the popularity of Sherlock Holmes sur...

84. Exams

09 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Even the memory of them is enough to make most people shudder. As thousands of British students wait nervously for their A-level and GCSE results, Tom...

83. The Berlin Wall

05 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

60 years ago this month, the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) began building a barrier that divided the city of Berlin. It stood until 1989 a...

82. Sparta

02 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What does it mean to be a Spartan? How much of this Spartan image is real and how much is based on projections and prejudices of others? Tom and Domi...

81. Modern Olympics - Part 2

30 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tom and Dominic continue their journey through the history of the Olympics, turning their attention from post-war to the present day.  They discuss ...

80. Modern Olympics - Part 1

29 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 1896 the Olympic Games were reborn in Athens. Here we look at the forgotten tales and little known facts from the start of the modern Olympics thro...

79. Ancient Olympics

26 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With the Games underway in Tokyo, Tom and Dominic look back to the Ancient Olympics. They discuss the heroic but incredibly violent stories of the Gr...

78. Statues: Parliament Square

22 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Statues: Parliament Square In the final part of their epic trilogy, Tom and Dominic arrive at Parliament Square to explore the statues of world leade...

77. Statues: Whitehall

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tom and Dominic continue their tour of London’s statues, arriving in Whitehall. War leaders, useless royals and courtesans all feature. A Goalhange...

76. Statues: Trafalgar Square

19 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the first of a three part series Tom and Dominic take a walking tour of central London to examine the statues of Trafalgar Square and explore the s...

75. The East India Company

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tom and Dominic are joined by historian William Dalrymple to tell the fascinating and shocking story of the East India Company in the 18th century. H...

74. The Six Wives of Henry VIII

12 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Henry VIII had the most notorious marital relations of any king in history. Tom and Dominic discuss the six women who became his queen. How did they i...

73. England v Italy

09 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

No country has enjoyed a greater influence on the English than Italy. Ahead of the European Championship final, Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland expl...

72. The Vietnam War

08 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

No war has divided public opinion more than the conflict in Vietnam. Andrew Preston, Cambridge University Professor of American History, joins Dominic...

71. England v Denmark

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ahead of the two countries’ encounter at Wembley, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss Anglo-Danish history through the ages. Vikings, the dest...

70. Children’s History

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tom and Dominic discuss how to write history books for kids. What topics are they interested in? What will they find boring? How much detail is acc...

69. England v Ukraine

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the eve of a huge sporting encounter in Rome between the English and Ukrainian football teams, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook explore the histor...

68. The British Empire

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The British Empire: good, bad or neither? And how does its legacy shape us today? Journalist Sathnam Sanghera, author of “Empireland”, joins Tom H...

67. Anglo-German Relations

28 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With England and Germany set to do sporting battle once again, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook explore the historical events which have shaped the r...

66. Ghosts

24 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Settle down by the fire and prepare to be haunted. Roger Clarke, author of A Natural History of Ghosts, joins Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook to won...

65. A Very British Scandal

21 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jeremy Thorpe was the most flamboyant politician of his day. Leader of the Liberal Party for nine years he was tried at the Old Bailey for conspiracy ...