Format
The Road to 1066: Countdown to Conquest (Part 4)
In the triumvirate of 1066, William of Normandy, Harald Hardrada, and Harold Godwinson, the latter has above all endured as one of the great heroes of...
The Road to 1066: Rise of the Normans (Part 3)
Born into a world of treachery, violence and death, William of Normandy defied all expectations, forging a legacy that lasts to this day. Born out of...
The Road to 1066: Revenge of the Vikings (Part 2)
Following the bloody St Brice’s Day Massacre, of the 13th of November 1002, which saw King Æthelred brutally exterminating the Danes from England, the...
The Road to 1066: Anglo-Saxon Apocalypse (Part 1)
The Norman Conquest of 1066, culminating in the legendary Battle of Hastings, is perhaps the greatest turning point in the history of the English nati...
RIHC: Nazi Collaborators, the Kaiser, and Assassinating Hitler
What became of the Kaiser after Germany lost the Second World War? Who was his family, the Hohenzollerns, and why did they vanish from the historical...
RIHC: The Last English Pope, Persian Europe, and Tom and Dominic's Favourite Castles
What era does Trump’s famous slogan, ‘Make America Great Again’, refer to? Has this always been a familiar theme in any democratic country? Could anot...
The French Revolution: The Execution of the King (Part 4)
The second revolution that engulfed France over the course of 1792 reached its climax in December, with an astonishing, world-changing spectacle, whic...
The French Revolution: The Monarchy Falls (Part 3)
“From this place and from this day forth commences a new era in the world’s history, and you can all say you were present at its birth!” By September...
The French Revolution: The First Feminist (Part 2)
In the summer and Autumn of 1792 - with the Prussians bearing down on Paris, the streets thronged with the stirring swell of the Marseillaise, but als...
The French Revolution: The September Massacres (Part 1)
‘Still more traitors, still more treason…’ It is 1792 and France has been at war since April; it is not going well. In Paris, the Tuileries Palace has...
Death in the Amazon: Aguirre, the Wrath of God
“Anyone who even thinks of abandoning this mission will be cut up into a thousand pieces…I am the wrath of God!” At the height of the age of explorat...
RIHC: Exposing the Heart of Darkness; Roger Casement's Fight for Humanity
Who was Roger Casement, the mysterious, enigmatic man at the heart of exposing the terrible humanitarian abuses taking places under King Leopold of Be...
Elizabeth I’s Sorcerer: Angels and Demons in Renaissance Europe
In Tudor England, during the reign of Elizabeth I, there lived in the very heart of her court a magician, alchemist and polymath, bent upon conversing...
Heart of Darkness: Fear and Loathing in the Congo
“The horror! The horror!” Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ - the inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Apocalypse Now’ - is one of the most celeb...
RIHC: Colonialism, Genocide, and King Leopold’s Ghost
What was the most common cause of death under King Leopold of Belgium’s nightmarish regime in the Congo Free State? Were the majority of victims murde...
RIHC: American Presidents, From FDR To Trump: The Invasion of Iraq, Obama's Failures, and the Biden Blip (Part 2)
Was Donald Trump's rise to power historically unprecedented in America? Who has been the worst American president in recent history? Was Reagan’s emot...
Horror in the Congo: A Conspiracy Unmasked (Part 3)
Exposing the dark pit of human suffering, cruelty and corruption that had long been secretly festering in King Leopold’s Congo, would reveal one of th...
Horror in the Congo: The Crimes of Empire (Part 2)
“A secret society of murderers with a king for a ringleader”. In 1885 King Leopold of Belgium; an awkward, ruthless, selfish man, was recognised as th...
Horror in the Congo: The Nightmare Begins (Part 1)
The story of King Leopold of Belgium’s brutal regime in the Congo Free State, during the late 19th century, is one of the darkest and most important i...
RIHC: American Presidents from FDR to Trump: Cuba, Watergate, and the Atomic Bomb (Part 1)
Who has been the best American president in recent history? How did Franklin D. Roosevelt go up against Hitler and the Nazis, while battling debilitat...
RIHC: Secret Nazi Tunnels, Europe’s Deep History, and Mysterious Frontiers
How did the Nazis brutally reshape the boundaries of Poland, and thereby dislocate vast swathes of her population? What is the deep history of Europe’...
Emperors of Rome: Claudius, Paranoia and Poison (Part 4)
Following the bloody assassination of the twenty-eight year old Emperor Caligula, Rome found herself without a leader. Who then should fill the enormo...
Emperors of Rome: Caligula, Incest and Insanity (Part 3)
Enough of the Princeps, what remains to be described, is the monster…. The Roman emperor Caligula endures as one of the most notorious figures in not...
Emperors of Rome: Tiberius, Slaughter and Scandal (Part 2)
The Roman historian Suetonius’ biography of the controversial Emperor Tiberius, is one of his most shocking and salacious, condemning Tiberius to infa...
Emperors of Rome: Sex Secrets of the Caesars (Part 1)
The Roman historian Suetonius’ The Lives of the Caesars, written during the early imperial period of the Roman Empire, is a seminal biography covering...
RIHC: Fallen Empires, The Dark Ages, and Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey
Which character from history would Tom and Dominic choose to make a hit Netflix series about? What are history’s most consequential empires? Which emp...
Wojtek: The Bear Who Beat the Nazis
The story of Wojtek - the bear who took on the Nazis - amidst the death and devastation of the Second World War, and more specifically Poland's heroic...
RIHC: Canada vs. America
Why have Canadian politics historically been so troubled? How did Canada come to be an independent entity? What was its role in the American Revolutio...
Hitler's War on Poland: The Fall of Warsaw (Part 3)
The Nazi invasion of Poland is one of the most harrowing episodes of the Second World War, which saw terrible scenes of abuse take place. Though long...
Hitler's War on Poland: The Pact with Stalin (Part 2)
By the 11th of April 1939, Adolf Hitler and his Nazis were in the process of drawing up a plan of attack for Poland, the Poles having resisted Germany...
Hitler's War on Poland: Countdown to Armageddon (Part 1)
Following the Munich agreement of September 1938, Nazi troops marched into Czechoslovakia and ruthlessly claimed it as a German protectorate. Still, e...
RIHC: Heroic Vikings, Greek Epics, and The Rules of War
Who was Harald Hardrada - viking king, dragon fighter, and bodyguard to the Byzantine emperor - and why was he such an extraordinary historical figure...
The Nazis' Road to War: Showdown in Munich (Part 2)
On 17th September 1938, in Munich, one of the most extraordinary meetings in history took place. Neville Chamberlain launched an extraordinary and unp...
The Nazis' Road to War: Hitler Prepares to Strike (Part 1)
Throughout the course of the 1930s, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party has overwhelmingly, terrifyingly seized power in Germany. Now, Hitler’s vile ambitions h...
RIHC: Famous Composers, Mozart’s Requiem, and Musical Riots
What does it feel like to conduct a live orchestra? How has music influenced politics? Did Igor Stravinsky’s music from the ballet, The Rite of Spring...
Beethoven: Napoleon and the Music of War LIVE at the Royal Albert Hall
Ludwig Van Beethoven, like his precursor and possible acquaintance Mozart, is one of the most famous figures in Western musical history. With his wild...
Mozart: History's Greatest Prodigy LIVE at the Royal Albert Hall
In 1756 a musical prodigy was born in Salzburg, Austria: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Thanks to the efforts of his exacting father, Mozart's genius was ex...
RIHC: Paul McCartney, Churchill’s Roaring Lion, and Stalinist Propaganda
What did war photography capture about the truth of the Vietnam War? How did Stalin erase his enemies from the public record? What was the story behin...
RIHC: The Eruption of Vesuvius, Lost Texts, and Ancient Cults
What are the ancient Herculaneum scrolls, recovered following the explosion of Vesuvius in 79 AD? How did these supposedly lost documents survive? Wha...
Charlemagne: Emperor of the West (Part 3)
“And from that moment on, he was addressed as emperor and Augustus!” The coronation of Charlemagne on Christmas Day 800 AD, is one of the landmark mom...
Charlemagne: Pagan Hunter (Part 2)
“Here was a program to wet the ambitions of warlords as well as scholars, and to send men into battle beneath the fluttering of banners, the hiss of a...
Charlemagne: Return of the Kings (Part 1)
The Frankish king, Charlemagne the Great, is one of the titanic figures of European history, simultaneously renowned and shadowy. His rise to supreme...
RIHC: Murdered Martyrs, Norse Raids, and Mysterious Stone Circles
What is the meaning behind Orkney’s mysterious stone circles? How far back does the history of the Orkney archipelago truly stretch? What makes its an...
Warlords of the West: A Clash of Ice and Fire (Part 3)
By 711, Europe and the Frankish warlords were facing a graver threat than ever before. Bands of Northern African, nominally Muslim raiders had begun a...
Warlords of the West: Killer Queens (Part 2)
Following the death of the legendary Frankish King Clovis, his son Clothar I divided the mighty realm his father had hacked out from the warring warlo...
Warlords of the West: Barbarian Heirs of Rome (Part 1)
The Rise of the Franks - a mighty host of warlords; forefathers of the western world and forgers of medieval civilisation, under the totemic leadershi...
The World's First City
In as early as 5000 BC the vast and spectacular city of Uruk - replete with towering walls, glistening temples and complex irrigation systems - lay sp...
RIHC: Gladiator II, Narcissistic Poets, and The Princes in the Tower (Livestream)
What did Tom think of Gladiator II? Why did people refer to Napoleon by his first name unlike the Duke of Wellington and Lord Nelson? Why didn’t the R...
RIHC: Jane Austen, Smugglers, and the Napoleonic Wars
What was Jane Austen’s experience of the Napoleonic Wars? How militarised was Britain during this time? Were people really press ganged into the Briti...
RIHC: Trump’s Election Victory, Spectacular Battlefields, and Star Wars
How historically seismic is the recent American election? What will be the consequences of Trump’s victory for the future of the U.S.A? Were the 1990’...
Nelson: The Battle of the Nile (Part 5)
The 1st of August 1798 saw the British fleet sailing towards Alexandria into a land of classical history and mythology, the sun setting like blood ove...
Nelson: The Hunt for Napoleon (Part 4)
In the wake of the Battle of Cape St. Vincent in 1797, Horatio Nelson, though a much acclaimed public hero for his bravery during the battle, is in th...
Nelson: God of War (Part 3)
Valentine’s day, 1797: the British Royal Navy are hoping for a decisive clash with the Spanish enemy, off the coast of Portugal, at Cape St. Vincent....
Nelson: Attack the French! (Part 2)
It is 1793 and France has declared war on Britain, meaning that the British navy must serve as both sword and shield to Europe. Horatio Nelson is at t...
Nelson: Hero of the Seas (Part 1)
It’s 1758 and Britain’s greatest naval commander has just been born. The young Horatio Nelson has inherited his father’s love of god and his mother’s...
RIHC: The Revolutionary Rock and Roll of 1968
What does the music of 1968 America tell us about the roiling political climate of that tumultuous year of American politics? Why has music so often b...
RIHC: Medieval Women, Predicting the Future, and the Silk Roads
What were the Silk Roads? How did they reshape our understanding of the world? Who was Edward III’s wife Isabella - the She Wolf of France - featured...
RIHC: Tudor Scuba Diving, Dinosaur Hunters and Britain's Greatest Cartoonist
Was Napoleon taller than Lord Admiral Nelson? Who was Jacques Francis, the young West African free diver who in the sixteenth century was charged with...
America in '68: Nixon's Great Comeback (Part 6)
“Nixon now! Nixon now! More than ever we need Nixon now!” It's the 5th of November 1968, and Richard M. Nixon is on tenterhooks, alone in his dark hot...
America in '68: The Chicago Riots (Part 5)
The Democratic National Convention is in Chicago, and the incumbent president, Lyndon B. Johnson, has pulled out of the race. Anti-war protestors are...
America in '68: George Wallace, The First Donald Trump (Part 4)
“Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever!” George Wallace, Governor of Alabama, was one of the most successful third-party preside...
America in '68: The Killing of Robert Kennedy (Part 3)
“What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence...
America in '68: The Assassination of Martin Luther King (Part 2)
The peaceful figurehead of the Civil Rights movement in the early 1960s, Dr Martin Luther King had inspired hundreds of thousands to demand equal righ...
America in ’68: Nightmare in Vietnam (Part 1)
"Tonight I want to speak to you of peace in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.” On the night of Sunday, 31st of March 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson, afte...
RIHC: Cromwell & Britain's Revolutionary Decade
Was the Restoration inevitable? Should Oliver Cromwell have made himself King? What was the role of ritual in Cromwell’s premiership? How did Thomas H...
RIHC: The Roman Conquest of Britain EXTRA
Why did people become interested in Roman history after the fall of the empire? Did the “Break with Rome” change the legacy of the Romans in Britain?...
The French Revolution: The Marseillaise, Song of War (Part 5)
“Let us march! Let us march! May impure blood water our fields!” Written after the declaration of war against Austria in 1792, “La Marseillaise” was b...
The French Revolution: Massacre at the Palace (Part 4)
The war between revolutionary France and the allied powers of Prussia and Austria has reached fever pitch, and in early August 1792, the latter party...
The French Revolution: The Shadow of the Guillotine (Part 3)
During the "Ancien Regime", royal executioners held an unholy status, and would strike up fear in the crowds as they walked the streets of Paris. But...
The French Revolution: War to the Death (Part 2)
“You have shaken off the yoke of your despots, but surely this was not to bend the knee before a foreign tyrant…” It’s January 1792, and one of the la...
The French Revolution: Bloodbath in Paris (Part 1)
Welcome to Season 2 of The French Revolution Revolutionary fervour threatens to engulf the streets of Paris, as demonstrators have gathered on the Ch...
RIHC: Roman Legions vs. Norman Invaders, The Killing Fields of Agincourt, and American Aristocracy
Was Juan Perón ultimately responsible for the death of his first two wives? Could a Roman field army have defeated William the Conqueror’s invasion fo...
RIHC: Assassinations, American Exceptionalism, and Clinton's Lost Election
What was the worst foreign policy mistake the US ever made? Who will win the upcoming presidential election? Should the northern states have just aban...
The Roman Conquest of Britain: To the Ends of the Earth (Part 4)
In the aftermath of Boudicca’s uprising, the Romans felt they could not withdraw from the British Isles. They sent their most competent fighters and l...
The Roman Conquest of Britain: Boudicca’s Reign of Blood (Part 3)
“Two cities were sacked, eighty thousand of the Romans and of their allies perished, and the island was lost to Rome. Moreover, all this ruin was brou...
