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
Background image depicting the Mythic & Legendary era.
The 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: 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' …
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
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Spartacus and Gladiators, with Mary Beard - FULL EPISODE
Tom Holland interviews classicist Mary Beard about gladiators and the rebellion led by Spartacus. They discuss Spartacus’s probable Thracia…
EpisodeJulius Caesar, with Mary Beard - FULL EPISODE
This members-only interview (the third in a short series with Mary Beard) focuses on Julius Caesar. Mary and the hosts sketch the Rome of C…
EpisodeAlexander the Great, with Mary Beard - FULL EPISODE
Tom Holland interviews Mary Beard about Alexander the Great, probing the line between the historical man and the myth that grew around him.…
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…
Bridging Rome to medieval Europe.
Late Antiquity & Early Middle Ages
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The Golden Age of Japan: Secrets of the Imperial Court (Part 2)
The episode examines Heian-period Japanese court culture through two seminal literary works: The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon and The Tale o…
EpisodeThe Golden Age of Japan: Lady Murasaki and the Shining Prince (Part 1)
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss The Tale of Genji as both a literary masterpiece and a historical window into Japan's Heian perio…
EpisodeThe Road to 1066: Anglo-Saxon Apocalypse (Part 1)
Hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook introduce a multi-episode series on the Norman Conquest, centring on the dramatic year 1066 and the…
EpisodeCharlemagne: Emperor of the West (Part 3)
This episode examines the events and significance of Charlemagne's imperial coronation on Christmas Day 800 and places it within the wider …
Crusades, kingdoms and cathedrals.
High & Late Middle Ages
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Joan 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…
EpisodeJoan of Arc: Saviour of France (Part 2)
In the gripping continuation of Joan of Arc's story, Tom and Dominic delve into her audacious plans to crown Charles VII and reclaim France…
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 …
EpisodeThe Body in the Woods: A Medieval Murder Mystery
Hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook examine the medieval text The Life and Miracles of St. William of Norwich by Thomas of Monmouth and…
Renaissance, reformations and global voyages.
Early Modern & Renaissance
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Elizabeth I: The Virgin Queen (Part 4)
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss the early months and political foundations of Elizabeth I's reign, focusing on her coronation (14…
EpisodeElizabeth I: The Shadow of the Tower (Part 3)
This episode examines the transition from Mary I to Elizabeth I, challenging the caricature of Mary as simply "Bloody Mary" by situating he…
EpisodeElizabeth I: Anne Boleyn’s Bastard (Part 2)
This episode traces the early life and formative influences of the future Elizabeth I. After Anne Boleyn's execution, the infant Elizabeth …
EpisodeElizabeth I: The Fall of the Axe (Part 1)
Hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss the early life and political context that produced Elizabeth I. They open with Edmund Spenc…
Ideas, empires and revolutions reshaping the world.
Enlightenment & Age of Revolutions
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Nelson: Glory at Trafalgar (Part 6)
This episode of The Rest Is History narrates the climactic Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) and the death of Horatio Nelson aboard HMS…
EpisodeNelson: The Final Showdown (Part 5)
This episode chronicles Horatio Nelson's return to Britain in August–October 1805, his emotional farewell to Emma, Lady Hamilton, and the m…
EpisodeNelson: Bonaparte Prepares to Strike (Part 4)
This episode focuses on Horatio Nelson's life and service during the temporary peace and early resumption of the Napoleonic Wars. The hosts…
EpisodeNelson: The Battle of Copenhagen (Part 3)
This episode recounts Admiral Horatio Nelson's campaign in the Baltic and the Battle of Copenhagen (spring 1801). Hosts narrate the strateg…
Steam, empire and the long 19th century.
Industrial & Imperial Age (Long 19th Century)
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Wagner: 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…
EpisodeJack The Ripper: The Killer Unmasked (Part 5)
In this gripping fifth installment, Dominic and Tom delve into the prime suspects behind the infamous Jack the Ripper, exploring why his br…
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 …
Total war, upheaval and the uneasy peace between.
World Wars & Inter-war Era
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Wagner: 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: 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…
EpisodeThe Nazis at War: The Fall of France (Part 3)
This episode of The Rest Is History focuses on the climax of Germany's 1940 western campaign: the pocketing of Allied forces on the Channel…
Superpower stand-offs and post-war recovery.
Mid-20th Century & Cold War
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The Beatles: The British Invasion, with Conan O’Brien (Part 2)
This episode is a Beatles-themed special (part two) tracing the group's late-1960s trajectory from Revolver through Sgt. Pepper, the White …
EpisodeThe Beatles: The Band that Changed the World, with Conan O’Brien (Part 1)
Tom Holland records a Beatles special at Abbey Road with guest Conan O'Brien in place of the absent Dominic Sandbrook. They discuss the Bea…
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 …
EpisodeDisneyland: The Modern American Utopia
This episode traces the origins, development and cultural meaning of Disneyland. Holland and Sandbrook begin with Nikita Khrushchev’s abort…
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 …
EpisodeModern British Elections (Part 2)
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss the evolution and effectiveness of modern election campaigning, tracing developments from Gladsto…
EpisodeDragons
This episode traces the cultural and literary history of dragons from ancient myth to modern popular culture. Tom Holland and Dominic Sandb…
Cross-era specials, biographies and deep dives.
Thematic / Biographical series
Background image depicting the Thematic / Biographical series era.
Joan 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…
EpisodeJoan of Arc: Saviour of France (Part 2)
In the gripping continuation of Joan of Arc's story, Tom and Dominic delve into her audacious plans to crown Charles VII and reclaim France…
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 …
EpisodeJack The Ripper: The Killer Unmasked (Part 5)
In this gripping fifth installment, Dominic and Tom delve into the prime suspects behind the infamous Jack the Ripper, exploring why his br…