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The host mentions this book when discussing Archimedes and quotes from it regarding the famous bathtub eureka moment story, calling it a 'fantastic book on Archimedes just come out'.

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The hosts referenced Colonel Charlie Beckwith's memoirs when discussing his meeting with President Carter and his impressions of the president during the planning of the hostage rescue mission.

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Dominic recommended this book about the Tehran hostage crisis, calling it 'brilliant' and describing it as 'all about the siege and the hostage experience which I heartily recommend to the listeners.'

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The hosts referenced this memoir by Ambassador William Sullivan when discussing his handling of earlier attacks on the US embassy and his meetings with Iranian revolutionaries.

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The host referenced Axworthy's book when discussing whether the Shah could have succeeded if he had given the green light to crack down on demonstrations, saying 'even if the Shah had not been ill, what would he have done? Where is the magic wand that would have sorted things out?'

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The hosts discussed how the Ayatollah's Quranic phrase 'the disinherited of the earth' echoed this famous phrase from Fanon's 1961 book, which 'is really the foundational text of kind of post-colonial theory.'

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The host mentioned this novel set in 1979 where the everyman character Harry Angstrom 'is always whinging about inflation' and 'puts his money into South African Krugerrands in the novel because he tells his wife this is a way to deal with their savings being eroded by inflation.'

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Tom Holland quotes from this book when explaining Shiite theology, specifically citing it to describe how the Mahdi will 'initiate an apocalyptic battle of cosmic proportion that precedes the day of resurrection and the end of time.'

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Tom Holland mentions this as the great epic of Iran, noting it's literally 'the book of kings' and that when the Shah stands up, he is correctly conscious of himself as the heir to thousands of years of rule by monarchs.

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Tom Holland quotes Daniel Hobbins who published a translation of all the documents relating to Joan's trial into English, emphasizing how detailed and forensic the proceedings were and that Cauchon went to great pains to ensure the rules were strictly followed.

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Tom Holland quotes from Helen Castor's book when describing how the people of Troyes surrendered to Joan after four days of fear and uncertainty, saying 'after four days of fear and deepening uncertainty, the sight of these preparations for an assault led by the miraculous maid finally shattered the town's resistance.'

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Helen Castor's book is cited when explaining how Joan was exceptional among female visionaries. The host quotes Castor about how previous female visionaries had spiritual advisors to vouch for them, unlike Joan who appeared alone wanting to lead troops into battle.

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Marina Warner's book is referenced when discussing Joan's extraordinary charisma and ability to make people believe incredible things. The host quotes Warner describing Joan as having 'an astonishing ability to compel credence.'

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Tom Holland mentioned reading this book at a very impressionable age, describing it as brilliant. He quoted Warner's observation about Joan being unique - not a queen, courtesan, beauty, mother, or artist, but a female teenage peasant girl whose words were recorded.

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This 1919 work by the great Dutch historian was discussed as a study of 15th century Burgundy and Northern France. Tom noted that Huizinga pointedly omitted Joan from the book despite her importance, saying she would have 'torn the book completely out of balance.'

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The hosts discussed how Tolkien's work shares striking similarities with Wagner's Ring Cycle, including a sword that was broken being reforged and a magic ring, though Tolkien always denied Wagner's influence on his writing.

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Mentioned as a nature classic written by Henry Williamson, who was a soldier that experienced the Christmas Truce, published about a decade after the First World War and never out of print since then.

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Described as probably the most famous First World War memoir written by Robert Graves, who also wrote a fictional short story about football during the Christmas Truce that has been mistaken for a real account.

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Tom and Dominic refer to this throughout the series as the definitive survey of the case, with Sugden writing that the quest for Jack the Ripper's identity has proved 'at best inconclusive, at worst downright fraudulent.'

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Mentioned as the comic book that inspired the 2001 Johnny Depp film, featuring the royal conspiracy theory with Sir William Gull as the killer.

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Described as 'perhaps the single most notorious book ever written about Jack the Ripper,' presenting the royal conspiracy theory involving Prince Albert Victor, Walter Sickert, and Freemason murders.

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The book was mentioned as giving very detailed accounts of the lives of the Jack the Ripper victims, all expertly sourced, though the host noted that regarding Mary Jane Kelly, the author states 'not a single statement made by her about her life prior to her arrival in london has ever been verified.'

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Referenced when discussing George Hutchinson's testimony about a suspect he claimed to see with Mary Jane Kelly, with Rumbelow theorizing that Hutchinson may have been acting out of 'spiteful resentment or jealousy' by falsely identifying someone he knew by sight.

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Highly recommended by the host, this book was quoted regarding Hutchinson's description of a suspect, saying it 'carefully replicated the costume and stance of the classic stage villain, sinister, black-moustached, bejeweled and arrogant.'

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Described as 'the great literary sensation of the 1880s' and a massive bestseller that was adapted for the stage during the Ripper murders. The hosts discussed how contemporary commentators, including W.T. Stead, explicitly compared Jack the Ripper to Mr. Hyde.

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Mentioned as Sherlock Holmes's debut in 1887, with the hosts discussing how Holmes represented scientific detection methods that were ahead of police procedure at the time, and noting the enduring fantasy that Holmes could have solved the Ripper case.

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Referenced as the source of Holmes's famous maxim 'when you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth,' published in 1890 after the Kelly murder.

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Described as 'a brilliant book' that suggests Sherlock Holmes is more closely associated with the Ripper's crimes, with the host noting there's 'a massive twist' but refusing to give it away.

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Discussed as a revolutionary 1886 study of sexual pathology that introduced terms like 'homosexuality,' 'sadism,' and 'lust murder' to English. The author became obsessed with Jack the Ripper, including him as 'case 17' in his chapter on lust murder.

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Holland mentions this book when discussing Rubenhold's thesis that the Ripper victims were all killed as they slept, that they were homeless, and the Ripper just came across them and killed them. He describes it as 'brilliant on the lives of the victims.'

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Holland describes this as a 'very notorious' and 'mad' book about Jack the Ripper that proposes a theory about a member of the royal family being involved with various masons. He says 'any book with the word final solution in the title is probably best left alone.'

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Described by the hosts as "the definitive book" on the Ripper case and "by far the most scholarly and sort of serious book on this." They note that Philip Sugden is the brother of John Sugden, the definitive biographer of Nelson.

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Referenced in discussing theories about how the victims were killed, with the hosts noting that Rubenhold "believes all the women were killed as they slept" rather than while soliciting customers.

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Referenced as a prize-winning 2019 book providing group biography of Jack the Ripper's murdered victims, described as revelatory for showing the women as human beings rather than just prostitutes

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Described as 'one of the first big studies of the murders' written by an Australian journalist in 1929, referenced when discussing the long history of Jack the Ripper scholarship

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Referenced multiple times as 'his great study of London in the 19th century' and 'his book on late 19th century London' for information about crime, prostitution, and social conditions in Victorian London

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Quoted to explain Victorian-era categorization of women as prostitutes, specifically that any woman kept by a man without marriage was categorized as a prostitute

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Referenced when discussing the workhouse system, noting that 'anyone who's read Oliver Twist will know' about Victorian welfare in the form of workhouses

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Dominic references his brother James Holland's book when discussing German girls' frustration with only brown clothes being available in shops before plunder from Paris arrived, and German soldiers bringing back plundered goods from Paris

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Cited when discussing how Nazi propaganda affected ordinary Germans' beliefs about Britain being warmongers

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Dominic describes it as 'a brilliant book on the Battle of Britain' and quotes from it regarding German lieutenant Hans Otto Lessing's letters to his parents

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Referenced multiple times as Kershaw's biography of Hitler, discussing topics including British public opinion after Munich, Hitler's attitude toward England, Hitler's strategic thinking about attacking the Soviet Union, and Hitler's views on Franco

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Referenced as having written books on Churchill and the Second World War, cited regarding Churchill's strategic use of invasion rhetoric to motivate British public and how Hitler's bombing campaign was counterproductive

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Tom describes it as 'a revelatory book' and 'completely eye-opening' regarding Britain's industrial capacity and technological superiority during WWII

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Tom mentions that John Lennon was a big fan of 'Just William,' described as stories about a raggedy schoolboy with a gang of outlaws. This is discussed in the context of the Beatles' roots in decades before they were born, including influences from the 1920s-1940s.

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Conan discusses this book when talking about the Beatles' musical influences, specifically mentioning that Ian Leslie points out how early Beatles music was influenced by doo-wop groups and female groups. Conan describes it as 'the best Beatles book that's been written in quite a while' and praises Leslie's insights about the Beatles' vocal abilities and harmonies.

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His 'books on the Third Reich' are referenced for pointing out that French conservatives had admired Hitler and Mussolini, and for following diarists like Louisa Solmitz

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Mentioned as books that capture the scene of total chaos and terror during the French refugee crisis, with 'carts in the streets, families rushing to find sanctuary'

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Referenced as containing a quote from an officer called John Horsfall about the national mood of defiance after Dunkirk

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Described as 'one of the longest diaries in history' that 'were quite a big publishing sensation a few years ago' - her diary entry about Dunkirk is quoted

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Described as 'a great historian' who 'has written a brilliant book on the fall of France' - referenced multiple times for his analysis that France lost due to bad intelligence and tactics rather than social sickness

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His biography of Hitler is cited when discussing the hypothetical scenario of British troops being captured at Dunkirk

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Referenced as a source for statistics about iron ore imports and Nazi military capabilities. The speaker explicitly states 'they come from The War in the West by my brother James Holland' and later quotes from it regarding the Allied and German offensives in Norway.

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Described as a book written by German panzer commander Heinz Guderian two years before the invasion of France. The speaker notes it has 'the most German army titled book of all time' and discusses how Guderian wrote about tank warfare tactics in it.

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Referenced when describing how General Falkenhorst, tasked by Hitler to create an invasion plan for Norway and Denmark in just a few hours, went to a bookshop and bought a Baedeker travel guidebook to help him draft the plan.

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Referenced as a book on the Second World War. The speaker quotes from it that the Allied campaign in Norway 'was characterized by utter moral ignobility and military incompetence' and later quotes Hastings again about Churchill's schemes being frustrated by lack of means.

