Entirely Unofficial Rest is History Catalogue and Interrogator
Great Library of Chatham High Street
An in-depth catalogue and library of every episode in the archives of the Rest is History podcast. Every historical event and figure mentioned can be found here. Every book, author and guest can be discovered with links to the episodes they have appeared in. AI powered Q&A lets you find that elusive moment you remember, but can't quite place the episode - letting you jump straight to the point where Dom cracks up about Chatham wrestlers, or to discover the truth about the ancient British sport of Dwyle Flonking. Based on complete transcripts of the entire archive.
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Myths, legends and origin stories.
Mythic & Legendary
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RIHC: Iconic Episodes, Unforgettable Heroes, and History’s Greatest Apples
This special episode, recorded in Sydney to mark the podcast being named Apple’s 2025 Show of the Year, features hosts Tom Holland and Domi…
EpisodeThe Trojan War, with Mary Beard - FULL EPISODE
Tom Holland interviews classicist Mary Beard at Leighton House about the Trojan War and its place between myth and history. They retell the…
EpisodeGreek Myths: Sex, Drugs & Tragedy (Part 3)
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss Euripides' The Bacchae and the strange, violent cult of Dionysus. They open with a graphic passag…
EpisodeGreek Myths: The Riddle of the Sphinx (Part 2)
This episode of The Rest Is History examines the myth of Oedipus and its cultural afterlife. Holland and Sandbrook retell the Sophoclean tr…
Classical worlds from Mesopotamia to Rome.
Ancient Civilisations & Classical Antiquity
Background image depicting the Ancient Civilisations & Classical Antiquity era.
Rome’s Greatest Enemy: Carthage at the Gates (Part 1)
This episode examines the aftermath of Hannibal's victory at the Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BC) and why he did not press straight on to…
EpisodeRome’s Greatest Enemy: Bloodbath in Africa (Part 3)
This episode focuses on the climactic confrontation between Hannibal and Scipio — the Battle of Zama — and the concluding phases of the Sec…
EpisodeRome’s Greatest Enemy: Carthage Destroyed (Part 4)
This episode concludes the hosts' multi-season treatment of Carthage and the Punic conflicts. It traces how the memory of Hannibal's devast…
EpisodeRome’s Greatest Enemy: Hannibal’s Nemesis (Part 2)
This episode of The Rest Is History (episode two of a short series on the Punic Wars) examines the Roman response to Hannibal's invasion of…
Bridging Rome to medieval Europe.
Late Antiquity & Early Middle Ages
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RIHC: Ancient Iran, Cyrus the Great, and Persian Nationalism
This bonus episode of The Rest Is History features Tom Holland interviewing Professor Ali Ansari about how post‑revolutionary Iran has trea…
EpisodeRIHC: Corrupt US Presidents, Wartime Prime Ministers, and the Birth of Byzantium
This bonus episode reunites Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook for a Rest Is History club Q&A. They open by referencing recent episodes (Sir…
EpisodeRIHC: Irish Kings, Medieval Magic, and The Norman Invasion of Ireland
This bonus episode features historian Gillian Kenny discussing the social, legal and ecclesiastical world of Ireland before the Anglo-Norma…
EpisodeRIHC: The Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward the Confessor’s True Heir, and Vikings Abroad
This bonus Q&A episode of The Rest Is History features hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook answering listener questions collated from T…
Crusades, kingdoms and cathedrals.
High & Late Middle Ages
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RIHC: The British Empire, Tudor Lovers, and War Poetry
Hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook interview Mark Forsyth about his book Rhyme and Reason, a popular-history survey of English poetry.…
EpisodeRIHC: Joan of Arc's Afterlife, Witchcraft, and Angels
This bonus episode (a members' extra) continues the hosts' exploration of Joan of Arc by tracing her afterlife from the 15th century into t…
EpisodeJoan of Arc: Warrior Maid (Part 1)
Hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook explore the turning point of the Hundred Years' War centred on Joan of Arc. They set the political …
EpisodeJoan of Arc: For Fear of the Flames (Part 4)
This episode is the final instalment of The Rest Is History’s multi-part exploration of Joan of Arc. Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook foll…
Renaissance, reformations and global voyages.
Early Modern & Renaissance
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Greatest Paintings: The Ghost of Spain – Velázquez’s Las Meninas - FULL EPISODE
In this episode of The Rest Is History Club, Tom and art critic Laura Cumming dive into Diego Velázquez’s masterwork, Las Meninas. They exp…
EpisodeGreatest Paintings: Dawn of the Dutch Golden Age - The Arnolfini Portrait - FULL EPISODE
Join Tom and art critic Laura Cumming as they delve into Jan Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait, a masterpiece shrouded in mystery. Explore its …
EpisodeRIHC: Historical Love Affairs, Totemic History Books, and the Naming of Wars
This New Year’s Eve Rest Is History bonus episode is a members' Q&A in which Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook recap their Australia tour, …
EpisodeRIHC: The Secret Life of James I, Mary Queen of Scots, and the Execution of a King
This bonus episode features Claire Jackson discussing her new biography The Mirror of Great Britain: A Life of James VI and I. Jackson chal…
Ideas, empires and revolutions reshaping the world.