The Roman Conquest of Britain: The Empire Strikes Back (Part 2)
Viewed as an idiot by those around him, Claudius felt the need to prove himself. In the century since Caesar had invaded Britain, the mythology surrou...
The Roman Conquest of Britain: Julius Caesar’s Invasion (Part 1)
Julius Caesar saw the Britons as brutal savages. Yet the Romans romanticised their lack of civilisation, deeming them as untainted by Mediterranean lu...
RIHC: British Inventions, Ronald Reagan, and Roman Conquests
What is the best British invention of all time? When did history shift from being shaped by emperors to being shaped by population changes and industr...
RIHC: Frontline Photography, Beards at War, and Cassino '44
How challenging were the obstacles faced by photographers trying to reach the front line in the 1940s? What happened to personal video collections fil...
Evita: The Mystery of the Missing Body (Part 5)
After lying in state in an open casket, Evita’s corpse is taken down to a secret laboratory in the basement. And as the Argentinian Victor Frankenstei...
Evita: Death of a Martyr (Part 4)
The workaholic mother of a nation, Evita’s health deteriorates and she faints at a public event. A self-proclaimed martyr, she seems to be willing to...
Evita: The World’s Most Powerful Woman (Part 3)
“There is only one man who can lead any worker’s regime.” Together, Eva and Colonel Perón built a political movement powered by operatic rhetoric. Pe...
Evita: The Rise of General Perón (Part 2)
An admirer of Hitler and Mussolini, Colonel Perón rose through the ranks during the 1943 military coup in Argentina. Following a disastrous earthquake...
Evita: Birth of a Legend (Part 1)
“Don’t cry for me Argentina, the truth is I never left you.” Few political figures have been both hailed as a saint and immortalised through an Andr...
Lee Miller: Uncovering the Horrors of World War Two
It’s August 1944: the Liberation of Paris is underway, and France appears to slowly be extricating herself from Nazi control. But, on the French weste...
RIHC: The Hundred Years' War EXTRA with Helen Castor
What shaped the relationship between King Henry IV and King Richard II? How were the first cousins wrapped up in the Peasants' Revolt as young boys in...
The War on Beards: From Peter the Great to John Lennon (Part 2)
“I like an Englishman to look like an Englishman, and beards are foreign and breed vermin. Also depend upon it, they will lead to filthy habits.” Eur...
History's Greatest Beards: From Egyptian Queens to Medieval Conquerors (Part 1)
What did Marcus Aurelius, Jesus, and Ragnar Lothbrok all have in common? Apart from their notorious and symbolic deaths, all three men boasted lusciou...
RIHC: Alexander the Great, Napoleon, and Royal Correspondence
What’s the best book that Tom and Dominic have NEVER written? How on earth did Alexander the Great manage to administer and garrison his enormous empi...
RIHC: Asquith and the Road to War EXTRA with Robert Harris
Who was H. H. Asquith - the last great Victorian Prime Minister - and was he a good leader? What impact did his controversial relationship with his da...
Hundred Years’ War: England Triumphant (Part 4)
St Crispin’s day, 1415: Henry V stands victorious, after a tremendous defeat of the French forces at the Battle of Agincourt. He is just about to make...
Hundred Years’ War: Bloodbath at Agincourt (Part 3)
“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers”. The Battle of Agincourt in 1415 endures as perhaps the most totemic battle in the whole of English histor...
Hundred Years’ War: The Road to Agincourt (Part 2)
On the 11th of August 1415, King Henry V of England - an austere, pious, thoughtful and terrifying warlord in only his late-twenties - set sail for Fr...
Hundred Years’ War: Henry V’s Invasion of France (Part 1)
“Once more unto the breach, dear friends. Once more, we'll close the wall up with our English dead […] And upon this charge, cry God for Harry, Englan...
RIHC: Nazi Assassination Attempts, Alchemy, and The Greatest Historical Novel
Which mythical figure from history would Dominic most like to have existed? Which assassination attempt, had it succeeded would have had the greatest...
Henry IV: Warrior Princes and Fat Knights (Part 2)
The year is 1403, and the Usurper King, Henry IV, faces a seemingly insurmountable challenge to his rule. He has been brought the news that his old fr...
Henry IV: The Usurper King (Part 1)
"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown…” Henry IV has been portrayed as both a shadowy, obscure figure, and a strong king who was loved by his peopl...
The Food that Changed the World
The unexpected evolution of Italian food can serve as a tantalising doorway into some of the greatest moments of Italian history: from medieval monarc...
RIHC: The French Revolution EXTRA
What would have happened had the French royal family managed to escape France? Could Louis XVI ever have found a compromise with the revolutionaries?...
The Mysterious Case of the Ape Man
In Sussex, in 1912, men quarrying in a gravel pit near Piltdown village turned up a human skull. According to Charles Dawson, a lawyer and amateur arc...
RIHC: Marie Antoinette EXTRA
How has Marie Antoinette traditionally been depicted in art - as a victim or a despot? What parallels can be drawn between the famous execution of Lad...
RIHC: The Road to the Great War EXTRA
Was the outbreak of the First World War inevitable or might it have been avoided had Franz Ferdinand never been assassinated? Were any of the global p...
The French Revolution: The Royal Family Escapes (Part 8)
Twelve months after the dramatic Women’s March on Versailles, the Revolution proper was well into its stride, and while Paris overflowed with a sense...
The French Revolution: The Women's March on Versailles (Part 7)
By the summer of 1789 the different sections of the Revolution were at loggerheads, and the recently created National Assembly riven in two. Both fact...
The French Revolution: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity (Part 6)
Alongside violence, the French Revolution is a story of principles and values. It is the ultimate intersection of brutality and Enlightenment idealism...
The French Revolution: The Storming of the Bastille (Part 5)
“It was violence that made the revolution revolutionary”. The storming of the Bastille is viewed by many across the world as a moment of celebration,...
The French Revolution: Showdown in Versailles (Part 4)
In the summer of 1788, a monstrous storm swept across France, wiping out the crucial wheat harvest. With the nation already in the throes of political...
The French Revolution: The Violence Begins (Part 3)
With seismic antecedents such as the Glorious Revolution in England and the American War of Independence, what was it about the French Revolution that...
The French Revolution: The Diamond Necklace Scandal (Part 2)
In August 1785 a shocking affair came to light which would prove so detrimental to the reputation and standing of the French King Louis XVI, and more...
The French Revolution: Marie Antoinette (Part 1)
The French Revolution is one of the great seismic events of global history. A devouring conflagration of bloodshed, violence and utopianism, it change...
RIHC: King Arthur, Ancient Egypt, and Unexpected Historical Trends
Which historical subject do Tom and Dominic think is the most important in the whole of world history? How are different events, periods and monuments...
RIHC: Presidential Assassinations, Political Violence, and Revolutionary Legacies
How many American Presidents have been killed by assassins, and which ones? Do failed assassination attempts historically work in the favour of a cand...
The Road to The Great War: The Lights Go Out (Part 6)
“The lamps are going out all over Europe, we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime” In the early days of August 1914, the British press has bec...
The Road to The Great War: The Tsar Chooses War (Part 5)
“We have been forced to draw the sword”. Following the expiry of Austria’s Ultimatum on Saturday 25th July 1914, the Kaiser and the Tsar - friends and...
The Road to The Great War: Britain’s Fateful Choice (Part 4)
On the 24th of July 1914, in London, the Liberal British Cabinet met to hear the Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey, read them the Ultimatum handed to...
The Road to The Great War: The Austrian Ultimatum (Part 3)
On the 20th of July 1914 the heads of state of two great European powers - France and Russia - met in St Petersburg. Little did they know, though they...
The Road to The Great War: The Kaiser’s Blank Cheque (Part 2)
In the wake of the cataclysmic assassination of Franz Ferdinand on the 28th of June 1914, in Austria, the long percolating question of what to do abou...
The Road to The Great War: Countdown to Armageddon (Part 1)
By the end of July 1914, the world hovered on the edge of a cataclysmic world war; Austria was at war with Serbia, Russia with Germany, and an ultimat...
RIHC: England vs Holland (Livestream)
From 1556 and the Dutch Revolt onwards, what have been the key moments of Anglo-Dutch relations? Why were they so strained during the 17th century? Wh...
The Murder of Franz Ferdinand: The Crime (Part 4)
Archduke Franz Ferdinand has arrived in Sarajevo for a military inspection, alongside his wife, Sophie, on the 28th of June 1914. Unbeknownst to them,...
RIHC: The English Revolution, History's Top Funerals, and Ottoman Oil Fields
Why isn't the English Civil War referred to as the English Revolution? Would the Habsburg Empire have survived the 20th century, had it not been for t...
The Murder of Franz Ferdinand: The Victim (Part 3)
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, as heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was one of the most important men in the world. But he was a lonely man, not helped...
The Murder of Franz Ferdinand: The Conspiracy (Part 2)
Gavrilo Princip, having been sent to school in Sarajevo, has become mixed up with the wrong crowd, and is now entangled in a secret Serbian nationalis...
The Murder of Franz Ferdinand: The Killer (Part 1)
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to one of the world’s greatest empires, in June 1914, set in motion a series of events that would...
Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar (Extract)
To coincide with the re-release of Dynasty in audiobook, now with Tom Holland himself narrating, we have the book’s introduction for you to enjoy. D...
RIHC: Tom and Dominic LIVE at Chalke History Festival
For this week's bonus episode, we thought we'd give our members a chance to hear Tom and Dominic's talk from last night at Chalke History Festival 202...
Modern British Elections (Part 2)
From the turn of the 20th century, election campaigns - though still replete with politicians behaving badly - have evolved. They have become less mas...
Mad Elections (Part 1)
"Good God I am shot! I shall die!" The colourful kaleidoscope of British elections from 1265 to their early 20th century incarnation, has seen some of...
St George: Dragon-Slayer
The image of Saint George astride his horse, sword and spear in hand, slaying a dragon, is one of the most iconic iconographical spectacles of all tim...
RIHC: The Death of Nelson, Ancient Egypt, and The Holy Roman Empire
Which historical figure most significantly altered the course of history, by virtue of their incompetence? Why did England and Scotland adopt such dif...
Dragons
"When dragons flew to war… everything burned. I do not wish to rule over a kingdom of ash and bone." Dragons - the most compelling of mythical beasts...
Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic (Extract)
To coincide with the re-release of Rubicon in audiobook, now with Tom Holland himself narrating it, we have the book’s introduction for you to enjoy....
The Empress of the Apocalypse
In 972AD a princess of the Byzantine Empire was sent by her uncle, the Roman emperor in Constantinople, to marry the son of Otto the Great - Emperor o...
RIHC: Ancient Monsters, Roman Conspiracies, and D-Day Gaffs
What is the worst gaff in British political campaigning history? Was the Catilinarian Conspiracy a genuine threat to the Roman Republic, or did Cicero...
The Suit, Savile Row, and Smartly Dressed Men
His clothes seemed to melt into each other with the perfection of their cut and the quiet harmony of their colour. Without a single point of emphasis,...
RIHC: British Elections, Watergate, and Margaret Thatcher's Assassination
Was the Norman Conquest of England a colonial enterprise? Is the current political chaos and rapid turnover of Prime Ministers in Britain unprecedente...
Helen of Troy: A Family of Blood (Part 2)
In 1870 the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann - a man of remarkable energy, desperately fascinated with Helen of Troy - discovered in Turkey th...
Helen of Troy: Queen of the Greek Myths (Part 1)
The story of Helen of Troy, her remarkable birth and her infamous love affair with Paris, the Trojan prince, resounds across the centuries. A figure o...
RIHC: Vikings, Last of the Mohicans, and Nuclear Ragnarök
Did the Vikings ever come into contact with the Native Americans? What became of the Mohican tribe from the film, Last of the Mohicans? Are there para...
Fall of the Sioux: The Massacre at Wounded Knee (Part 3)
"I will bury my heart, at Wounded Knee" With Native American culture in free fall in the years following their triumph at the Battle of the Little Big...
Fall of the Sioux: The Ghost Dance (Part 2)
Following the tragic death of Crazy Horse and the ruthless cessation of the Sioux way of life, the last of the great Native American leaders were grad...
Fall of the Sioux: Death of Crazy Horse (Part 1)
Though the Battle of the Little Bighorn seemed for the triumphant Lakota and their allies - the largest gathering of Plains Indians ever assembled - a...
RIHC: Crossroads Of Civilisations - Where East Meets West
Was the Cold War the ultimate East-West confrontation, or was it the Persian Wars? Are concepts of freedom and autocracy central to the antipathy betw...
RIHC: Medieval Battles, the Pyramids, and the Industrial Revolution
Which medieval battle would Tom and Dominic like to go back in time and watch from a hot air balloon? Were the Egyptian pyramids built by slaves? What...
Custer's Last Stand: The Final Showdown (Part 8)
What happened between the moment that George A. Custer dispatched a trumpeter with his famous final plea for back-up, and the gruesome discovery of hi...
Custer's Last Stand: The Battle of the Little Bighorn (Part 7)
“You and I are going home today, and by a trail that is strange to us both…” The Battle of The Little Bighorn is one of the totemic moments of America...
Custer's Last Stand: The Charge of the 7th Cavalry (Part 6)
The U.S. was thrust into frenzied panic following the economic depression of 1873, with waves of paramilitary violence sweeping through the South, as...
Custer's Last Stand: Death in the Black Hills (Part 5)
In the wake of the barbaric Washita River massacre, George A. Custer finds himself drifting: addicted to gambling, at odds with his wife, and failing...
RIHC: Historic Lovers, Liz Truss; and The Seven Years War
Which historical character lost the most for lust? Does the Seven Years War count as a World War? If Hitler had known of the evil reputation he would...
Custer vs. Crazy Horse: Rise of Sitting Bull (Part 4)
“What would you do if your home was attacked? You would stand up like a brave man and defend it. That is our story.” Following the bloody Fetterman Fi...
Custer vs. Crazy Horse: Horse-Lords of the Plains (Part 3)
Of all the great characters entangled in the story of George A. Custer and the American Indian Wars, few are as captivating as Crazy Horse. A mighty w...
Custer vs. Crazy Horse: The Winning of the West (Part 2)
With the American Civil War coming to a close in April 1865, George Custer, cavalry commander in the Union army, and a man of dubious political leanin...
Custer vs. Crazy Horse: Civil War (Part 1)
“Come on, you Wolverines!” The story of the American Indian Wars of 1862-68 is an enthralling tale of hubris, politics, recklessness, and the merciles...