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Referred to as 'his great book on the Nazis' when discussing Georg Elzer as an example of ordinary Germans in the 1930s; Evans uses Elzer because he was not very political

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Multiple references to Kershaw's two-volume Hitler biography throughout the episode, including his characterization of Brauchitsch as 'spineless,' his concept of 'working towards the Fuhrer,' and his analysis of Hitler's popularity

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Explicitly mentioned as 'a book by James Holland' when discussing the French advance to the Siegfried Line and their retreat in the face of minimal German resistance

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Described as 'a really good source on the Third Reich in the early years of the war' - referring to the American correspondent's diary written while he was present in Germany

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Referenced when discussing Elizabeth's approach to balancing stability with Protestantism. The hosts quote Wooding's argument that 'Elizabeth wanted stability as much as she wanted Protestantism.'

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Referenced as 'a brilliant short biography of Elizabeth' when discussing Elizabeth I's speech at the Tower of London comparing herself to Daniel in the lion's den. The hosts quote from Castor's analysis of Elizabeth's rhetoric.

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Referenced as 'the definitive biography of Cecil' when discussing William Cecil's role in Elizabethan government. The hosts quote Alford's description of Cecil being 'everywhere and everything in Elizabethan government.'

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Referenced as 'Stephen Olford, who wrote a brilliant book on the person that Elizabeth is meeting at Somerset House' - a book about William Cecil, described as 'the cleverest young man in Tudor politics.'

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Described as 'the Tudor number one bestseller' and 'one of the foundational texts of English national identity.' Published in 1563, it describes the persecution of Protestants under Mary Tudor. Referenced multiple times throughout the episode.

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Described as 'her wonderful introduction to Tudor England' and 'the best single volume on Tudor England that there is.' Quoted regarding Mary's conviction that she was ruling an essentially Catholic country.

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Referenced as 'Nicola Tallis in her book on young Elizabeth' when discussing how the Wyatt's rebellion conspirators had contacts within Elizabeth's household.

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Quoted regarding Elizabeth's clothing situation after Anne Boleyn's execution, noting how 'the shower of lovely clothes which Anne Boleyn had lavished on her daughter suddenly dried up.' Referenced multiple times throughout the episode for details about Elizabeth's early life and education.

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Recommended by the hosts as being 'really, really good on the whole subject' of exploring the nuances of Elizabeth's relationship with and memory of her mother Anne Boleyn.

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Referred to as 'her book on young Elizabeth' - cited for information about Mary Tudor's reaction to signing articles acknowledging Henry VIII as head of the English church, and later for the fact that Catherine Parr was the only English queen to be buried on a private estate.

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Referenced as 'the great poem, The Fairy Queen, by Edmund Spencer' while discussing Elizabeth I's portrayal as Gloriana and the Amazonian figure Britomart. The poem was written in the 1590s and portrayed Elizabeth in various forms.

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Referenced as 'Tracy Borman, she wrote a brilliant book on Anne Boleyn and her relationship to Elizabeth.' Used when discussing Anne Boleyn's fashion sense and describing her 'irresistible je ne sais quoi.'

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Referenced as 'David Starkey, in his great book on the young Elizabeth Elizabeth apprenticeship' when describing Anne Boleyn's birthing chamber at Greenwich Palace as 'a cross between a chapel and a luxuriously padded cell.'

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Referenced as 'Nicola Tallis, who wrote another great book, Young Elizabeth, Princess, Prisoner, Queen' when discussing Princess Mary's mistreatment by Anne Boleyn and her spending time 'weeping in her chamber.'

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Referenced as 'his memoir, Khrushchev remembers' when discussing Khrushchev's account of why his visit to Disneyland was cancelled in 1959.

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Explicitly mentioned as 'a whole book called Suburban Warriors by a historian called Lisa McGurr, all about Orange County' as the birthplace of modern American conservatism.

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Mentioned as 'Thackeray's novel Vanity Fair' in the context of discussing famous visitors to Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.

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Referenced when introducing Umberto Eco as 'the author of The Name of the Rose' before discussing his postmodern analysis of Disneyland.

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Mentioned as a book published in 1990 by Michael Crichton about a theme park gone wrong, in the context of discussing science fiction inspired by Disneyland.

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Referenced as 'the great biography by Neil Gabler' discussing Walt Disney's life, particularly his loss of interest in animated films in the 1940s and 1950s. This is Gabler's definitive biography of Walt Disney.

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Referenced as 'a collection of essays by somebody called Carol Ann Marling' discussing Disney parks and 'the architecture of reassurance.'

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Mentioned by Dominic when discussing Samuel Smiles, the Victorian self-help guru, comparing Walt Disney to the inventors and engineers Smiles wrote about in this book.

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Described as a venomous attack on Walt Disney published in 1968 by film historian Richard Schickel, who accused Disney of shattering childhood's secrets and silences and becoming 'a rallying point for the sub-literates of our society.'

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Discussed as P.L. Travers' most famous novel about a magical nanny, which Walt Disney had been trying to buy the film rights to since 1943. Travers initially resisted selling to Disney, viewing his work as commercial and sentimental.

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Mentioned as a new book coming out that explicates the history behind the making of the Mary Poppins film and P.L. Travers' objections to Disney's adaptation of her work.

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Referenced as the source material for Disney's animated film, which Walt Disney was immersed in when he died of lung cancer in December 1966.

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Referred to as 'Neil Gabler's definitive biography of Disney' which the hosts say they will be referring to throughout the episode. Multiple quotes are drawn from this book about Disney's cultural impact and the atmosphere at his studio.

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Tom Holland introduces Mary Beard by noting that 'she co-authored a book on the Colosseum, probably the most iconic building in the whole of Rome.' This is mentioned as context for why Mary Beard is a suitable guest to discuss gladiators and Spartacus.

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Described as the poet laureate 'who wrote the first great biography of Nelson' - Southey's Life of Nelson is being referenced as a primary source for public reaction to Nelson's death.

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Referenced as 'John Sugden's extraordinary biography' which 'sifts all the evidence' about Nelson's death scene and final moments. This is a biography of Nelson.

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Referenced as 'Andrew Lambert the historian' who described how Nelson 'was transformed from a living hero into a national god' - this appears to be from Lambert's historical work on Nelson.

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Referenced as 'his brilliant biography of Nelson' when discussing Nelson's return to England in summer 1805. The quote used describes Nelson feeling he was 'in the centre of a huge unfolding drama, inexorably gathering pace towards some historic climax.'

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Referenced as 'his brilliant book on Trafalgar' when discussing Nelson's battle strategy. The book is cited for describing Nelson's approach as 'the introduction of chaos as a tool of battle.'

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Discussed as a series of biographical works pairing Greek and Roman figures, specifically mentioning Plutarch's life of Caesar paired with Alexander the Great. Mary Beard notes 'we tend to read these lives as singletons' but Plutarch wrote them as pairs.

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Referenced as an autobiographical work by Caesar himself - 'we call them the commentaries on the war in Gaul, et cetera. But it's essentially autobiography.' Discussed as a key contemporary source for understanding Caesar.

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Implied reference when Mary Beard mentions 'your favourite Roman biographer, Tom, your lad' who wrote 'a systematic account written a century or so later' - this refers to Suetonius's biographical work on Roman emperors including Julius Caesar.

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Referenced as a source about Nelson's command as guardian of the channel. The hosts quote Sugden saying 'despite Boulogne, the end had been creditable' regarding Nelson's defensive work.

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Referenced as 'in his book' - a biography of Nelson. Knight is quoted about Nelson not attending his father Edmund's deathbed, noting 'we all know what's going on here.'

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Referenced as 'in his biography' of Nelson. Lambert is quoted about Nelson never having slept in his own house before October 1801, and also quoted extensively about Nelson's leadership qualities.

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Referenced when discussing the Battle of Copenhagen, specifically about how the Danes were defending their own capital city in front of their friends and families, which was different from previous battles Nelson had fought on neutral territory.

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Referenced when discussing Captain Edward Ryu's story of using convicts as crew after his ship was damaged by an iceberg. Tom asks if Dominic has read this novel, noting that Ryu's real-life story was a direct inspiration for Patrick O'Brien's plot in this Master and Commander series book.

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Referenced as 'a famous account written by the Athenian Xenophon' describing Greek mercenaries who marched through the Persian Empire. This classical work is cited to explain why Greeks believed they could militarily challenge Persia.

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Mentioned to illustrate Alexander the Great's mythic status extending beyond Western civilization, noting that 'he appears in the Quran, amazingly.'

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Referenced as a comparison to the dynamic between Nelson's wife Fanny and his mistress Emma Hamilton. The hosts discuss whether Fanny Price in Mansfield Park might have been inspired by Fanny Nelson.

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Multiple references to John Sugden's biography of Nelson, described as 'the kind of war and peace of this gigantic epic.' Quoted extensively for historical analysis of Nelson's time in the Mediterranean and his relationship with Emma Hamilton.

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Referenced as 'another great biographer of Nelson' and quoted regarding Nelson's health issues and Britain's strategic situation during the Baltic campaign.

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Referenced as author of a Nelson biography when discussing his more critical view of Nelson's actions at Naples, stating Nelson had 'naive attachment to the point of sycophancy to the Hamiltons'

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Referenced as 'the Master and Commander books, the Patrick O'Brien books' when discussing how a glamorous woman on board a ship can be destabilizing to the chain of command

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Explicitly mentioned as a book that 'came out just before the pandemic' in 2018, described as a comprehensive analysis concluding Nelson 'did indeed commit a crime at Naples'

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Referenced as author of 'the first kind of celebrated biography of Nelson' who was poet laureate, quoted saying Naples was 'a stain on the memory of Nelson and upon the honour of England'

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Explicitly called 'Barry Unsworth's novel' about a scholar of Nelson who is 'driven mad by the possibility that Nelson might have behaved poorly'

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Referenced as author of a 'titanic Nelson biography, probably the definitive one' when discussing different historians' perspectives on Nelson's actions at Naples

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Referenced as 'very great naval historian' and author of a biography, quoted saying Nelson was exhausted and defending his actions at Naples as justified

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Quoted regarding Emma Hamilton's behavior during the storm at sea, describing how Emma 'refused to let the experience of being sick defeat her' - appears to be from a biography of Emma Hamilton

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Mentioned when Tom Holland introduces Mary Beard's credentials, listing books she has written for the general reader

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Mentioned when Tom Holland introduces Mary Beard's credentials, listing books she has written for the general reader

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Mentioned when Tom Holland introduces Mary Beard's credentials, listing books she has written for the general reader (likely referring to 'Twelve Caesars' or similar title)

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Referenced as 'the poet William Haley, who wrote a biography of Romney in 1809' - this is a biography of the painter George Romney, quoted to describe Emma's expressive abilities.

