The Rest Is History
byGoalhanger
History
Take a deep dive into History’s biggest moments with Tom Holland & Dominic Sandbrook. Explore the stories of History’s most brutal rulers, deadly battles, and world-changing events. From the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, the Nazi conquest of Europe, and Hitler’s evil master plan for world domination, to the French Revolution, the sinking of the Titanic, or the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Tom and Dominic bring the past to life with gripping storytelling and expert analysis, as they unpack the high-drama moments that shaped our world. Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experie...
Episodes(40 episodes)
The Arnolfini Portrait, with Laura Cumming
Why is Jan Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait perceived as one of the greatest mysteries of the arts? What elements and symbolisms provoke debates about its identity and meaning? And, what do we know about its provenance, its travels through European royal courts, and its influence on Diego Velázquez?
In this new The Rest Is History Club series, Tom is joined by art critic and author Laura Cumming to discuss the histories behind famous paintings and put them in their historical contexts.
To hear the full episode, and all t...
Published: Feb 4, 2026Duration: 10:12
E640 - Rome’s Greatest Enemy: Carthage at the Gates (Part 1)
Did Hannibal march on Rome after his legendary victory at the Battle of Cannae in 216 BC? How could Rome fight on after losing so many men? And, where would their next cataclysmic clash take place…?
Join Tom and Dominic, as they discuss the beginning of the end for the once mighty city of Carthage, and her masterful general, Hannibal Barca.
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To hear our previous series on the rise of Carthage, Hannibal, and the battle of Cannae, go to episodes: 421, 422, 423, 424, 568, 569, 570, 571.
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To enjoy The Rest is History's curated hi...
Published: Feb 2, 2026Duration: 1:03:47
E639 - Revolution in Iran: Death in the Desert (Part 4)
How did America respond after the American Embassy in Tehran was seized, and American citizens taken hostage? Would the hostages survive? And, what became of the Iranian Revolution, and Ayatollah Khomeini?
Join Dominic and Tom, as they unfold the climactic conclusion to the Iranian Revolution, and America’s attempts to bring its hostages home.
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Become a member today and join us at The Rest Is History Festival at Hampton Court Palace on the 4th and 5th of July 2026. This is a members-only event. Join th...
Published: Jan 29, 2026Duration: 1:12:15
E638 - Revolution in Iran: The Hostage Crisis (Part 3)
Why and how was the American Embassy stormed in 1979, at the height of the Iranian Revolution? Did America respond when large numbers of American civil servants were taken hostage? And, would a science fiction film called Argo save the only 6 Americans able to escape…?
Join Dominic and Tom, as they discuss the defining event of the Iranian Revolution: the invasion of the American Embassy on the 4th of November 1979, when American citizens were taken hostage in Tehran…
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Become a member today and join us at The Rest Is H...
Published: Jan 26, 2026Duration: 1:15:18
E637 - Revolution in Iran: Rise of the Ayatollah (Part 2)
What set off the final uprisings of the Iranian Revolution, against the last Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi? Would President Jimmy Carter and America back the Shah’s forbidding opponent, the firebrand, Ayatollah Khomeini? And, why would the Revolution prove to be one of the most pivotal events in recent history?
Join Dominic and Tom, as they discuss the final fall of Iran’s last Shah, America’s response, and the rising power of the revolutionary Ayatollah Khomeini, and his radical new vision for the governance of Iran…
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Be...
Published: Jan 22, 2026Duration: 1:09:47
E636 - Revolution in Iran: Fall of the Shah (Part 1)
Why did the Iranian Revolution erupt in 1979? What was the nature of the relationship between President Carter and the ostentatious Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi? And, who was the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a man whose militant vision for Iran would see it drastically remade?
Join Dominic and Tom, as they launch into one of the most dramatic stories of all time, with such far reaching consequences, that they still reverberate across the Middle East today: the Islamic Revolution. As they delve into the events that set this cataclysmic event in motion, they will bring to...