The Habsburgs: Secrets of a Dynasty
Charles V, The Holy Roman Emperor of the House of Habsburg, was at once King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, Lord of the Netherlands and Duke of Burgun...
RIHC: Tudor Executions, The Hobbit and Sexuality Through The Ages
Was the battle of Trafalgar crucial to the success of the anti-slavery movement? What were attitudes to homosexuality like during Lord Byron’s own lif...
The First Emperor of China
"The First Emperor will die and his land will be divided….” The First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, left behind him a monumental legacy: an Empire...
RIHC: World War Three (Livestream)
Was there a World War before the First World War? Why have apocalyptic mythologies always loomed large in human religions? Who was the mystic that pre...
RIHC: Harold Wilson's Affair, Russell Crowe and Historical Rotters
What does Dominic make of the recent claims regarding Harold Wilson's secret affair with the civil servant Janet Hewlett-Davies? Has the impact of the...
Lord Byron: Death of a Vampire (Part 4)
Rumours surrounding Lord Byron’s scandalous divorce rippled throughout the world. Finally, he had no choice but to abandon England in disgrace and fle...
Lord Byron: Dangerous Liaisons (Part 3)
Good God I am surely in hell! Upon Lord Byron’s return to England and the publication of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, he became one of the most notori...
Lord Byron: Scandal, Sex and Celebrity (Part 2)
By 1809, Lord Byron found himself untethered and debt-ridden. Disenchanted with politics, frustrated by his literary career and haunted by his illicit...
Lord Byron: Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know (Part 1)
Few lives from history can have contained as many strange and exciting strands as that of Lord Byron's, whose story reflects the great dramas of the N...
Disco: Sex and Race in Seventies America
Music for sex, dancing, and watching the straight world go by… The explosion of Disco provides an extraordinary window into the tumultuous world of...
RIHC: The Brothers Holland, Masters of the Air and Ghostly Centurions
What would have happened if Jesus had survived? Why were swastikas painted on some American planes during the Second World War? What were the weakness...
The Moonwalkers, with Tom Hanks
“We choose to go to the Moon. We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard...
RIHC: Henry VIII, Modern Villains, and H.H. Asquith
Does H.H. Asquith really belong in Dominic's top ten British Prime Ministers, and if so why? What role did the survivors of the Titanic play in propag...
RIHC: Medieval Martians, Samurai, and Mythical Mysteries
How accurate is the TV series ‘Shogun’? Who were the mysterious green children of Woolpit - fairies, Flemish exiles with hypochromic anaemia, or extra...
Luther: A World Torn Apart (Part 5)
“I think there is not a devil left in hell, they have all gone into the peasants… smite, stab and slay all”. Following on from Martin Luther’s dramat...
Luther: Showdown with the Emperor (Part 4)
"I cannot and will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.…Here I stand, I can do no other” The Diet of Worms in A...
Luther: The Battle Against Satan (Part 3)
Three years on from Martin Luther’s publication of the Ninety-Five Theses - an assault on the Catholic Church and the selling of indulgences - his rad...
Luther: The Revolution Begins (Part 2)
Martin Luther is one of the few people to have genuinely changed the world, igniting a religious revolution that tore Christendom in two, and undermin...
Luther: The Man Who Changed the World (Part 1)
The Reformation, launched in 1517, stands as one of the most convulsive and transformative events of all time, shattering Christendom and dividing Eur...
RIHC: Museums of the Western World (Livestream)
Which six museums from throughout the West have Tom and Dominic found the most interesting or unusual, and why? From space age classical statues in Ro...
RIHC: The Ottoman Empire, James Bond and the Titanic Submersible
Does a mighty power need a formidable rival in order to become great? Was 20th century British culture uniquely British? When was the term democracy f...
Titanic: The Survivors (Part 6)
"Then it is I drown again, with all those dim lost faces I never understood… Include me in your lamentations.” The aftermath of the Titanic’s sinking...
Titanic: Nightmare at Midnight (Part 5)
“A story of horror unparalleled in the annals of the Sea.” On the 14th of April 1912, Titanic, a floating palace sailing through the North Atlantic, f...
Titanic: The Iceberg Strikes (Part 4)
It is Sunday the 14th of April 1912, and the passengers of the Titanic, from the tycoons in first class to the migrants in third class, have been enjo...
Titanic: Countdown to Disaster (Part 3)
The drama and tragedy of the Titanic’s sinking has spawned all manner of myths about those who left Southampton on the 10th of April 1912, and for fou...
Titanic: Kings of the World (Part 2)
The Titanic was a product of the furious competition of the late Gilded Age, and no expenses were spared to make her the most extraordinary and luxuri...
Titanic: The Tragedy Begins (Part 1)
"There is no danger that Titanic will sink. The boat is unsinkable and nothing but inconvenience will be suffered by the passengers." The sinking of t...
History's Greatest Monkeys
Man in his arrogance thinks himself a great work, worthy the interposition of a deity. More humble, and I believe truer, to consider him created from...
RHIC: Henry VIII, Thatcherism and Roman Counterfactuals
Who is England's most important monarch, William the Conquerer or Henry VIII? How would England have turned out without the Norman Conquest? Were Sodo...
The History Of Chocolate
‘For if a person fatigued with long and hard labour, or with a violent agitation of the mind, takes a good dish of chocolate, he shall perceive almost...
RIHC: The Worst Disasters in History (Livestream)
What’s the truth behind the biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah? Why did an amphitheatre collapse in 27AD, killing thousands? How did a whole English...
RIHC: Medieval Monarchs, Historical Epochs and The Crown
What qualities did medieval monarchs need to be successful? Did Lord Mountbatten plan to lead a coup against Harold Wilson in 1968, as depicted in the...
Carthage vs. Rome: Total War (Part 4)
In the third century BC, a clash which had been brewing for centuries finally erupted: Rome, the ruthless imperialist upstart dominating Italy, agains...
Carthage vs. Rome: The Wolf at the Gates (Part 3)
“Every man is the architect of his own destiny” Long before Rome reigned over the Mediterranean, there was Carthage: the supreme predator of Antiquity...
Ancient Carthage: Rise of a Superpower (Part 2)
“An aristocratic republic, secret and well-ordered, where individuals are subject to the harsh laws of the austere and disciplined rich…” The mysterio...
Ancient Carthage: Lords of the Sea (Part 1)
“Carthago delenda est.” Carthage must be destroyed: this was the rallying cry of Cato the Elder, the senator endlessly pushing for war against Rome’s...
RIHC: Pointless Prime Ministers, The Rolling Stones and Medieval Giants
What is the worst policy decision a British Prime Minister ever made? How much do Prime Ministers really matter? Which of Chaucer's pilgrims would Tom...
Britain in 1974: Thatcher Enters the Ring (Part 4)
The horrific Guildford Pub Bombings of Saturday 5th October 1974 sent shockwaves through Britain, worsening the sense of crisis sweeping through the n...
Britain in 1974: Countdown to a Coup (Part 3)
Following a tumultuous election in February 1974, Labour’s Harold Wilson has been re-elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Wilson, an unpreten...
Britain in 1974: The Crisis Election (Part 2)
Three days after one of the most devastating IRA attacks launched upon British soil, the Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath called an election,...
Britain in 1974: State of Emergency (Part 1)
“Who governs Britain?” Britain in the early 1970’s was a state in crisis, and by 1974, things had never seemed bleaker. Held hostage by the Trade Unio...
RIHC: Murder Mysteries, Historical Rebellions and Zombie Rome
Which historical revolution would Tom and Dominic have been most likely to join? How different would the course of English history have been if Richar...
RIHC: The Greatest Holidays in History (Livestream)
Where in the world are the best places to go for history, beautiful scenery, delicious food and pleasure? Join Tom and Dominic in today's bonus liv...
The Canterbury Tales (Ep 4)
Geoffrey Chaucer stands as a founding father of English literature, and ‘The Canterbury Tales’ is an enthralling account of his age, holding a mirror...
The Murder of Richard II (Ep 3)
“For within the hollow crown that rounds the hollow temple of a king…” Richard II, son of the dashing Black Prince and grandson of Edward III, became...
The Peasants’ Revolt: London’s Burning (Ep 2)
On the 13th of June 1381, the rebel army of English peasants, led by Wat Tyler, entered London and brought chaos, death and destruction upon some of t...
The Peasants’ Revolt: England Erupts (Ep 1)
By the late 14th century, England was in decline. Already weakened by the Hundred Years’ War, both Edward III and his son, the Black Prince, had died,...
Romans in Space: Star Wars, Dune and Beyond...
Extolling his love for democracy, the Senator took on autocratic powers, during a time of emergency, to save the Republic. The Republic was then aboli...
RIHC: History's Greatest Knight, Kings vs. Tabloids, and Storms in Belfast
Which historical figures would have been broken by the English tabloid press, had they been around at the same time? Did Edward I help or hinder Anglo...
The Man in the Iron Mask
In the late 17th century, during the glorious reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King, France was at its apogee, with royal absolutism at its zenith. But, be...
RIHC: The Assassination of Augustus, Pints with Churchill and the Last Supper
What are the most iconic historical structures in the world? Who was the most incompetent person of all time? Why did so many of the most famous leade...
The Nazis in Power: The Night of Broken Glass (Ep 7)
By November 1938 the scene in Germany was at its darkest yet, as the full scale of Hitler’s intentions for the Jewish population of the German Reich w...
The Nazis in Power: The War on the Jews (Ep 6)
As Hitler ramps up the German war machine, he remains obsessed with one idea: uprooting Jews from the Reich. The Nazis embark on a campaign of totalit...
The Nazis in Power: Hitler's Dream (Ep 5)
“We must have a healthy people to dominate in the world”. In July 1933, Hitler’s Nazi party passed a new law for the compulsory sterilisation of anyon...
RIHC: Nazi Apocalypse, Appeasement and Charles Dickens
How did the Nazis see their place in the world? Were Romanian fascists more frightening than the Nazis? What was unique about Nazism, and was its terr...
RIHC: Undiscovered History, Byron and the Walking Dead
Why are narratives so important to understanding history? Who was the bigger historical lad: Byron or Shelley? Is there any undiscovered history left...
The Nazis in Power: The Conquest of Austria (Ep 4)
By 1937, Hitler’s ever-growing ambitions were driving Europe to the brink of war. Ever restless, he knew that Germany must conquer the world, or be de...
The Nazis in Power: Hitler’s Road to War (Ep 3)
“No one can doubt that this world will one day be the scene of dreadful struggles for existence on the part of mankind. In the end, the instinct of se...
The Nazis in Power: The Nuremberg Rallies (Ep 2)
“We did not lose the war because our artillery gave out, but because the weapons of our mind didn’t fire” In September 1934, the Nazis held their sixt...
The Nazis in Power: The Night of the Long Knives (Ep 1)
“Hitler had entered Röhm’s bedroom alone with a whip in his hand. Behind him had stood two detectives holding pistols, with the safety catch removed,...
The Mystery of the Pregnant Pope
A Pope of great renown once reigned during chaotic years for the medieval Church: she was an extraordinary figure, from a time when women were forbidd...
RIHC: Titanic, Macbeth and True Conspiracy Theories
Was 2023 a momentous year, and what will it be remembered for? What did Dominic make of David Tennant's Macbeth, and why was Into the Woods so memorab...
Christmas: Pagan or Christian?
“The Church was anxious to draw the attention of its members away from the old pagan feast days, and the December date did this very well, for it coin...
Windrush: The Story of Black Britain
On the 8th of June 1948, the HMT Windrush sailed from Kingston with almost 500 migrants on board, destined for England. The ship docked at Tilbury on...
RIHC: Political Dynasties, Fascism and the Roman Republic
Was Julius Caesar a glorified tyrant? Why are we still fascinated by dynastic political families like the Kennedy’s? Which Christmas event would Tom a...
Victorian Britain's Maddest Mystery
In 1854, the twenty-five year old aristocrat Roger Tichborne, heir to an impressive fortune, died in a shipwreck ....Or did he? His mother, certain of...
The Savage Storm: World War II and The Battle for Italy
The Battle for Italy in 1943 proved to be one of the bloodiest and most brutal episodes of the Second World War. Following hot on the heels of their r...
RIHC: Tom Holland - This is Your Life (Livestream)
Join Dominic in today's bonus livestream, as he interviews his co-presenter, Tom Holland, about his childhood growing up in southern England, his educ...
RIHC: The New Julius Caesar, Henry Kissinger, and Power in American Politics
What if Joe Kennedy Jr. had survived and become President instead of JFK? Why haven’t more American Presidents been assassinated in processions or cav...
RIHC: The Princes in the Tower, Fabricated Evidence and History in the News
Was the emperor Elagabalus really a woman? What do Tom and Dominic make of recent theories on the Princes in the Tower? Must historians be wary of tra...
JFK: The Mystery is Solved (Part 7)
On the 27th of September 1964 the Warren Commission, established by President Lyndon B. Johnson a year earlier to investigate the assassination of Pre...
JFK: A Conspiracy Unmasked (Part 6)
“We can’t accept very comfortably that two nobodies, two nothings - Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby - were able to change the course of world history....
JFK: The Second Assassin Strikes (Part 5)
“Jack, you son of a bitch, don’t do it!” Just hours after President Kennedy’s assassination, in the full glare of the world’s media, the Dallas polic...
JFK: Hunt for a Killer (Part 4)
It’s 12:31pm on Friday 22nd November 1963, and in Dallas, Texas, President John F. Kennedy lies slumped against his screaming wife, half of his head c...
JFK: Death in Dallas (Part 3)
“It wouldn't be very difficult to kill the president of the United States, you just have to be in a high building with a high powered rifle, telescopi...
JFK: Cuba, Camelot and the Cold War (Part 2)
By the late 1950s, John F. Kennedy was a rich and handsome Democratic senator with a beautiful wife and young family, heading for the White House desp...
JFK: The Road to the White House (Part 1)
“There were a lot of people who wanted Kennedy dead, a lot of powerful people. There are secrets still being held and I never bought for a minute that...
RIHC: The Seven Most Iconic Moments in History
Which seven landmark moments from the vast sweep of human history have been the most seismic? Join Tom and Dominic for this week’s bonus episode as th...
RIHC: History’s Top Lads, Ancient Slavery and Aztec Gold
Did all ancient cultures use slaves? Who are history’s top lads? Did the Aztecs know the value of their own gold? What would have happened if the Engl...
