Podcasts · History

The Rest Is History

Goalhanger

300 episodes

Take a deep dive into History’s biggest moments with Tom Holland & Dominic Sandbrook.

More about the show

Explore the stories of History’s most brutal rulers, deadly battles, and world-changing events. From the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, the Nazi conquest of Europe, and Hitler’s evil master plan for world domination, to the French Revolution, the sinking of the Titanic, or the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Tom and Dominic bring the past to life with gripping storytelling and expert analysis, as they unpack the high-drama moments that shaped our world.

Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at therestishistory.com.

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Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. 717. The Suez Crisis: Anarchy in the Middle East (Part 1)

    · 1 h 26 min · Episode 717

    Why did the Suez Crisis break out in 1956? Who were Anthony Eden, the British Prime Minister at the heart of the scandal, and Gamal Abdel Nasser, the Egyptian President? And, would the crisis be the death knell to the…

  2. 716. King Arthur: The Truth Behind the Legend (Part 4)

    · 1 h 06 min · Episode 716

    Did King Arthur really exist or is he just a legend that has developed over the centuries? Could he have been a Roman general who fought against the Saxons? Or is he a Celtic warlord? What is the truth? Join Tom and…

  3. 715. King Arthur: The Mysteries of Merlin (Part 3)

    · 1 h 05 min · Episode 715

    What are the origins of Merlin, the powerful wizard and King Arthur’s advisor? Who was Geoffrey of Monmouth, and what role did he play in evolving the tales of Arthur and the Round Table? And, was Merlin based on a…

  4. 714. King Arthur: Lancelot and the Round Table (Part 2)

    · 1 h 07 min · Episode 714

    Who was the real Lancelot, King Arthur’s dashing love rival from the Arthurian legends? Was he the first medieval knight? How would his relationship with Queen Guinevere come to shape romance and chivalry for centuries…

  5. 713. King Arthur: The Once & Future King (Part 1)

    · 1 h 12 min · Episode 713

    What is the historical truth behind the tales of King Arthur, Britain’s greatest myth? When did these stories begin, and with whom? And, is Arthur’s apocalyptic last battle based on an English historical reality from…

  6. 712. The Terror: The Fall of Robespierre (Part 6)

    · 1 h 37 min · Episode 712

    Why did the Terror reach unprecedented levels of bloodshed in 1794? Who was running France by this point? And, how was Robespierre finally destroyed, and dragged to the guillotine by his former allies…? Join Dominic…

  7. 711. The Terror: Killing God (Part 5)

    · 1 h 17 min · Episode 711

    Why did Robespierre hold a vast, eccentric festival in 1794 when The Reign of Terror was at its most frenzied? What does it reveal about his psychology and belief in the divine? And, did he really believe that the…

  8. 710. The Terror: Death at the Guillotine (Part 4)

    · 1 h 31 min · Episode 710 · Explicit

    How did two of the French Revolution's leading figures, Georges Danton and Maximilien Robespierre, differ in their views on how to further the cause? Which scandalous conspiracy was Danton accused of being involved in…

  9. 709. The Terror: The Execution of Marie Antoinette (Part 3)

    · 1 h 12 min · Episode 709

    In what conditions was Marie Antoinette - once the most glamorous woman in Europe - imprisoned for over a year, before and after the execution of King Louis XVI? Why were the French Revolutionaries divided on her own…

  10. 708. The Terror: The Reign of Robespierre (Part 2)

    · 1 h 30 min · Episode 708

    Where did Maximilien Robespierre come from and what led him to rise from provincial obscurity to play a major role in the French Revolution? Why is he considered the central figure in the Reign of Terror? And how did a…

  11. 707. The Terror: How The French Revolution Collapsed Into Chaos (Part 1)

    · 1 h 26 min · Episode 707

    How did the infamous murder of Jean-Paul Marat, one of the great firebrands of the French Revolution, unleash the bloody Terror? Why did the clashing political factions of the Revolution escalate the fractious…

