The Rise of “The Rest Is History” Podcast: A Global Phenomenon

In a grassy expanse on London’s fringe, thousands gathered on picnic blankets and folding chairs, shielding themselves from an unusually warm English summer sun. Some uncorked bottles of sparkling wine, despite the early hour of ten o’clock. A woman knitted nearby while a couple in Panama hats maneuvered for an optimal view of the stage.

When a recognizable tune began to play, excitement rippled through the audience. The event’s headliners had arrived: two middle‑aged British historians.

The podcast boasts nearly eight hundred episodes that traverse millennia and continents, exploring topics such as the fall of the Aztec empire, the French Revolution, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and history’s most notable primates. Its listeners span high‑profile figures, including the current prime minister of Canada, Mark Carney, former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard, actors Matthew McConaughey and Tom Hanks, and musician Nick Cave.

In February, a hearing at England’s Supreme Court was briefly halted when a judge’s phone broadcast the opening of a Jimmy Carter episode. He apologized, noting that the audio had been muted, and the proceedings continued.

What factors contributed to its meteoric rise, and what does the program’s popularity reveal about a society saturated with rapid news cycles and anxiety about the future? Listeners find comfort in recognizing humanity’s past resilience, indulge in escapist narratives—such as a series of six compelling episodes on Mary, Queen of Scots—and enjoy the distinctive chemistry of hosts Tom Holland, 58, and Dominic Sandbrook, 51.

The festival attracted nearly five thousand attendees at Hampton Court Palace, the former residence of Henry VIII. Delegates from Argentina, New Zealand, Europe, and the United States traversed historic courtyards, whose stone floors bear the wear of centuries, into beautifully landscaped gardens for two days of intensive historical discourse.

‘An Enormous Cuckoo’

‘The Rest Is History’ emerged during the pandemic. Holland recalled being skeptical about podcasts at the time, recounting a recent interview at his Brixton residence. Following England’s initial lockdown, his historian brother James mentioned a World War II podcast he was producing for the British firm Goalhanger.

Holland, already the author of several acclaimed histories and BBC documentaries, became intrigued. He connected with Tony Pastor and Jack Davenport, former sports producers who had partnered with ex‑England footballer Gary Lineker to form Goalhanger. They coined the concept of a broad‑scope history podcast.

‘Who would you like to converse with, week after week?’ he was asked—a simple query. Holland responded that Dominic was the most entertaining historian he knew. Their acquaintance dated back over a decade to a writers’ charity quiz.

Sandbrook agreed to co‑host, partly attracted by Holland’s enthusiastic—if occasionally overstated—pitch. Sandbrook later reflected, “He can already hear himself saying, ‘It will be utterly effortless. No work at all.’” Over coffee in a small Gloucestershire café, he explained the original premise: selecting topics they knew well and discussing them for about half an hour.

The concept has grown substantially. The team now releases three episodes weekly—two hour‑long installments and a 30‑minute bonus edition for subscribers. Each episode demands extensive research. The United States constitutes the largest audience at 34 percent, followed by Britain and Ireland at 33 percent, with additional listeners in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Notably, 61 percent of the audience is under 44, and 78 percent are male.

Holland likens the show to “an enormous cuckoo that has gradually pushed aside everything else.” He admits he is significantly behind schedule on a book about the Beatles and “the new Reformation of the 1960s,” which was slated for release before Christmas.

Sandbrook remarked that his professional life has become “unrecognizable” compared with its earlier state.

He added, “I now devote an absurd amount of time to reading history books,” but noted, “There are worse pastimes, surely.”

‘The Spirit of a Viking and a Cringing Monk’

Holland took the stage at Hampton Court wearing a velveteen hat reminiscent of Henry VIII’s era. Tall and energetic, his white hair and commanding presence made him a natural showman, and he later delighted in directing a medieval combat demonstration that punctuated the live sessions with historians. Sandbrook, by contrast, presented a more grounded demeanor, marked by twinkling eyes and a warm handshake, and confessed a reluctance to fully embody historical personas.

