The Rest Is History

Latest Episodes:

598. The First World War: The Eastern Front Explodes (Part 5) Sep 05, 2025

Show notes

While the Western front was raging following the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, what was unfolding on the Eastern Front? Why was it an even bloodier and more brutal arena than the West? As Austria took on its great antagonist - the spark of the entire war - Serbia, why were its early campaigns constantly blighted by disaster? What terrible mistake did Russia, with its behemoth of an army, make? How would its dramatic war with Germany unfold? And, would this be the beginning of the end of the Habsburg Empire?

Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss the outbreak of the First World War on the Eastern Front, and its early clashes.

_____

Try Adobe Express for free now at https://www.adobe.com/uk/express/spotlight/designwithexpress?sdid=HM85WZZV&mv=display&mv2=ctv or by searching in the app store.

Learn more at https://uber.com/onourway

Explore the world’s most loved stories in their most beautiful form - only at https://www.foliosociety.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

For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Producer: Theo Young-Smith

Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude

Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

597. The First World War: The Massacre of the Innocents (Part 4) Sep 03, 2025

Show notes

What happened at the crucial, bloody, Battle of Ypres in October 1914? How did the battle come about? Why did the Germans and the British fight each other so brutally and for so long to take Ypres? What made the fighting so particularly violent? How were the British able to repel the relentless German onslaught time after time? What was the famous “Kindermord” - “the Massacre of the Innocents” - in the German army, and how true was it? And, what would be the outcome of this almighty clash?

Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss the terrible Battle of Ypres; its significance to the First World War overall, and its consequences for the rise of Hitler in Germany later on….

______

Try Adobe Express for free now at https://www.adobe.com/uk/express/spotlight/designwithexpress or by searching in the app store.

Explore the world’s most loved stories in their most beautiful form - only at https://www.foliosociety.com/.

Learn more at https://uber.com/onourway

______

For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

596. The First World War: The Miracle on the Marne (Part 3) Aug 31, 2025

Show notes

What extraordinary events saw the French - already on the brink of defeat - take on the formerly formidable German army in a remarkable counter-offensive on the 4th of September, in France, in a clash that would later become known as the Miracle on the Marne? Why was this such a decisive moment in the events of the First World War How did it relate to the famous Schlieffen plan? Did it really see the French charging into battle in Renault taxis? And, why did it become one of the most legendary moments in all of French history?

Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss one of the most astounding clashes of the First World War: the Battle of the Marne.

For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com

_______

Go to https://www.surfshark.com/TRIH or use code TRIH at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Try Adobe Express for free now at https://www.adobe.com/uk/express/spotlight/designwithexpress?sdid=HM85WZZV&mv=display&mv2=ctv or by searching in the app store.

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Producer: Theo Young-Smith

Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude

Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

595. The First World War: The Battle of the Frontiers (Part 2) Aug 27, 2025

Show notes

What was Britain's first military move following the outbreak of the First World War? Where did the French launch their initial attack on the Germans? Whose army was the biggest and best of all the participants in the war? And, what unfolded at the pivotal Battle of the Ardennes in August 1914, on the frontiers of France, between the Germans and the French, and what would be the consequences of the outcome for the war as a whole?

Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss, in riveting, unsparing detail, the dramatic early engagements of the First World War, and the bloody Battle of Ardennes.

For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com

Go to ⁠fuseenergy.com/history⁠ to switch your energy to Fuse and get £20 credit

For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Producer: Theo Young-Smith

Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude

Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

594. The First World War: The Invasion of Belgium (Part 1) Aug 24, 2025

Show notes

Following the declaration of war in 1914, how did the outbreak of the First World War unfold? What were the earliest military engagements of this terrible, totemic event? Who were its key political players and how did they respond? What was the attitude to the war in Germany? Were the allies unified from this early stage, or were they suspicious and frozen by indecision? And, how did the Germans, with the mightiest army in all the world, make its move on “plucky little” Belgium?

Join Dominic and Tom as they launch into one of the most consequential events of all time: the outbreak of the First World War.

Visit store.steampowered.com and search for ‘Total War Rome’ to buy now.

Go to ⁠fuseenergy.com/history⁠ to switch your energy to Fuse and get £20 credit

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.