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Referenced as 'the historian Gillian Russell' and quoted on Emma Hamilton's influence on the cultural movement that became romanticism.

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Tom explicitly references this biography of Emma Hamilton multiple times, calling it 'fantastic' and noting that Kate Williams wrote her PhD on Emma Hamilton. The book is quoted to describe Emma's birthplace, her childhood, and various aspects of her life.

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Described as 'the great historian of Georgian culture' and quoted regarding Covent Garden being 'the world's first creative bohemia.' This appears to be from one of his works on Georgian England.

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Quoted as describing King Ferdinand IV as 'a boisterous, big featured buffoon' - likely from one of his historical works, possibly his Nelson biography.

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Explicitly described as 'a great book on Enoch Powell' - a biography that the hosts recommend, saying Heffer 'really gets under Powell's skin'

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Referenced as Virgil's 'great epic poem' from which Powell quoted the Sibyl's prophecy about the Tiber foaming with blood in his famous speech

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Referenced as 'his memoirs' where Dennis Healy praised Powell's 1959 speech about the Hola massacre as 'the greatest parliamentary speech I ever heard'

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Described as 'a brilliant book' about grassroots opinion, where the journalist interviewed people in Blackburn in the late 60s/early 70s about their views on Powell and immigration

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Discussed as an epic written around 250 BC that serves as the big source for the stories of the Golden Fleece. The film Jason and the Argonauts is described as 'a very, very faithful adaptation' of this work.

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Described as 'his tremendous book on the Hellenistic period' and Dominic mentions choosing it 'as one of my favorite history books.' Used as a source for information about the ibis and Greek cultural history.

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Referenced multiple times, including the story that Alexander the Great traveled with a copy and kept it under his pillow. Discussed as foundational Greek epic that later writers tried to emulate.

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Mentioned throughout, including references to Odysseus, Circe, and the sirens. Tom says it was his 'gateway drug' to Greek mythology. They discuss doing a future episode on it when Christopher Nolan's film adaptation is released.

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Discussed as Euripides' play that portrays Medea 'in a very dark light' and became the canonical understanding of the character, influencing later interpretations including Apollonius's treatment.

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Referenced as a work discussed in the previous episode, mentioned in connection with Cadmus, the Prince of Tyre who 'dressed up as a maenad' in this play.

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Described as a bestselling book by philosopher Euhemerus that claimed Zeus and the other Olympians had been mortal kings who were worshipped as gods after death. Called 'a bombshell truth' in the Hellenistic period.

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Discussed as Virgil's adaptation of Homer to tell 'this great epic' about the origins of Rome, drawing on stories of the Trojan War and the Odyssey. Characterized as 'a work of mythology.'

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Described as 'this great collection of stories of transformations' that became 'the great storehouse of Greek myth' for writers and artists through the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and into the modern period.

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Mentioned as Plato's attempt to describe the ideal form a city should take, in which he argues that poets like Homer and Hesiod should be banned.

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Discussed as a seminal work where Nietzsche, at age 28 as a professor of Greek, contrasted Dionysus with Apollo and argued for recognizing Dionysian qualities in Greek civilization.

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Described as 'a seminal study of the Bacchae' that came out in 1947, in which Winnington Ingram wrote about the dangers of group emotion after witnessing the Nuremberg rallies.

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Referenced as an ancient poem that discusses where the gods came from, providing the canonical account of the origins of the gods including Dionysus's birth.

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Mentioned as a famous book that addresses the role of the irrational in Greek culture, supporting the argument that darkness and strangeness are central to Greek mythology.

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Referenced as 'an excellent book on Dionysus' from which a quote about the drama festival being performed in a sanctuary of Dionysus is drawn.

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Cited for its discussion of how Athenians viewed the gods as 'benevolent governors or caring parents' who took personal interest in their chosen people.

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Described as 'his great book on Greek religion' from which a quote about Plato's influence on theology is drawn: 'since Plato, there has been no theology which has not stood in his shadow.'

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The podcast opens with a passage from The Odyssey describing Oedipus's story, specifically noting that Daniel Mendelsohn's translation was used and that he appeared on a recent bonus episode.

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Referenced when discussing the Sphinx's origins, noting that Hesiod described her as a sibling of Cerberus and the Nemean lion in this work about the genealogy of the gods.

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Explicitly described as Freud's 'most groundbreaking book' which he had been working on for two years and published in 1899, featuring the story of Oedipus prominently.

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Referenced in connection with Aristotle's lost book on comedy, noting that 'Umberto Eco fans will recognize that in The Name of the Rose.'

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Described as having 'written a wonderful book on Oedipus' in which he compares Antigone to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as peripheral characters who become central.

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Referenced when discussing the plague in Oedipus, noting that Sophocles might have drawn from the opening of The Iliad where a plague rages in an army encampment.

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Discussed as a foundational ancient Greek poem about the birth of the gods, written around 730-720 BC. The hosts quote extensively from it regarding Zeus's origins and the story of Kronos.

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Referenced multiple times as one of the foundational works of Greek literature, telling the story of the Trojan War. Compared to The Lord of the Rings as an epic adventure narrative.

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Mentioned alongside The Iliad as Homer's second great poem about Odysseus's 10-year journey home after the Trojan War.

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Used as a comparison to explain the relationship between Homer's Iliad and Hesiod's Theogony - the Iliad is compared to Lord of the Rings as a close-up epic adventure.

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Used as a comparison to Hesiod's Theogony, described as providing deep backstory similar to how the Theogony provides context for Homer's works.

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Quoted at length and described by Tom as 'a fantastically odd book, brilliant book, brilliantly original' that presents Greek myths in a fresh way, highlighting what is distinctive and strange about them.

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Explicitly referenced as a book when Tom quotes the German scholar on how Homer and Hesiod created spiritual unity for the Greeks through poetry.

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Referenced as an example of Victorian sensation fiction that the Cleveland scandal story resembles, particularly noting elements like stolen babies and grotesquely fat villains

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Referenced as an example of Victorian sensation fiction, particularly compared to the Cleveland story because it features a widow imprisoned in a lunatic asylum and a villain whose salient feature is being very fat (Count Fosco)

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Described as the most recent biography of Cleveland, published in 2022. The book argues that Cleveland was likely framed by partisan Republicans and examines the evidence of the scandal. The author is noted as a former speechwriter for George W. Bush

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Mentioned as a book that goes into great detail about the Maria Halpin scandal and Cleveland's involvement, including testimony from witnesses like Minnie Kendall

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Referenced as the canonical Cleveland biographer for much of the 20th century, a distinguished professor at Columbia University who won the Pulitzer Prize. His biography is described as one of those vast American presidential biographies thousands of pages long, and he concluded the scandal was pure Republican scandal-mongering

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Explicitly mentioned as a book published in 1724. A passage from the first volume is read aloud describing Rochester and Chatham. Described as 'a massive success' and 'by far his best-selling book' after Robinson Crusoe.

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Mentioned as Defoe's best-selling book when comparing it to his Tour Through the Whole Island of Great Britain. Referenced as evidence of Defoe's importance as 'Britain's first novelist.'

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Discussed as the novel for which Dickens used Restoration House in Rochester as inspiration for Miss Havisham's 'Satis House.' Dominic mentions winning a school reading competition four years in a row with the opening of this novel.

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Described as Dickens's 'last novel, which he never completed.' The hosts discuss the plot involving 'the opium addict and cathedral organist, John Jasper' and note that Rochester in the novel is called 'Cloisterham.'

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Dominic explicitly recommends this book, saying 'I read a brilliant book called The Fortress by the historian Alexander Watson' and gives 'a massive shout out to this book' as the source for much of the information about the siege of Przemysl.

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Referred to as 'Nick Lloyd's new book on the Eastern Front' - quoted from regarding the Tyrolean Kaiser Jaeger's experiences in the Carpathian campaign. The exact title is not mentioned.

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Referenced when discussing the region of Poland and Ukraine: 'the area that Timothy Snyder calls Europe's bloodlands in the 20th century.' This refers to Snyder's book about mass killings in Eastern Europe.

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Explicitly mentioned as 'in his book, Catastrophe, Max Hastings, tells an awful story' about a woman who loses her three-year-old son at the train station during the evacuation of Przemysl.

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Referenced when discussing the Italian front: 'There's amazing stories in this book, The White War' - used to illustrate the terrible conditions of fighting between Italian and Austrian forces in the mountains.

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Mentioned as a book 'published in the late 1930s' that is quoted in Nick Lloyd's book on the Eastern Front. A primary source memoir about Austrian troops in WWI.

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Discussed as a memoir about the Eastern Front in WWI, published by New York Review of Books in their classics range. Tom reads an excerpt at the beginning of the episode.

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Tom mentions reading this book, quoting Hastings' description of the Austro-Hungarian army and later citing stories from it about the Eastern Front.

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Described as 'a brilliant book on the Eastern Front' and later referenced as 'Nick Lloyd's Eastern Front book' when discussing Serbian soldiers.

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Tom references this book when discussing East Prussia, saying 'These are the bloodlands, then, of Timothy Snyder's book.'

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Mentioned in the announcement about upcoming book discussion episodes, described as a 'true crime chiller.'

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Mentioned in the announcement about upcoming book discussion episodes, described as a 'horror novel.'

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Extensively discussed in the bonus content section as a fantasy classic, with analysis of its themes related to WWI and British mentality in the 1920s-30s.

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Mentioned in comparison to The Hobbit in the bonus content, discussing how it was written later when the Nazi threat was more immediate.

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Mentioned as having 'written a couple of brilliant books about the Eastern Front' and quoted regarding the Russian invasion of East Prussia being a defining experience for Germans.

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Mentioned as an upcoming book discussion episode topic, described as a 'dystopian fable.'

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Mentioned when discussing the history of Ypres as a medieval cloth town - 'It's mentioned in the Canterbury Tales, Tom'

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Referenced multiple times as a source for WWI accounts, including quoting a soldier named Paul Hubb from Württemberg and telling the story of the German 143rd Infantry advancing down the Menin Road

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Described as 'an Australian writer called Paul Ham. He wrote a brilliant book about 1914' - quoted describing the Flanders landscape of gentle hills, fields of tobacco and beetroot with hedgerows

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Referenced multiple times throughout the episode as a source for WWI history. Explicitly mentioned as 'Max Hastings' book' when discussing details about the Battle of the Marne, including quotes about Lieutenant Lionel Tennyson, abandoned German vehicles, and the gunner Paul Lantier. Max Hastings is a well-known military historian.

