An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List

Christopher Clark

3 books referenced

Books by Christopher Clark

The Sleepwalkers

Referenced in 10 episodes

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

July 25, 2024

Context:

Referenced as a 'brilliant, groundbreaking book on this process' when discussing whether European leaders were truly sleepwalkers stumbling into war, with the hosts disagreeing with the book's title metaphor while praising the work itself

473. The Road to The Great War: The Tsar Chooses War (Part 5)

July 24, 2024

Context:

Referenced when discussing Chris Clark's characterization of the Serbian reply to the Austrian ultimatum as 'a perfumed rejection'

472. The Road to The Great War: Britain's Fateful Choice (Part 4)

July 21, 2024

Context:

Referenced when discussing British foreign policy and the argument that Britain's alliances with France and Russia were a form of appeasement to protect the empire. Described as written by 'great historian, Christopher Clarke, religious professor at Cambridge.'

471. The Road to The Great War: The Austrian Ultimatum (Part 3)

July 18, 2024

Context:

Referenced multiple times for its analysis of Sazonov's diplomatic documents and his construction of an alternative narrative about the assassination, as well as discussion of the French-Russian alliance and the concept of a 'Balkan trigger' or 'tripwire'.

470. The Road to The Great War: The Kaiser’s Blank Cheque (Part 2)

July 17, 2024

Context:

Tom mentions re-reading this book in preparation for the podcast series. Referenced multiple times throughout the episode, including Clark's observation that the Austrians never discussed what would happen if the Russians attacked them, and his line comparing the Austrians to 'hedgehogs scurrying across a highway with their eyes averted from the onrushing traffic.'

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

July 14, 2024

Context:

Mentioned as an example of recent historical scholarship that emphasizes individuals and contingent circumstances rather than abstract causes for WWI. Referenced multiple times throughout the episode.

467. The Murder of Franz Ferdinand: The Victim (Part 3)

July 07, 2024

Context:

Referenced when discussing how people dream of Franz Joseph and how he haunts their sleep, comparing him to Queen Elizabeth II. Later referenced again regarding General Conrad's repeated calls for preventive wars.

466. The Murder of Franz Ferdinand: The Conspiracy (Part 2)

July 03, 2024

Context:

Referenced multiple times throughout the episode for historical details including Serbian armaments sourcing, identifying who suggested the assassination (Rade Malobabic as 'a super agent'), the grooming of young conspirators, and evidence that Serbian PM Pasic knew about the plot.

465. The Murder of Franz Ferdinand: The Killer (Part 1)

June 30, 2024

Context:

Explicitly mentioned as 'his book' when discussing First World War statistics - '65 million men were mobilized in the First World War, 20 million people died' - and noted that they will be talking about it a lot in subsequent episodes about WWI

9. Causes of the First World War

December 14, 2020

Context:

Referenced as a 'brilliant book' when discussing the vast amount of literature written about the causes of WWI, noting that even Clark who 'seems to have read everything on the subject' acknowledges it's impossible for one person to read all that has been written

Revolutionary Spring, Fighting for a New World, 1848-1849

Referenced in 1 episode

326: The Year of Revolutions: 1848

May 01, 2023

Context:

The main book being discussed in this episode. Described as 'a groundbreaking study' that argues the question of whether the 1848 revolutions succeeded or failed is a 'nonsense question.' The guest Christopher Clark is the author, and the hosts discuss various aspects of the book throughout the episode.

Kaiser Wilhelm II: A Life in Power

Referenced in 1 episode

31. The Second Reich

March 11, 2021

Context:

Mentioned as an Australian biographer of Wilhelm, alongside discussion of his Prussia book. Noted that Clark seemed to become more sympathetic to his subjects as he researched and wrote about them.