  12. 706. Queen Victoria’s Revenge: Storming the Citadel (Part 2)

    · 1 h 14 min · Episode 706

    Who was Lieutenant General Napier, the man set out to rescue the European hostages held by Emperor Tewodros II? How did he plan to attack the emperor’s fortress, Magdala? And, did they manage to successfully escape…

  13. 705. Queen Victoria’s Revenge: The Mad Emperor of Abyssinia (Part 1)

    · 1 h 10 min · Episode 705

    Who was Emperor Tewodros II, the colourful and controversial Emperor of Abyssinia? Why did he brutally imprison a number of British emissaries, and how did Queen Victoria respond? And, how would this spark one of the…

  14. 704. Roman Civil War: Master of the Republic (Part 4)

    · 1 h 10 min · Episode 704

    Who was Gaius Marius’ son, and how did he set out to bring down his father’s rival, Sulla? Which two rising stars in Sulla’s faction, Crassus and Pompey, would go on to bring down the Republic, with Julius Caesar? And,…

  15. 703. Roman Civil War: Marching on the Senate (Part 3)

    · 1 h 13 min · Episode 703

    What shocking, unprecedented act did Sulla commit with his legions after having his ambitions frustrated once more by his bitter rival, the tribune Marius? How did Marius escape capture and death? And, would Marius…

  16. 702. Roman Civil War: The Barbarian Invasion (Part 2)

    · 1 h 19 min · Episode 702

    What was the ancient city of Rome actually like in the first century BC? Who was Lucius Cornelius Sulla, another great, but aristocratic, Roman general who would clash with Gaius Marius in a totemic struggle termed the…

  17. 701. Roman Civil War: Rise of the General (Part 1)

    · 1 h 14 min · Episode 701

    Who was Gaius Marius, one of the two men who would shape the fate of Rome in the first century BC? Why was his road to fame, fortune, and political greatness, from total obscurity, so dangerous? And, would Marius be…

  18. 700. The Troubles: Bloody Sunday (Part 4)

    · 1 h 24 min · Episode 700

    How did Bloody Sunday erupt on the 30th of January 1972? Why did it follow on the heels of terrible violence? And, what were the consequences of that violent day? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the tragic events…

  19. 699. The Troubles: Return of the IRA (Part 3)

    · 1 h 24 min · Episode 699

    What was the Provisional IRA, and why did they return to the fray at the high point of The Troubles in Northern Ireland? How did a series of bloody battles, including the Short Strand Battle, brutally intensify…

  20. 698. The Troubles: The Brink of Civil War (Part 2)

    · 1 h 22 min · Episode 698

    Why did the violence of the Troubles escalate as it did in Ulster? How did a series of marches from Belfast to Derry in 1969 result in terrible violence, and heighten the conflict? And, which terrible events saw the…

  21. 697. The Troubles: Murder in Belfast (Part 1)

    · 1 h 26 min · Episode 697

    How did the Troubles break out in Northern Ireland in the 1960s, and how far back does the dispute really go? Why did the conflict intensify as it did? And, what did it really mean to be a Catholic in Northern Ireland?…

  22. 696. Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: Killing the Queen of Scots (Part 6)

    · 1 h 10 min · Episode 696

    How did the Babington Plot, another Catholic conspiracy to assassinate Elizabeth I and replace her with the imprisoned Mary Queen of Scots, unfold? Did the Spanish help her? How did Sir Francis Walsingham and his web…

  23. 695. Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: The Shadow War (Part 5)

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 695

    Who was the charismatic Sir Philip Sidney, a beloved but also suspect courtier to Elizabeth I? Why, in 1585, was England in such danger from a Spanish invasion? And, would Sydney, with his friend Sir Francis Drake,…

  24. 694. Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: A Treacherous Conspiracy (Part 4)

    · 1 h 13 min · Episode 694

    After ransacking Spanish treasure ships, would Elizabeth I betray Sir Francis Drake to her enemies? Who did she back in the French civil wars? And, with the help of English conspirators, would Mary Queen of Scots,…