RIHC: Roman Sex Scandals, Courageous Leaders, and Napoleon’s Fate
Is physical courage a prerequisite for greatness? Does the use of emergency dictatorial powers always result in totalitarianism? Why was Napoleon exil...
The Fall of the Aztecs: The Last Emperor (Part 8)
Tenochtitlan, once the glittering jewel at the heart of the mighty Aztec Empire, has fallen. Hernán Cortés stands triumphant, the master of this New S...
The Fall of the Aztecs: War to the Death (Part 7)
"Conquer or die indeed, Cortes thought… The hour of decision was at hand…" It is the spring of 1521 and the fate of Mexico hangs by a thread. Smallpo...
The Fall of the Aztecs: The Night of Tears (Part 6)
Things have never looked bleaker for Hernán Cortés and his band of Spaniards. They are trapped, starving and terrified in the heart of the Aztec city...
The Fall of the Aztecs: The Festival of Blood (Part 5)
“The blood flowed like water…” It is 1520 and word has reached Hernán Cortés in Tenochtitlan that another group of Spaniards led by the ferocious Pán...
The Fall of the Aztecs: Prisoners of Montezuma (Part 4)
The year is 1519. Hernán Cortés and his Spanish comrades have arrived in Tenochtitlan, the capital city of the Aztecs, and have been welcomed by their...
The Fall of the Aztecs: The City of Gold (Part 3)
“Conquer or die! Conquer or die! Conquer or die!” Making a decision that will change the course of history, Hernán Cortés chooses to disobey his orde...
The Fall of the Aztecs: The Woman Who Changed The World (Part 2)
Hernán Cortés has set sail from Cuba, eager to find the truth behind the rumours of gold on the coast of Mexico. Ahead lies a world he can barely imag...
The Fall of the Aztecs: The Adventure Begins (Part 1)
The meeting of the controversial Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés and the formidable Emperor Montezuma in 1519 was one of the great hinge moments of...
RIHC: History’s Greatest Warrior, JFK vs. Nixon, and Roman Civil Wars
What really caused the fall of the Mayan civilisation? Who is History’s greatest ever warrior? Are military victories a great tool for converting the...
Young Napoleon: The Shadow of the Guillotine (Ep 2)
Within the turmoil of the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte stands out to his military superiors, first by defeating the English at Toulon, then b...
Young Napoleon: Teenage Revolutionary (Ep 1)
“I would plunge the avenging dagger, up to the hilt, in the breast of the tyrant!” Born in Corsica a year after the island was given to France by the...
RIHC: History’s Top Sidekicks, Christian Frontier Battles, & the Quran
Who is history’s most influential sidekick? Which battle was more important to safeguarding Christianity in Europe: Tours in 732, or Vienna in 1683? W...
Captain Cook: To the Ends of the Earth (Ep2)
Cook has been sent by the Royal Navy to the Pacific to track the transit of Venus from Tahiti, but also with a second, secret mission: once he’s reach...
Captain Cook: History's Greatest Explorer (Ep1)
The greatest sea explorer of all time, James Cook was born to a humble Yorkshire family, and first stood out for his talents as a cartographer for the...
RIHC: Roman Emperors - Busts, Coins, and Mullets (Livestream)
In this month's livestream, Tom and Dominic look into the various mediums through which Roman Emperors could choose to be depicted, and explore the be...
RIHC: Historical Vampires, Watergate, and Ancient Scriptures
Which historical act of censorship was the most effective? If he was Nixon’s advisor, how would Dominic have handled Watergate? Who are history’s like...
Baghdad: The Arabian Nights (Ep 4)
The setting for so many of the Arabian Nights, like the stories of Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, or Aladdin, Baghdad during the I...
Baghdad: The Golden Age (Ep 3)
Baghdad was a place of fabulous sophistication and teeming multitudes, where terrible things could happen, but great wonders could also be found… Duri...
Baghdad: Crossroads of the Universe (Ep 2)
“No city in the world will ever rival it for prosperity...“ Baghdad, originally a Christian village in Iraq, was chosen by the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mansu...
Baghdad: The Forging of Islam (Ep 1)
A story of great myth and of huge historical significance, the foundation of Baghdad is a fundamental episode in the development of Islam. The Umayyad...
RIHC: History’s Top Dictators, European Fascism, and Norman Vikings
Why didn’t France turn fascist after the First World War? Which on-screen portrayal of Mrs Thatcher do Tom and Dominic deem to be the best? What impac...
RIHC: Gold Rushes, The Flying Dutchman, and Obama vs Trump
Was the English Reformation a success? What is more important in a political leader: first class intellect, or first class temperament? Which mountain...
Hitler and the Mitford Sisters (Ep 4)
The Mitfords were the most glamorous aristocrats on the London scene in the 1920s, with at their head Diana, the most beautiful woman in London, who w...
The Battle of Cable Street: Fascism Defeated (Ep 3)
“You will never catch Sir Oswald admitting to anti-semitism - all he does is embody it!” Following the violent scenes at Kensington Olympia, the Briti...
Oswald Mosley: Fascist Leader (Ep 2)
The fascists in Britain have found a leader known across the country: the sinister yet complex Oswald Mosley. Following stints as an MP for both the T...
The Birth of British Fascism (Ep 1)
The cultural roots of fascism swirled around Britain at the turn of the 20th century, as medieval nostalgia, an obsession with hygiene, anti-semitism,...
The 1973 Chilean Coup: General Pinochet Seizes Power (Ep 2)
The U.S. have given up on ousting the socialist President Allende through democratic means, and shift to a more militaristic approach, in the form of...
The 1973 Chilean Coup: Allende, Nixon and the CIA (Ep 1)
In the midst of the Cold War, the 1973 coup against the socialist Chilean president Salvador Allende, led by General Pinochet with the support of Rich...
RIHC: The Bloodiest Place in History, Hitler's Evil Rivals, and Ageing Politicians
Which place on Earth has seen the most death over the course of history? Pre-Hitler, who was considered the most evil person of all time? Are Churchil...
PAX: War and Peace in Rome’s Golden Age (Extract)
In anticipation of the U.S. release of PAX, here’s the book’s introduction for you to enjoy, read by its author, our very own Tom Holland… Available i...
The Colosseum: Rome's Arena of Death
“Are you not entertained?!” The emblem of Rome, the Colosseum was the unsettling but glamorous home of Roman violence, used for gladiatorial bouts, n...
RIHC: Schoolboy Stories Special (Livestream)
In this week's livestream, Dominic delves into the enduring legacy of schoolboy stories, and why they have such a hold on the popular imagination, whi...
The History Behind Hogwarts: Ancient Schools and Revolting Students (Ep 2)
“To be a boy at one of these schools was to be alternately tyrant and slave.” More gruesome even than the Battle of Hogwarts, 18th century British Pub...
The Real Harry Potter: Magic, Empire and Beastly Bullies (Ep 1)
Eclectic traditions, obscure codes and cryptic ancient languages: the world of Harry Potter has captivated the imagination of children from all backgr...
The Architect of Modern China
“Let us advance courageously, to change the backward condition of our country, and turn it into a modern and powerful socialist state!” Deng Xiaoping,...
RIHC: The French Invasion of Britain, Marxism without Marx, and Right-Wing Painters
Is China destined to dominate world history? Did Elvis pave the way for Beatlemania, and the British Invasion of the 60s? What are history’s most sign...
Le Marquis de Sade: Sex and Violence
The father of sadism and a prophet of totalitarianism, the Marquis de Sade was a French aristocrat and writer, an uncompromising and unashamed liberti...
RIHC: The Destruction of Carthage, The Beatles, and St Cuthbert’s Way
How did the Roman army evolve between the sieges of Carthage and Jerusalem? Where has Tom’s tour of Britain taken him over the past few weeks? What is...
Sixties Fashion: Swinging London (Ep 2)
In a swirling world dominated by miniskirts, feather boas, posh photographers, youth culture, Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles, London has been transforme...
Sixties Fashion: The Teenage Revolution (Ep 1)
The Sixties is one of the only moments in history when Britain could claim to be the epicentre of world fashion, and in this episode Tom and Dominic d...
The Taj Mahal: Love and Death
“The mutual affection and harmony between the two had reached a degree never seen between a husband and wife…” The Taj Mahal, built by the Mughal Empe...
RIHC: The Industrial Revolution, Anti-Catholicism, and Archaeology
Did the French Revolution have a greater impact than the Industrial Revolution? Which historical sites would be most enticing for archaeologists to di...
The Lost Library of Alexandria
One of the greatest institutions of the ancient world, the Library of Alexandria was the embodiment of ultimate learning, and a “repository of everyth...
Fear City: New York in the 1970s
“A cloud of black, acrid smoke hung over the area. It was a scene from a warzone, a battlefield - it was a scene from the end of the world…” New York...
RIHC: Britain's Greatest Prime Ministers (Livestream)
Which Prime Ministers undoubtedly left their mark on Great Britain? Join Tom and Dominic in this week's bonus episode, as Dominic takes you on a journ...
Martin Luther King's Dream
"Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” Arguably the most celebrated speech of the 20th century, Martin Luther King Jr.’s address in front...
Viking Sorcery
Warning! This one isn’t for the faint-hearted… A naked, torch-carrying man, who would walk backwards around a funeral pyre, with his fingers covering...
RIHC: English Mythology, Historical Heatwaves, and Woke Informers
Does England have a foundational myth? Why did Roman emperors wear purple? Which historical events are attributable to periods of extreme heat? Is the...
Historical Love Island: The Sequel
“There’s a lot of severed heads at this villa!” The great TV sensation of the summer returns on The Rest Is History, as Tom and Dominic are once again...
The Blood-Drinking Bride of Christ
A woman of immense influence on medieval Christendom, Catherine of Siena was one of the first female Doctors of the Church, who married Christ in her...
RIHC: Shakespeare, Riots, and Sporting Greats
Which archives would be most dearly missed if they burned down today? Who is more important to the culture of Britain: William Shakespeare, King Henry...
Roman Apocalypse: Pompeii 79 AD
Mount Vesuvius' eruption in the autumn of AD79 remains one of the deadliest and best-known in history. The plume of super-heated volcanic gases spewed...
RIHC: French Intellectuals, Matricide, and Newtonian Physics
How did Nero justify killing his mother Agrippina? In what way has the critique of the Founding Fathers changed over time? Has Dominic considered writ...
Paris 1968: The Return of De Gaulle (Ep2)
Charles de Gaulle was a war hero in the First World War, and, having refused to accept his government’s armistice with Nazi Germany, became the voice...
Paris 1968: The Students' Revolt (Ep1)
May 1968 saw underlying tensions reach a climax in France, resulting in a period of civil unrest coloured by rioting, general strikes, and the occupat...
RIHC: Rome's Greatest Emperors (Livestream)
Which five Roman emperors were the most consequential? Join Tom and Dominic in this week's bonus episode, as Tom takes you on a journey through the fi...
Amsterdam: Kings, Canals and Coffee Houses (Ep2)
A city which played a fundamental role in both the Dutch Golden Age and the birth of the Dutch monarchy, Amsterdam has also stood in the avant-garde o...
Amsterdam: Miracles, Money and Mud (Ep1)
A city built on water, Amsterdam has often set the tone of European modernity. It first gained prominence as a miraculous centre for pilgrimage, and t...
RIHC: Blackshirts, Relics, and the Myth of Viking Sorcery
Did Britain ever consider giving the American colonies representation in Parliament? If Tom and Dominic were to break away from history, what subject...
RIHC: Founding Fathers, Sporting Rivalries, and Hedonism
What sets Russia apart from other Eastern European countries? Who are Tom and Dominic's favourite U.S. Founding Fathers, and which of them do they con...
The Triumph of George Washington (Part 4)
With the French and Spanish siding with George Washington’s revolutionaries, the game is up for the British, and it seems time for them to cut their l...
The Birth of the United States (Part 3)
“O ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth!” The U.S. Congress votes for independence on the 2nd...
The Boston Tea Party (Part 2)
“Last night three cargos of tea were emptied into the sea. This morning a man of war sails. This is the most magnificent movement of all. There is a d...
The American Revolution (Part 1)
“America, late the strength, now the foe to Britain, dismembered, torn, I fear forever lost to England, whence she sprung.” The American Revolution ca...
RIHC: Russian Revolutions, William the Conqueror, and Henry V (Livestream)
Was the rise of nationalism in the 1800s inevitable? If the Vietnam War had never happened, would Lyndon B. Johnson be the poster boy of the Democrats...
The Mystery of the Holy Grail (Ep 2)
“Who drinks the water I shall give him, will have a spring inside him welling up for eternal life.” A deeply mysterious object which doesn’t appear in...
Raiders of the Lost Ark (Ep 1)
The most important object in the universe, but also a somewhat invisible presence in the Bible, the Ark of the Covenant has fuelled stories for millen...
Oppenheimer: The Witch Hunt (Ep 2)
Following the use of the atomic bomb in Japan and the end of the Second World War, Oppenheimer pushes for an international approach to nuclear power....
Oppenheimer: The Father of the Atom Bomb (Ep 1)
“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” This was J. Robert Oppenheimer’s reaction to the first atomic bomb test in July 1945, marking the be...
RIHC: The first British president, fossil halls, and Tom's trails
Does a western cultural and intellectual tradition truly exist? Which is the most interesting British national trail? Who would Dominic elect to be th...
The Trials of Oscar Wilde: Downfall and Prison (Ep 2)
It’s 1895, and with the libel case brought against the Marquess of Queensbury having collapsed, Oscar Wilde is now arrested and charged with committin...
The Trials of Oscar Wilde: Sex and Scandal (Ep 1)
“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” As his most popular work, The Importance of Being Earnest, hints at, Oscar Wilde’s life was a complicated...
RIHC: Dickens’ eulogy, Boris in a toga, and Indiana Jones
What is the correct way to pronounce Æthelstan? If Nixon's cover-up had worked, would Carter or Reagan ever go on to be president? Which historical fi...
Hadrian and Antinous
A mysterious death on the Nile, an unconventional love affair, a Roman-Greek hero turned God - the story of Hadrian and Antinous is full of intrigue....
RIHC: In-flight entertainment, Harry Potter, and tales from D.C.
Coming to you this week from Washington D.C., Tom and Dominic answer more of your questions. What would have happened to the world if Napoleon died in...
Ireland: The Easter Rising, 1916 (Ep 4)
The Easter Rising began in Dublin's General Post Office on Easter Monday, 24th April 1916, with Patrick Pearse’s dramatic proclamation of the Irish Re...
Ireland: Home Rule, Mutiny - and Civil War? (Ep 3)
The year is 1912. The bitter arguments about Home Rule for Ireland are reaching boiling point. But with Ulster in uproar, the Tories encouraging mutin...
