The Rest Is History

What is the historical truth behind the tales of King Arthur, Britain’s greatest myth? When did these stories begin, and with whom? And, is Arthur’s apocalyptic last battle based on an English historical reality from the 15th century? Join Tom and Dominic as they launch into one of the greatest historical mysteries of all time, and discover the truth behind the legends of King Arthur.  &...

Why did the Terror reach unprecedented levels of bloodshed in 1794? Who was running France by this point? And, how was Robespierre finally destroyed, and dragged to the guillotine by his former allies…?   Join Dominic and Tom as they reach the terrifying, climactic conclusion to their series on the Terror, as well as the French Revolution, with the gory execution of one of its most infam...

Why did Robespierre hold a vast, eccentric festival in 1794 when The Reign of Terror was at its most frenzied? What does it reveal about his psychology and belief in the divine? And, did he really believe that the French Revolution could succeed in supplanting the Christian God?  Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the extraordinary spectacle of the Festival of the Supreme Being, its siniste...

How did two of the French Revolution's leading figures, Georges Danton and Maximilien Robespierre, differ in their views on how to further the cause? Which scandalous conspiracy was Danton accused of being involved in that would lead him to the guillotine? And, was it true? Or the betrayal of a former ally? Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss the terrible destruction of one of the great titans of...

In what conditions was Marie Antoinette - once the most glamorous woman in Europe - imprisoned for over a year, before and after the execution of King Louis XVI? Why were the French Revolutionaries divided on her own fate? And, how did she finally face the guillotine on October 16th, 1793?  Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss one of the most shocking moments of the French Revolution, and the...

Where did Maximilien Robespierre come from and what led him to rise from provincial obscurity to play a major role in the French Revolution? Why is he considered the central figure in the Reign of Terror? And how did a fastidious man opposed to violence become the chief proponent of bloodshed? Join Tom and Dominic as they describe how Maximilien Robespierre became one of the most powerful figures...

How did the infamous murder of Jean-Paul Marat, one of the great firebrands of the French Revolution, unleash the bloody Terror? Why did the clashing political factions of the Revolution escalate the fractious atmosphere in France? And, which other apocalyptic threats saw the French masses clamouring for the blood of their brothers?  Join Dominic and Tom as they launch into one of the most vi...

Who was Lieutenant General Napier, the man set out to rescue the European hostages held by Emperor Tewodros II? How did he plan to attack the emperor’s fortress, Magdala? And, did they manage to successfully escape Abyssinia?  Join Dominic and Tom as they conclude the story of one of the most epic expeditions in the history of the British Empire.      Join The Rest Is Hist...

Who was Emperor Tewodros II, the colourful and controversial Emperor of Abyssinia? Why did he brutally imprison a number of British emissaries, and how did Queen Victoria respond? And, how would this spark one of the most ambitious expeditions undertaken by the British Empire…? Join Dominic and Tom as they launch into one of the most extraordinary military expeditions in all world history. &n...

Who was Gaius Marius’ son, and how did he set out to bring down his father’s rival, Sulla? Which two rising stars in Sulla’s faction, Crassus and Pompey, would go on to bring down the Republic, with Julius Caesar? And, how did a momentous battle in the East see Sulla elevated to the master of Rome? Join Tom and Dominic as they reach the climactic conclusion to the remarkable rise of one of Rome’s...

What shocking, unprecedented act did Sulla commit with his legions after having his ambitions frustrated once more by his bitter rival, the tribune Marius? How did Marius escape capture and death? And, would Marius retaliate…? Join Tom and Dominic as they unfold the mounting rivalry between two Roman generals - Marius and Sulla - as they battle for ultimate control of the empire, and Sulla takes a...

What was the ancient city of Rome actually like in the first century BC? Who was Lucius Cornelius Sulla, another great, but aristocratic, Roman general who would clash with Gaius Marius in a totemic struggle termed the Social War? And, who were the terrifying Germanic tribes amassing on the borders of the empire, potentially spelling its doom…? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss Rome’s apocalypt...

