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, ...
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", whil...
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 ta...
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...
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 look...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 Rom...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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 Europ...
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...
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 int...
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...
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 i...
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 w...
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 tyr...
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 ...
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 ...
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 monarc...
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 offe...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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, bur...
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...
115. The Gunpowder Plot
04 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
‘Remember, remember / the Fifth of November / Gunpowder, treason & plot.” But what is it exactly...
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 seri...
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 Hutt...
112. Medieval Science
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The word ‘medieval’ is often used to mean backward, benighted, unscientific. But is this fair? H...
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 Do...
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 th...
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 popula...
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 industri...
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 crimin...
106. Watergate: Part 1
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What led Richard Nixon into the greatest political scandal in American history? Dominic Sandbrook, a...
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...
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...
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 hi...
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 A...
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 surprisi...
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 hist...
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 v...
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 Persi...
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 Xe...
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 defin...
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...
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...
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 Andr...
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 ...
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 destr...
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 cult...
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 ...
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 ev...
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...
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 Sand...
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? ...