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Explicitly mentioned as a book written in 1956 by Jean Dutour, who claimed the taxis of the Marne was 'the single greatest event of the 20th century.' The book is discussed in the context of how this WWI legend became important to French national identity.

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The episode opens with a quote from Edward Spears' reminiscences about a crucial exchange on September 5th, 1914. Spears was a British liaison officer with the French army, and the quote describes General Joffre's plan. This appears to be from his published memoirs about his WWI experiences.

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Tom mentions this was the first book he read about WWI as a child and still holds a candle for it, though he acknowledges historians of the First World War despise it and consider it basically 'a brilliant work of fiction.'

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Referenced multiple times throughout the episode. Dominic cites Max Hastings' account from this book about the Battle of Vieton, and later quotes Hastings calling Sir John French 'a poltroon' and describing Asquith's handling of the war.

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Referenced when discussing the terrible treatment of horses during WWI, noting that anyone who has read the book (or seen the drama) knows it's based on horrendous cruelty to horses.

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Explicitly described as 'a brilliant book on Germany and Austria in the Central Powers in the First War' - used to discuss Germany's strategic position and the audacious nature of the Schlieffen Plan

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Explicitly called 'Max Hastings's brilliant book' - used to describe scenes of German infantry being cut down at Liège and later to list German atrocities in Belgian villages

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Described as 'a brilliant study of this by two Irish historians' - referenced for their analysis of German institutional memory of the Franco-Prussian War and fears about franc-tireurs, as well as the composition of German soldiers (teenagers, poorly trained, frightened)

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Referenced as a German historian writing in the 1960s who argued for continuity between the Wilhelmine Empire and the Third Reich, examining German war aims and goals

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Referenced when discussing fighting at schools - the hosts compare the prize fighting scene to the famous fight scene in this Victorian novel, specifically mentioning 'Slugger Williams fights Tom' and noting that Thomas Hughes 'knew exactly what he was writing about'

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This is the guest Professor Robert Coles' book, which is introduced at the beginning when describing him as 'author of the brilliant book' and recommended again at the end of the episode. The Sayers-Heenan fight discussed in the episode has 'a whole chapter' devoted to it in this book

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Mentioned as a book written by an upcoming guest who will be discussing boxing. The hosts note that Coles makes the point that historians tend to neglect sport or condescend to it when writing about it.

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Referenced when discussing the details of Richard Manx's pedestrianism feats in 1851. The host quotes from this book to describe Manx's walking challenges at a cricket club in Sheffield.

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Mentioned in an advertisement for a film adaptation. Described as Stephen King's very first book, written in 1967 and published in 1979, about a competition where 50 boys must keep walking or be shot.

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Dominic explicitly recommends this book as 'brilliant' when discussing details about John Wilkes Booth, including the peephole in Lincoln's box at Ford's Theatre. He references this book multiple times throughout the episode for details about Booth's psychology and the assassination.

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Referenced as 'this book that I've mentioned a few times, brilliant biography' when discussing Lincoln's character and personality. The speaker quotes Burlingame's assessment of Lincoln's rare combination of political skills and personal qualities.

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Referenced when describing the chaotic scene at Lincoln's inauguration, comparing it to something Dickens would have enjoyed writing about, specifically 'like a scene from Martin Chuzzlewit.'

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Referenced when comparing Vice President Andrew Johnson's drunken behavior at the inauguration to 'Gussie Fink-Nottle after drinking the vodka-laced orange juice in P.G. Wodehouse' - a character from Wodehouse's Jeeves novels.

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Referenced as a novel about Mary Todd Lincoln. The speaker mentions 'I literally know nothing about her beyond what I read in George Saunders's novel. She made me more sympathetic.' This is likely referring to 'Lincoln in the Bardo.'

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Referenced as Lincoln's biographer who wrote an approximately 10,000-page biography that was so long parts were cut and put online. Described as covering Lincoln's life in extensive detail.

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This biography is quoted at the opening of the episode and referenced multiple times throughout. The hosts discuss Wormald's critical perspective on Mary, noting that 'She hates Mary, Queen of Scots.' The book is used as a primary source for analyzing Mary's political failures and decision-making.

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A biography of Mary Queen of Scots by John Guy is extensively quoted throughout the episode. While the specific title is not mentioned, the hosts repeatedly cite Guy's work with phrases like 'John Guy puts it really well,' 'to quote John Guy,' and reference 'reading John Guy's kind of comprehensive takedown of the casket letters.' This appears to be a major scholarly biography used as a source for the episode.

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Referenced as 'her wonderful book about Mary, Queen of Scots' when discussing how Fraser described the murder of Lord Darnley as 'the most debatable, as well as surely the most worked over murder in history.' Later mentioned again regarding Fraser's view of Mary's 'tender heart' and belief that Mary would never have committed murder.

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Explicitly identified as a biography of Mary published in 2004 that 'was the inspiration for the Saoirse Ronan film.' Described as providing 'a solution to the crime' of Darnley's murder through careful examination of original documents, particularly English reports to Cecil that had been miscatalogued in Victorian times. The hosts note they 'will be drawing very heavily on Guy's work' for their account.

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Referenced as one of 'the great books about Mary Queen of Scots' by a 'great historian of early modern Scotland.' Wormald's work is contrasted with Antonia Fraser's, noting that Wormald 'absolutely despises Mary Queen of Scots' and argues that if Mary didn't murder Darnley, she was 'almost the only member of Edinburgh's political society who knew nothing about it.'

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The hosts quote Alec Ryrie's characterization of Darnley as 'more arrogant, inconstant, short-sighted, petulant, and incompetent than any other British politician of the 16th century, excepting only those who were actually insane.' This appears to be from one of Ryrie's historical works on this period.

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Referenced twice - first when describing Morton as 'the most villainous of the Scottish lords,' and again when describing the murder of Rizzio. John Guy is a historian known for his biography of Mary Queen of Scots, which is likely the source being referenced.

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Referenced when discussing Mary giving birth to a son, noting that 'Even Jenny Wormald, never one to cut Mary any slack' acknowledged this as 'the one great success of her queenship.' Wormald was a historian known for her scholarly works on Mary Queen of Scots.

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Tom reads from this book at the beginning of the episode, describing John Knox's first meeting with Mary Queen of Scots. Historian Alec Ryrie describes this book as 'gossipy, cantankerous, and enthralling.'

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Referenced as 'her very famous biography' of Mary Queen of Scots. Quoted multiple times, including descriptions of Lord Ruffin and the Earl of Morton, and Mary falling 'violently, recklessly, and totally in love' with Darnley.

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Referenced multiple times as 'her very negative book about Mary Queen of Scots.' Wormald describes Mary as 'a ruler whose life was marked by irresponsibility and failure on a scale unparalleled in her own day.' The book is quoted extensively regarding Mary's political choices and religious policy.

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Referenced as 'his biography' of Mary Queen of Scots. Quoted regarding Darnley's character being 'tainted by recklessness, sexual excess, pride and stupidity' and other aspects of Mary's reign.

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Described as Lady Antonia Fraser's 'celebrated biography of Mary, Queen of Scots.' A passage is read aloud describing Mary's arrival in France, and the biography is praised for its evocation of Mary's upbringing.

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Explicitly mentioned as 'Alec Ryrie, the great historian of British Protestantism, in his book, The Origins of the Scottish Reformation.' The book describes the period as 'not just one of the most extraordinary national transformations in European history' but 'arguably the first modern revolution.'

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The opening dramatic passage about Mary Queen of Scots' execution was read from this book. Tom identifies it as 'the first chapter in Mattingly's account of the Spanish Armada' by 'the American historian, Garrett Mattingly, in 1950.'

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Described as 'a brilliant, groundbreaking book on Mary, Queen of Scots' by the Scottish historian Jenny Wormald, who 'condemned her as a monarch of little wit and no judgment, a woman who absolutely brought about her own downfall.'

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Tom holds up and describes 'this titanic definitive biography of Mary by John Guy, which came out about 20 years ago' - noting it has been retitled for the 2018 film and features Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie on the cover with the subtitle 'Two Queens, One Future.'

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A history of Britain in the 1920s and 1930s. The hosts discuss reading a chapter about Harold Davidson, the rector of Stiffkey. Dominic mentions writing an introduction for the Folio Society edition about 10 years ago. The book is described as 'brilliantly funny, witty' and 'full of strange stories and anecdotes.'

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A biography of Harold Davidson written by a Norfolk author. The book argues that Davidson has been much maligned, and Tucker is described as one of Davidson's 'excellent biographers.'

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Referenced when discussing Freud's visits to Blackpool. The hosts mention that 'memories of paddling in the waters there were included in his book on the interpretation of dreams.'

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A history of the interwar period in which Taylor discusses Harold Davidson. The hosts quote Taylor saying Davidson 'offered a great parable of the age of the interwar years' and that Davidson 'attracted more attention than, say, Cosmo Gordon Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury.'

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Another biography of Harold Davidson. The hosts quote from this work when describing Davidson's father as 'a tiny man with a luxuriant beard that gave him the appearance of a gnome.' Cullen is mentioned as another of Davidson's biographers.

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This is a medieval manuscript from around 1200 that M.R. James discovered and published in 1896. The hosts discuss how M.R. James found this manuscript in a collection bequeathed to a parish in Suffolk. The book documents the alleged murder of a 12-year-old boy in Norwich in 1144 and is central to the episode's discussion of the blood libel against Jews.

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This is described as 'a brilliant study of this case' and is referenced multiple times throughout the episode. Tom cites Rose's research into William's possible background, her arguments about Simon de Novas borrowing money to fund participation in the Second Crusade, and quotes her assessment that 'the hard-headed Norwich merchants, artisans, and aristocracy were not persuaded of William's sanctity.'