For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Producer: Theo Young-Smith

Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude

Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

593. The Fight of the Century Aug 20, 2025

Show notes

Why did two men - John Heenan and and Tom Sayers - illegally meet in a field in Hampshire, in 1860, to brutally fight one another, captivating Britain in the process? What can the fight tell us about the nature of Britishness in the 19th century? Was this the birth of boxing? Who won the infamous boxing match? And, how did the fight change the course of British sport, forever?

In this week’s episode, Tom and Dominic are joined by Professor Robert Colls, to discuss one of the most legendary clashes in English history…

Visit ⁠https://www.store.steampowered.com⁠ and search for ‘Total War Rome’ to buy now.

Go to fuseenergy.com/history to switch your energy to Fuse and get £20 credit.

For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Producer: Theo Young-Smith

Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude

Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

592. Mad Victorian Sport Aug 17, 2025

Show notes

How and when was football invented, and what are the origins of football clubs? What is the connection between public hangings, highwaymen, and early sporting events? Which is the most historically important sporting ground in the world? When was the first cricket test match played? What are the origins of rugby? Who was Richard Manks - the Lionel Messi of the Victorian period - and what did he achieve? And, what is the history of the mighty Ashes, one of the most celebrated sporting rivalries of all time?

Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the surprising history of some of the world’s greatest sports, sporting events, and stadiums.

Watch The Long Walk exclusively in cinemas 12th September. Book now at thelongwalkmovie.co.uk

For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Producer: Theo Young-Smith

Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude

Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

591. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: Manhunt for the Killer (Part 2) Aug 13, 2025

Show notes

How was President Abraham Lincoln murdered on Good Friday 1865, at Ford’s Theatre, just five days after Robert E. Lee’s surrender? Who was John Wilkes Booth, the racist actor with southern sympathies, who assassinated him? How did he escape before the shocked eyes of the packed theatre, and evade his captors to go on the run? Would they get him in the end? And, what were the long term repercussions of Lincoln’s assassination for the future of race relations in the USA?

Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss, in remarkable detail, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the man who did it, and the thrilling manhunt that ensued, the impact of Lincoln’s death upon the future of America.

Go to https://surfshark.com/TRIH or use code TRIH at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!

The Rest Is History Club: Become a member for exclusive bonus content, early access to full series and live show tickets, ad-free listening, our exclusive newsletter, discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, and our members’ chatroom on Discord. Just head to therestishistory.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestishistory.

For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Producer: Theo Young-Smith

Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude

Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

590. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: Death at the Theatre (Part 1) Aug 10, 2025

Show notes

After passing the 13th amendment, in the closing weeks of the brutal American Civil War, what did president Abraham Lincoln - recently re-elected - do next to inflame his detractors? Crippled with guilt for the death and destruction of the war, was he indeed a unionist tyrant? What did Lincoln decide to do with the defeated rebel states? And, with time ticking for Lincoln’s life, who was John Wilkes Booth, the racist actor bent on Lincoln’s destruction?

Join Dominic and Tom as they launch into the final days of one of America’s greatest presidents; Abraham Lincoln. Who would be his assassin, and where would he meet this tragic reckoning?

The Rest Is History Club: Become a member for exclusive bonus content, early access to full series and live show tickets, ad-free listening, our exclusive newsletter, discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, and our members’ chatroom on Discord. Just head to therestishistory.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestishistory.

For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Producer: Theo Young-Smith

Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude

Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

589. Mary, Queen of Scots: Downfall (Part 6) Aug 06, 2025

Show notes

Following the murder of her husband, Lord Darnley, how did Mary Queen of Scots - thought to have conspired for his death - navigate the most precarious situation of her young life so far? Would she marry again, and if so whom? Why was she forced to flee her enemies dressed as a man, and would she escape the threat of imprisonment? Could she look to her fellow cousin, Elizabeth I, for aid, or face the Virgin Queen’s condemnation? And, would she come out from these tumultuous events a queen and unscathed, or dethroned, and traumatised for life?

Join Tom and Dominic as they reach the dramatic climax of their journey through the reign of Mary Queen of Scots, as steps into the hands of Elizabeth I and her spymasters. Would this most brave and belligerent, but now beleaguered of women, survive the most perilous period of her life?

For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com

_______

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Producer: Theo Young-Smith

Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude

Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices