The Rest Is History

3,136
All Genres #109History #5

The world’s most popular history podcast, with Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook.Join The Rest Is History Club (www.therestishistory.com) for ad-free listening to the full archive, weekly bonus episodes, live streamed shows and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Here are some of our favourite episodes to get you started:WATERGATE/NIXON apple.co/3JrVl5hALEXANDER THE GREAT apple.co/3Q4FaNkHARDCORE HISTORY'S DAN CARLIN apple.co/3vqkGa3PUTIN & RUSSIA apple.co/3zMtLfX

Recent Episodes
Episodes loading...
Recent Reviews
  • Nomadic Lens
    Amazing History Podcast
    This is one of my favorite podcasts and has taught me so much about what I had previously considered a boring subject. In fact, I’ve started expanding my knowledge by reading Tom and Dominic’s books which are also highly engaging. Highly recommended for their vast knowledge, wealth of knowledge and sense of humor.
  • Scroop Moth
    Hard to hear
    Hosts drop their voices for key words, speak filler loudly.
  • Bellsinla
    Amazing
    I love this podcast. I just discovered it and now I look forward to being in the car so I can listen more. Excellent, I hope I retain this information! Thank you hosts and Theo, you’re a good sport.
  • Cash361
    MC5
    On your episode regarding the 68 Democratic convention in Chicago. The MC5 was not a local band to Chicago. They were from Detroit. MC5 stands for motor city five
  • evjd
    Trouble with Apple
    Updated my card please resubmit by subscription
  • Sherry V. Ostroff, Author
    Henry IV Parts 1 & 2
    Loved the podcasts. I write historical novels and Henry IV’s reign is my next topic. The podcasts were full of the nitty-gritty details and careful analysis of the times done in a thoughtful manner.
  • Peter & Lisa
    Mozart & Beethoven episodes were AMAZING!
    I appreciate classical music but I grew up on rock and alternative. Until they I heard the Mozart and Beethoven episodes I was never moved by classical music. Thank you so much for personalizing the music and connecting me to it. I’m sitting at work with goosebumps as I listen to the end of the Beethoven episode.
  • Citizencyborg
    Love a good history podcast
    I just discovered this podcast in 2025 and have only listened to the series on Frankish Kings and Charlemagne so far. They were excellent and I am so excited to go back through the catalogue! Very engaging and clear, easy to listen to while doing chores and still absorb a lot of information. New favorite history pod!
  • gwakridge
    Top 5 Favorite Podcasts
    I can’t get enough of this! I love history, and I love it even more as told by these hosts. The comedic banter is what makes it entertaining. And the history, factual. Love it.
  • RedSkyBurns
    I can only hope that there is still so much more to come.
    Oh my! I have been listening for years and years and every episode is as enjoyable as the first evening (thank you Dan Carlin). If you want a bit of charm with your history, perhaps a pinch or a nudge and a pint or two, this is as good as it gets. They still have the fire and freshness while the theatrics only become more fine tuned. Keep it up 'till the wheels fall off!
  • Wally 2537694432
    January 20, 2025 and beyond
    Looking forward (50 years?) to Tom and Dominick bringing their unique voices to Donald Trump’s rise to power. Lots of twists and turns. Lots of meetings in spa resorts. Will England and France convince Denmark to give up Greenland?
  • bota123
    Great, thank you!
    Awesome show, thank you Dominique and Tom! love everything except disgusting advertising of the rest of politics.us. what a low level hateful bunch. And disturbing contrast to the rest is history
  • SwagBossPro
    Engaging & VERY Informative!
    Love the way they present history. It’s engaging it opens your mind. You learn stuff of course, but they bring to life history and such a humorous way.
  • SoCalCuster
    Decent if they stick to history
    The history is decent, but the hosts are a bit too full of themselves and their jokes do not land well. Comments about it being okay to kill cats, jabs at politicians, and their admitted pro British bias, detracts from the content. I know they are popular, but it doesn’t work for me.
  • Rogert Theist
    Wonderful!
    The phrase "the sweating, white-suited bulk of Hermann Goering" alone was worth the price of admission.
  • Kerri L.
    Tom Holland shouldn’t be supported
    No one should support this podcast or any work involving Tom Holland because of his belief that the police covering up the Rotherham r. ape gangs “had good intentions”. Please search X for Rotherham r. ape gangs and Tom Holland to find out that he would think it’s the Christian thing to protect men who would harm children.
  • tense_toucan
    Dreadful
    Holland’s recent comments justifying crimes against women and girls make this unlistenable
  • Brady P. Smith
    Tom and Dom
    I absolutely love this podcast. The guys are such awesome sources of information. I especially enjoy the episodes on Tolkien and his inspirations.
  • kkurman
    thank you!
    not a ‘review’ per se, but just wanted to thank you for this wonderful review of the story of Charlemagne! What was murky from patchy references over time is much clearer now. Wonderfully organized from all the complexities of lineages I now better understand the origins of European history and how we got to where we are now. Thank you!