  25. 693. Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: England’s Greatest Hero (Part 3)

    · 1 h 17 min · Episode 693

    Why is Sir Francis Drake enshrined as one of England’s greatest heroes? Where did he come from, and how did he rise to prominence and earn the adoration of Elizabeth I, from obscure poverty? And, why is he also such a…

  26. 692. Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: A Massacre in Paris (Part 2)

    · 1 h 12 min · Episode 692

    What inspired the deadliest bloodbath of the Tudor age: the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572, in which protestants were slaughtered en masse? How did it drive Elizabeth I’s spy master, Francis Walsingham, to…

  27. 691. Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: The Queen’s Spymaster (Part 1)

    · 1 h 12 min · Episode 691

    How did Elizabeth I rule England? Why was she constantly in mortal peril in 1569? Who was Sir William Cecil, and why was he so crucial to her reign? And, how did his network of spies keep her alive, and England…

  28. 690. A Murderous Affair: Death at Mayerling (Part 2)

    · 1 h 19 min · Episode 690

    What really happened at the Habsburgian hunting lodge, Mayerling? Did Crown Prince Rudolf and his mistress, Baroness Mary Vetsera, really commit a romantic murder suicide, or did the heir cold-heartedly murder the 17…

  29. 689. A Murderous Affair: The Habsburgs’ Greatest Scandal (Part 1)

    · 1 h 13 min · Episode 689

    What was Vienna like in the 1880s? Why was Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria seen as the outcast of the prestigious Habsburg dynasty? And, how would meeting 17 year-old Baroness Mary Vetsera on his 30th birthday change…

  30. 688. The Odyssey: Return of the King (Part 2)

    · 1 h 06 min · Episode 688

    How did the second half of Odysseus’ long journey home to Ithaca play out? What does the epic’s account of the Olympian gods indicate about Ancient Greek religion? And, how did Odysseus finally make it home to Penelope…

  31. 687. The Odyssey: Hero of the Trojan Horse (Part 1)

    · 1 h 12 min · Episode 687

    How does The Odyssey, one of the greatest stories of all time, unfold? What historical events may it be based on? And, where might Odysseus, the hero of Homer’s epic, have faced his various trials in real life? Join…

  32. 686. Jefferson: The Betrayal of Liberty (Part 4)

    · 1 h 22 min · Episode 686

    What part did Thomas Jefferson play in writing the American Declaration of Independence? Where did he come from, and how did it shape his attitude to the future of the U.S.A? And, why was he such a contentious figure?…

  33. 685. Hamilton: Duel to the Death (Part 3)

    · 1 h 16 min · Episode 685 · Explicit

    How did Alexander Hamilton go from impoverished orphan to one of the most important figures in the creation of the American constitution? Why was his relationship with Thomas Jefferson so strained? And, what happened…

  34. 684. Franklin: Revenge of the American Genius (Part 2)

    · 1 h 13 min · Episode 684

    Was Benjamin Franklin really an American? What was his childhood like? How was he finally converted to the American Revolutionary cause? And, what role did he play in setting the struggle in motion? Join Tom and…

  35. 683. Washington: Hero of the Revolution (Part 1)

    · 1 h 16 min · Episode 683

    Where did George Washington come from, and what was he like? How did he come to take on such a pivotal role in the American Revolution? And, was he really central to America’s triumphant struggle for independence?…

  36. 682. South Africa: Mandela and the Death of Apartheid (Part 6)

    · 1 h 11 min · Episode 682

    How did the rugby World Cup final of 1995 inspire South Africa’s totemic national anthem? Why does the story shed a light on the history of Apartheid in South Africa? And, after becoming president, following years of…

  37. 681. Brazil: The Emperor’s Anthem (Part 5)

    · 1 h 10 min · Episode 681

    What does the Brazilian national anthem reveal about its history of slavery and revolt? Why did the king of Portugal rule his country all the way from Rio in the 19th century? Who was the first emperor of Brazil? And,…

