The Rest Is History

About this podcast

Historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook are interrogating the past, attempting to de-tangle the present for their new podcast "The Rest Is History" They question the nature of Greatness, why the West no longer has civil wars and whether Richard Nixon was more like Caligula or Claudius. They're distilling the entirety of human history, or, as much as they can fit into about thirty minutes.

The Rest Is History

Episodes

Season 1
42. 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 and fiction. Does the romantic representation in both fiction and film bear any resemblance to the historical truth? And why are we still so intrigued by the myth of the American western frontier? A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Jack Davenport Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
April 12, 2021
48 min
41. 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 Sandbrook are joined by Professor Ali Ansari to discuss Persia's extraordinary influence on the modern world. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Jack Davenport Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
April 8, 2021
43 min
39. 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 400 years ago. Tracy Borman, author of the acclaimed Elizabeth’s Women, joins Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook to discuss Elizabeth I. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Jack Davenport Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
April 1, 2021
42 min
38. 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 mainstream having failed to create the utopia of a classless society. Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland discuss the origins of communism as a theory and the frequently repressive attempts to govern by its principals. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Jack Davenport Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
March 29, 2021
48 min
37. 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 operative finally been replaced by the computer? Ben MacIntyre, author of books including Agent Zigzag and The Spy and the Traitor, joins Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook to discuss the history of spying. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Jack Davenport Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
March 25, 2021
42 min
36. 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? Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland discuss the men who made it through to the final stages of our Prime Ministers’ World Cup and analyse the public voting patterns which led to the final outcome. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Jack Davenport Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
March 23, 2021
44 min
35. 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 Maggie Thatcher won’t give up the fight without a struggle. And who’s this coming up quietly on the left-hand rail? Why, it’s Clement Attlee, who looks a real threat to the horses on his right. Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland debate the runners and riders in our inaugural Rest is History World Cup. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Jack Davenport Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
March 22, 2021
39 min
34. 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 century? Tom Holland persuades Dominic Sandbrook that the story of Cuthbert, whose body lay perfectly preserved long after his death, is well worth re-examining. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Jack Davenport Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
March 20, 2021
28 min
33. 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 journalist and author Jonathan Wilson joins Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland to look at the history of the game and how it became Britain’s most successful export. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Jack Davenport Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
March 18, 2021
48 min
32. 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 historical enquiry? Or is it simply game-playing? Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland discuss what might have been. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Jack Davenport Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
March 15, 2021
43 min
31. 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 Hoyer joins Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook to discuss the short but explosive life of the German Second Reich. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Jack Davenport Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
March 11, 2021
50 min
30. 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 Sandbrook use the lens of history to analyse the significance of this event. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Jack Davenport Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
March 9, 2021
27 min
29. 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? And is that power now waning? Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss Americanisation on the Rest is History. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Jack Davenport Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
March 8, 2021
44 min
28. 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 through time? When and why are we not allowed to laugh at events? Al Murray has made a living out of making people laugh, while also frequently placing history at the heart of his humour. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Harry Lineker Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
March 4, 2021
54 min
27. 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 Howard Carter in 1922 and discuss Tutankhamun’s relatives, in particular his father Akhenaten. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Harry Lineker Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
March 1, 2021
46 min
26. 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 and what is the modern equivalent of a witch hunt? A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Harry Lineker Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
February 25, 2021
47 min
25. 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 assumption that nation statehood is always the better way. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Harry Lineker Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
February 22, 2021
51 min
24. 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 multi-award winning The Five joins Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook to discuss this fascinating subject. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Harry Lineker Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
February 18, 2021
45 min
23. The 90s
Ecstasy, emails and economic stability. Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland discuss the 1990s, a decade which brought us Oasis, Tony Blair, Monica Lewinsky and Mr Blobby. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Jack Davenport Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
February 15, 2021
44 min
22. 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 Holland choose five each. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production Produced by Jack Davenport Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Email: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
February 11, 2021
43 min

The Rest Is History

About this podcast

Categories

About this podcast

Categories

The Rest Is History

Episodes

42. The Wild West

41. Persia

39. Elizabeth I

38. Communism

37. Spies, with Ben MacIntyre

36. Our Greatest Prime Minister

35. The Prime Ministers’ World Cup

34. St Cuthbert’s Day

33. The Beautiful Game

32. What if?

31. The Second Reich

30. A Royal Row

29. Americanisation

28. The Kings of Comedy

27. Tutankhamun

26. Witches

25. Empires

24. Sex in the City

23. The 90s

22. Weird Wars