  • ijreilly
    Not my style
    I listened to a podcast on Watergate. Apparently it was the first of more than one on that topic. Based on that one podcast, these guys IMO are educated but unserious people. They snickered through the podcast as if they were 16-year olds, taking delight in discussing Nixon’s personality flaws. As a former 16-year old who snickered continuously during the Nixon administration, I was familiar with their approach. So I won’t listen to any more from these guys. If I want a 16-year old’s perspective on history, I’ll find a 16-year old and talk to him or her.
  • etPotterGRRM
    90% enjoyable
    After discovering the rest is history, I've listened to about 40 or so episodes in the last week and a half while - it is generally very well paced and they have a good sense of the right level of detail to tell an interesting story without getting bogged down. Having 2 presenters also helps keep it from getting monotone and boring. On the downside, I have 2 main complaints - first, and this is the least important, Tom is constantly pronouncing things wrong, to the point that I've actually looked up several things to confirm I wasn't going crazy. He pronounces escutcheon with a long U. The bigger issue is if you want to look something up - it's hard to discern sometimes what you should be searching for based only on what you've heard. The more annoying thing is that they CONSTANTLY compare some villain in history to "woke humanist academics on twitter" - over and over and over and over. Maybe it's less noticeable if you aren't listening to so many in a row, but they seriously will compare any reprehensible person they come across to these people - never providing any detailed criticism, just casual aspersions, presumably insulting a sizable portion of their listernership, or potential listenership, in the process. Never with any self-awareness that they are scolding people for having a different opinion than they do. It is expected from Dominic, who writes for the Daily Mail, but Tom does it to a lesser degree too. (He also attributes everything good to Christianity). I don't think they realize how this obsession might not be shared by their listeners, most of whom are not on twitter, and/or how this ultimately hurts their credibility. How can I rely on their analysis if I know they are so easily obsessed with apparently unrelated things to the point they bring it up like some recurring fetish? Anytime they analyze the intentions of a historical figure, any time they describe political trends, any time they extend narrative sympathy, you have to worry - are they being reliable and fair? This is especially a problem given that they are both popular historians, not 'real' ones, and their books (or at least Tom's, which I have read several of) show a distinct willingness to go with the better story over recognizing problems with sources. Any way, just take it with a grain of salt.
  • Cindy Fowler
    It's taken me 67 years to love history
    I love this podcast. I never thought history could be so enjoyable. Even though I'm one of the so called "tax evading Americans" as you so often call me, I am thoroughly entertained. Like other listeners, you are helping me get through this rough time in U.S history by knowing that others have survived crazy anointed or elected leaders. Thank you for this peace of mind. Brillant!
  • LilyViolet$
    Well done
    Easy to listen to; pleasant conversations and exchange of information; I’m learning stuff!
  • djoalaska
    Thank You!!!
    I have just subscribed to this wonderful podcast. I love the subject matter, the accents, and most of all the humor. You and Betwixt the Sheets have replaced my usual news podcasts, because I just can’t - CAN’T - listen to or hear anymore about Donald freaking Trump. Thanks for providing an audible respite during my country’s determination to flush itself down the toilet. I was hooked with the Custer series, now I’ve gone back and started from the beginning. Maybe you can get me through the next four years!
  • Factory Rat
    The Best
    These guys love what they do. They make gritty details fun!
  • Pudelmom
    Charlemagne Part 2
    A concise explanation linking the Northumbrian monasteries to the expansion of Roman Catholicism. You refer to the Creed? I take it is the Nicene Creed?
  • History Adorer
    Wonderful
    Great Podcast! I have learned so much and there are so much less ads than other podcasts I have listened to. Would definitely reccomend to anyone that did
  • SSUARK
    Very informative,detailed, and great podcast
    This is one of the best podcasts on history I’ve ever listened to. Detailed, with knowledgeable hosts.
  • John Altair
    Adds
    Too many ads, blah blah blah and then when you think is done, another add. No thanks
  • Pippa_E
    Top notch podcast!
    I am thoroughly enjoying this podcast! The topics are interesting and engaging, and the hosts have an excellent banter that never fails to make me laugh! Makes the daily commute a happy time! Thank you!!!
  • Charlielmd123
    Please finish the Nelson series
    You guys are great. Listen on my daily hike. Thank you both so much.
  • maunakeamarc
    A child at his Grandfather’s knee.
    I find listening to this podcast one of the highlights of my life; like a child sitting at his Grandfather’s knee, wide eyed listening to tales of far off lands and adventures! I absolutely love listening to the tales of history, accompanied by the brilliant, contemporary, commentary of these knowledgeable gentleman! Well done! Listening to this podcast should be mandatory for all young people, especially for those who are going on to college or higher learning! How is it possible to have an informed understanding of the world around us without having an understanding of how we arrived here? Thank you for sharing your knowledge with a grateful listener!! With Best Regards. Aloha Marc Cotter Hilo, Hawaii
  • blarn410
    Unlistenable
    Tuned in to learn about the French Revolution and instead got 45 minutes of bootlicking. The British view of revolution is apparently that people are just dirty and violent, and the poor monarchists were just misunderstood. Hilarious. Good to know the Brits never change!
