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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.
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What inspired the deadliest bloodbath of the Tudor age: the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572, in which protestants were slaughtered en masse? How did it drive Elizabeth I’s spy master, Francis Walsingham, to repress all treasonous activity in her realm? And, what terrible treason was brewing in Rome…? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, Sir Francis Walsingham, and one of the most devilish religious conspiracies of all time… Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations. *The Rest Is History LIVE: The Ultimate Victorian Adventure* The maddest expedition in history and it’s NEVER been heard before on the show: join Tom Holland & Dominic Sandbrook LIVE at the Southbank as they tell the bonkers story of Queen Victoria ordering one of history’s most daring assignments ever. Tickets available for Friday 4th September, the Saturday show is SOLD OUT. Summer sale is here: get an annual membership for an extra 20% off with code SUMMER26. That's ad-free listening, every bonus episode, and full access to our exclusive members' series. Sale ends August 31st, so grab it before summer's over. https://therestishistory.com/club?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=summersale26&utm_term=listeners&utm_content=epdescriptionsummer 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
This episode explores the perilous early years of Elizabeth I's reign through the eyes of her chief minister, William Cecil, revealing how fears of Catholic plots, foreign intervention, and internal rebellion shaped England's political landscape. The narrative centers on the existential threat posed by Mary, Queen of Scots, and the intricate web of espionage, diplomacy, and repression that defined Elizabethan statecraft.
The episode recounts the tragic and scandalous 1889 murder-suicide of Austrian Crown Prince Rudolf and his teenage lover, Baroness Mary Vetsera, at the Mayerling hunting lodge, a pivotal event that shook the Habsburg dynasty and foreshadowed the empire’s decline. The story is framed as a gothic melodrama of doomed romance, political tension, and royal repression, revealing deeper anxieties within imperial Europe.
The episode explores the 1889 Mayerling incident, a royal murder-suicide involving Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and his teenage mistress, Baroness Mary Vetsera, set against the backdrop of a decaying Austro-Hungarian Empire. This gothic tragedy, steeped in political tension, personal despair, and imperial decline, reshaped European history and exposed the fragility of dynastic rule in the face of modernity.
This episode of The Rest Is History dives into the second half of Homer’s Odyssey, focusing on Odysseus’ return to Ithaca after 20 years, his reunion with his son Telemachus, and his brutal revenge on the suitors vying for his wife Penelope. The story’s enduring power lies in its blend of divine intervention, human cunning, and emotional depth.
The episode explores Homer's Odyssey as a foundational work of Western literature, examining its narrative structure, historical context, and enduring cultural influence, while teasing a forthcoming film adaptation by Christopher Nolan. Hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook unpack the epic’s themes of homecoming, heroism, and human vulnerability through a chronological retelling, emphasizing how ancient anxieties about exploration, civilization, and the unknown are embedded in its fantastical episodes.
This episode explores the life, legacy, and contradictions of Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and third U.S. president, examining his intellectual brilliance, political acumen, and enduring vision for American expansion, while confronting the profound moral hypocrisy of his lifelong enslavement of Sally Hemings, with whom he had a decades-long relationship and children. The conversation reveals Jefferson as both a foundational architect of American liberty and its most tragic betrayer.
The podcast dives into the infamous 1804 duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, unpacking the political rivalry, personal pride, and culture of honor that led to one of American history’s most dramatic moments — all framed with humor and a nod to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton. What begins as a clash of ideologies spirals into a fatal confrontation shaped as much by ego as by principle.
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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.
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