An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List
367. The Real Harry Potter: Magic, Empire and Beastly Bullies
September 10, 2023
Description
Books Referenced
Author: J.K. Rowling
Context:
Explicitly mentioned as published in 1997, the main subject of discussion about school stories and their origins
Author: Susan Cooper
Context:
Mentioned as one of the books people have pointed to as influences on Harry Potter
Author: T.H. White
Context:
Tom mentions it was cited as an influence on Harry Potter stories
Author: Jill Murphy
Context:
Mentioned as one of the books people point to as influences on Harry Potter
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
Context:
Mentioned as one of the book series that influenced Harry Potter
Author: Terry Pratchett
Context:
Mentioned as one of the book series that influenced Harry Potter
Author: George MacDonald Fraser
Context:
Mentioned as a series of novels featuring Flashman, the bully character from Tom Brown's School Days, as its hero
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
Context:
Mentioned as one of the top four books read by British children as late as 1940
Author: Daniel Defoe
Context:
Mentioned as one of the top four books read by British children as late as 1940
Author: Jonathan Rose
Context:
Described as 'his brilliant book' with examples of working class people influenced by school stories
Author: C.L.R. James
Context:
Mentioned as 'his brilliant book' when discussing C.L.R. James as a great intellectual from the Caribbean
Author: C.L.R. James
Context:
Described as C.L.R. James's autobiography where he discusses Thomas Arnold's legacy and the public school ethos
Author: Robert Roberts
Context:
Mentioned as a book by working class historian Robert Roberts about growing up in Salford (referred to as 'The Classics' in transcript)
Author: James Brooke Smith
Context:
Described as 'a brilliant book by an academic' discussing how classical study formed identity at public schools
Author: Enid Blyton
Context:
Tom mentions reading this book to his daughter Katie, as an example of girls' boarding school stories
Author: Enid Blyton
Context:
Mentioned alongside Twins at St. Clare's as girls' boarding school stories
Author: C.S. Lewis
Context:
Mentioned as one of the story series that influenced Harry Potter (note: transcript incorrectly attributes to Tolkien)
Author: Thomas Hughes
Context:
Extensively discussed as the foundational Victorian school story published in 1857, template for Harry Potter and the school story genre
Author: Jonathan Swift
Context:
Mentioned (as 'Gulliver's Troubles') as possibly one of the top four books read by British children as late as 1940
Author: David Turner
Context:
Tom mentions reading this 'very good book' in preparation for recording the episode