Published: Jan 19, 2026Duration: 1:17:34
E635 - Joan of Arc: For Fear of the Flames (Part 4)
What were the harsh conditions of Joan of Arc’s imprisonment, at the hands of her English captors? How did Joan’s trial unfold, and with what was she charged? And, would Joan confess at the last moment in order to save her own life…?
Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the terrible culmination of the life of Joan of Arc, as she endured imprisonment, stood on trial for her life, fought bravely for herself and the angelic voices that had guided her thus far, all while the flames of her doom drew nearer...
Published: Jan 15, 2026Duration: 1:02:30
E634 - Joan of Arc: Heroine in Chains (Part 3)
How was Charles VII, with the help of Joan of Arc, able to fight his way to Reims to be crowned in the ancient seat of French kings? Why was she able to continually defeat the formidable soldiers of England, in battle? And, how was Joan’s legendary ascent finally brought shatteringly down, as she fell into the hands of her dreaded English enemies…?
Join Tom and Dominic as the discuss the apex of Joan of Arc’s many triumphs, her continued war with the English, and the terrible moment that would see her captur...
Published: Jan 12, 2026Duration: 1:03:11
E633 - Joan of Arc: Saviour of France (Part 2)
How did a young, uneducated peasant girl dressed in men’s clothing, Joan of Arc, plan to crown the son of the mad and feeble Charles VI, the King of all France, and save them from the English? What happened when she met with the Dauphin? And, what happened when, in April 1429, Joan of Arc finally road to war, dressed in a suit of white armour, and clasping her mighty sword…?
Join Tom and Dominic as they charge into the very heart of Joan of Arc’s remarkable story. Could she really defeat the Englis...
Published: Jan 8, 2026Duration: 55:59
E632 - Joan of Arc: Warrior Maid (Part 1)
What are the origins of the legendary Joan of Arc, the famous French maid who saved France from the English during the Hundred Years’ War, dressed all the while in men’s clothes? Why is hers one of the most remarkable stories of all time? And, was she really under divine influence when, as only a teenager, she demanded to be taken from her humble French village to Charles of Valois, the would-be King of France, in order to save the French from the English - then on the verge of victory?
Join Tom and...
Published: Jan 5, 2026Duration: 1:09:16
E631 - Wagner: LIVE at the Royal Albert Hall
Was Richard Wagner a revolutionary artist who reshaped music forever, or an egotists mired in scandal, whose dangerous ideas were inseparable from the operas he created? How did the legendary worlds encapsulated in his bombastic music - featuring gods, heroes, and monsters - become entangled with politics and power? And, did Wagner inspire Hitler and the Nazis…?
Join Tom and Dominic at the Royal Albert Hall, featuring the renowned Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Oliver Zeffman, as they play the music of Wagner live, as they delve into the life of one of the most con...
Published: Jan 1, 2026Duration: 1:13:00
E630 - Tchaikovsky: LIVE at the Royal Albert Hall
What are the complex origins of Russia’s most renowned composer, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky? What inner conflicts and private contradictions lay behind his romantic music, and how did these struggles shape it? And, what dark secrets lie hidden beneath Tchaikovsky’s sweeping, lyrical melodies…?
Join Tom and Dominic at the Royal Albert Hall, featuring the renowned Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Oliver Zeffman, as they play the music of Tchaikovsky live, accompanying their journey into the life of one of the most mercurial but brilliant figures in all of musical history: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
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Published: Dec 29, 2025Duration: 1:19:28
E629 - WWI: The Christmas Truce
Did the Christmas Truce - which saw a number of unofficial ceasefires between the combatants of the First World War, during the Christmas of 1914 - really occur, or was it a myth? What is the real story behind this legendary event? And, did German and British soldiers really play football across no-man's land?
Join Dominic and Tom as they delve into the history behind one of the most famous and moving events of the First World War.