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Introduced when describing the guest Ronan McGreevey as 'the author of a brilliant book on the assassination of Sir Henry Wilson, Great Hatred'

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Mentioned as 'a new book by an Irish Army officer called Gareth Prendergast' discussing how quickly the National Army overwhelmed garrisons in Waterford and Limerick

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Referenced when discussing Erskine Childers' execution, describing him as 'a very famous author, the author of The Riddle of the Sands, who is the secretary of the Anglo-Irish delegation'

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Quoted directly when discussing the legacy of the Irish Civil War: 'Charles Townsend writes at the end of his book, The Republic' about the emergent Irish state becoming a 'remarkably stable democracy'

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Referenced when discussing the destruction of the Public Records Office: 'there's a famous quote in Ernie O'Malley's book' about the 'white rain' of paper falling on Dublin during the Four Courts battle

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The book is explicitly mentioned as describing the assassination of Sir Henry Wilson as 'Ireland's Sarajevo.' Ronan McGreevy is introduced as the author and guest on the podcast, and his book is referenced multiple times throughout the discussion as the source for details about the assassination and its aftermath.

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Mentioned when describing Erskine Childers' background - he wrote this spy novel predicting the First World War before becoming an Irish nationalist and serving as secretary to the Irish delegation.

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Explicitly described as 'a brilliant book on all this' by Ronan Fanning, professor of history at University College Dublin, discussing the Irish treaty negotiations and criticizing the Irish delegation's preparation.

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Described as having written 'an actually incredibly readable book on the treaty' - a popular narrative about the treaty negotiations. The specific title is not mentioned but the book is referenced multiple times for its descriptions of the negotiations.

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Paul Rouse recommends this book when discussing the negotiations leading to the Irish truce and treaty. He describes it as 'a brilliantly told story' that explains 'exactly what happened here within British politics, how the truce and then the treaty are constructed, but extending back to 1910.'

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Paul Rouse mentions 'a brilliant article in a book called Virtual History by Alvin Jackson' when discussing the counterfactual question of what would have happened if the First World War hadn't occurred and Home Rule had been introduced. The book contains an article by Alvin Jackson dealing with this particular question about Irish history.

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Mentioned when discussing Dan Breen's character as a 'hard, violent man who was utterly unrepentant about killing people' - the book is described as glorifying his actions during the Irish War of Independence.

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Referenced when discussing Michael Collins' dual role as finance minister and intelligence chief - the book contains a description of Collins as 'a finance minister with the unusual advantage of running a death squad.'

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Mentioned as a resource housed at the Royal Irish Academy containing short biographies of main characters from the Irish Revolution, with contributions from historians like Ronan Fanning and Alvin Jackson.

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Described as 'probably the most contentious book ever written about Irish history' - discussed in the context of the debate about whether IRA violence had a sectarian dimension, particularly regarding events in Cork during the War of Independence.

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Referenced as 'the most recent biography' of Mary MacSwiney, who traveled to the United States on a fundraising campaign after her brother Terence MacSwiney's death on hunger strike.

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Biography of Eamon de Valera mentioned as being 'really good' and discussing questions about de Valera's exact parentage. Note: The transcript incorrectly attributes this to David McCullough.

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Mentioned as one of the books that became 'hugely popular' in celebrating Irish independence and the 1916 rising. It appears to be a publication documenting the Easter Rising rebellion.

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Referenced when discussing the divides between Irish and other communities in places like Liverpool. Paul says 'Dan Jackson when he was on with you previously did this brilliantly and his book is wonderful on the nature of those divides.'

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Referenced multiple times as 'Savonarola's biographer' and 'Donald Weinstein's book' when discussing Savonarola's prophecies about Charles VIII, his apocalyptic rhetoric, and his psychological state during his confession. Dominic explicitly states 'I've read Donald Weinstein's book' and quotes from it extensively throughout the episode.

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Referenced when discussing Savonarola's reputation. Sebag Montefiore is quoted as saying Savonarola was 'one of the most evil men who ever lived' and that 'He presided over an intolerant, sanctimonious, and murderous reign of terror.'

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Mentioned as a work by Pico della Mirandola, who was one of Lorenzo de' Medici's close friends. Described as 'often described as the kind of great Renaissance manifesto.'

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Referenced as having written 'a very caustic take on the Medici' in which she discusses Lorenzo's financial corruption and embezzlement, stating 'Lorenzo's corruption is a sorry tale of greed and one that rarely makes it into the annals of Medici history.'

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Referenced multiple times as a 'very jolly popular history of this period' about Florence and the Medici. Hibbert is quoted regarding Florentine attitudes and provides pen portraits of historical figures like Maddalena and Franceschetto.

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Described as 'an absolutely brilliant book by an American scholar, the late Donald Weinstein, on Savonarola.' Praised as one of those books that 'turns everything you thought on its head.' Used extensively as a source for understanding Savonarola's life and motivations.

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Referenced when discussing Lorenzo de' Medici's spending habits and financial management. Dominic mentions 'more caustic historians of the Medici family, like Mary Hollingsworth in her book' who describes Lorenzo as 'a depressing tale of greed and inexperience from which the Medici brand never really recovered.' The book appears to be about the Medici family.

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Referenced when Tom compares appearing in a Botticelli painting to their appearance in Malcolm Price's work. Tom says 'And you know what this reminds me of? Our appearance as donkeys in Malcolm Price's novel. The Welsh noir novels of Malcolm Price.' These are described as Welsh noir novels in which Tom and Dominic appear as characters (donkeys).

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Referenced when describing Pope Sixtus IV's physical appearance. Dominic states 'Christopher Hibbert, who's very good at these pen portraits, calls him a big, gruff, toothless man with a massive head, a small, squashed nose, and an intimidating expression.' This appears to be from a historical work about Renaissance Italy or the papacy.

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Explicitly described as 'a brilliant book on the Medici by Christopher Hibbert, a great popular historian of the 60s and 70s' - referenced for information about Medici Florence's government and later for a description of Duke Filippo Maria Visconti

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Described as 'a great book and actually quite a caustic book about the Medici by Mary Hollingsworth' - referenced for information about Cosimo's library inventory and the backgrounds of Medici-aligned families

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Referenced as 'Giorgio Vasari in his Lives of the Great Artist' when discussing the painter Filippo Lippi's behavior and how Cosimo had to lock him in his room

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Referenced when discussing Cosimo's concerns about usury and the afterlife - 'he is undoubtedly familiar with something like Dante's Divine Comedy' where usurers are depicted in hell

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Referenced as 'a historian' and later 'Donald Weinstein, on his book on this period' - quoted describing what Florence would have been like and Cosimo's image as a benevolent father figure

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Mentioned as a collection of essays published after WWI by Schlieffen, the chief of the German general staff, reflecting his obsession with the battle

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Tom mentions this as a book he's been obsessed with since he was young, written and illustrated by Peter Connolly, which he still has next to him. Part of a series that included books on Romans and Greek armies

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Explicitly mentioned as one of 'two really excellent studies of this battle' - the hosts quote from it regarding Roman casualties compared to the Vietnam War

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Described as having written 'an excellent book on Cannae as well' with an introduction by Richard Holmes. The book is quoted multiple times throughout the episode regarding military tactics and equipment

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Tom reads a passage from this epic poem about Hannibal's invasion of Italy. It's described as 'the longest surviving Roman poem' written almost 300 years after Hannibal's invasion during the reign of Emperor Domitian.

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References to passages from Juvenal's satirical works that were read in the previous episode, focusing on Hannibal's feat of crossing the Alps and dissolving rock with vinegar.

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Multiple quotes from Polybius, described as 'the Greek historian,' providing accounts of Hannibal's campaigns including the descent from the Alps, the Battle of Trebia, and the Battle of Lake Trasimene.

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Multiple quotes from Livy describing Hannibal's campaigns, including the use of fire and vinegar to break through rock in the Alps. Livy is used as a primary historical source throughout the discussion.

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Referenced as 'the great Greek biographer who pairs famous Greeks with famous Romans,' specifically citing his biography of Fabius Maximus, describing Fabius's military tactics against Hannibal.

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Explicitly mentioned as having 'wrote a wonderful book about Hellenistic life' in the context of discussing how Hannibal's arrival with elephants would have seemed like a supernatural force to Romans.

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Explicitly mentioned as 'his wonderful book' when Tom quotes Hornblower's analysis that 'the cause of the changed attitude towards Carthage was that the Roman officer class needed fresh outlets and theatres for aggression.'

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Referenced multiple times throughout the episode as the primary source for Hannibal's crossing of the Alps. Described as 'by far the best and most reliable historian of Hannibal's campaigns' who 'himself went to the Alps' to trace Hannibal's route.

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Quoted directly regarding Hannibal's visit to Gades to make vows to Hercules, and referenced as a Roman historian who wrote about Hannibal's dream. Described as the 'exemplar' of Roman historians.

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The episode opens with a quote from Juvenal's satire on the vanity of human wishes, describing Hannibal crossing the Alps and his eventual downfall as an example of hubris followed by nemesis.

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Referenced as Dr. Johnson's 1748 work that updated Juvenal's Latin satire into English, substituting Charles XII for Hannibal as the example of a great general brought low.

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Tom references this book when discussing the estimation of how many men Hamilcar sailed to Spain with, calling it 'his very good book on this' regarding Hannibal's dynasty and the Barcid family.

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Described as 'a brilliant book by Lindsay Hughes, which is all about Peter the Great and his times, where she talks a lot about Peter's reforms.' Later referenced again when discussing Peter's collection of 'freaks and monsters' and when quoting historian Mikhail Pogodin.

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Referenced multiple times as a major source for the episode. Dominic describes it as 'about 20,000 pages long' and 'one of the most capacious and incredibly readable, swashbuckling story' that covers both Peter the Great and Charles XII.

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Mentioned in the context of discussing the Russian 'table of ranks' system established by Peter, noting how this obsession with ranks appears in Russian literature, particularly in this novel set in St. Petersburg.

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Explicitly mentioned as 'Robert K. Mass's book on Peter the Great' when describing Charles XII's appearance after the Kalabaluk incident - 'There's a lovely description of this in Robert K. Mass's book on Peter the Great. He says, Charles was bleeding from nose, cheek, ear and hand...'

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The hosts discuss Lord Byron's poem about Ivan Mazepa, specifically the legendary story of Mazepa being tied naked to a horse. Tom mentions 'And Byron writes a poem about that. And his journey on the back of the horse is emblematic of the romantic spirit.' They also note 'it's a great poem, nevertheless' even though the story it's based on likely never happened.

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Dominic briefly quotes from The Lord of the Rings when describing Peter the Great's retribution against those who might join Mazepa, saying 'Peter's wrath will be terrible, his retribution swift, to quote the Lord of the Rings.'