RIHC: 24 hours in Amsterdam, Jesus on camera, and peeping Tom
What historical figure would Tom and Dominic love to see footage of? Why isn't Irish history taught in English schools? What did Tom and Dominic reall...
Ireland: Union, Famine and Parnell (Ep 2)
At the start of the 19th century, the kingdoms of Britain and Ireland were officially 'united' with the Acts of Union. Historian Paul Rouse continues...
Ireland: Celts, Conquest and Cromwell (Ep 1)
“In every generation the Irish people have asserted their right to national freedom and sovereignty; six times during the past three hundred years the...
The Freemasons: History's Greatest Conspiracy Theory
A grubby, secretive cabal of devil worshippers that run the world, or a fraternity of like-minded individuals who enjoy eccentric rituals? Freemasonry...
RIHC: Ireland, Cromwell, and Stanley Baldwin (livestream)
Why was Stanley Baldwin reluctant to rearm Britain as quickly as the "belligerent warmonger” Churchill would have liked? How did the Troubles in North...
Athens and the Birth of Democracy
What did "demos" really mean to the Athenians? Why were women such a crucial part of Athenian democracy? And who was the Tom Wamsgams of Athens? Join...
The Republic of Britain: Life Under Cromwell
It's 1649 and a new republic has been declared, the Commonwealth of England. It's an age of 17th century republicanism, difficult policies in Ireland,...
RIHC: Roman Scotland, Humanities, and Herodotus
What was Scotland’s place in the Roman world? Does Australia get left out of the conversation about the Vietnam war? What does the future hold for uni...
King Solomon's Mines
In 1885, H. Rider Haggard’s brother offered him a wager: five shillings if he could write a book half as good as Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Is...
American Witches
It’s 1647, and in New England, where puritan settlers live in fear of God’s wrath and a hostile indigenous population, there are rumours coming from B...
RIHC: Revolutions, Tolkien's Tomb, and Poseidon's daughter
What influence did 1848 have on the birth of the modern Catholic Church? Which English king would have made the most of the coronation concert? Consid...
Herodotus: The Birth of History
Born on the Western edge of an empire that stretched all the way to India, Herodotus was a Greek historian of the 5th century BC. His major work The H...
Coronations: Chaos, Ceremony and Empire (Ep 3)
What was the most calamitous coronation of all time? Which ceremony does Tom think is the most boring subject he's ever discussed on the podcast? How...
Coronations: Sex, Holy Oil and Civil War (Ep 2)
Whether it’s London descending into a riot, a bad hangover with Samuel Pepys, or a royal lacking discretion… Charles III will certainly be hoping that...
Coronations: The Deep History (Ep 1)
The roots of the coronation ritual are fabulously ancient: certain elements of the ceremony are vestiges from the later Roman Empire, others have thei...
RIHC: The Death of Napoleon, South Vietnamese agency, and tent evangelists
Did Napoleon die of disease, or was it arsenic poisoning? How did Richard Nixon revive his political career? What is the moral of Tom's upcoming child...
The Year of Revolutions: 1848
Few years in European History saw as much change and turmoil as 1848: across the continent, from Vienna to Paris to Palermo, mass protests took place,...
RIHC: Mexican History, East German perspectives, and Roman dog epitaphs
Do historians tend to look at East Germany through rose-tinted glasses? Which 20th century American president would humiliate his aides by defecating...
Fall of Saigon: Apocalypse Now (Ep 2)
“It is 105 degrees in Saigon, and rising.” This announcement, made through U.S. Armed Forces radio on a spring morning in 1975, is the cue for all Ame...
Fall of Saigon: The Nightmare Begins (Ep 1)
It's 1975, and in the final act of the Vietnam War, the U.S. have ordered all remaining civilian and military personnel to be withdrawn from South Vie...
History's Greatest Dogs
Rin Tin Tin, born on the Western Front in 1918, became one of the biggest movie stars of the silent film era. Greyfriars Bobby gained his fame for gua...
RIHC: Dominic’s top books, the purpose of History, and 14th century war crimes (livestream)
Which five books defined Dominic Sandbrook’s career? What is the role of a historian? Should Kingdom of Heaven be considered a top historical film? In...
East Germany: Life Behind the Iron Curtain
The German Democratic Republic was born in the ashes of the Second World War, and described itself as a socialist “workers’ and peasants’ state”. The...
RIHC: The Anglo-French truce, latin periodicals, and a cinematic smackdown
Did the French really cut off the fingers of English archers? Could latin newspapers be the answer to world peace? Which animal has Tom decided to foc...
RIHC: Longbow revisionism, Churchill's stately home, and the BBC in crisis
How important are technological advancements to waging a successful military campaign? Which series has required the most extensive research and prepa...
Hundred Years' War: A Storm of Swords (Ep 4)
The Black Prince has gained lands in Aquitaine and Gascony through his brutal and thorough attacks. But faced with financial difficulties, sickness, a...
Hundred Year's War: The Black Prince (Ep 3)
As the spectre of the Black Death haunts Europe, a more tangible foe terrorises the French king and his subjects: the Black Prince, Edward of Woodstoc...
Hundred Years' War: Triumph of the Longbow (Ep 2)
State of the art military technology. Blind battle commanders. Iconic kingly lines. Tom and Dominic continue to delve into the 100 Years' War, as they...
Hundred Years' War: A Game of Thrones (Ep 1)
Dynastic turmoil, inconvenient treaties with Scotland, tales of knights, longbows and the golden age of chivalry. In a time of chaos across Europe, En...
African Amazons
A story spanning modern-day Ghana, Angola, and Benin, historian Luke Pepera joins Tom and Dominic to discuss the tradition of African queens, female w...
RIHC: Tom's top books, historical guilt, and trigger warnings (livestream)
Which 5 books defined Tom Holland's career? Should we feel guilty about the crimes of our ancestors? To which book does The Rest Is History owe its ex...
The First Abolitionist
It's 1718, an English Quaker lands in Barbados. He is soon horrified to discover the treatment of people working the plantations there. Treatment the...
RIHC: The American Revolution, Dutch history, and excessive tweeting
Why does no one in Britain know about the American War of Independence? Are we finally going to get some episodes on Dutch history? Do conspiracy theo...
Atlantis: Legacy of the Lost Empire (Ep 2)
From claims that the alphabet was originated by Atlantians, Francis Bacon using the story as a model of utopia, to the Nazis co-opting Atlantis as the...
Atlantis: The Legend (Ep 1)
Majestic palaces, untold riches, and indeterminable power... the story of Atlantis is a tale as old as time. But is there really any truth behind the...
Climate Apocalypse
Have humans always been haunted by fears of a climate apocalypse? Or is that a modern phenomenon? Is there a continuity from the Curse of Akkad to the...
RIHC: Reagan & Thatcher, Roman Britain, and "sleazy hacks"
Which isle was key to both Caesar and Claudius' conquests of Britain? Was Reagan closer with Thatcher or Gorbachev? Did he pave the way for Trump? Whi...
RIHC: Women's History, gladiators, and a literary smackdown
How close was Germany to civil war in 1918? Could it have followed Russia's lead? Did Tolstoy appreciate Shakespeare, and would he beat him in a write...
Reagan, Iran-Contra and the Cold War (Ep 3)
Warmonger or nuclear disarmer? Ronald Reagan’s presidency survived an assassination attempt, the AIDS epidemic and the Iranian hostage crisis. He powe...
Reagan: The Road to the White House (Ep 2)
His Hollywood career drying up, Ronald Reagan works both for the Screen Actors Guild and General Electric in the 1950s. Building connections with the...
Ronald Reagan and the American Dream (Ep 1)
Ronald "Dutch" Reagan was born in 1911 to a humble family of Illinois, his father an FDR-loving democrat, his mother a notable member of the local Chr...
RIHC: The New Restoration, James Bond, and historical AI (livestream)
What truly defines a nation-state? Has a new Restoration dawned on the UK? Will Ian Fleming, like Roald Dahl, one day be re-written? Why wasn't France...
RIHC: Roald Dahl, Scottish politics, and regal Reagan
Should Roald Dahl's works be re-written to fit 21st century perspectives? Which American president faced the toughest crisis? What would a Denisovan s...
Columbus: Villain or Hero? (Ep 4)
Christopher Columbus caused debate in his own time, and remains a controversial figure today: some argue he initiated both the Atlantic slave trade an...
Columbus: Death in the Caribbean (Ep 3)
Columbus returns to the remnants of his first voyage to the "Indies", having convinced Isabella and Ferdinand to fund a larger second trip. Desperate...
Columbus: A New World? (Ep 2)
Having convinced the Catholic Monarchs to fund his journey across the Atlantic, Columbus sets sail with three ships, a crew with dubious loyalties, an...
Columbus: The Adventure Begins (Ep 1)
A controversial figure both now and in his time, Tom and Dominic discuss Columbus and his drive for discovery, power and status. They look at Columbus...
RIHC: Collectibles, literary criticism, and the illusion of historical truth
Was the Eastern Roman Empire wealthier than its western counterpart? Can a PHD thesis be deemed "too easy to read"? Was 16th century French Protestant...
The Fall of the Roman Republic
In this second episode on perhaps the most notorious assasination in world history, Tom and Dominic look at the bloody and chaotic aftermath of the de...
The Murder of Julius Caesar
“He was trapped - he couldn’t get up. There was blood everywhere. The faces were coming closer, the knives rose and fell. And then, to his relief, he...
RIHC: Class in Britain, heretical historians, and dead men talking
Would Tom Holland's latin be good enough for Julius Caesar? Does working for cultural institutions come at a cost? Is clothing still a reliable marker...
The Bloodiest Crusade (Ep 3)
Thought by some as the first genocide in Europe, the Albigensian Crusade was the bloodiest crusade in history. Following the Mystery of the Cathars an...
The Mystery of the Cathars (Ep 2)
Was the Catholic Church Europe’s first revolutionary group? How are the Cathars linked to the genesis of genocide? Where does the term crusade come fr...
The Real Da Vinci Code (Ep 1)
Secret societies, Jesus' ancient bloodline, Catholic conspirators; all backed up by documents in the Bibliothèque Nationale. It must be true, mustn’t...
The Real Downton Abbey
Edwardian Britain: Domestic service is at it's peak. However, as Britain modernises, things were about to change. Tom and Dominic are joined by Lucy...
RIHC: The Fall of Saigon, the Real Da Vinci Code, and Ozymandias
What's strange about the Fall of Saigon? How much do you know about the REAL Da Vinci Code? And why is Dominic so unapologetic about missing Burns Nig...
The Greatest Female Pharaoh
"One of the greatest rulers to have ever lived" - Tom Holland. But how much do you know about Hatshepsut? And how did she propel herself from regent t...
RIHC: Colonialism vs nationalism, social darwinism, and Indian odysseys (livestream)
Was Darwinism used as a justification for selfishness? When does Colonialism turn into Nationalism? Would there have been a Second World War without H...
RIHC: The Nine Days' Queen, Lennon vs Hitler, and History in schools
In today's bonus episode, Tom and Dominic reflect on their Lady Jane Grey episode and their current series on the rise of the Third Reich. They discus...
The Nazis: Total Power (Ep 4)
Hitler is chancellor, but he is not yet all-powerful. How does he go from becoming the leader of the Reichstag, to an unshackled dictator with nothing...
The Nazis: Hitler's Triumph (Ep 3)
Wall Street crashes. The German economy capitulates and governments start to fall. Backroom deals and political scheming come to the fore. Join Tom an...
The Nazis: The Beer Hall Putsch (Ep 2)
German hyperinflation. The Beer Hall Putsch. Hitler’s trial. Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the Nazis in the early 1920s as the Weimar Republic...
The Rise of the Nazis (Ep 1)
Where do the origins of Nazism lie? The Second Reich? Hitler’s time in Vienna? The First World War? Join Tom and Dominic in the first of their four-pa...
RIHC: Dominic's pet peeves, fake emperors, and bad reviews
Join Tom and Dominic in this week's bonus as they discuss Prince Harry, Dominic's dislikes, Tom's birthday, and read out bad reviews of the pod. *Th...
Lady Jane Grey: The Axe Falls (Ep 2)
‘It had the alchemy of a bitter Tory leadership race’. Reigning for the shortest period of any British monarch, can Lady Jane even be considered an o...
Lady Jane Grey: The Nine Days' Queen (Ep 1)
Edward VI is dead - but who will succeed him on the throne? In the first of two episodes, Tom and Dominic discuss the succession question that surro...
RIHC: Press Darlings, Jesus, and Northumbria
Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss recent critical acclaim, the final results of The Rest is History World Cup, their holidays, decapitated seals, a...
The Shadow of the Holocaust (Ep 2)
In our second episode exploring the story of Rudolf Vrba, Jonathan Freedland discusses the global reaction to the Vrba–Wetzler report: did anti-Semiti...
The Man Who Escaped Auschwitz (Ep 1)
Tom and Dominic are joined by Jonathan Freedland to discuss the incredible story of Rudolf Vrba and Alfréd Wetzler, who escaped from Auschwitz in Apri...
2022: A History
Join Tom and Dominic for the final episode of 2022 in which they discuss the historical importance of this year. What will historians of the future re...
Drink
For a festive special, Tom and Dominic are joined by author and alcohol historian Henry Jeffreys to discuss some Christmassy tipples, from sherry to p...
RIHC: Señor Sandbrook de Buenos Aires, climbing volcanoes, and puddings
Join Tom and Dominic for the final bonus of the year in which they discuss Dominic’s Argentinian credentials, the ending of the Rest is History’s Worl...
Jesus Christ: The History (Ep 2)
Join Tom and Dominic for the second of two episodes on 'Historical Jesus'. They discuss scepticism around his existence, the theories about resurrecti...
Jesus Christ: The Mystery (Ep 1)
In today's episode, Tom and Dominic discuss the most mysterious historical figure of all, Jesus Christ. They take a deep look at who he was, his teac...
England: Beef and Liberty
*The Rest Is History Live Tour April 2023*: Tom and Dominic are going on tour in April 2023 and performing in London, Edinburgh, and Salford! Buy your...
Canada: Beaver Wars
*The Rest Is History Live Tour April 2023*: Tom and Dominic are going on tour in April 2023 and performing in London, Edinburgh, and Salford! Buy your...
Denmark: The Great Escape
In today's episode, Tom and Dominic look at the story of how the vast majority of Denmark's Jewish population survived the Second World War, with help...
