An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List

By Episodes

625. Jack The Ripper: Horror in Whitechapel (Part 2)

December 11, 2025

Who was Jack the Ripper’s second victim, and why was their murder considered the true starting point of his terrifying killing spree? How did the police investigation unfold? And, when and how did...

The Beatles: The British Invasion, with Conan O’Brien (Part 2)

December 10, 2025

| This episode is available a week early for members of The Rest Is History Club | What happens when fame, drugs, and genius collide? How did the Beatles survive John Lennon’s “more popular than...

624. Jack The Ripper: History’s Darkest Mystery (Part 1)

December 08, 2025

Was Jack the Ripper the first serial killer of all time? Who was his first victim, and why was the murder so shocking? And, what did the Ripper phenomenon reveal about the anxieties of Victorian...

623. The Nazis at War: Churchill’s Finest Hour (Part 4)

December 04, 2025

With Adolf Hitler at the apex of his power during the Second World War, how did he move on Britain? How did Winston Churchill respond? And, would Britain’s airforce triumph over Hitler’s Luftwaffe...

The Beatles: The Band that Changed the World, with Conan O’Brien (Part 1)

December 03, 2025

How did four Liverpool teenagers become the most influential band on earth? What made their music and charisma irresistible to a generation? And, how did their ambition and timing spark a cultural...

622. The Nazis at War: The Fall of France (Part 3)

December 01, 2025

How did the Battle of Dunkirk unfold in 1940? Why was it one of the key turning points of the Second World War for Hitler and his Nazi regime? And, how did the Allies manage to evade the jaws of...

621. The Nazis at War: Blitzkrieg (Part 2)

November 27, 2025

When Hitler’s eye fell on Norway and Denmark, how did he and the Nazis enact their terrible plan of conquest? How did the Allies respond to this western campaign? And, how did the French fare...

620. The Nazis at War: Hitler Strikes West (Part 1)

November 24, 2025

What was Adolf Hitler’s next move, after occupying Czechoslovakia in March 1939, and brutally invading Poland that September? Why did the Allies fail to act, despite the Nazis shocking offensive?...

619. Elizabeth I: The Virgin Queen (Part 4)

November 20, 2025

How was Elizabeth I finally crowned Queen of England, after long years of perilous waiting? Why was her early reign so fraught with danger? Who was William Cecil, Elizabeth’s new secretary, and...

618. Elizabeth I: The Shadow of the Tower (Part 3)

November 17, 2025

Why did Elizabeth I’s brother, Henry VIII’s heir, Edward VI, choose his cousin Jane Grey to succeed him, rather than either of his wily Tudor sisters? Later, how did Elizabeth survive the reign of...

617. Elizabeth I: Anne Boleyn's Bastard (Part 2)

November 13, 2025

What happened to the infant Elizabeth I following the bloody execution of her mother Anne Boleyn? How did her father Henry VIII and his next four wives treat her? And, what became of Elizabeth...

616. Elizabeth I: The Fall of the Axe (Part 1)

November 10, 2025

How did Elizabeth I’s tumultuous early life in the court of her wife murdering father, Henry VIII, influence the rest of her life? What was the nature of the Tudor world she was born into? Why did...

RIHC: Disney's Legacy, with Bob Iger

November 07, 2025

What’s the first question people at Disney ask themselves when they have a great idea? How does Bob Iger view his legacy, and does he think Walt Disney would approve of his record? How did Bob...

615. Disneyland: The Modern American Utopia

November 06, 2025

Why is Disneyland one of the most influential architectural creations of the 21st century? How did the Second World War impact Disney? And, how is Disneyland inextricably intertwined with the...

614. Walt Disney: The Great American Storyteller

November 03, 2025

How did Walt Disney come to found the company that still bears his name, and would change the world forever? How did Disney help to establish American culture as the most dominant culture in the...

Spartacus and Gladiators, with Mary Beard

October 31, 2025

Where did gladiatorial combat originate? Who was Spartacus, the legendary gladiator? How did he come to lead the most famous slave revolt in all Roman history? How did the rebellion unfold? And,...

613. Nelson: Glory at Trafalgar (Part 6)

October 30, 2025

How did the British fleet prepare for war, on the morning of the Battle of Trafalgar? With the flags of both fleets flying and both Nelson and the French admiral Villeneuve glittering in their...

612. Nelson: The Final Showdown (Part 5)

October 27, 2025

After two years at sea chasing the combined fleet of France and Spain, what was Nelson’s next step? Upon returning to his beloved Emma, how was the heroic Nelson received? What was the terrifying...

Julius Caesar, with Mary Beard

October 23, 2025

What is the main difference between Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great? When did Julius Caesar become one of the major players of the Roman Republic? What was the true nature of Caesar’s...

611. Nelson: Bonaparte Prepares to Strike (Part 4)

October 22, 2025

With Britain at war for more than eight long years, and her people depleted and hungry, how did her government react to the news that Napoleon Bonaparte was planning a full-scale invasion in 1801?...