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: 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…
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…
Classical worlds from Mesopotamia to Rome.
Ancient Civilisations & Classical Antiquity
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RIHC: The Odyssey, Ancient Greek Wars, and Ottoman Invasions
In this Restless History bonus episode, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook welcome returning guest Alex Preston to explore the layered histo…
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 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: 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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Dawn of the Samurai: Bloodbath at the Bridge (Part 2)
In this episode of The Rest Is History, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook continue their multi‑part series on the rise of the samurai, focu…
EpisodeRIHC: 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…
Crusades, kingdoms and cathedrals.
High & Late Middle Ages
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Dawn of the Samurai: The Shadow of the Sword (Part 1)
In this episode Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook launch a new series on the origins and evolution of the samurai. They begin with a vivid …
EpisodeDawn of the Samurai: Japan’s Greatest Warrior (Part 3)
In this episode of The Rest Is History, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook explore the legendary 12th‑century clash between the warrior monk…
EpisodeDawn of the Samurai: The Shōgun Triumphant (Part 4)
In this episode of The Rest Is History Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook continue their deep‑dive into the Genpei War, focusing on the dram…
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 …
Renaissance, reformations and global voyages.
Early Modern & Renaissance
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Dawn of the Samurai: The Shadow of the Sword (Part 1)
In this episode Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook launch a new series on the origins and evolution of the samurai. They begin with a vivid …
EpisodeRIHC: The Odyssey, Ancient Greek Wars, and Ottoman Invasions
In this Restless History bonus episode, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook welcome returning guest Alex Preston to explore the layered histo…
EpisodeLondon’s Golden Age: The Ghosts of Culloden (Part 3)
In this episode Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook explore Samuel Johnson’s 1773 journey to the Scottish Hebrides with his companion James B…
EpisodeLondon’s Golden Age: The Mad Life of Dr Johnson (Part 1)
In this episode of The Rest Is History, hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook explore the extraordinary friendship between Samuel Johnson…
Ideas, empires and revolutions reshaping the world.
Enlightenment & Age of Revolutions
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RIHC: London’s Golden Age EXTRA - James Boswell’s Secret Diaries
In this Rest Is History bonus episode, host Tom Holland (joined by guest Adam Sisman) revisits the legacy of James Boswell and his seminal …
EpisodeLondon’s Golden Age: Sex and Scandal in Georgian Britain (Part 2)
In this episode Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook trace James Boswell’s whirlwind early career in 18th‑century London, his desperate search…
EpisodeLondon’s Golden Age: The Ghosts of Culloden (Part 3)
In this episode Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook explore Samuel Johnson’s 1773 journey to the Scottish Hebrides with his companion James B…
EpisodeLondon’s Golden Age: The Shadow of the Madhouse (Part 4)
In this episode Tom Holland explores the complex relationship between Samuel Johnson and the Thrale family, focusing on the letters Johnson…
Steam, empire and the long 19th century.
Industrial & Imperial Age (Long 19th Century)
Background image depicting the Industrial & Imperial Age (Long 19th Century) era.
Dawn of the Samurai: The Shadow of the Sword (Part 1)
In this episode Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook launch a new series on the origins and evolution of the samurai. They begin with a vivid …
EpisodeRIHC: The Hitler Interviews
In this episode of The Rest Is History, hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook welcome historian and author Richard Evans, whose book Inte…
EpisodeThe Ku Klux Klan: The Rise of Evil (Part 1)
In this episode Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook trace the birth and early growth of the Ku Klux Klan in the turbulent years after the Ame…
EpisodeThe Ku Klux Klan: Birth of a Nation (Part 3)
In this episode Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook examine the rise of the second Ku Klux Klan in the United States, a mass‑market, fraterna…
Total war, upheaval and the uneasy peace between.
World Wars & Inter-war Era
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RIHC: The Hitler Interviews
In this episode of The Rest Is History, hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook welcome historian and author Richard Evans, whose book Inte…
EpisodeThe Ku Klux Klan: Birth of a Nation (Part 3)
In this episode Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook examine the rise of the second Ku Klux Klan in the United States, a mass‑market, fraterna…
EpisodeThe Ku Klux Klan: American Fascists (Part 4)
In this episode Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook examine the rise and fall of the second Ku Klux Klan in the United States, focusing on it…
EpisodeRIHC: The Odyssey, Ancient Greek Wars, and Ottoman Invasions
In this Restless History bonus episode, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook welcome returning guest Alex Preston to explore the layered histo…
Superpower stand-offs and post-war recovery.
Mid-20th Century & Cold War
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Revolutions: Iran, the Prague Spring, and Ceaușescu’s Fall - History in Photos (FULL EPISODE)
In this Rest Is History Club episode, hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook sit down with veteran photographer Chris Floyd to launch a fo…
EpisodeMedieval Combat, Jimmy Carter’s Killer Rabbit, and the Northern Pit of Death
This episode is a Rest Is History Club announcement by hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook promoting the Rest Is History Festival at Ha…
EpisodeRIHC: 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: 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)
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Revolutions: Iran, the Prague Spring, and Ceaușescu’s Fall - History in Photos (FULL EPISODE)
In this Rest Is History Club episode, hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook sit down with veteran photographer Chris Floyd to launch a fo…
EpisodeMedieval Combat, Jimmy Carter’s Killer Rabbit, and the Northern Pit of Death
This episode is a Rest Is History Club announcement by hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook promoting the Rest Is History Festival at Ha…
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 …
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 …
Cross-era specials, biographies and deep dives.
Thematic / Biographical series
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Dawn of the Samurai: Bloodbath at the Bridge (Part 2)
In this episode of The Rest Is History, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook continue their multi‑part series on the rise of the samurai, focu…
EpisodeRIHC: The Hitler Interviews
In this episode of The Rest Is History, hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook welcome historian and author Richard Evans, whose book Inte…
EpisodeThe Ku Klux Klan: Birth of a Nation (Part 3)
In this episode Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook examine the rise of the second Ku Klux Klan in the United States, a mass‑market, fraterna…
EpisodeLondon’s Golden Age: The Shadow of the Madhouse (Part 4)
In this episode Tom Holland explores the complex relationship between Samuel Johnson and the Thrale family, focusing on the letters Johnson…