The Rest Is History
Episodes
64. Hitler, with Ian Kershaw - part 2
17 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the second part of our examination of Adolf Hitler, Sir Ian Kershaw joins Dominic Sandbrook to discuss the Nazi leader’s years leading up to and ...
63. Hitler, with Ian Kershaw - part 1
14 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
He was “the embodiment of modern political evil” according to historian Sir Ian Kershaw. In this first episode of a two-part investigation of the ...
62. Magna Carta
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Does the Magna Carta enshrine the liberties of every free-born Englishman? Or is it now irrelevant? Ted Vallance, Professor of History at Roehampton U...
61. California
07 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
No state in America captures the imagination quite like California. With its glitz and glamour and also its enormous economic disparities the state is...
60. Muhammad
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Who was Muhammad, where did he come from and what was the historical context for his life? Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss one of the most i...
59. The World Cup of Gods - Part 2
01 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Competition for top deity hots up as we look back on the knock out stages of the Rest is History World Cup of Gods. Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland ...
58. The World Cup of Gods - Part 1
31 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In one of the most anticipated contests of the year, sixteen gods battled for the crown of ultimate deity. Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook offer ana...
57. Paris
27 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It may just be the most popular city on earth. Throughout history Paris has maintained a grip on the public imagination, thanks to its culture, archit...
56. Nero
24 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
He remains one of the great characters in all history. But was he depraved, corrupt and evil? Or an artist much maligned by elitist historians? Domini...
55. The World Cup of Gods - Preview
22 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It promises to be the biggest event of the summer - The Rest is History World Cup of Gods. Sixteen competitors, but there can be only one winner. Tom...
54. Cromwell and the Protectorate
20 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Did Oliver Cromwell save Britain from tyranny or was he a killjoy and military dictator? Paul Lay, author of Providence Lost: the Rise and Fall of Cro...
53. Game of Thrones
17 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What, if anything, can we learn about medieval history from Game of Thrones? Or is George R R Martin’s hugely popular series of books, and the block...
51. Aztecs
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook talk to award-winning writer Camilla Townsend, author of the revelatory Fifth Sun. Professor Townsend used Nahuatl l...
50. Teenagers
10 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“They’re wasting their money and having sex with each other.” Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland explore the modern phenomenon of the teenager. W...
49. Food Glorious Food
06 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook tuck into the history of British food with author Pen Vogler. They debate the origins of curry and debate our obsess...
48. The French Revolution
03 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With France facing economic struggles and rising unemployment revolution was in the air. But who was in charge of the uprising and what did it achieve...
47. The Seven Years' War
29 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook are joined by historian and broadcaster Dan Snow to discuss the biggest event of the 18th century - The Seven Years'...
46. Culture Wars
26 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The battle lines are drawn as Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook get involved in this most timely of subjects. They discuss the historical significance...
45. Top Ten Eunuchs
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook cross their legs and rank the best Eunuchs in history. From religious fanatics to operatic singers, they discuss the...
44. 1066
19 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It is perhaps the best known year in English history. But why has it endured in the national consciousness? Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook talk the...
43. 1940
15 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It is arguably the most important year in modern history. With the British Expeditionary Force trapped at Dunkirk, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain ...
42. The Wild West
12 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Podcasting’s answer to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - that’s Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook of course - explore the Wild West in both fac...
41. Persia
08 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It is one of the truly great civilisations in world history and yet the story of Persia has faded from view in the west. Tom Holland and Dominic Sandb...
40. History as Entertainment
05 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From re-enactment to reinforcing capitalism through the board game Monopoly. Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland examine the history of games and the po...
39. Elizabeth I
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
She famously claimed to have the heart and stomach of a king and remains one of Britain’s most talked about monarchs, despite having reigned more th...
38. Communism
29 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It was one of the great political ideologies of the 20th century, vying with capitalism for supremacy. Now communism has retreated from the political ...
37. Spies, with Ben MacIntyre
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
History is littered with stories of espionage and its capacity to change the course of events. But does spying truly matter and has the human operativ...
36. Our Greatest Prime Minister
23 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In our last episode we debated the merits of British Prime Ministers through the centuries. But who was voted the best of all by the public and why? D...
35. The Prime Ministers’ World Cup
22 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Who is the greatest British Prime Minister of them all? The bookmakers have Winston Churchill favourite to lift the crown, but William Gladstone and M...
34. St Cuthbert’s Day
20 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
March 20th marks the annual Feast day of the Northumbrian Saint Cuthbert. But why should we care about this largely forgotten figure from the 7th cent...
33. The Beautiful Game
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It has been described as the most universal cultural mode there has ever been, but is football a worthwhile object of study for historians? Sports jou...
