An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List
The Canterbury Tales
Author: Geoffrey Chaucer
Referenced in 4 episodes
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September 03, 2025
Context:
Mentioned when discussing the history of Ypres as a medieval cloth town - 'It's mentioned in the Canterbury Tales, Tom'
March 25, 2024
Context:
Referenced when discussing indulgences and the Pardoner character, described as 'the most loathsome figure in the Canterbury Tales,' noting that Chaucer could criticize church practices without being condemned as a heretic.
August 25, 2022
Context:
Briefly mentioned as evidence that fun was part of medieval pilgrimages, in discussion of whether pilgrimages could be considered early forms of holidays
May 17, 2021
Context:
Tom mentions reading Chaucer during lockdown, specifically discussing 'the knight's tale' and 'the wife of Bath's tale' in relation to medieval attitudes toward rape and chivalry