Ecuador: Darwin's Adventure to the Galapagos
Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss Charles Darwin's time in Ecuador, where his observation of Finches, Mockingbirds, Iguanas, and many other animals...
RIHC: London fashion week, dressing for a coup, and medieval dentistry
Join Tom and Dominic in this week's bonus as they discuss Tom's invite to London Fashion Week, the dress sense of the leader of the Reichsbürger plot,...
Morocco: The Rif War
In today's episode, Tom and Dominic discuss the Rif War, predecessor to the Spanish Civil War, set in 1920s Morocco, featuring Franco, Petain, Islamic...
Spain: The Caliphate of Córdoba
Today, Tom and Dominic are in Islamic Spain discussing Roman conquests, melancholy Emirs and vibrant harems... Don't miss the extraordinary story of t...
Serbia: The Birthplace of Civilisation
A little known story. Serbia, the home to one of the first great civilisations. They had the first written scripts, they smelted copper before anyone...
Cameroon: The Slave General of Peter the Great
In today’s World Cup special on Cameroon, Tom and Dominic tell the fascinating story of “probably the most famous Cameroonian to become a Russian Gene...
France: The Mystery of Le Prince
In today's episode, Tom and Dominic explore the origins of the motion-picture camera, a device invented by "gentle giant" Louis Le Prince, who's œuvre...
Japan: Samurai and Shoguns
In today's episode, Tom and Dominic discuss the history of Japan through six characters, with leading cultural historian of Japan, Chris Harding, as t...
Netherlands: The Maid of Holland
Join Tom and Dominic as, for the first time ever, they dip their toes into the Dutch republic. They discuss the Maid of Holland, who as both a warrior...
Argentina: The Welsh Colony
Why are there Welsh speakers born in Argentina? Join Tom and Dominic to understand the fascinating and unlikely story of a Welsh colony in the Souther...
RIHC: Decline in Christianity, the title is vital, and historical psychology (livestream)
From the last livestream of 2022, Tom and Dominic discuss the decline of Christianity in the UK, whether it is a good idea to psychoanalyse historical...
Switzerland: Calvin's Cancel Culture
Today, Tom and Dominic are in 16th century Calvinist Geneva, where Michael Servetus is being condemned for heresy. Execution, imprisonment, treachery...
Portugal: The Carnation Revolution
In today's World Cup episode, Tom and Dominic return to the history of Portugal to discuss military coups, defence of dictatorship, Castro in Cuba, an...
Senegal: The Door of No Return
In today's episode, Tom and Dominic discuss the Senegalese island of Gorée, and its relationship with the transatlantic slave trade. They look at both...
Belgium: History's Greatest Artist
Who is the greatest artist of all time? Join Tom and Dominic as Belgian historian Bart van Loo puts forward the case for the hyper-realistic and highl...
Poland: Copernicus, the Dragon and the Salt Mine
Join Tom and Dominic as they explore the seven wonders of Poland. Hear all about Krakus the dragon-slayer, the Wieliczka Salt Mine, "Kaiser soup", the...
Ghana: The Ashanti Empire
On today's World Cup episode, Tom and Dominic discuss the Ashanti Empire. Tune in to hear about the Anglo-Ashanti wars, the Golden Stool, the role of...
RIHC: Podwashing, Tom’s opera, and Pixar
In this week's bonus, Tom and Dominic discuss recent news including revelations about a fake Roman emperor. They also continue to react to the World C...
Brazil: The Last Emperor
As promised during the Portugal mini-series, Tom and Dominic are returning to Brazil to discuss its history post-independence. This episode will focus...
Wales: The Roar of the Red Dragon
What are the origins of Wales? And how do the Welsh define themselves against Englishness? As England play Wales in the World Cup today, Tom and Domin...
South Korea: The Riddle of Hwang Jini
Join Tom and Dominic on their journey to the 16th century Korean peninsula, as they discuss Hwang Jini - a gisaeng, poet, and entertainer - and her ev...
Saudi Arabia: The Mystery of the Kaaba
Join Tom and Dominic for their World Cup episode on Saudi Arabia, where they discuss 'the most famous structure in global Islam' - the Kaaba in Mecca....
Mexico: Day of the Dead
On the Day of the Dead you eat pan de muerto and exchange calaveras with your friends. This celebration is often claimed to have its roots in ancient...
USA vs England: The 200-Year Rivalry
In today's World Cup special, Anglo-American relations are at their most tense, as the USA and England take to the football/soccer pitch. Join Tom an...
Tunisia: Dido of Carthage
Join Tom and Dominic as they tell the story of the tragic heroine of Virgil’s Aeneid - Dido of Carthage. Listen as they discuss the origins of Carthag...
RIHC: Tom in Romania, multiculturalism, and the World Cup
Join Tom and Dominic in this week’s bonus as they discuss Tom’s trip to Romania - which included a trip to the ancient Dacian capital, Sarmizegetusa -...
Uruguay: The Tupamaros
In 1963, with the influence of the Cuban Revolution strong in South America, the left wing guerrilla group the Tupamaros emerged. Listen to tales of k...
Croatia: The Man Who Saved The Roman Empire
"In conditions of chaos, people from outside the Roman social elite can rise to the top." Join Tom and Dominic for their World Cup episode on Croatia...
Iran: England - 'The Little Satan'
On the day of England vs. Iran, Tom and Dominic are joined by friend of the show, Ali Ansari, to discuss Anglo-Iranian relations. Tune in to hear st...
Costa Rica: Civil War
Join Tom and Dominic as they continue the World Cup series by discussing the Costa Rican Civil War. This event is filled with tremendous characters, i...
Australia: The Mystery of the Somerton Man
In today’s Australian-themed World Cup episode, Tom leads us through the incredible true story of the Somerton Man, a murder mystery that involves an...
Germany: The White Rose
“Since the conquest of Poland, 300,000 Jews have been murdered in this country in the most bestial way ... The German people slumber on in dull, stupi...
Qatar: A History
It is finally here. Tom and Dominic are embarking upon their mighty World Cup themed extravaganza. Every day they will be releasing a new episode, eac...
RIHC: Athelstans, Alfred and Anglo-Scottish relations
Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss their recent Athelstan party and live shows, the impending World Cup mega-series, Anglo-Saxon abolitionists, Cali...
The World Cup: The Falklands, despots, and corruption (Ep 3)
In their last episode on the World Cup, Tom and Dominic are joined by the face of football, Gary Lineker. They discuss England playing Argentina in th...
The World Cup: Post-war reconciliation, Brazilian dictatorship, and North Koreans in Middlesbrough (Ep 2)
Welcome to the second episode of The Rest Is History's definitive guide to the history of the FIFA World Cup. In this episode, Tom and Dominic discuss...
The World Cup: British Imperialism, South American rivalries, and Mussolini (Ep 1)
Welcome to The Rest Is History's definitive guide to the history of the FIFA World Cup, which looks past the football and uncovers the personalities,...
History's coming home... (preview)
Forget the football, the next month's entertainment is coming from The Rest is History! Join Tom and Dominic over the coming weeks as they embark on...
RIHC: Vikings, Anglo-Saxons and videogames
Join Tom and Dominic as they celebrate two years of The Rest is History podcast! They reflect on their favourite episodes gone by, and discuss excitin...
Alfred the Great: Return of the King (Ep 2)
Battling with the expanding power of the Vikings, listen to Tom and Dominic discover how King Alfred the Great earned his name in the second instalmen...
Alfred the Great: Fury of the Vikings (Ep 1)
Alfred the Great is under invasion from the Vikings. Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss Alfred's anointment by the Pope in Rome, his duality as bot...
RIHC: Treason, Trafalgar and Teaching (livestream)
Tom and Dominic are finally together again for this week's bonus episode. During their livestream, they discuss Dominic's recent visit to Istanbul, th...
Treason in Modern Britain (Ep 2)
Join Tom and Dominic for the second part of their exploration of the history of treason. How has the 1351 treason act impacted Britain and the world s...
Medieval Treason (Ep 1)
Join Tom and Dominic at the National Archives as they explore the history of treason in Britain, going right back to the 1351 treason act. How has tre...
Monty & Patton vs. the Nazis
Do commanders matter? Were the British generals effective or "foppish"? How did the Allies rebound from huge losses such as the Battle of Dunkirk to v...
RIHC: Trafalgar, Julia Gillard, and Producer Jack
In a Rest Is History first, this podcast features a historic personality who has actually been the subject of one of our shows! In the latest bonus e...
The Fall of Liz Truss
After just 45 days, Liz Truss has resigned. Join Tom and Dominic for this special episode to discuss her place in history. Is she Britain's worst eve...
Trafalgar: Victory (Ep 3)
In this final episode Tom and Dominic discuss the legendary Battle of Trafalgar. Despite being outnumbered and facing the biggest ship in the world, N...
Trafalgar: Countdown to Annihilation (Ep 2)
In the second episode of Tom and Dominic's Trafalgar trilogy, the stakes could not be higher. They discuss: Napoleon's plan to invade Britain (and the...
Trafalgar: A World at War (Ep 1)
Was the Battle of Trafalgar the most decisive battle of the 19th century? Join Tom and Dominic as they embark on a three part series discussing this i...
French History on Film
Tom and Dominic welcome film critic Muriel Zagha to discuss the home of cinema, France, and its history through ten films, spanning from Vercingétorix...
RIHC: The Tomless Trilogy - Part III
In this week's bonus episode, Dominic is again joined by Producer Dom, as they discuss Radio 4's 'In Our Time', the Crimean War, Dominic's least favou...
RIHC: Spain, Churchill, and Producer Dom
With Tom away, Dominic is joined by Producer Dom to discuss Spanish history, the Young Churchill episodes, and whether Kwasi Kwarteng has a historical...
Young Churchill: Prisoner and Fugitive (Ep 3)
In the final instalment of our series on Young Churchill, learn how Churchill escaped a prisoner of war camp in the Boer War, becoming an imperialist...
Young Churchill: Soldier of Empire (Ep 2)
Join Tom and Dominic in the second episode of our mini-series on Young Churchill as they dive into his imperial exploits. From Cuba to Sudan, they exp...
Young Churchill: Born to Lead (Ep 1)
‘The child is the father of the man.’ In the first episode of this mini-series on Young Churchill, Tom and Dominic explore the early life of Winston...
The Regency Revolution
How were the bonnets, corsets, and empire line dresses of the Regency period expressive of a revolutionary era? In this episode, Tom Holland and Domi...
RIHC: Marilyn Tomroe, Hilary Mantel and Producer Tony
For this weeks bonus episode, Dominic is joined by Executive Producer Tony Pastor to discuss the reaction to Tom's Marilyn Monroe impersonation whilst...
Marilyn Monroe
Actress, singer, model and sex symbol Marilyn Monroe has long been associated with old school Hollywood glamour and American pop culture. But why is s...
RIHC: Berwick-upon-Tweed, Marilyn Monroe and China (livestream)
Catch up on yesterday (Wednesday 21st September) evening's livestream in audio format here. Tom and Dominic discuss China, Justin Trudeau and Marilyn...
China and World War II - Part 2
Tom and Dominic welcome back special guest Rana Mitter to discuss China's position during World War Two. This episode covers the Rape of Nanjing by...
China and World War II - Part 1
Friend of the show Rana Mitter joins Tom and Dominic this week to discuss the role of China in the Second World War. In the first of two episodes, R...
Germans Behaving Badly
Why is modern society so self-obsessed? The answer may be found in a group of late 18th century German rebels, including the writer Goethe and playwri...
RIHC: It's a Royal Knockout, Queen Elizabeth II, and Portugal
In the latest RIHC bonus episode Tom and Dominic talk Queen Elizabeth II, Portugal, and the incredible spectacle that was the 1987 TV one-off, 'It's a...
The Loch Ness Monster
Does the Loch Ness Monster exist? When was the first mention of it recorded in history? And who are the people who have claimed to have seen it? Join...
Queen Elizabeth II - part 2
In February 1952, on the death of her father King George VI, the 25-year-old Elizabeth became Queen. During her long reign she was served by 15 Prime...
Queen Elizabeth II - part 1
The death of the Queen at the age of 96 brings to an end seven decades of her reign over Britain and the Commonwealth. In the first of a two-part seri...
RIHC: Prime Minister Truss, King Arthur II, and Young Churchill
Join Tom and Dominic for the latest members' bonus episode where they discuss Prime Minister Liz Truss, whether Prince Charles will become King Arthur...
Portugal: Football, Fado, and Fascism? (Ep 4)
In the final chapter of this series on the history of Portugal, Tom and Dominic explore Portugal in the 20th century, discussing the two World Wars, t...
Portugal: Gold, Earthquakes, and Brazil (Ep 3)
Earthquakes, gold rush, and Brazil. Join Tom and Dominic for the third episode in this history of Portugal series. Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland...
Portugal: The Golden Age of Discovery (Ep 2)
This is episode 2 in The Rest is History's Portugal mini-series. Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the Portuguese setting sail for far flung reach...
Portugal: On the Edge of the World (Ep 1)
Welcome to The Rest Is History's Portugal mini-series! In the first of four episodes on Portugal, Tom and Dominic chart the nation's early history: R...
RIHC: Gorbachev, Tolkien, and Croatian plagiarism (livestream)
Catch up on yesterday (Wednesday 31st August) evening's livestream in audio format here. Tom and Dominic discuss Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings, di...
The Lord of the Rings
Written in stages between 1937 and 1949, The Lord of the Rings is one of the best-selling books ever written, with over 150 million copies sold. Join...
J.R.R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is one of the most prestigious authors in modern history, best known for writingThe Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In th...
RIHC: Cambridge, Crusaders, and Tolkien
Oxford and Cambridge, drug smuggling camels, and the upcoming pods on Tolkien. Join Tom and Dominic for the latest RIHC bonus episode. Twitter: @The...
Roman Holidays (Ep 4)
Grand villas on the Bay of Naples, engraving names on Egyptian singing statues, and sightseeing tours of Biblical sights in the Levant. The fourth an...
Sun, Sea, and Sex (Ep 3)
The rise and fall of Butlin's, Benidorm and Franco, class, package holidays, bikinis, mass tourism and sunbathing. The third episode in our holiday se...
RIHC: Salman Rushdie, classified files, and trigger warnings
In the latest RIHC bonus episode, Tom and Dominic discuss Salman Rushdie, cricketer Carlos Brathwaite's appreciation of the Pigeons episode, and Domin...
Introducing Empire with William Dalrymple
Today's feed drop features friend of the show William Dalrymple discussing his new podcast, Empire, which he hosts alongside Anita Anand. How do empi...