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Referenced multiple times as a book Charles XII read daily, spending an hour each morning discussing it with a bishop and reading from it every night

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The podcast opens with a reading from this 1749 poem, which discusses Swedish King Charles XII as a romantic hero figure

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Referenced as a book that Charles XII carried with him wherever he went, modeling himself on Alexander the Great

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Mentioned in comparison to Charles XII's biography of Alexander - noting that Alexander the Great himself traveled with the Iliad

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Referenced when explaining that Samuel Johnson's poem echoes a satire by Juvenal, the Roman poet, casting Charles XII as a classical hero

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Referenced as 'Peter's great biographer' who wrote about Peter the Great, quoted saying that the Battle of Narva was 'the first step towards his doom'

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Described as 'a wonderful historian of Peter the Great, a biographer' who documented the Prince of Denmark's visit to Peter's lodgings and the terrible stench from the room

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Referenced as 'Peter's biographer' and 'the Robert K. Massey book' multiple times throughout the episode, including a quote describing women at Lefort's house and another about Peter ordering his comrades to bite off muscle from a cadaver during an anatomy lesson

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Dominic references this book as a source for the episode, stating 'There's a wonderful book about Peter the Great by Robert K. Massey, and I've had to restrain myself from just quoting enormous chunks.' He then quotes from it multiple times, including descriptions of the violence during the Streltsy uprising. The author's name appears as 'Massey' in the transcript but this is likely Robert K. Massie, the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian.

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Referenced as 'the great Japanese classic' that was discussed in a previous episode, written around the same time as The Pillow Book. Multiple passages and scenes from this novel are discussed.

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Murasaki's diary is mentioned as 'a kind of parallel to the Pillow book' that gives a darker portrait of court life and describes events like Empress Shoshi preparing to give birth.

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Quoted regarding Heian aristocracy: 'the composition, change, and quotation of poems was central to the daily life of the Hayan aristocracy.' Also quoted about the Fujiwara family's marriage politics.

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Referenced as 'his book on Japanese mythology' when discussing the meaning of the emperor's title Tenu (the pole star) and how the emperor 'does not do anything. It simply sits.'

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Mentioned as a book discussed in a previous episode, referenced for the point that 'our concept of fashion does not map onto Japan in this period' because clothing choices were fundamental to personality and perception.

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Discussed extensively as one of the most famous passages in Japanese literature, a masterpiece written in the early 11th century. The hosts read from it and analyze its contents throughout the episode.

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Described as 'the great epic of the Iranian people' written by the poet Ferdowsi in Persia during the same period as The Tale of Genji, containing 'sorcerers and giant talking birds and Alexander the Great'

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The main subject of the episode - an 11th century Japanese novel described as 'the supreme, unchallenged, canonical classic of Japanese literature' and over 1,000 pages long in the Royal Tyler translation

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Mentioned as a comparison to other works of literature being produced across Eurasia in the same period as The Tale of Genji, described as having 'jin and all that' and 'people hiding in vases'

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Used as a comparison to show the cultural importance of The Tale of Genji in Japan, described as playing a similar role to Don Quixote in Spain

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Dominic's book about the first two years of the Thatcher government, mentioned humorously by Tom as being comparable in length and quality to The Tale of Genji

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Mentioned as another contemporary work from France about a heroic figure in Charlemagne's court, used to contrast with the different style of The Tale of Genji

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Described as 'a history of Japan that's coming out' and noted as 'a very good book' that both hosts were reading

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Described as 'a brilliant book on the tale of Genji' and quoted regarding Japan's acquisition of Chinese culture

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Used as a comparison to The Tale of Genji, described as 'widely held to be one of the two or three greatest novels of the 20th century' and similar in themes about desire, loss, and the passage of time

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Mentioned as another comparison made by critics to The Tale of Genji

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Mentioned alongside Anna Karenina as a comparison to The Tale of Genji, with Tolstoy being 'the other great comparison'

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Mentioned to emphasize the age of The Tale of Genji, noting it is '700 years older than Robinson Crusoe, which is generally thought to be the first English novel'

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Mentioned at the end as the subject of the next episode, written by another woman at the Heian court who Murasaki hated, described as 'one of the wittiest, most elegant, most brilliant women who's ever lived'

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Referenced as a biography of Robert Fraser (the art dealer involved in the Redlands case). The hosts mention that if you read this biography, there are lovely letters from Jagger and Richards to Fraser while he was in prison.

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Referenced as 'the girlfriend's book' containing allegations about Brian Jones's death and the theory that builder Frank Thorogood may have killed him.

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Explicitly mentioned as a book containing 'a brilliant discussion' of the contrived distinction between pop and rock music, and how it was ultimately about marketing to sell more records to older listeners.

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Described as 'a brilliant book about the Beatles' by the critic Ian McDonald, mentioned in the context of discussing how the appeal of pop music was about attitude and atmosphere, not just the music itself.

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Explicitly mentioned as Bill Wyman's autobiography, described as 'well worth reading' and 'really, really interesting book.' Referenced multiple times for quotes about Brian Jones and the band's early days.

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Referred to as Andrew Lug Oldham's autobiography/memoir, described as 'a cracking read.' Mentioned as a source for quotes about his discovery of the Rolling Stones and his management philosophy.

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Explicitly cited as a book from 1965, quoted as a source describing Mick Jagger as 'unusually friendly and intelligent' offstage.

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Explicitly mentioned as a book described as 'the kind of Plutarch's lives of popular music' with 'brilliant pen portraits of all the acts.' Quoted regarding the Rolling Stones' control over their image and sound.

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Referenced as a six-volume history of the Norman Conquest, described as 'not just the best, but more importantly, the longest history of the Norman Conquest,' published to mark the 800th anniversary. The episode opens with a quote from this work about Harold's fall and the overthrow of 'Teutonic England.'

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Described as 'the brilliant novel about this' regarding the Norman Conquest. The hosts note it covers themes of English Varangians fleeing to Constantinople, and that it compares the Normans to Nazis in Poland. They acknowledge it is 'full of anachronisms' but 'absolutely brilliant on the sense of this is a seismic shock.'

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Referenced as 'a really fascinating essay by Malcolm Strickland in a recent book of essays on the Norman conquest.' The essay discusses how in Britain and Scandinavia in the 11th century, enemy warriors were treated versus the different customs in Normandy and France.

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Described as 'probably the best one that there is' about the Battle of Hastings, published in 2002. Multiple quotes are taken from this book throughout the episode discussing the battle's details and tactics.

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Referenced as Freeman's 'great six-volume history of the Norman Conquest' - Freeman was the Regis Professor of History at Oxford in the late 19th century. His third volume recounts the Battle of Hastings.

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Explicitly mentioned as 'Mark Morris, in his book on the Norman Conquest' when discussing reasons why William might not have wanted the brutal details of Harold's death proclaimed.

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Referenced when discussing how William's stumbling upon landing in England echoes a similar scene from this classical work where Julius Caesar does the same thing.

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Referenced as a historical source providing a 'first draft of history' about Tostig's movements and the events of 1066, contrasted with the more dramatic saga accounts.

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Mentioned as a source commissioned by Tostig's sister, which describes Tostig as being short, contrasting with the sagas' description of him as tall.

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Referenced as 'Morkinskin' when quoting about the Battle of Fulford: 'no greater slaughter will ever be inflicted on a brave army.'

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Explicitly mentioned as a book by Tom Shippey, 'great scholar of Norse literature, great Tolkien scholar,' who argues it's implausible that Harald Hardrada would have left his armor behind.

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Explicitly referenced as 'Don Holway in his book, The Last Viking about Harold Hardrada' when estimating the travel time to Stamford Bridge.

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Referenced when comparing Harald Hardrada's death scene to Boromir's death at 'Parth Garland' and when quoting a passage about the Battle of Pelennor Fields adapted to describe the aftermath of Stamford Bridge.

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Referenced multiple times throughout as the primary source for the Battle of Stamford Bridge narrative. Described as 'the saga of King Harold' and 'the definitive, in fact, pretty much the only account we have of the Battle of Stamford Bridge.'

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The episode opens with an audio excerpt from this book, read by Churchill himself. The hosts discuss how Churchill wrote parts of it in April 1940 while preparing for potential invasion, drawing parallels to 1066.

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Described as 'the definitive book on the Battle of Hastings itself' with 'amazingly detailed, subtle treatment of all the sources and the evidence.' A quote from Lawson about English military mobilization is cited.

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Described as 'a wonderful book' by Tom, who quotes from it regarding the Anglo-Saxons' lack of sophisticated cavalry units and new military technology compared to the Normans.

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Referenced as a primary source for Harold Hardrada's life, described as 'part of the cycle called Heimskringler' written about 200 years after the events. Multiple passages are quoted from this saga throughout the episode.

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Explicitly mentioned as 'the most recent biography of Harold Hardrada' by 'the American writer Don Holway.' The hosts discuss his interpretation of the Constantinople stories.

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Referenced as another Icelandic saga source that contains stories about Harold Hardrada, including the serpent in the dungeon story. Quoted directly regarding the venomous serpent.

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Referenced when discussing the description of Maria Sclerina, with Tom noting that the passage about her charm and musical voice is 'entirely left from Plutarch's life of... Antony' - comparing it to Plutarch's famous description of Cleopatra.

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Referenced as a brilliant book by 'the great kind of expert on kind of Norse and Anglo-Saxon literature' discussing how Harold Hardrada in the sagas is always making quips and composing poems in the face of danger, which is described as very much a Viking sensibility.

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Described as Neil Price's 'great book' about Viking sorcery. Referenced when discussing Thorir the Hound and the thesis that much of Viking culture is influenced by shamanistic traditions from the far north.

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Referenced as historian Kat Jarman's book about 'following beads' (amber) that contains information about customs arrangements and regulations for Norse travellers arriving in Constantinople.

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Referenced when describing the Varangian Guard. The book describes these warriors as 'strong, silent types dripping with gold, swayed in expensive fabrics and weighed down by top of the range weaponry' and compares them to the rangers of the North in The Lord of the Rings.

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Referenced multiple times as a primary source biography of Edward the Confessor, written in the immediate aftermath of his death in early 1066, commissioned by Queen Edith. Used to quote descriptions of Harold, Tostig, and other figures.

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Referenced when discussing Seward, Earl of Northumbria, noting that 'people who've read or watched Macbeth may remember that he features in that.'

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Described as 'an English historian writing at Malmesbury' and 'the Dominic Sandbrook of the 12th century.' His historical chronicles are referenced for his theory about Edward's marriage and for suggesting Harold was blown off course on a fishing trip.