Who was Gaius Marius, one of the two men who would shape the fate of Rome in the first century BC? Why was his road to fame, fortune, and political greatness, from total obscurity, so dangerous? And, would Marius be the man to face down the existential threat facing the empire during this period?  Join Tom and Dominic as they launch into one of the greatest struggles in the history of Rome, a...

How did Bloody Sunday erupt on the 30th of January 1972? Why did it follow on the heels of terrible violence? And, what were the consequences of that violent day?  Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the tragic events of Bloody Sunday, and the final attempt at peace in Northern Ireland.  *The Rest Is History LIVE: The Ultimate Victorian Adventure* The maddest expedition in history and i...

What was the Provisional IRA, and why did they return to the fray at the high point of The Troubles in Northern Ireland? How did a series of bloody battles, including  the Short Strand Battle, brutally intensify tensions between the British Army and Catholic communities? And, how did the conflict spiral into attacks on civilians…? Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss the violent escalation of...

Why did the violence of the Troubles escalate as it did in Ulster? How did a series of marches from Belfast to Derry in 1969 result in terrible violence, and heighten the conflict? And, which terrible events saw the British army cross the border to intervene? Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss the next tumultuous stage of The Troubles in Northern Ireland.  *The Rest Is History LIVE: The Ult...

How did the Troubles break out in Northern Ireland in the 1960s, and how far back does the dispute really go? Why did the conflict intensify as it did? And, what did it really mean to be a Catholic in Northern Ireland?  Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss one of the darkest and most contentious periods of British history: The Troubles.  *The Rest Is History LIVE: The Ultimate Victorian...

How did the Babington Plot, another Catholic conspiracy to assassinate Elizabeth I and replace her with the imprisoned Mary Queen of Scots, unfold? Did the Spanish help her? How did Sir Francis Walsingham and his web of spies foil the plot? And, what would become of Mary once put on trial? Join Tom and Dominic for the dramatic conclusion to their mighty series on the most climatic period of the re...

Who was the charismatic Sir Philip Sidney, a beloved but also suspect courtier to Elizabeth I? Why, in 1585, was England in such danger from a Spanish invasion? And, would Sydney, with his friend Sir Francis Drake, help to save their beloved queen? Join Tom and Dominic as they plunge into the high point of the Tudor Cold War: with Philip II brooding on war in Spain, Holland ablaze, and religious t...

After ransacking Spanish treasure ships, would Elizabeth I betray Sir Francis Drake to her enemies? Who did she back in the French civil wars? And, with the help of English conspirators, would Mary Queen of Scots, incur a Spanish invasion, and see her rival Elizabeth assassinated?   Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss Sir Francis Drake’s return to England, revolts in Europe, Catholic un...

Why is Sir Francis Drake enshrined as one of England’s greatest heroes? Where did he come from, and how did he rise to prominence and earn the adoration of Elizabeth I, from obscure poverty? And, why is he also such a controversial figure…? Join Tom and Dominic as they sail into the remarkable life and adventures of Sir Francis Drake. From his controversial piracy, and his explorations around the...

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 Fran...

How did Elizabeth I rule England? Why was she constantly in mortal peril in 1569? Who was Sir William Cecil, and why was he so crucial to her reign? And, how did his network of spies keep her alive, and England uninvaded…?  Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the secret war raging in the heart of Elizabeth I’s Tudor England, the religious unrest flaming throughout Europe, and Elizabeth’s mas...

What really happened at the Habsburgian hunting lodge, Mayerling? Did Crown Prince Rudolf and his mistress, Baroness Mary Vetsera, really commit a romantic murder suicide, or did the heir cold-heartedly murder the 17 year old girl? And, why did the Austrian royal family try to erase all traces of this tragic incident? Join Dominic and Tom as they solve the mysterious tale of the Mayerling Incident...

What was Vienna like in the 1880s? Why was Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria seen as the outcast of the prestigious Habsburg dynasty? And, how would meeting 17 year-old Baroness Mary Vetsera on his 30th birthday change both of their lives, and the trajectory of Europe, forever? Join Dominic and Tom as they unravel the mysterious tale that is the Mayerling Incident. *The Rest Is History LIVE: The Ulti...