Holidays: The Invention of Mass Tourism (Ep 2)
The birth of guide books, resorts, and the package holiday. In the second episode in our holidays series Tom and Dominic drill down into the story o...
Holidays: Byron's Grand Tour (Ep 1)
Welcome to the first of four episodes on the history of holidays: Byron's Grand Tour; The Invention of Mass Tourism; Sun, Sea and Sex; and Roman Holid...
RIHC: Holidays, Yorkshire, and disease
In the latest RIHC bonus episode, Tom and Dominic discuss Tom's broken toilet seat, disease, holidays, and the historical significance of Yorkshire....
Justinian & Theodora: The Secret History (Ep 3)
Wars, disease, and legacy. In the final episode of the trilogy, Tom and Dominic discuss the Byzantine reconquest of Italy, the arrival of the Justini...
Justinian: Making Rome Great Again (Ep 2)
The Riot that destroyed a city and almost brought down an Emperor... In the second part of our trilogy, Tom and Dominic discuss the Nika riots in the...
Theodora: Empress of Byzantium (Ep 1)
In the first episode of a three part series, Tom and Dominic dive into the incredible story of Justinian and Theodora. Tune in for an incredible (and...
RIHC: Stanley Baldwin's birthday, Tory MPs and Wagatha Christie (livestream)
Here's an audio version of last night's RIHC livestream on YouTube, where Tom and Dominic talked Stanley Baldwin, Wagatha Christie, why so many Tory M...
Plague and the decline of the Roman Empire
Tom and Dominic are joined by friend of the show Kyle Harper to discuss how pandemics and disease played a far greater role in the decline of the Roma...
Pigeons
‘If it became necessary immediately to discard every line and method of communications used on the front, except one, and it were left to me to select...
RIHC: Greece, Downfall, and Rishi's shoes
In the latest RIHC bonus episode Tom welcomes Dominic back from his holiday in Greece, they both address the questions raised over their absence from...
Stalingrad: Pavlov's House and the Red Army (Ep 2)
Tom and Dominic are again joined by Iain MacGregor to discuss the climax of the Battle of Stalingrad, Pavlov's House, and the Red Army's counter offen...
The Battle of Stalingrad (Ep 1)
Stalingrad: the bloodiest battle of the Second World War. Tom and Dominic are joined by Iain MacGregor to discuss the build up, context and outbreak...
RIHC: Apocalyptic London, Orwell, and Producer Dom
While Dominic is sunning himself on holiday, Tom is sweltering in Brixton amid a heatwave. With Dominic in Greece, Tom is instead joined by Producer...
London: Moments (Ep 5)
Welcome to the fifth and final episode in our London Week series. London: Moments A drunk elephant, a polar bear swimming in the Thames, and Metrolan...
Haunted London (Ep 4)
Welcome to the fourth episode in our London Week mini-series. Ep 1 'Londinium' and Ep 4 'Haunted London' are live pods we recorded on location earlie...
London: People (Ep 3)
Welcome to the third episode in our new mini-series: LONDON WEEK. On the public feed, we'll release an episode daily, from Monday to Friday. As a fri...
London: Places (Ep 2)
Welcome to the second episode in our new mini-series: LONDON WEEK. On the public feed, we'll release an episode daily, from Monday to Friday. As a fr...
Londinium (Ep 1)
Welcome to the first episode in our new mini-series: LONDON WEEK. On the public feed, we'll release an episode daily, from Monday to Friday. However,...
George Orwell
George Orwell is one of the most celebrated novelists, essayists, and journalists in modern British history. Tom and Dominic are joined by Robert Co...
RIHC: Sweden, haircuts, and British democracy
Join Tom and Dominic for this weeks bonus episode, where they discuss the legacy of the American Civil War, British democracy in light of recent event...
Historical Love Island: THE WINNER
Historical Love Island has swept the nation and the podcasting world since Monday, when four couples made it to the final: General Custer & Lola Monte...
Historical Love Island
The Love Island phenomenon is sweeping the nation, so Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook are joined by Tom's daughter, Katy Holland, to play their part...
The Last Days of Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson has resigned. In a special episode of The Rest Is History Tom and Dominic dissect the tumultuous last few days in British politics, wit...
Gone with the Wind
"There was a land of cavaliers and cotton fields called the Old South". Tom and Dominic are joined by Sarah Churchwell to discuss the 'Lost Cause' my...
RIHC: Dinosaur auctions, Dominic vs. Nick Griffin, and Singapore
Join Tom and Dominic for the latest RIHC bonus episode where they discuss Tom's triumphant purchase of a dinosaur at auction, Dominic's new enemy, and...
RIHC: American Civil War & Stonehenge (Livestream)
Catch up on yesterday (Wednesday 29th June) evening's livestream in audio format here. Tom and Dominic go into deeper discussion of the American Civil...
American Civil War: Aftermath & Legacy (Ep 4)
In the final episode of this 'American Civil War' series, Tom, Dominic and historian Adam Smith look at the end of the conflict, the subsequent assass...
American Civil War: Gettysburg (Ep 3)
Tom, Dominic and historian Adam Smith look at the most famous battle of the war and Abraham Lincoln’s 272 word address that became one of the best kno...
American Civil War: Outbreak (Ep 2)
Welcome to the second episode in The Rest Is History's 'American Civil War' series. In today's pod, Dominic, Tom and historian Adam Smith discuss the...
American Civil War: The Causes (Ep 1)
Welcome to The Rest Is History 'American Civil War' series. As a member of the RIHC, you get all four episodes of this series before anyone else! I...
Stonehenge
On today's pod Tom and Dominic are joined by Stonehenge expert Mike Pitts to discuss all the big questions that surround Stonehenge: Who built it? Ho...
RIHC: Top Gun, Love Island, and Cicero
Tom shares his excitement over the upcoming Love Island episode of The Rest Is History, Dominic shares how Top Gun helped him get through his A-levels...
ARCHIVE: Watergate (Part 2)
Watergate 50th Anniversary re-release (Part 2): Last October we recorded a two part special on the remarkable political story which became known as W...
ARCHIVE: Watergate (Part 1)
Watergate 50th Anniversary re-release: Last October we recorded a two part special on the remarkable political story which became known as Watergate....
RIHC: The Sixties, Ramsay MacDonald, and Gabriele D'Annunzio
TRIH LIVE SHOW TICKETS We're giving you, our members, advanced opportunity to buy tickets for our live show. There's still a week or so before we rel...
Cleopatra's Downfall (Episode 4)
Join Tom and Dominic for the fourth and final instalment in their Cleopatra mini-series, as they discuss Octavian's propaganda, the war he waged again...
Antony & Cleopatra (Episode 3)
After centuries of Cleopatra and Mark Antony’s relationship being told and fictionalised by Plutarch and Shakespeare alike, Tom Holland and Dominic Sa...
Julius Caesar & Cleopatra (Episode 2)
Join Tom and Dominic for the second episode of this four part mini-series on Cleopatra, where they discuss her relationship with Julius Caesar and the...
Young Cleopatra (Episode 1)
Welcome to The Rest Is History Cleopatra series! As a member, you're receiving all four episodes RIGHT NOW, whereas non-members will have to abide by...
The First Fascist
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss the 'first' fascist, Gabriele D'Annunzio, with historian Lucy Hughes-Hallett. D'Annunzio was a key figure i...
RIHC: General Gordon, Jubilees and Childbirth
TRIH LIVE SHOW TICKETS We're giving you, our members, first opportunity to buy tickets for our live show. Clapham Grand, Sunday 13th November, 2pm (...
How Prime Ministers Fall
As British PM Boris Johnson survives a no confidence vote, Tom and Dominic record a special episode on the history of bringing down Prime Ministers. P...
Robin Hood
Join Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook as they uncover the origins of Robin Hood. What was the earliest mention of Robin Hood in text? How has Robin...
Childbirth
In today's episode, Tom and Dominic talk to Sara Read about the history of childbirth. Sara unveils the origin of the word 'gossip' and its connectio...
RIHC: Boring Monarchs, The New York Times, and Dominic Sandbrook's Pleasure Island
Join Tom and Dominic for the latest bonus episode of The Rest is History Club where they talk about what makes places in the UK deserving of city stat...
RIHC: Elizabeth II (Livestream)
As the platinum jubilee approaches, Tom and Dominic explore the life and times of Britain's longest reigning monarch: Elizabeth II. (Apologies for the...
Jubilees
In today's episode of The Rest Is History Dominic and Tom look at how Jubilees have served as a moment for Britain to stop and reflect. From the cele...
Australian Prime Ministers: Bob Hawke - Scott Morrison
Join Tom and Dominic for the final episode of their Antipodean epic. Tune in to hear about the exploits of the most recent stretch of prime ministers,...
Australian Prime Ministers: Harold Holt - Malcolm Fraser
In the second part of our Australian PMs trilogy, Tom and Dominic explore Chinese Communist conspiracy theories, and talk about the most entertaining...
Australian Prime Ministers: Edmund Barton - Robert Menzies
In the wake of Anthony Albanese's victory in this weekend's Australian election, Tom and Dominic have recorded a three part Antipodean special on the...
The New Elizabethan Age
The longest reigning monarch in British history, Elizabeth II acceded to the throne 70 years ago. To mark the occasion, Tom and Dominic are joined by...
RIHC: Pub Quizzes, Unstoppable Podcast Guests, and the Most Brutal Nations in History
In this bonus episode, Tom and Dominic ponder on who would be 'history's top hunks and babes' for an episode of Love Island. They discuss the pitfalls...
Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist in history. Coinciding neatly with the 'Wagatha Christie' trial taking place between Coleen Rooney and R...
RIHC: Dwile flonking, Anglo-Saxons, and the sober historian
Join Tom and Dominic for the latest bonus episode of The Rest Is History Club where they talk about the art of dwile flonking, Operation Barbarossa, a...
History's Biggest Questions with Dan Carlin (Part 2)
Could the West have lost the Cold War? Would we be happier if we didn't study history? Would you prefer to have a samurai, a Viking or a Spartan as yo...
History's Biggest Questions with Dan Carlin (Part 1)
Who was the most influential leader of the 20th century? What would have happened if the South had won the American Civil War? Would you rather be und...
Operation Barbarossa
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...
RIHC: Biff & Chip, Dominic vs. Science, and The Divine Comedy
Join Tom and Dominic for this week's bonus episode where they discuss Biff & Chip, why Dominic prefers history to science, and your reaction to the la...
The Birth of Babylon
In January 2022, Tom and Dominic explored the history of Babylon, from Nebuchadnezzar onwards (published on January 31st in the Rest Is History Club p...
England & Englishness
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...
RIHC: Heroism (Livestream)
Catch up on last night's live show in audio form as Tom and Dominic drill down into the subject of 'heroism'. What makes a hero? How have heroes chan...
French Presidents: 1981-2022
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...
French Presidents: 1958-1981
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...
RIHC: Dominic on Disney, Tom's time machine, and Brazilian witch doctors
Dominic is back from his visit to the US, much to Tom's delight. Tune in to hear about his travels, Tom's technical disaster, and plenty of further h...
The Jewish Revolt
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...
The Jews Against Rome
"The destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans: a thrilling, terrible, and blood-soaked story." Following on from last week's episode on the Crucifixion...
Crucifixion
Crucifixions were a form of public execution so heinous that the Romans themselves were reluctant to document their gory details... In this Easter sp...
RIHC: Our greatest ever guest
With Dominic enjoying Disneyland, producer Jack joins Tom to discuss the podcast’s origin, plans for the future, and react to the recent episode on th...
Merlin, Magic and the British
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 occul...
Chairman Mao and the Cultural Revolution
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...
RIHC: Falklands redux, 'Mrs' Thatcher, and the value of freedom
Tom sends Dominic off on his holiday to Disneyland with debate about the importance of the past in the British and other national imaginations, whethe...
RIHC: Sussex's Joe Biden, George Orwell's school report, and Tom vs. Peter Hitchens
Tune in to this week's bonus episode where Tom and Dominic discuss George Orwell's miserable time in PE, Tom's spat with Peter Hitchens, and why Joe B...
The Falklands War: Afterlife (Ep 4)
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...
The Falklands War: Battle for the Islands (Ep 3)
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...
The Falklands War: The Task Force Sails (Ep 2)
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...
The Falklands War: Countdown to Invasion (Ep 1)
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...
Oil: Conflict, Chaos and Climate Change
PART 2. 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 t...
Oil: The Making of the Modern World
PART 1. Tom and Dominic are joined by Helen Thompson, Professor of Political Economy at the University of Cambridge, to talk about the incredible inf...
RIHC: Castaway Tom in Greece, Belgium vs. Burgundy, and misleading travel guides
Tom and Dominic are back with a bonus episode for all friends of the show! The boys talk about the worst places they've ever visited, how progressive...
Genghis Khan: Lord of the Mongols
PART 2. 'An almost sacral figure' in the words of Tom Holland, Genghis Khan has become the paramount leader of the Mongols. Can we call his kingdom...
The Rise of Genghis Khan
PART 1. Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook speak to Ali Ansari about the origins of one of the greatest warlords in human history - Genghis Khan. They...
Saint Patrick
Happy St. Patrick's Day! No, Tom isn't turning Brixton's River Effra green, nor is Dominic distributing shamrocks throughout the Oxfordshire country...
RIHC: The 'Dark Ages' (Livestream)
Tom and Dominic dive into the mysterious era that is referred to by many (but not Tom Holland!) as The 'Dark Ages' in their livestream to the RIHC on...
The Last Emperor of Mexico
What links the Mexican Republic, Palmerston, the Hapsburgs, Napoleon III and butterfly catching? Please tweet us if you can think of anything other th...
RIHC: Top 10 UK PMs, Dominic Cummings in Russia and a tribute to Shane Warne
Tom's woken Dominic up at the crack of dawn on a Monday morning to record the bonus podcast! Tune in to find out who's more of a morning person, what...
Putin's Russia (Episode 4)
[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...
Yeltsin, Economic Chaos and President Putin (Episode 3)
[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...
The Fall of the Soviet Empire (Episode 2)
[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...
Young Putin, the KGB and the Soviet Union (Episode 1)
[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...
Killer Fashion
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...
RIHC: Zelenskyy, le Carré and Tom's drive from Hamburg to Berlin
Tune in to this week's bonus episode to hear a classic ramble chat between Tom and Dominic. The boys discuss the career of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, how w...
Byzantium and the Ghosts of Rome (Part 2)
What happened to Rome after its fall? In the second of two episodes on the fall of the Roman Empire, Tom and Dominic discuss where Rome endured, how...
