The Rest Is History

How did the Troubles break out in Northern Ireland in the 1960s, and how far back does the dispute really go? Why did the conflict intensify as it did? And, what did it really mean to be a Catholic in Northern Ireland?...

How did the Babington Plot, another Catholic conspiracy to assassinate Elizabeth I and replace her with the imprisoned Mary Queen of Scots, unfold? Did the Spanish help her? How did Sir Francis Walsingham and his web of...

Who was the charismatic Sir Philip Sidney, a beloved but also suspect courtier to Elizabeth I? Why, in 1585, was England in such danger from a Spanish invasion? And, would Sydney, with his friend Sir Francis Drake, help...

After ransacking Spanish treasure ships, would Elizabeth I betray Sir Francis Drake to her enemies? Who did she back in the French civil wars? And, with the help of English conspirators, would Mary Queen of Scots, incur...

Why is Sir Francis Drake enshrined as one of England’s greatest heroes? Where did he come from, and how did he rise to prominence and earn the adoration of Elizabeth I, from obscure poverty? And, why is he also such a...

What inspired the deadliest bloodbath of the Tudor age: the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572, in which protestants were slaughtered en masse? How did it drive Elizabeth I’s spy master, Francis Walsingham, to...

How did Elizabeth I rule England? Why was she constantly in mortal peril in 1569? Who was Sir William Cecil, and why was he so crucial to her reign? And, how did his network of spies keep her alive, and England...

What really happened at the Habsburgian hunting lodge, Mayerling? Did Crown Prince Rudolf and his mistress, Baroness Mary Vetsera, really commit a romantic murder suicide, or did the heir cold-heartedly murder the 17...

What was Vienna like in the 1880s? Why was Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria seen as the outcast of the prestigious Habsburg dynasty? And, how would meeting 17 year-old Baroness Mary Vetsera on his 30th birthday change...

How did the second half of Odysseus’ long journey home to Ithaca play out? What does the epic’s account of the Olympian gods indicate about Ancient Greek religion? And, how did Odysseus finally make it home to Penelope...

How does The Odyssey, one of the greatest stories of all time, unfold? What historical events may it be based on? And, where might Odysseus, the hero of Homer’s epic, have faced his various trials in real life? Join Tom...

What part did Thomads Jefferson play in writing the American Declaration of Independence? Where did he come from, and how did it shape his attitude to the future of the U.S.A? And, why was he such a contentious figure?...

How did Alexander Hamilton go from impoverished orphan to one of the most important figures in the creation of the American constitution? Why was his relationship with Thomas Jefferson so strained? And, what happened in...

Was Benjamin Franklin really an American? What was his childhood like? How was he finally converted to the American Revolutionary cause? And, what role did he play in setting the struggle in motion? Join Tom and Dominic...

Where did George Washington come from, and what was he like? How did he come to take on such a pivotal role in the American Revolution? And, was he really central to America’s triumphant struggle for independence? Join...

How did the rugby World Cup final of 1995 inspire South Africa’s totemic national anthem? Why does the story shed a light on the history of Apartheid in South Africa? And, after becoming president, following years of...

What does the Brazilian national anthem reveal about its history of slavery and revolt? Why did the king of Portugal rule his country all the way from Rio in the 19th century? Who was the first emperor of Brazil? And...

How is the Dutch national anthem, that has its origins during a 1568 siege of a French city, connected to the Dutch Revolt? What is the revolt’s role in the birth of modernity? And, why does it say ‘to the King of Spain...

How did Benito Mussolini’s regime in the 1930s use sport to spread his ideology and prepare Italy for war? What infrastructure and propaganda strategies did he use to make the 1934 World Cup a showcase for fascism? And...

Why is the German national anthem the most controversial of all? Is it true that it is Austrian in origin? And, what happened when Germany split after the Second World War? Did it perhaps lead to an absolute banger in...

How did the Napoleonic Wars contribute to the enshrinement of the British national anthem? What are the Jacobite origins of this legendary melody? And, which British monarch was it written for? Join Tom and Dominic as...

How did the War of 1812 result in America’s national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner? Who came up with it? And, why does this origin story make the anthem so controversial? Join Dominic and Tom as they launch into the...

After Gallipoli has descended into a bloodbath, why do the British pour in more troops? Does Churchill finally understand his fateful error? How do the allies escape the total mess they find themselves in? And, why has...

Why was the Battle of Gallipoli, starting in February 1915, in Turkey, so disastrous for the Allies, and in particular, Winston Churchill? How has it become such a foundational moment in the national identity of New...

Why did the British nurse, Edith Cavell, become a key player in the Belgian Resistance to German occupation? How did she carry out her mission? And, why was she ultimately executed, so controversially? Join Dominic and...