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Described as 'the great expert on 11th century English Queens' - her scholarly opinion is quoted about the futility of speculating on sex lives of 11th century kings from sparse evidence.

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Described as 'the author of the definitive recent biography of William' - quoted saying 'there can be no reasonable doubt that before the end of 1051, he had nominated William of Normandy as his heir.'

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Described as 'the Regist Professor of Oxford in the 19th century, who wrote a six volume history of the Norman conquest.' Quoted as saying Harold's trip to Normandy is 'one of the most perplexing questions in all history.'

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Referenced as someone 'who's written about the Norman conquest and the end of Anglo-Saxon England' when discussing historians' views on Harold's trip to Normandy.

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The hosts quote from this mid-11th century chronicle written by a monk at Monte Cassino, which describes the Normans' characteristics and their expansion. The opening passage about Normans being 'tough, strong people' is directly quoted from this work.

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Referenced multiple times as a historical source. The hosts quote from it regarding Harold Harefoot seizing 'all King Canute's best valuables' and Harthacnut's death where 'he fell to the earth with an awful convulsion.'

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Explicitly recommended as 'an absolutely brilliant book' by a Norwegian historian about the Danish invasions of England, described as providing a week-by-week narrative of the conquests

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Referenced as a comparison when describing the Danish royal seat at Yelling, with its ancient graves, gold-ringed warriors, and great halls being described as 'like something out of Lord of the Rings'

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Described as a 'gargantuan six-volume history of the Norman Conquest' commissioned to mark the 800th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, published between 1867 and 1879. The opening passage is quoted at the beginning of the episode.

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Described as 'probably the most famous comic version of English history ever written' and noted as being written in 1930. The hosts quote from it regarding the Norman Conquest being 'a good thing.'

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Referenced as 'the historian of this process, who is best associated with the idea that this United Kingdom of England is a nation state.' His quote about the creation of the English state being 'the most remarkable and certainly the most lasting feat of statecraft in 10th century Europe' is cited.

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Referenced as a historical source when discussing the 'bloody cloud' portent during Æthelred's consecration, with the comment 'this is in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, so it must be true.'

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Described as 'one of the most famous old English poems' about the Battle of Maldon in 991, and noted as an inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien's scene of Gandalf's stand at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm.

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Mentioned in the context that Tolkien wanted to write Lord of the Rings 'to give the English back the mythology that he thought they had lost as a result of the conquest.'

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Referenced as a comparison when describing Richard the Fearless's tomb, which was 'not in a church, but a great earthen mound looking out to sea. So like something out of Beowulf.'

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Explicitly described as 'this great book' when discussing the deaths of notable figures during the French Revolution, including Princess de Lamballe and Louis XVI. The hosts quote from the book regarding the lack of formal proclamation of the French Republic.

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Referenced when discussing the suggestion that Louis XVI should be sent to the galleys as punishment, with the comparison 'Like Jean Valjean in Les Misérables.'

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Mentioned in the context of discussing Malzherbe, who as national censor 'allowed Diderot to publish the encyclopedia, which was kind of very radical, very atheist-tinged.'

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The hosts quote from Wordsworth's poem describing the scene where Louvet accused Robespierre in the National Convention. They note that Wordsworth was present during this period of the French Revolution and wrote about it later in The Prelude, after he had 'become a counter-revolutionary and a massive reactionary.'

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Published on September 15, 1791 as a response to the constitution. Described as 'an obvious parody of the declaration of the rights of man and the citizen' and dedicated to Marie Antoinette. This was a published political pamphlet/treatise.

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Mentioned as Rousseau's novel and 'a massive bestseller' when discussing his influence on revolutionary attitudes toward women. A quote from the book is provided: 'a brilliant wife is a plague to her husband, her children, her friends, her valet, everyone.'

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Described as 'the great scholar of the kind of the culture of the French revolution' with 'particular interest in the role of women in the revolution.' Her scholarly work is quoted regarding the figure of Liberty representing virtue and transcendence of localism. No specific book title is given but her academic work on the French Revolution is clearly referenced.

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Described as 'the definitive French historian' of the September massacres who 'was writing in the 1930s' and 'was the head of the National Archives in France.' His work on the massacres was considered authoritative for years before being critiqued by Simon Schama.

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Explicitly mentioned as 'our old friend Simon Sharma wrote his book, Citizens.' The book is discussed extensively in relation to its treatment of the September massacres and its critique of Pierre Caron's work. Schama's book is described as taking a much more critical view of the massacres.

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Described as a first-hand account written by an army officer and royalist journalist who survived the September massacres. The book is noted for having 'a brilliant title' and provides insider testimony about the events at the Abbey of Saint-Germain prison.

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Referenced as 'Peter McPhee's book on the French Revolution' when discussing an example of an 18-year-old merchant's son who wrote home about the massacres. The book is used as a source for primary historical accounts.

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Referenced as having 'written a wonderful book on the terror' and later as 'his book on the terror.' The book is discussed in the context of its historiographical approach to the September massacres and is described as being written by 'a man of the left.'

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Described as having written 'the most recent English language survey' of the French Revolution. Popkin is identified as 'an American historian, professor at the University of Kentucky' and his book is discussed in relation to its treatment of the September massacres and comparison to 20th-century political experiments.

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Described as 'a history of quests for El Dorado' - noted as being written by a science fiction writer but 'very scrupulously researched, very serious book' that describes Aguirre as 'the single most villainous figure in the annals of the Spanish conquest'

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Referenced as 'a brilliant book about the fall of the Incas' written by 'the great historian of the Amazon' - Hemming is quoted describing Aguirre as 'simply cruel, psychopathic, a man of unmitigated evil'

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Referenced as a thematic comparison to the Aguirre story, discussing how Europeans venture into remote areas and encounter darkness - the hosts note they 'did a podcast on a few weeks ago' about this book

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Brief reference comparing Aguirre's nihilistic philosophy ('the earth was for the strongest') to 'the judge in Blood Meridian'

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Described as 'a very recent book' that was the author's PhD thesis, arguing that Aguirre was 'the first revolutionary' and that the accounts of his madness were exaggerated by complicit parties trying to avoid blame

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Referenced as the historical accounts that 'inspire so many of Shakespeare's plays' when describing Count Lasky's famous beard

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Referenced as the book series that the TV drama 'A Discovery of Witches' is based on, which features Dr. John Dee as a character

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Described as 'probably the definitive biography of Dee' and quoted regarding Elizabeth's acceptance of Dee's suggestions about her cosmic destiny

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Described as 'a great allegorical portrait of the Elizabethan period' containing what is 'almost certainly a portrait of Dr. Dee' as a wise wizard figure

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Referenced as 'the great volume recounting the Marian persecution of Protestants' in which Dee appears and is referred to as 'the great conjurer'

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Referenced when discussing the Protestant accusation that Catholic priests were conjurers, with Francis Young noted as a 'friend of the show' who appeared on the podcast

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Described as a biography of Dee, quoted regarding how new cartography of the world would have been as startling to 16th century eyes as photographs of Earth from space

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The main subject of the episode - a novella first published in Blackwoods magazine in 1899, discussed extensively as one of the most celebrated works in English literature and a portrait of Belgian Congo colonialism

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Described as a 'brilliantly influential book' by the Palestinian American critic, in the context of discussing Said's critique of Heart of Darkness

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Mentioned as a book by a Norwegian writer that was excoriating about European imperialism, particularly British imperialism, and was the basis for a documentary series

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Mentioned as published in 1897, referenced in discussion of the theme of darkness coming to England in late Victorian literature

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Mentioned as published in 1899, the same year as Heart of Darkness, in discussion of themes of repressed anxieties in the European imagination

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Mentioned in podcast advertisement as a bestseller written by Peter Frankopan about the Mongol region

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Referenced as a comparison to Heart of Darkness - both transpose the horrors of European colonialism to Britain

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Mentioned as the polar opposite to Heart of Darkness - described as a swashbuckling, optimistic journey into Africa that never questions the right of adventurers to be there

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Referenced as Conrad's 'great biographer' - described as a biography that is 'quite hard to get hold of' and cited for details about Conrad's life and the Congo journey

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Mentioned as Conrad's first novel, which he started writing in 1889

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Referenced as a source that mentions Leon Romm as a possible model for the character Kurtz

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Described as 'one of my favourite books' published in 1890, about a Parisian train driver who is a homicidal maniac, referenced to illustrate the theme of evil lurking within in late Victorian culture

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Mentioned by the assistant producer Tabby as a comparison to Morel's whistleblower story - described as 'the Robert Harris novel about the Dreyfus case' with its similar quality of uncovering hidden wrongdoing.

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Explicitly mentioned as a book that Morel recruited Conan Doyle to write as part of the Congo Reform campaign - 'He gets him to write his own book on the Congo, The Crime of the Congo.'

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Referenced as the book the podcast series began with and will return to discuss in a future episode, described as 'one of the most influential works of fiction ever written.'

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Mentioned as Hergé's second Tintin book, noted as having been withdrawn from general sale in children's bookshops due to its inappropriate portrayal of Belgian colonialism and Congolese people.

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Referenced multiple times as the primary source for the podcast series about the Congo Free State. Mentioned when discussing Hochschild's descriptions of Casement's report style and noted that certain aspects weren't fully captured in the book.

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Described as 'his satirical monologue' published in 1905, quoted extensively in the podcast to ventriloquize King Leopold's perspective on the Congo criticism.

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The novella is quoted extensively at the beginning and throughout the episode. It's described as being written in 1899, nine years after Conrad visited the Congo Free State as a merchant seaman. The hosts use passages from the book to illustrate the horrors of Leopold's Congo.

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Explicitly referenced as 'his brilliant book' that the hosts have 'mentioned quite a lot.' They quote from it describing the appeal of the Congo to adventurers, and later mention it contains 'long narratives of kind of these hideous, bloody mutinaries.' The hosts note they will discuss critics of this book in a future bonus episode.

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Referenced as 'another great book on the Congo by David van Raybroek, a lot of it based on oral history.' The book is cited regarding the practice of cutting off hands, noting that 'most of the people who had their hands cut off, I mean, they're already dead.'

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The episode opens with a reading from this novella and discusses it as the inspiration for Apocalypse Now, describing it as 'probably the greatest, the most influential, possibly the most controversial book' about European colonialism in Africa.