When did the Roman Empire fall? (Part 1)
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 the...
RIHC: Dominic Sandbrook - This Is Your Life (Livestream)
Catch up on last night's livestream in audio form to learn about all things Sandbrook: his early life, schooling and university, historical influences...
Ukraine and Russia
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,...
ARCHIVE: The Vikings and the birth of Kyiv
Want to know more about the history of the Vikings in the East and how it relates to modern day Russia and Ukraine? Listen to our bumper episode on th...
ARCHIVE: Ukraine and the United Kingdom
With Russia seemingly on the brink of invading Ukraine, here's an episode from our archives on the historical relationship between the UK and Ukraine,...
The Most Disastrous Party in History
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 an...
God and the American Empire
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...
American Crusades
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...
RIHC: Clement Attlee's taxi, Tom's waning whiggery and Farewell to the Horse
Join Tom and Dominic for this week's RIHC bonus episode where they discuss Churchill's legacy, Piers Morgan's Daily Mirror, how Charles I was just Har...
Valentine's Day
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...
Smuggling
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...
RIHC: The Trial of Capel Lofft
The Rumble in the Jungle. The Thrilla in Manila. The King in the Ring. Today's bonus podcast is a special one: Frenemy of the Show, Capel Lofft, def...
The Birth of Russia
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...
The Vikings Go East
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...
Disease, the New World and modern pandemics (Part 2)
How devastating were European arrivals to the Americas in terms of deaths and the introduction of new infectious diseases? Tom and Dominic are joined...
Disease vs. the rise of civilisation (Part 1)
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...
RIHC: David Cameron's scotch eggs, Charles I's bedfellows and a tribute to Boney M.
In this week's bonus podcast, Tom and Dominic discuss episode reactions, members' questions and your latest discord musings. The boys also talk about...
Babylon
Greatest city on earth. Den of iniquity. Imperial oppressor. Wealth and power. The ancient city of Babylon has been mythologised for millenia, but h...
RIHC: Reputations (Livestream)
Did you miss last night's livestream on Reputations or simply want to listen again? You're in luck! Tune in to hear impressions, reputational musings...
The Trial of Charles I Part 2
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...
The Trial of Charles I Part 1
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...
General Gordon and the Siege of Khartoum
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....
General Gordon: The Ultimate Victorian Hero
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 Produc...
The Birth of the Railways
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...
RIHC: Augustus, Appeasement, and a life of hiccups
In this week's bonus podcast, Tom and Dominic discuss episode reactions, members' questions and your latest discord musings. The boys also talk about...
The Princes in the Tower Part 2
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...
The Princes in the Tower Part 1
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...
1922: The Birth of the Modern World Part 2
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...
1922: The Birth of the Modern World Part 1
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,...
RIHC: Ian Paisley vs. Otto von Habsburg, horse riding in the Wild West, and why Margaret Thatcher went into politics
In this week's bonus podcast, Tom and Dominic discuss your reactions, questions and latest discord japes. The boys also talk about Ian Paisley receivi...
Crossing the Rubicon
Julius Caesar upended the Roman Republic on this day (maybe) over 2000 years ago. Tom explains everything that led up to the moment and what made Caes...
RIHC: History and the Cinema (live show)
In a live show recorded in Leicester Square, London, Tom and Dominic discuss the relationship between history and cinema through the years. Producer:...
RIHC: Introducing the '12' Days of Christmas
Merry Christmas, members of the Rest Is History Club! Instead of our normal schedule, Dominic and Tom have recorded 13 episodes remembering things tha...
6 Jan: Alfred the Great and Pepys' 'Fanatiques'
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...
5 Jan: Death of Edward the Confessor and the Dreyfus Affair
The catalyst for the upheaval of 1066 and one of the most controversial episodes in French history happened on this day in history.
4 Jan: Solomon Northup and Albert Camus
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...
3 Jan: Martin Luther and J.R.R. Tolkien
Luther's excommunication from the Catholic church and the birth of the author of Lord of the Rings happened on this day.
2 Jan: Reconquest of Spain and the Old Queen of Hawaii
The conquest of the kingdom of Grenada by Christian forces reclaimed southern Spain from the Moors, and the forgotten monarchs of Hawaii.
1 Jan: Nero's succession and the fall of the Byzantine Empire
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...
31 Dec: Jean-Bédel Bokassa and the memory of pandemics
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...
30 Dec: The Battle of Wakefield and Emperor Karl I
Tom dissects the Battle of Wakefield and the subsequent fall of Richard, Duke of York, while Dominic talks us through the last ‘great’ Habsburg empero...
29 Dec: The Murder of Thomas Becket and the Wounded Knee Massacre
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...
28 Dec: Massacre of the Innocents and the Tay Bridge disaster
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...
27 Dec: Port wine and Darwin sets sail
How the English's fondness for Portuguese fortified wine began, and the unlikely story of the voyage which inspired Charles Darwin's natural philosoph...
26 Dec: Good King Wenceslas and the first Gilbert & Sullivan
Was Wenceslas good? Was he a king? And Dominic remembers the popular Victorian light opera maestros' first production 'Thespis'.
25 Dec: Coronation of Charlemagne and the collapse of the Soviet Union
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
Christmas churches
Fan favourite Rachel Morley from Friends of Friendless Churches is back to count down her top ten churches with a festive connection
RIHC: Origin story; 'fun', age-appropriate history; and Hapsburg v Hapsburg
Tom and Dominic run through reaction to the most recent podcasts, an incendiary Spectator article about how history should be taught in schools, and r...
A Christmas Carol
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...
RIHC: The 1960s (Livestream)
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...
Burgundy: Europe's forgotten superpower
Now mostly overlooked by history, Burgundy was a major political and cultural power in western Europe during the Middle Ages, rivalling France and Eng...
RIHC: Underrated Presidents, influential music and Cromwell's trousers
Why don't Brits know about FDR? Has there been a more influential song for a historical figure's public image than Boney M's Rasputin? And did Oliver...
Superheroes
From their origins in the 1930's running parallel to the rise of fascism in Europe, to the Adam West-era camp of the 60's, to the gritty modern reboot...
Cricket
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...
RIHC: History's greatest clubs
To celebrate the formation of the Rest Is History Club, Tom and Dominic discuss the great organisations that have set the template for places where li...
Rasputin
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...
Neanderthals
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 C...
Napoleon in Egypt
“God is too late, you have begun, now I will finish it.” Swash-buckling hero or sacrilegious tyrant? Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook explore Napoleo...
The CIA
America's Central Intelligence Agency is a mysterious organisation which has used covert methods to assassinate enemies, influence governments and tip...
World Cup of Kings & Queens - Part 2
Elizabeth II. Henry V. William the Conqueror. All pretenders, according to our twitter poll to find England’s greatest monarch, which has been running...
World Cup of Kings & Queens - Part 1
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...
Æthelstan: OFFICIALLY England's Greatest Monarch
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...
Australia Before Cook
"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...
The Oil Weapon
1973: Major oil-producing nations led by Saudi Arabia quadruple the price of oil overnight, sending the West (particularly the United Kingdom) into cr...
World Cup of Kings & Queens Preview
Who's England's greatest ever monarch? Let the debate begin! A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Jack Davenport Exec Producer...
End of the First World War & Remembrance
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 them...
Alexander the Great - Part 2
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...
Alexander the Great - Part 1
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...
The Gunpowder Plot
‘Remember, remember / the Fifth of November / Gunpowder, treason & plot.” But what is it exactly we are remembering on Bonfire Night? Tom & Dominic ex...
Stonehenge, Ancient Ritual and the Origins of Paganism
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...
Halloween and Modern Paganism
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 W...
Medieval Science
The word ‘medieval’ is often used to mean backward, benighted, unscientific. But is this fair? Historian of science Seb Falk joins Tom and Dominic to...
Golden Ages
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...
History of India in 10 Buildings
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. Rangi...
Dinosaurs
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 ca...
The Industrial Revolution
Did the industrial revolution really improve people’s lives? And why was Britain first to industrialise? Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook are joined...
Watergate - Part 2
Despite his overwhelming lead in the polls, President Richard Nixon’s paranoia leads to the criminal actions of the Watergate scandal. In this second...
Watergate - Part 1
What led Richard Nixon into the greatest political scandal in American history? Dominic Sandbrook, acclaimed historian of the period, leads Tom Hollan...
Classics
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 interp...
Bonus: No Time to Die
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 us...
Macbeth
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 re...
The Norse Sagas
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 o...
Germany from Adenauer to Angela
As Angela Merkel bows out of German politics, Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland explore the surprisingly colourful world of Germany’s Chancellors sinc...
James Bond
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 characte...
Decolonising Africa
Writer and critic Tomiwa Owolade joins Dominic and Tom to discuss the story of post-war Africa, from European colonies to independent nation-states. W...
Thermopylae & Salamis - Part 2
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...
Thermopylae & Salamis - Part 1
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...
Top Ten Mistresses
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...
The UK’s Best Churches
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 join...
9/11
On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, four commercial airliners were hijacked above the US by the militant Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda....
Silicon Valley Part 2
The rise of social media is the central subject of our second instalment with tech pioneer Marc Andreessen. Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook ask whet...
Silicon Valley Part 1
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...
Nuclear Weapons
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 and...
The Beatles
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...
Climate & Weather
From the Ice Age to the Winter of Discontent, climate and weather have hugely impacted historical events. Wars halted by freezing conditions, Prime Mi...
The Western Front
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...
Afghanistan
In the first of a two-part series exploring the history of Afghanistan, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook examine the nation’s complicated relationshi...
The First Anglo-Afghan War
“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 for...
Sherlock Holmes
The games afoot! Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss the world’s favourite consulting detective. Why has the popularity of Sherlock Holmes survi...
The Enlightenment
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...
Exams
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...
Sparta
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...
The Berlin Wall
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...
Modern Olympics - Part 2
Tom and Dominic continue their journey through the history of the Olympics, turning their attention from post-war to the present day. They discuss C...
Statues: Parliament Square
In the final part of their epic trilogy, Tom and Dominic arrive at Parliament Square to explore the statues of world leaders including Winston Churchi...
Modern Olympics - Part 1
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...
Ancient Olympics
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 Gre...
England v Italy
No country has enjoyed a greater influence on the English than Italy. Ahead of the European Championship final, Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland expl...
Statues: Trafalgar Square
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...
The East India Company
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. Ho...
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
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...
Statues: Whitehall
Tom and Dominic continue their tour of London’s statues, arriving in Whitehall. War leaders, useless royals and courtesans all feature. A Goalhanger...
England v Denmark
Ahead of the two countries’ encounter at Wembley, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss Anglo-Danish history through the ages. Vikings, the destru...
The Vietnam War
No war has divided public opinion more than the conflict in Vietnam. Andrew Preston, Cambridge University Professor of American History, joins Dominic...
Children’s History
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 accept...
England v Ukraine
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...
England v Germany
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...
The British Empire
The British Empire: good, bad or neither? And how does its legacy shape us today? Journalist Sathnam Sanghera, author of “Empireland”, joins Tom Holla...
Hitler, with Ian Kershaw - part 2
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 du...
A Very British Scandal
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...
Ghosts
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...
The World Cup of Gods - Part 2
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...
Hitler, with Ian Kershaw - part 1
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 Nazi...
Muhammad
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...
Magna Carta
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...
California
No state in America captures the imagination quite like California. With its glitz and glamour and also its enormous economic disparities the state is...
The World Cup of Gods - Part 1
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...
Nero
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...
Paris
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...
The World Cup of Gods - Preview
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...
Cromwell and the Protectorate
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...
Game of Thrones
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 blockbu...
Food Glorious Food
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...
The French Revolution
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...
The Seven Years' War
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'...
Teenagers
“They’re wasting their money and having sex with each other.” Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland explore the modern phenomenon of the teenager. Why do...
Aztecs
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook talk to award-winning writer Camilla Townsend, author of the revelatory Fifth Sun. Professor Townsend used Nahuatl l...
Culture Wars
The battle lines are drawn as Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook get involved in this most timely of subjects. They discuss the historical significance...
Top Ten Eunuchs
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook cross their legs and rank the best Eunuchs in history. From religious fanatics to operatic singers, they discuss the...
1066
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...
1940
It is arguably the most important year in modern history. With the British Expeditionary Force trapped at Dunkirk, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain...
The Wild West
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 fact an...
Persia
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...
History as Entertainment
From re-enactment to reinforcing capitalism through the board game Monopoly. Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland examine the history of games and the po...
Elizabeth I
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 than...
Communism
It was one of the great political ideologies of the 20th century, vying with capitalism for supremacy. Now communism has retreated from the political...
Spies, with Ben MacIntyre
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...
Our Greatest Prime Minister
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...
The Prime Ministers’ World Cup
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...
St Cuthbert’s Day
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...
The Beautiful Game
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...
What If?
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...
The Second Reich
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...
A Royal Row
With the British monarchy under intense scrutiny following an interview with Harry and Meghan conducted by Oprah Winfrey, Tom Holland and Dominic Sand...
Americanisation
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...
The Kings of Comedy
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...
Tutankhamun
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...
Witches
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...
Empires
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...
Sex in the City
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...
The 90s
Ecstasy, emails and economic stability. Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland discuss the 1990s, a decade which brought us Oasis, Tony Blair, Monica Lewin...
Weird Wars
The Rest is History brings you the top ten strangest conflicts of all time. Obscure, little-known, downright strange. Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Hollan...
The History of the Future
What is history’s take on the future? Oracles, prophecies, apocalypse, scientific projection. Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss them all. A...
China
Broadcaster and historian Michael Wood joins Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook to discuss the world’s oldest civilisation. What were the great moments...
King Arthur
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...
The North South Divide
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...
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? Dr Sophie...
Walls and Borders
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...
Historical Fiction
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 contrib...
Fascism
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 Hol...
Stephen Fry and Troy
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. A...
Conspiracy Theories
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 cur...
Brexit
As Britain leaves the EU, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook look at the best & worst comparisons from history that have been made to Brexit. A Goalh...
Christmas
Is Christmas an ancient ritual or was it invented by Dickens? Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland discuss the transformation of Christmas from public to...
Causes of the First World War
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...
The Echo of a Coffee House
Social media has colonised the world but is it really a new phenomenon? Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook debate the effects of technical innovations...
The Lessons of History
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 the...
Troy
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? To...
1981
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...
We’re All So 17th Century
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...
Civil War
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...
Is Trump Caesar or Nixon?
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...
Greatness
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’? Historians...