  • Wilkyway1979
    Can’t listen to all the episodes
    I love history. But I don’t listen to explicit content; you can’t really when you work at a school. And this podcast has too many episodes that are explicit that I can’t really enjoy it all.
  • VrmntGirl
    Boring
    I can’t take it anymore. An obsessed Christian who is not a historian and a pompous plagiarist passing off their infomercial as a history podcast. Lots of weird giggling while promoting their merch. The actual history is secondary. Try History Hit podcasts instead.
  • Just another mol Eliza
    lost boomers
    the horrid histoical apologia is finally way too much for me. done. the rant about how there's "zero evidence" nelson was a racist is so insane it genuinely borders on mental illness. if you live(d) in a period with slavery existing and do nothing about it you are racist. omission is action, period. nelson did nothing whatsoever to change a RACIST system and thus was a racist, period. if you still can't grasp it imagine you wake up and walk by your white neighbor's house and he has his black slaves working in his yard as happens all across the world you live in. you wave at the black slaves and carry on and say to yourself "im definitely not a racist because i dont even talk about it" that is your interpretation of the world, and this is just one example of white-washed apologist "history" told by smug british boomers
  • Sswatsworth
    Custer episodes
    Appreciate the work these gentlemen have put into this podcast The often giggling commentary chases me away. Sorry
  • kirk in seattle
    Loved it
    The series overall is excellent, but the episodes on Nelson are sublime. I played some twice just to enjoy them again.
  • MikeBlueDevil
    Fabulous!
    These podcasts are very entertaining and also quite educational. I cannot recommend them more highly!
  • Stop bothering me for a review
    Shockingly entertaining
    An ornery conservative, a happy go lucky Christian and a work shy French man join forces and make the best podcast available, who would’ve thought.
  • charles 2222
    to misquote Friedman
    ...because history is always and everywhere a ...British phenomenon.
  • JR Tunez
    Superb, so thank YOU both for your hard work!
    The witty exchange between Tom & Dominic, their constant volley of interpretations and philosophy’s, just brilliant.
  • 092416
    Consider X Alternative
    Thank you for your excellent podcasts and thanks in advance for listening to my request! I’m asking if you could consider posting to Bluesky or Substack as alternatives to Elon Musk’s X for those of your followers who have, like myself, found it necessary to step away from it on moral grounds. Having deleted my X account I miss being able to follow your posts. It might be a price I have to pay but I’m hoping not.
  • George_____111
    Very entertaining, weird values
    Tom is obsessed with christianity explaining how everything works. Dom just wants to assert his "anti-woke" credentials.
  • Nisha12920
    Eurocentric lens of history
    Extremely eurocentric white male privilege lens if history. Justifying certain instances of slavery back in the 1400’s as “normal for its time” and “not that much” is crazy. Super biased take - painting England as the savior and excusing any bad behavior instead of sharing unbiased stories.
  • Coryarrrrr
    Really love this show
    The hosts have great chemistry. Topics are fascinating and they do great research and prep.
  • DarloDog
    Five Stars!
    Tom & Dom - you are the best. A great escape from all of today’s trials and tribulations. More stuff on Eboracum - and any tales of Poddy the famous character from Market Dayton, Shropshire would be appreciated!
  • Odious Rhinometus
    Live show
    Podcast is the perfect combination of informational and entertaining. The show is growing in quality as they continue to dive deeper into subject matters. It no longer feels like a well polished audio version of Wikipedia Just saw them live last night in San Francisco. The show was broken into two halves. The first half was 15-20 mins presentation by each. Unfortunately it was like listening to their worst episodes of the podcast. Neither subject was interesting and each seemed to meander without apparent aim or purpose. The audience was palpably losing interest by the end. There was a half hour intermission followed by pre-vetted Q&A's and it was like a switch was flipped! Dominic and Tom were in their full form. The somewhat stiff earlier presentation was replaced by their usual charm. Each displayed depth of knowledge, thoughtfulness, and of course the effortless hilarious chemistry that makes the show such a delight. Would recommend, but please refine your approach to the lecture presentation going forward!!
  • Cwindysssh
    Marvelous, thank you
    I’ve really enjoyed this podcast. Dom And Tom have a gift for briskly summarizing grand historical narratives while simultaneously touching deeply on the human elements that matter. Almost always entertaining. One critique: Their discourse on First Nations in America are impossible to listen to. They are superior and dismissive. Nearly corporate in their cynicism. There was a stark divide between life of reservation and ‘non-reservation Indians.’ Read the books they reference. Mostly brilliant.
  • asdfasdfghjkl
    Excellent
    Informative, entertaining, amusing and addictive. I listen to a lot of podcasts, but this is at the top of my list. I appreciate the fact that the hosts don't seem to have an agenda and seem balanced in their perspectives. I find them pretty persuasive--e.g., I thought the Wallace/Trump analogy would be a bit of a stretch but left (at least partially) persuaded.
Similar Podcasts
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork on this page are property of the podcast owner, and not endorsed by UP.audio.