An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List

Barbara Tuchman

4 books referenced

Books by Barbara Tuchman

The Guns of August

Referenced in 3 episodes

595. The First World War: The Battle of the Frontiers (Part 2)

August 27, 2025

Context:

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.'

474. The Road to The Great War: The Lights Go Out (Part 6)

July 25, 2024

Context:

Described as 'her incredibly popular book that JFK loved'; referenced to note that the assassination of Franz Ferdinand gets only about two sentences in it because the focus is on Belgium

469. The Road to The Great War: Countdown to Armageddon (Part 1)

July 14, 2024

Context:

Referenced in discussion of how JFK was obsessed with learning lessons from WWI during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Described as a book Kennedy was fascinated by.

A Distant Mirror

Referenced in 3 episodes

320: Hundred Years' War: The Black Prince (Part 3)

April 10, 2023

Context:

Referenced when discussing the arrival of the Black Death in Europe, specifically mentioning 'the description in Barbara Tuchman's book' about a ship pulling into Messina with dead men at the oars. Later cited again regarding her assessment that King John II 'could have served Machiavelli as the model for the anti-prince.'

318: Hundred Years' War: A Game of Thrones (Part 1)

April 03, 2023

Context:

Tom describes this as a book he loved as a child that gave a different perspective on the 14th century and the Hundred Years' War, casting it as a period of suffering with mercenaries, pillaging, and the Black Death.

154. The Most Disastrous Party in History

February 21, 2022

Context:

Dominic mentions this book when introducing the Ballet des Ardents story, saying 'it's been seared on my mind ever since I read Barbara Tuchman's Distant Mirror years and years ago. One of my favorite books when I was about 12.'

The Proud Tower

Referenced in 1 episode

318: Hundred Years' War: A Game of Thrones (Part 1)

April 03, 2023

Context:

Mentioned alongside Guns of August as one of Barbara Tuckman's well-known books about the First World War era.

Guns of August

Referenced in 1 episode

318: Hundred Years' War: A Game of Thrones (Part 1)

April 03, 2023

Context:

Mentioned as one of Barbara Tuckman's best-known books about the First World War.