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Published: Dec 25, 2025Duration: 58:42
E628 - Jack The Ripper: The Killer Unmasked (Part 5)
Who are the prime suspects for the identity of Jack the Ripper? Why did he suddenly halt his hellish killing spree, and never strike again? And, once and for all, who really was Jack the Ripper…?
Join Dominic and Tom as they reveal, with shocking melodrama, the true identity of one of the world’s most mysterious serial killers: Jack the Ripper…
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Hive. Know your power. Visit https://hivehome.com to find out more.
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Give The Rest Is History Club this Christmas – a year of bonus episo...
Published: Dec 22, 2025Duration: 1:35:53
E627 - Jack The Ripper: From Hell (Part 4)
Why was Jack the Ripper’s final murder the most appalling of all? Who was the mysterious Mary-Jane Kelly, his unfortunate victim? And, what enduring impact would his crimes have upon the cultural climate of England, and the treatment of women?
Join Tom and Dominic as they reach the nightmarish crescendo of Victorian London’s darkest days, as Jack the Ripper’s killing spree culminates with his most horrifying murder so far.
Give The Rest Is History Club this Christmas – a year of bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access, the priv...
Published: Dec 18, 2025Duration: 1:10:08
E626 - Jack The Ripper: The Killer Strikes Again (Part 3)
How did Jack the Ripper manage to strike twice in the same night without getting caught? Did he have an accomplice? And, what chilling clues did the police discover in the wake of the murder…?
Join Dominic and Tom as they decode the next horrific phase of Jack the Ripper’s shocking killing spree, as they seek to reveal his identity once and for all.
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Hive. Know your power. Visit https://hivehome.com to find out more.
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Published: Dec 15, 2025Duration: 59:09
E625 - Jack The Ripper: Horror in Whitechapel (Part 2)
Who was Jack the Ripper’s second victim, and why was their murder considered the true starting point of his terrifying killing spree? How did the police investigation unfold? And, when and how did the Ripper strike again…?
Join Dominic and Tom as they travel further into the dark streets of Victorian London and follow Jack the Ripper’s depraved trail, as they unravel the truth behind the world’s most famous murderer.
Hive. Know your power. Visit https://hivehome.com to find out more.
Learn mo...
Published: Dec 11, 2025Duration: 1:06:32
The Beatles: The British Invasion, with Conan O’Brien (Part 2)
| This episode is available a week early for members of The Rest Is History Club |
What happens when fame, drugs, and genius collide? How did the Beatles survive John Lennon’s “more popular than Jesus” interview and the death of Brian Epstein? And, why did the band eventually break up?
Conan O’Brien returns with Tom to dive into the Beatles’ final years: rooftop gigs, groundbreaking records, and the inner conflicts that defined - and arguably destroyed - the band.
The Beatles’ n...
Published: Dec 10, 2025Duration: 55:22
E624 - Jack The Ripper: History’s Darkest Mystery (Part 1)
Was Jack the Ripper the first serial killer of all time? Who was his first victim, and why was the murder so shocking? And, what did the Ripper phenomenon reveal about the anxieties of Victorian London?
Join Tom and Dominic as they delve into the darkest days of London’s long history, as Jack the Ripper’s terrible, grisly reign of terror begins...
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 t...
Published: Dec 8, 2025Duration: 1:04:08
E623 - The Nazis at War: Churchill’s Finest Hour (Part 4)
With Adolf Hitler at the apex of his power during the Second World War, how did he move on Britain? How did Winston Churchill respond? And, would Britain’s airforce triumph over Hitler’s Luftwaffe in the legendary Battle of Britain?
Join Dominic and Tom as they reach one of the watershed moments of the Second World War, as the Nazis strive to eliminate Britain from the skies, before severing their crucial alliance with the Soviet Union.
Give The Rest Is History Club this Christmas – a year of bonus episod...
Published: Dec 4, 2025Duration: 1:11:43