Their conversation is punctuated by banter; in an episode covering the 1066 Battle of Stamford Bridge, Holland explained that he omitted quotations from his book *Millennium* because contemporary accounts were plentiful. Sandbrook retorted, “This reveals your fundamental lack of confidence, Tom,” citing his own sources.

Holland concurred, lamenting, “I possess the spirit of a cringing monk, while you embody a Viking’s.”

Sandbrook joked, “Please clip that and use it for social media,” prompting both to laugh.

Holland generally expresses greater empathy toward historical personalities, whereas Sandbrook adopts a more stringent tone. In a WWI segment, Sandbrook cited Robert Graves’s *Goodbye to All That*, recounting a British sergeant whose thrown bomb ricocheted into his own face.

Holland interjected, “Noooo, that’s precisely the sort of thing I would do!”

The podcast’s charm lies in its mischievous yet good‑natured commentary on life’s absurdities, contradictions, and continuities. Holland argues its popularity stems from exposing the peculiarities of earlier eras while highlighting the shared human experience.

He observed, “Without deliberately intending to, I believe the program celebrates the inherent fascination of the past, offering the most effective lens for understanding the infinite ways of humanity.”

Sandbrook offered a distinct perspective: “I believe there exists an inexhaustible human appetite for stories.”

Both also emphasized a deliberate avoidance of moralizing, especially in a post‑woke climate, favoring curiosity over quick judgment. Sandbrook remarked, “History is not a civics lesson; it records human behavior, which can be deeply flawed. The one constant, I would argue, is human nature.”

‘Outside of the Swirl of Chaos’

In April, as Britain approached its seventh prime minister in a decade, the podcast aired a series examining 1970s Britain. That year saw nearly 500 fatalities in Northern Ireland; in 1974 the government briefly instituted a three‑day workweek to address an energy crisis, and inflation surged to 25 percent the following year.

Sandbrook observed that listeners expressed fascination—and occasional relief—through comments such as, “I thought things were terrible now, but looking back, perhaps they weren’t so bad,” he noted.

When questioned about whether we inhabit an especially turbulent era, both pointed to the unprecedented speed of technological change, likening it to the 15th‑century printing press. Holland asserted, “What is unfolding now—beginning with the internet, social media, and now artificial intelligence—will be convulsively transformative in ways we cannot yet grasp.”

He added, “I believe history is valuable precisely because it offers a kind of rain‑check, allowing one to step outside the whirl of chaos.”

Strolling through Hampton Court’s gardens, where actors in period costume paraded beneath parasols, evoked a modest sense of stepping back in time, though the experience was punctuated by stalls selling overpriced iced coffee and plant‑based burgers. I considered how the show might provide listeners a comparable retreat from the uncertain 21st century into narratives where outcomes—whether favorable or dire—are no longer uncertain.

Nevertheless, the past also serves as a lens for comprehending a perplexing present. On the festival’s opening morning, Holland interviewed Professor Ali Ansari, an Iran specialist, in a dialogue that spanned ancient Persia and the contemporary U.S.–Israeli tension.

In the afternoon, Sandbrook conversed with Irish historian Paul Rouse, who discussed the 19th‑century trade relationship between Ireland and Britain—including up to twelve daily sailings from Dublin transporting cattle to England—and later reflected on the damage inflicted by Brexit.

On Sunday, historian Katja Hoyer presented her recent work examining the Weimar Republic and the ascent of Hitler.

‘History frames so much that is significant about our present politics,’ observed Christoph Pike, a 31‑year‑old podcast enthusiast who traveled from Toronto with his wife, Claire Davis. He added that Holland and Sandbrook “don’t take themselves too seriously.”

As Saturday’s sun set, Holland and Sandbrook turned their considerable intellects toward audience‑submitted questions.

One audience member asked, “What are the top three mustaches of all time?”

Holland responded, “Great question! We love facial hair.”

Thus, another historical debate commenced.

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