Enlightenment & Age of Revolutions
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Greatest Paintings: The Ghost of Spain – Velázquez’s Las Meninas - FULL EPISODE
In this episode of The Rest Is History Club, Tom and art critic Laura Cumming dive into Diego Velázquez’s masterwork, Las Meninas. They exp…
EpisodeRIHC: Joan of Arc's Afterlife, Witchcraft, and Angels
This bonus episode (a members' extra) continues the hosts' exploration of Joan of Arc by tracing her afterlife from the 15th century into t…
EpisodeRIHC - Nelson EXTRA: The Fate of Lady Hamilton
This Rest Is History Club bonus episode provides a coda to the hosts' Nelson series by tracing the fate of Emma Hamilton and Horatio(a) Nel…
EpisodeRIHC: Hitler’s Speeches, Monarchical U.S. Presidents, and Napoleon’s Rise to Power
This Rest Is History club bonus features hosts Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland in informal discussion with subscribers. They mark Trafalg…
Steam, empire and the long 19th century.
Industrial & Imperial Age (Long 19th Century)
Background image depicting the Industrial & Imperial Age (Long 19th Century) era.
Greatest Paintings: Dawn of the Dutch Golden Age - The Arnolfini Portrait - FULL EPISODE
Join Tom and art critic Laura Cumming as they delve into Jan Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait, a masterpiece shrouded in mystery. Explore its …
EpisodeRIHC: The British Empire, Tudor Lovers, and War Poetry
Hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook interview Mark Forsyth about his book Rhyme and Reason, a popular-history survey of English poetry.…
EpisodeRevolution in Iran: Fall of the Shah (Part 1)
In the first part of this episode, Dominic and Tom explore the Iranian Revolution of 1979, delving into the precarious relationship between…
EpisodeWagner: LIVE at the Royal Albert Hall
This episode is the second half of a live Royal Albert Hall show (4 May 2025) in which hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook examine the …
Total war, upheaval and the uneasy peace between.
World Wars & Inter-war Era
Background image depicting the World Wars & Inter-war Era era.
RIHC: Joan of Arc's Afterlife, Witchcraft, and Angels
This bonus episode (a members' extra) continues the hosts' exploration of Joan of Arc by tracing her afterlife from the 15th century into t…
EpisodeWagner: LIVE at the Royal Albert Hall
This episode is the second half of a live Royal Albert Hall show (4 May 2025) in which hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook examine the …
EpisodeWWI: The Christmas Truce
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss the 1914 Christmas Truce on the Western Front, examining what happened, who initiated it and why …
EpisodeThe Nazis at War: Hitler Strikes West (Part 1)
Hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook open a new, fourth Rest Is History series on the Nazis by examining the critical months of 1939–194…
Superpower stand-offs and post-war recovery.
Mid-20th Century & Cold War
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RIHC: Ancient Iran, Cyrus the Great, and Persian Nationalism
This bonus episode of The Rest Is History features Tom Holland interviewing Professor Ali Ansari about how post‑revolutionary Iran has trea…
EpisodeRevolution in Iran: Rise of the Ayatollah (Part 2)
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook trace the climactic months of the Iranian Revolution (late 1978–early 1979). Using archival audio of Ayat…
EpisodeRevolution in Iran: The Hostage Crisis (Part 3)
This episode recounts the November 4, 1979 seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran and the resulting 444-day hostage crisis that became a def…
EpisodeRevolution in Iran: Death in the Desert (Part 4)
This episode concludes the hosts' series on the Iranian Revolution and the US response by recounting the 1979–1981 hostage crisis and the f…
Globalisation, technology and the present day.
Contemporary Era (Post-1991)
Background image depicting the Contemporary Era (Post-1991) era.
WWI: The Christmas Truce
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss the 1914 Christmas Truce on the Western Front, examining what happened, who initiated it and why …
EpisodeRIHC: Disney's Legacy, with Bob Iger
This special bonus episode of The Rest Is History features hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook interviewing Robert A. Iger, CEO of The …
EpisodeThe Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood
This episode is a focused discussion of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. The hosts examine the book's dystopian world of Gilead, its …
EpisodeRIHC: The Silk Roads, Ancient Asia, and Decentralising Europe
This bonus episode of The Rest Is History features host Tom Holland interviewing Peter Frankenplan, professor of global history at Oxford a…
Cross-era specials, biographies and deep dives.
Thematic / Biographical series
Background image depicting the Thematic / Biographical series era.
Rome’s Greatest Enemy: Carthage at the Gates (Part 1)
This episode examines the aftermath of Hannibal's victory at the Battle of Cannae (2 August 216 BC) and why he did not press straight on to…
EpisodeRome’s Greatest Enemy: Carthage Destroyed (Part 4)
This episode concludes the hosts' multi-season treatment of Carthage and the Punic conflicts. It traces how the memory of Hannibal's devast…
EpisodeRome’s Greatest Enemy: Bloodbath in Africa (Part 3)
This episode focuses on the climactic confrontation between Hannibal and Scipio — the Battle of Zama — and the concluding phases of the Sec…
EpisodeRIHC: The British Empire, Tudor Lovers, and War Poetry
Hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook interview Mark Forsyth about his book Rhyme and Reason, a popular-history survey of English poetry.…