Episodes

  • Empress Matilda: Civil War and the Fight for the Throne

    Empress Matilda: Civil War and the Fight for the Throne
    May 19 2026
    How did Matilda, princess of England, become Empress of the Holy Roman Empire in 1110? What disbarred her from becoming queen of England after her father's death? And, why did she go to battle for the throne of England, in the brutal civil war known as The Anarchy? In this new member’s-only mini series, Tom is joined by historian and author Helen Castor, to talk about some of the most impressive queens of medieval Europe. Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at the⁠⁠restishistory.com⁠⁠. To read our new newsletter, sign up at: ⁠⁠therestishistory.com/newsletters⁠⁠ _______ Advertise with us: ⁠Partnerships@goalhanger.com⁠ _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • 671. The First World War: Blood in the Trenches (Part 1)

    671. The First World War: Blood in the Trenches (Part 1)
    May 17 2026
    During the First World War, what was it like to live in the trenches on the Western Front in 1915? How did the Germans attempt to knock the Allies out of the war right from the outset? And, what secret weapon did the Germans unleash? Join Dominic and Tom as they plunge back into the First World War, and carry us through life in the trenches, the horrors of shelling, and the escalation of this totemic conflict. _______ Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations. Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at the⁠restishistory.com⁠ To read our new newsletter, sign up at: therestishistory.com/newsletters Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 24 mins
  • 670. Tom Holland Meets Paul McCartney

    670. Tom Holland Meets Paul McCartney
    May 14 2026
    How was Paul McCartney influenced by life in postwar Liverpool? How did he and the Beatles first learn to make music? And were they influenced by literature as well as other musicians? Join Tom Holland as he asks Paul McCartney these questions and more in a very special interview for The Rest Is History which features a WORLD EXCLUSIVE reveal of one of the songs from Paul’s new album, Salesman Saint. The full album, The Boys Of Dungeon Lane, is out May 29th. Salesman Saint' From the album 'The Boys of Dungeon Lane' Written by Paul McCartney Published by MPL Communications, Ltd administered by MPL Communications, Inc Capitol Records ℗© 2026 MPL Communications Inc/Ltd under exclusive license to UMG Recordings, Inc Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at ⁠the⁠⁠restishistory.com⁠⁠⁠. To read our new newsletter, sign up at: ⁠⁠⁠therestishistory.com/newsletters⁠⁠⁠ _______ Advertise with us: ⁠⁠Partnerships@goalhanger.com⁠⁠ _______ Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations. _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
  • 669. Greece vs. Persia: The Battle of Marathon (Part 2)

    669. Greece vs. Persia: The Battle of Marathon (Part 2)
    May 13 2026
    Why did the Battle of Marathon change the world so considerably? How did the battle itself unfold? And, could the Athenians really triumph over the indomitable Persian Empire…? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the terrible Battle of Marathon, and its aftermath. Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at the⁠⁠restishistory.com⁠⁠. To read our new newsletter, sign up at: ⁠⁠therestishistory.com/newsletters⁠⁠ _______ Advertise with us: ⁠Partnerships@goalhanger.com⁠ _______ Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations. _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 9 mins
  • 668. Greece vs Persia: The Rise of the First Superpower (Part 1)

    668. Greece vs Persia: The Rise of the First Superpower (Part 1)
    May 10 2026
    Why did the Persian Empire cross the Aegean to destroy Athens in 490BC? Who was Darius, the King of Kings, and the most powerful man in the world? And, how did this totemic invasion unfold? Join Tom and Dominic as they launch into one of the most cataclysmic clashes in all ancient history: Persia’s invasion of Greece. Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at the⁠restishistory.com⁠ To read our new newsletter, sign up at: ⁠therestishistory.com/newsletters⁠ _______ Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations. _______ Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 13 mins
  • 667. The Mystery of the Mona Lisa

    667. The Mystery of the Mona Lisa
    May 6 2026
    Is there a secret meaning behind the Mona Lisa’s famously ambiguous smile? What light does the painting shed upon Renaissance Italy, and Leonardo da Vinci himself? And, who is the mysterious man or woman in the painting…? Join Dominic and Tom as they unfold the secret history behind the world’s most famous painting, and delve into the story behind its creator and creation. Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at the⁠restishistory.com⁠ To read our new newsletter, sign up at: ⁠therestishistory.com/newsletters⁠ _______ Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations. _______ Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 10 mins
  • 666. Wine and the Birth of Civilisation

    666. Wine and the Birth of Civilisation
    May 3 2026
    What does The Odyssey teach us about the history of wine in the ancient world? How did Julius Caesar use wine to conquer the world? And, why was The Judgement of Paris - when America took on France - the most controversial incident in the history of wine? Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss the long history of wine; from ancient Jordan, to Bronze Age Greece, to the Vikings, and beyond… Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at the⁠restishistory.com⁠ To read our new newsletter, sign up at: ⁠therestishistory.com/newsletters⁠ _______ Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations. _______ Pre-order your copy of A History of the World in 51 Heroes and Villains now: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/history-of-the-world-in-51-heroes-and-villains-9781037211546/ _______ Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 16 mins
  • 665. Britain in the 70s: The Bailout from Hell (Part 4)

    665. Britain in the 70s: The Bailout from Hell (Part 4)
    Apr 29 2026
    How did the new British Prime Minister, Jim Callaghan, intend to keep Britain from bankruptcy in 1976? What extreme new step might have seen riots in the streets? And, would labour survive the greatest financial scandal in British history? Join Tom and Dominic as they reach the epic conclusion of their dramatic series on the most uproarious years of the 1970s in Britain, including the high point of the crisis, and the rise of punk. You’ve heard the story…now see it. Unlock the full History in Photos series at http://therestishistory.com _______ Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at the⁠restishistory.com⁠ To read our new newsletter, sign up at: therestishistory.com/newsletters Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 15 mins