32. What if?
15 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Counterfactuals are the great what ifs of history. Imagine the Nazis winning World War 2, or the Roman Empire never falling. Is this a valid form of h...
31. The Second Reich
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It emerged from the Prussian victory over France in 1870 and was destroyed by the First World War less than fifty years later. German historian Katja ...
30. A Royal Row
09 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With the British monarchy under intense scrutiny following an interview with Harry and Meghan conducted by Oprah Winfrey, Tom Holland and Dominic Sand...
29. Americanisation
08 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Has America taken over the world? Did the dollar and Hollywood enable the US to replace the British empire as the dominant international influencer? A...
28. The Kings of Comedy
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Al Murray joins Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook to discuss the history of comedy as well as the funny side of history. Has comedy changed t...
27. Tutankhamun
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook ask why Tutankhamun remains the best known of the Egyptian pharaohs. They examine the discovery of the tomb by Howar...
26. Witches
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Suzannah Lipscomb joins Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook to discuss the history of witches and witchcraft. Why did society see witches as a threat an...
25. Empires
22 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is the age of empires over? And are they always a bad thing? Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland explore empires through history, examining the modern a...
24. Sex in the City
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Everything you wanted to know about sex in the 18th and 19th Century but were afraid to ask. Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Covent Garden Ladies and ...
23. The 90s
15 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ecstasy, emails and economic stability. Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland discuss the 1990s, a decade which brought us Oasis, Tony Blair, Monica Lewin...
22. Weird Wars
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Rest is History brings you the top ten strangest conflicts of all time. Obscure, little-known, downright strange. Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Hollan...
21. The History of the Future
08 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is history’s take on the future? Oracles, prophecies, apocalypse, scientific projection. Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss them all. Le...
20. China
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Broadcaster and historian Michael Wood joins Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook to discuss the world’s oldest civilisation. What were the great momen...
19. King Arthur
01 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It remains the most romantic historical story of all time, but is the legend of King Arthur a myth? Was he even English? And will he rise again when t...
18. The North South Divide
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
England has long been divided by an invisible line somewhere north of Watford and south of the Mersey. But do northerners really have more in common ...
17. Fascism
25 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is fascism and where did it come from? No one admits to being a fascist yet it continues to be a term of abuse hurled on a regular basis. Tom Ho...
16. Pompeii
21 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Pompeii Why does Pompeii continue to hold such a fascination for so many people? And which secrets are still to be uncovered from beneath the ashes? ...
15. Walls and Borders
18 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From the Great Wall of China to the Berlin Wall, history is littered with the building of barriers aimed at keeping people out, and sometimes in. Do t...
14. Historical Fiction
11 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is the author’s responsibility to the quality of the novel or the truth of history? What makes a great historical novel and which authors have contr...
13. Stephen Fry and Troy
07 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Stephen Fry is our guest on The Rest is History as he tells Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook about his enduring fascination with the Greek myths. Lea...
12. Conspiracy Theories
04 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
History is littered with conspiracy theories, from Popish plots to JFK’s assassination. But what makes people believe in them and how do they gain c...
11. Brexit
28 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As Britain leaves the EU, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook look at the best & worst comparisons from history that have been made to Brexit. Learn m...
10. Christmas
21 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Is Christmas an ancient ritual or was it invented by Dickens? Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland discuss the transformation of Christmas from public to...
9. Causes of the First World War
14 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Whose fault was it? Does the question even make sense? Are wars always somebody's "fault"? Was it really the first global war? And should Britain have...
8. The Echo of a Coffee House
07 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Social media has colonised the world but is it really a new phenomenon? Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook debate the effects of technical innovations ...
7. The Lessons of History
30 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Can we truly learn from history? And if we can - do we? It’s one of the big questions this week as Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook roam through th...
6. Troy
23 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been described as the most legendary story ever told. But did the Trojan War actually happen? And was it really fought over a beautiful woman? ...
5. 1981
16 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As a new series of The Crown arrives on Netflix, returning viewers to the 1980s, we look back at the year many Britons consider the worst in living me...
4. We’re all so 17th Century
09 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Plague, pestilence and statue smashing are back in business. Has 2020 turned out to be the 17th Century in disguise? And if so, has Boris Johnson beco...
3. Is Trump Caesar or Nixon?
09 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Recorded hours after Joe Biden was named President of the United States, we ask if Donald Trump is a modern day Caesar, willing to do anything to stay...
2. Civil War
02 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What are the conditions needed for a civil war to start? Could we see a modern industrial nation turn upon itself again? Historians Tom Holland and Do...
1. Greatness
02 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How did certain people come to be called ‘the Great’? Is the notion of great men and women outmoded? Can anyone today be reckoned ‘great’? His...
Trailer
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook are interrogating the past, attempting to de-tangle the present for their new podcast "The Rest Is H...