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.
Banner background featuring the Great Library of Chatham High Street with layered historical imagery.
Myths, legends and origin stories.
Mythic & Legendary
Background image depicting the Mythic & Legendary era.
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
Background image depicting the Ancient Civilisations & Classical Antiquity era.
Rome’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…
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
Background image depicting the Late Antiquity & Early Middle Ages era.
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
Background image depicting the High & Late Middle Ages 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: 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: 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…
EpisodeJoan of Arc: Heroine in Chains (Part 3)
Hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook narrate the middle-to-late career of Joan of Arc, focusing on the months after the relief of Orléan…
Renaissance, reformations and global voyages.
Early Modern & Renaissance
Background image depicting the Early Modern & Renaissance era.
The Fall of the Incas: The King in the North (Part 4)
In this gripping episode, Dominic and Tom delve into the brutal conquest of the Incas by Spanish conquistadors under Francisco Pizarro. As …
EpisodeThe Fall of the Incas: Battle for the Sacred City (Part 5)
In this gripping episode, Dominic and Tom explore the escalating tensions between the Spaniards and the Incas as Manco leads a fierce rebel…
EpisodeThe Fall of the Incas: The Last Emperor (Part 6)
In this gripping finale, join Dominic and Tom as they explore the chaotic aftermath of the Incan Empire's collapse. With the emperor on the…
EpisodeThe Fall of the Incas: Empire of Gold (Part 1)
In the first part of this gripping episode, Dominic and Tom explore the harrowing tale of the Spanish conquest of the Incan Empire. Discove…
Ideas, empires and revolutions reshaping the world.
Enlightenment & Age of Revolutions
Background image depicting the Enlightenment & Age of Revolutions 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…
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…
EpisodeRIHC: WWI Counterfactuals, 1970s Britain, and Pivotal Historical Figures
This episode is a Rest Is History Club Q&A with Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, framed around their new mini-series on Horatio Nelson. T…
Steam, empire and the long 19th century.
Industrial & Imperial Age (Long 19th Century)
Background image depicting the Industrial & Imperial Age (Long 19th Century) era.
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.…
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 …
EpisodeTchaikovsky: LIVE at the Royal Albert Hall
Join Tom and Dominic at the Royal Albert Hall as they explore the complex life of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Russia's most celebrated compos…
EpisodeRIHC: 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…
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…
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…
EpisodeThe Nazis at War: Churchill’s Finest Hour (Part 4)
Hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook conclude a four-part series on Nazi Germany in 1939–1940 by examining the German perspective on Bri…
Superpower stand-offs and post-war recovery.
Mid-20th Century & Cold War
Background image depicting the Mid-20th Century & Cold War era.
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: 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…
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: 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…
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.
RIHC: 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: 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…
EpisodeJack The Ripper: From Hell (Part 4)
In this chilling episode, Tom and Dominic delve into the horrifying details of Jack the Ripper's final murder, dissecting the tragic story …
EpisodeJack The Ripper: Horror in Whitechapel (Part 2)
In Part 2 of our journey into the horrors of Victorian London, Dominic and Tom delve into Jack the Ripper's second victim, whose murder mar…