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: Zeus, King of the Gods (Part 1)
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook introduce a four-part mini-series on Greek myth, opening with Zeus and the Theogony. They discuss Hesiod …
EpisodeGreek Myths: Jason & The Quest for the Golden Fleece (Part 4)
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss the myth of Jason and the Argonauts and its literary afterlife, especially Apollonius of Rhodes' …
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: 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: 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…
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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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: 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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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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
Steam, empire and the long 19th century.
Industrial & Imperial Age (Long 19th Century)
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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: Terror in the South (Part 2)
In this second episode of the Rest Is History Reconstruction series, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook examine the violent backlash against…
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…
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: 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…
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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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…
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…
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…