  38. 680. The Netherlands: The Revolt that Made The Modern World (Part 4)

    · 1 h 13 min · Episode 680

    How is the Dutch national anthem, that has its origins during a 1568 siege of a French city, connected to the Dutch Revolt? What is the revolt’s role in the birth of modernity? And, why does it say ‘to the King of…

  39. The Fascist World Cup: Mussolini's Football Dictatorship | History of the World Cup

    · 1 h 01 min · S3 E1 · Bonus

    How did Benito Mussolini’s regime in the 1930s use sport to spread his ideology and prepare Italy for war? What infrastructure and propaganda strategies did he use to make the 1934 World Cup a showcase for fascism?…

  40. 679. Germany: The Song Hitler Stole (Part 3)

    · 1 h 13 min · Episode 679

    Why is the German national anthem the most controversial of all? Is it true that it is Austrian in origin? And, what happened when Germany split after the Second World War? Did it perhaps lead to an absolute banger in…

  41. 678. Britain: God Save the King (Part 2)

    · 1 h 11 min · Episode 678

    How did the Napoleonic Wars contribute to the enshrinement of the British national anthem? What are the Jacobite origins of this legendary melody? And, which British monarch was it written for? Join Tom and Dominic as…

  42. 677. USA: The Star-Spangled Banner (Part 1)

    · 1 h 11 min · Episode 677

    How did the War of 1812 result in America’s national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner? Who came up with it? And, why does this origin story make the anthem so controversial? Join Dominic and Tom as they launch into…

  43. 676. The First World War: Churchill’s Calamity (Part 6)

    · 1 h 18 min · Episode 676

    After Gallipoli has descended into a bloodbath, why do the British pour in more troops? Does Churchill finally understand his fateful error? How do the allies escape the total mess they find themselves in? And, why has…

  44. 675. The First World War: Slaughter at Gallipoli (Part 5)

    · 1 h 17 min · Episode 675

    Why was the Battle of Gallipoli, starting in February 1915, in Turkey, so disastrous for the Allies, and in particular, Winston Churchill? How has it become such a foundational moment in the national identity of New…

  45. 674. The First World War: The Spy Who Took on the Germans (Part 4)

    · 1 h 08 min · Episode 674

    Why did the British nurse, Edith Cavell, become a key player in the Belgian Resistance to German occupation? How did she carry out her mission? And, why was she ultimately executed, so controversially? Join Dominic…

  46. 673. The First World War: The Submarine Strikes (Part 3)

    · 1 h 17 min · Episode 673

    Was the Lusitania merely an ocean liner like Titanic, or a formidable battle ship? How and why did a German U-boat fleet manage to bring down this titan of the sea? And, how did the tragedy ignite the United States’…

  47. 672. The First World War: Italy’s Doomed Campaign (Part 2)

    · 1 h 11 min · Episode 672

    How did Italy enter the First World War alongside the Allies in 1915? What were they hoping to gain? And, why was their attempt to invade the Austro-Hungarian Empire one of the bloodiest campaigns of the entire war?…

  48. Empress Matilda: Civil War and the Fight for the Throne

    · 43 min · S2 E1 · Bonus

    How did Matilda, princess of England, become Empress of the Holy Roman Empire in 1110? What disbarred her from becoming queen of England after her father's death? And, why did she go to battle for the throne of…

  49. 671. The First World War: Blood in the Trenches (Part 1)

    · 1 h 24 min · Episode 671

    During the First World War, what was it like to live in the trenches on the Western Front in 1915? How did the Germans attempt to knock the Allies out of the war right from the outset? And, what secret weapon did the…

  50. 670. Tom Holland Meets Paul McCartney

    · 40 min · Episode 670

    How was Paul McCartney influenced by life in postwar Liverpool? How did he and the Beatles first learn to make music? And were they influenced by literature as well as other musicians? Join Tom Holland as he asks Paul…

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