Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
227. Portugal: On the Edge of the World (Part 1)
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to The Rest Is History's Portugal mini-series! In the first of four episodes on Portugal, T...
226. The Lord of the Rings
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Written in stages between 1937 and 1949, The Lord of the Rings is one of the best-selling books ever...
225. J.R.R. Tolkien
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is one of the most prestigious authors in modern history, best known for w...
224. Roman Holidays
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Grand villas on the Bay of Naples, engraving names on Egyptian singing statues, and sightseeing tour...
223. Sun, Sea, and Sex
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The rise and fall of Butlin's, Benidorm and Franco, class, package holidays, bikinis, mass tourism a...
222. Victorian Holidays
18 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The birth of guide books, resorts, and the package holiday. In the second episode in our holidays s...
221. Holidays: Byron's Grand Tour
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the first of four episodes on the history of holidays: Byron's Grand Tour; The Invention ...
220. Justinian & Theodora: The Secret History (Part 3)
11 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Wars, disease, and legacy. In the final episode of the trilogy, Tom and Dominic discuss the Byzanti...
219. Justinian: Making Rome Great Again (Part 2)
09 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Riot that destroyed a city and almost brought down an Emperor... In the second part of our tril...
218. Theodora: Empress of Byzantium (Part 1)
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the first episode of a three part series, Tom and Dominic dive into the incredible story of Justi...
217. Plague and the decline of the Roman Empire
04 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tom and Dominic are joined by friend of the show Kyle Harper to discuss how pandemics and disease pl...
216. Pigeons
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
‘If it became necessary immediately to discard every line and method of communications used on the...
215. Stalingrad and the Red Army (Part 2)
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tom and Dominic are again joined by Iain MacGregor to discuss the climax of the Battle of Stalingra...
214. The Battle of Stalingrad (Part 1)
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Stalingrad: the bloodiest battle of the Second World War. Tom and Dominic are joined by Iain MacGre...
213. London: Moments (Part 5)
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the fifth and final episode in our London Week. Enjoyed the series? Click here to become...
212. Haunted London (Part 4)
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the fourth episode in our London Week mini-series. To get tomorrow's final episode right...
211. London: People (Part 3)
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the third episode in our new mini-series: LONDON WEEK. From Monday to Friday we're relea...
210. London: Places (Part 2)
19 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the second episode in our new mini-series: LONDON WEEK. From Monday to Friday we'll rele...
209. Londinium (Part 1)
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the first episode in our new mini-series: LONDON WEEK. From Monday to Friday we'll relea...
208. George Orwell
14 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
George Orwell is one of the most celebrated novelists, essayists, and journalists in modern British ...
207. Historical Love Island: THE WINNER
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Historical Love Island has swept the nation and the podcasting world since Monday, when four couples...
206. Historical Love Island
11 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Love Island phenomenon is sweeping the nation, so Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook are joined b...
205. The Last Days of Boris Johnson
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Boris Johnson has resigned. In a special episode of The Rest Is History Tom and Dominic dissect the...
204. Gone with the Wind
07 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"There was a land of cavaliers and cotton fields called the Old South". Tom and Dominic are joined ...
203. American Civil War: Aftermath & Legacy (Part 4)
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the final episode of this 'American Civil War' series, Tom, Dominic and historian Adam Smith look...
202. American Civil War: Gettysburg (Part 3)
30 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tom, Dominic and historian Adam Smith look at the most famous battle of the war and Abraham Lincoln’...
201. American Civil War: Outbreak (Part 2)
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the second episode in The Rest Is History's 'American Civil War' series. The release sch...
200: American Civil War: The Causes (Part 1)
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to The Rest Is History 'American Civil War' series. The release schedule of the four episod...
199. Stonehenge
23 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On today's pod Tom and Dominic are joined by Stonehenge expert Mike Pitts to discuss all the big qu...
198. Cleopatra's Downfall (Part 4)
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Join Tom and Dominic for the fourth and final instalment in their Cleopatra mini-series, as they di...
197. Antony & Cleopatra (Part 3)
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After centuries of Cleopatra and Mark Antony’s relationship being told and fictionalised by Plutar...
196. Julius Caesar & Cleopatra (Part 2)
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Join Tom and Dominic for the second episode of this four part mini-series on Cleopatra, where they ...
195. Young Cleopatra (Part 1)
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to The Rest Is History Cleopatra series! The release schedule of the four episodes is as fo...
194. The First Fascist
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss the 'first' fascist, Gabriele D'Annunzio, with historian ...
193. How Prime Ministers Fall
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As British PM Boris Johnson survives a no confidence vote, Tom and Dominic record a special episode ...
192. Robin Hood
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Join Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook as they uncover the origins of Robin Hood. What was the ea...
191. Childbirth
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, Tom and Dominic talk to Sara Read about the history of childbirth. Sara unveil...
190. Jubilees
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode of The Rest Is History Dominic and Tom look at how Jubilees have served as a mome...
189. Australian Prime Ministers: Bob Hawke - Scott Morrison (Part 3)
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Join Tom and Dominic for the final episode of their Australian epic. Tune in to hear about the explo...
188. Australian Prime Ministers: Harold Holt - Malcolm Fraser (Part 2)
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the second part of our Australian PMs trilogy, Tom and Dominic explore Chinese Communist conspira...
187. Australian Prime Ministers: Edmund Barton - Robert Menzies (Part 1)
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of Anthony Albanese's victory in this weekend's Australian election, Tom and Dominic hav...
186. The New Elizabethan Age
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The longest reigning monarch in British history, Elizabeth II acceded to the throne 70 years ago. T...
185. Agatha Christie
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist in history. Coinciding neatly with the 'Wagatha Christ...
184. History's Biggest Questions with Dan Carlin (Part 2)
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Could the West have lost the Cold War? Would we be happier if we didn't study history? Would you pre...
183. History's Biggest Questions with Dan Carlin (Part 1)
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Who was the most influential leader of the 20th century? What would have happened if the South had w...
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 So...
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 14...
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 ...
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...
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 naturall...
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 Templ...
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." Follow...
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...
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 ...
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 rec...
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...
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 e...
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 occupatio...
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, c...
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 ...
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 Ca...
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...
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 warlo...
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 dist...
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? P...
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 fina...
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 yo...
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 s...
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 f...
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?...
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 di...
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 ...
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, wha...
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...
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 ta...
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 wh...
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...
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, Ger...
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 co...
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 ...
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 t...
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 ne...
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 bei...
145. Babylon
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Greatest city on earth. Den of iniquity. Imperial oppressor. Wealth and power. The ancient city of ...
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 ...
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...
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 Victo...
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...
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 inventio...
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 ...
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 ...
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, t...
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 Domi...
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 in...
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 y...
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 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 h...
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 '1...
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 h...
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, ...