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Referenced when discussing Conrad's Heart of Darkness passage about traveling up the Congo River, noting it has 'echoes of Conan Doyle's book, The Lost World' with its sense of going into the jungle being like traveling back to prehistoric times.

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Mentioned as a book that Leopold II read about the Dutch in the East Indies, which influenced his ideas about how to profit from colonies using forced labor on plantations.

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Explicitly described as 'a brilliant book on this' about the Congo Free State. The hosts mention they will be 'borrowing from that book very liberally' and give it a 'big shout out' as a primary source for their discussion.

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Described as 'a brilliant book on Claudius' when discussing whether Claudius was actually poisoned or died of natural causes. Osgood apparently points out evidence of plague in Rome at the time and notes that many high-ranking people died around that period.

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Referenced multiple times as both a novel and TV drama that depicts the story of Claudius, Messalina, and the Roman imperial family. The hosts mention it when discussing Messalina's scandals ('if you've seen or indeed read I, Claudius') and note it 'lies at the head of all these great dynastic epics' on television.

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Extensively quoted and discussed throughout the episode as the primary source for information about Caligula. The hosts read passages from it and analyze Suetonius's account of Caligula's life and reign.

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Referenced when Tom compares Caligula's behavior of contorting his face in the mirror to make it more fearsome to 'the malevolent dwarf Quilp in Charles Dickens' old curiosity shop.'

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Mentioned as a historical source that covers Tiberius but not Caligula: 'we have Tacitus for Tiberius, but we don't have Tacitus for Caligula.' His historical works are referenced as containing fuller accounts of events.

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Mentioned as a fragmentary source for Caligula and later described as 'the great Judean historian' who 'has quite a detailed account that seems to draw on quite authoritative sources' regarding Caligula's death.

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Mentioned as a play written about Caligula: 'Albert Camus wrote a play about him' in the context of discussing how Caligula has become 'almost a kind of existential hero' in recent times.

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Described as 'a German scholar... who's written brilliantly about Caligula' and quoted regarding the incest accusations against Caligula being later fabrications.

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Referenced multiple times throughout the episode as the primary source for information about Emperor Tiberius. Described as 'Suetonius' great biography of the Caesars' and discussed extensively for its accounts of Tiberius's reign, character, and alleged depravities.

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Described as 'a brilliant new book' that has just come out. The hosts discuss Champlin's analysis of folkloric stories about Tiberius and how the emperor appears in various mythological contexts.

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Mentioned as 'a wonderful book about Nero that I've often praised' when introducing Champlin's new book about Tiberius.

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Referenced when discussing the deaths of Augustus's grandsons Lucius and Gaius, with the host noting 'this is basically the kind of the plot twist in I, Claudius' regarding the theory that Livia poisoned them.

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The main subject of the episode - described as 'his great collection of biographies' covering twelve Roman rulers from Julius Caesar to Domitian. The hosts discuss this ancient work extensively as one of the most celebrated biographies from the ancient world.

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Mentioned alongside Suetonius's work as 'the biographies written by Plutarch' - described as among 'the most celebrated of all the biographies that we've received from the ancient world.'

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Referenced when discussing Suetonius's influence: 'Einhard, the great biographer of Charlemagne, is very influenced by Suetonius and models his biography of Charlemagne on that of Augustus.'

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Mentioned alongside I, Claudius as the companion novel: 'Robert Graves obviously turned the raw material from the Twelve Caesars into his novels I, Claudius and Claudius the God.'

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Referenced as a historical source about Suetonius's life: 'we also know from the letters of Pliny the Younger... that Suetonius is part of Pliny the Younger's set' - described as providing accounts of the eruption of Vesuvius.

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Discussed as a novel that Robert Graves created using 'the raw material from the Twelve Caesars' - noted that Graves also translated the previous Penguin edition of Suetonius's Lives.

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Mentioned at the end of the episode as 'the most amazing book on Poland's experience in the Second World War' that they had discussed extensively (note: the transcript renders the author name as 'Halleck Hans' but this appears to be a transcription error)

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Explicitly mentioned as the source for the John Clarke quote about seeing Wojtek at Monte Cassino, and later referenced again for details about the battle and Wojtek's story

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Explicitly cited as the source for the passage about General Oliver Lees and the Polish role at Monte Cassino, described as 'the immortal prose of James Holland'

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Referenced when discussing the attack on the Polish post office in Danzig. The hosts mention that this historical event is featured as a chapter in Gunter Grass's novel The Tin Drum, which is set in Danzig-Gdansk.

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Described as 'a brilliant book' on Poland in the Second World War. The author is identified as an Anglo-Polish historian. The book is cited multiple times for statistics about Poland's defense budget and military capabilities, as well as justifications used by various parties during the invasion.

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Referenced as 'a brilliant book on Poland in the Second World War by a guy called Jan Karski.' Cited for a quote from Karski, who was a cavalry lieutenant, describing the chaos of the German invasion.

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Cited when discussing German atrocities during the invasion of Poland. The book provides an example of a German stormtrooper named Gerhard M. who participated in burning Polish villages.

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Referenced as a biography of Hitler. Cited for identifying September 1939 as the 'Nazi Rubicon' - the moral turning point - and for describing Hitler's enjoyment of watching the bombing of Warsaw.

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Explicitly referenced as 'Richard Evans says in his book on the Third Reich' when discussing the propaganda stories about ethnic Germans in Poland being exaggerations and inventions.

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Referenced multiple times as 'Hitler's great biographer' and cited for describing Hitler's 50th birthday extravaganza and Hitler's mindset. Later explicitly mentioned as 'in Kershaw, describes the scene in his biography' when discussing Hitler's meeting with the Swedish intermediary Dalaris.

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Referenced when discussing Taylor's controversial argument that Hitler was just a conventional German nationalist, which the hosts disagree with. Published in the 1960s.

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Referenced as 'his book on the Third Reich' when quoting a worker who expressed foreboding about Germany's victories, comparing them to previous wins that 'came to a bad end.'

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Mentioned as a book that Czech President Emil Hager translated into Czech, noted as an amusing contrast to the serious situation of confronting the Third Reich.

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Referenced as 'his biography of Hitler' when quoting a teenage girl from Paderborn whose mother questioned whether Hitler would ever be satisfied after the annexation of Czechoslovakia.

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Referenced as 'his book about the Nazis in power' when discussing how everything Hitler did was designed to make Germany racially fit for conflict. The specific title is not mentioned but it's clearly identified as a book about the Nazis in power.

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Referenced as 'Robert Harris's book on Munich, Robert Harris's novel' when discussing Chamberlain's character. Dominic says 'There's a brilliant portrait of him, actually, in Robert Harris's book on Munich, Robert Harris's novel, where he really captures that sort of sense of Chamberlain's, his pride, his vanity.'

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Referenced as 'his book on the Nazis at war' when discussing British public opinion and their attitudes toward empire and Czechoslovakia. The context suggests this is a different book from the earlier 'Nazis in power' reference.

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Referenced multiple times as 'his brilliant biography' of Hitler. Kershaw is quoted extensively throughout discussing Hitler's foreign policy achievements and his belief in providence. The biography is clearly about Hitler but the specific title is not mentioned.

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Referenced multiple times as a primary source for Charlemagne's biography. Einhard is described as 'the biographer of Charlemagne' and his account of the coronation and physical description of Charlemagne are quoted and discussed.

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Referenced as 'the Byzantine chronicler Theophanes' when describing the blinding of Emperor Constantine VI by his mother Irene in 797.

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Explicitly mentioned as 'a brilliant book on her by Judith Heron, Women in Purple' when discussing Empress Irene of Constantinople.

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Referenced as 'Suetonius, the biography of the Caesars' when discussing how Einhard may have drawn physical descriptions of Charlemagne from Suetonius's descriptions of Roman emperors.

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Explicitly quoted - 'Peter Brown in his book, The Rise of Western Christendom' - when discussing the Carolingian scholar-administrators as 'the first technocrats of Europe.'

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Referenced multiple times as the source for descriptions of Charlemagne's character traits, physical descriptions, and accounts of events like the Avar treasure. Einhard is described as 'this very short scholar who wrote a biography of Charlemagne.'

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Mentioned as the model that Einhard used for his biography of Charlemagne: 'Einhard models his biography on Suetonius' biography of Augustus.'

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A medieval papal biography cited multiple times for accounts of the Lombard war, including descriptions of Charlemagne's campaigns against Desiderius and the capture of Pavia. Referred to as 'a life of Hadrian I' and 'the life of Hadrian, the Pope.'

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Described as 'her brilliant biography of Charlemagne' when discussing why Desiderius refused Charlemagne's offer, quoting her explanation about the Lombard king's honor.

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The episode opens with a reading from this primary source biography written by the Frankish scholar and courtier shortly after Charlemagne's death, describing the Merovingian kings

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Mentioned as the classical work that Einhard modeled his biography of Charlemagne on; specifically noted that the monastery at Fulda had a complete collection which Einhard read as a young boy

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Described as 'one of the great historians of this process' regarding the transformation of Gaul under Charles Martel; a lengthy quote is read about Charles Martel's destruction of the independent power of Frankish bishops

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Described as 'the great historian of late antiquity' and quoted for his memorable phrase about the Pope hearing 'the crash of falling masonry' as ancient Rome crumbled around him

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Referenced when discussing the 717 siege of Constantinople by Umayyad forces, noting this siege was 'one of the models for Tolkien's portrayal of the siege of Minas Tirith'

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Described as 'the great historian of Frankish Germany' who wrote about the massacre at Canstadt, comparing its effect on the Alemanni landholding class to what Hastings did to the Anglo-Saxons

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Brief dismissive reference to Dan Brown's theory that the Merovingian bloodline continued to the present day, alluding to his conspiracy thriller works

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Explicitly quoted at the beginning of the episode, described as 'one of the most famous passages of historical prose ever written,' discussing Gibbon's view on the Battle of Tours and Charles Martel

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Explicitly named as the source for Bede's account of comets and the Saracen invasion of Gaul

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Described as 'whose book on early Carolingian warfare is brilliant on this whole campaign' - quoted regarding Arab military technology and composite recurve bows

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Described as 'a chronicle that was written by an anonymous Christian priest back in Spain' and identified as 'essentially our main source, our most contemporary source for what's going on' regarding the Battle of Tours

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Referenced for his depictions of early medieval combat - 'it's a bit like the images of fighting that you get in Bernard Cornwell's books' - describing shield wall fighting