The Rest Is History

This episode covers Samuel Johnson and James Boswell's historic 1773 journey to the Scottish Hebrides, exploring their experiences from Edinburgh to the Western Isles. The hosts analyze how Johnson and Boswell documented their encounters with Highland culture, which they found was already in decline following the Battle of Culloden and Scotland's union with England.

This episode chronicles James Boswell's colorful personal life and adventures across Europe from 1762-1773, including romantic escapades, celebrity meetings with Rousseau and Voltaire, his activism for Corsican independence, and his deepening friendship with Samuel Johnson culminating in plans for their famous journey to Scotland.

The episode explores the remarkable life of Samuel Johnson, the dominant literary figure of 18th century London, focusing on his journey from poverty-stricken beginnings to celebrity status. It establishes the context for his famous meeting with James Boswell in 1763, which would lead to one of the greatest biographies in English literature.

The hosts discuss the final chapter of the Inca Empire's fall, covering the murder of Francisco Pizarro in 1541, the death of the last Inca emperor Manco through betrayal, and the eventual execution of the final Inca ruler Tupac Amaru in 1572, marking the complete Spanish conquest of Peru.

This episode covers Manco's failed rebellion against Spanish rule in Peru from 1535-1537, culminating in a massive siege of Cusco where 100,000 Incas nearly defeated a handful of Spanish conquistadors before ultimately retreating to establish an exile kingdom in Vilcabamba.

This episode covers the Spanish conquest of Cusco in 1533-1535, including the massive looting of Inca gold and silver, the installation of puppet emperor Manco, Pedro de Alvarado's disastrous invasion attempt, and the defeat of Inca generals Quisquis and Ruminyawi, setting up Spanish control over Peru.

The episode discusses Jean-François Millet's 1859 painting 'The Angelus,' which depicts two peasants pausing their potato harvest to pray at evening bell call. Despite appearing as a simple religious scene, the painting became controversial in post-revolutionary France due to its Catholic imagery.

This episode details the famous ransom of Atahualpa, where the Inca emperor filled a room with gold in exchange for his freedom, only to be executed by the Spanish conquistadors despite fulfilling his promise.

Dominic and Tabitha announce their new show 'The Book Club' launching every Tuesday, featuring discussions of classic and contemporary literature. They preview their first episode on Wuthering Heights, providing detailed analysis of the novel's plot, structure, and Emily Brontë's biographical background.

This episode details the dramatic confrontation between Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro's small force of 168 men and the Inca emperor Atahualpa near Cajamarca in November 1532. Despite being vastly outnumbered by 80,000 Inca warriors, the Spanish used deception, surprise, and superior military technology to massacre thousands of Incas and capture their emperor.

Tom Holland and Laura Cumming discuss Henry Raeburn's 'The Skating Minister,' the most famous painting in Scottish history. The painting depicts a black-silhouetted Church of Scotland minister skating on Duddingston Loch in Edinburgh, combining dignity with inherent comedy through the contrast between the minister's serious demeanor and graceful skating pose.

This episode begins a series on the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire, introducing Francisco Pizarro's journey from Panama to Peru in the 1530s. The hosts establish the context of Pizarro's background in Extremadura, his early expeditions, and the discovery of Inca civilization, while also describing the Inca Empire's vast scope, unique characteristics, and the devastating civil war between brothers Huascar and Atahualpa that made it vulnerable to conquest.

This episode covers the final destruction of Carthage in 146 BC, from Cato's war propaganda through the brutal siege to the complete annihilation of the city. Despite being militarily defeated decades earlier, Carthage's economic recovery sparked Roman fears and provided the pretext for total destruction.

Tom Holland and art critic Laura Cumming discuss Velázquez's 'Las Meninas' (1656), which Cumming considers the greatest painting of all time. Cumming describes her transformative first encounter with the painting in the Prado, where she briefly mistook the painted figures for real people due to the work's extraordinary illusion of presence and reality.

This episode covers the climactic Battle of Zama where Scipio defeats Hannibal, ending the Second Punic War, followed by both commanders' declining final years as they face political persecution and exile.

This episode covers the early phase of Scipio's rise to prominence during the Second Punic War, focusing on how the young Roman general secured Spain from Carthaginian control and set the stage for his ultimate confrontation with Hannibal. The narrative culminates with Scipio's decisive victory over the remaining Barca brothers in Spain and his preparation to take the war to Africa itself.

This is an introduction to a series analyzing famous paintings in historical context, featuring art critic Laura Cumming discussing Jan van Eyck's 15th-century Arnolfini Portrait. The episode begins exploring the mysterious painting's hyper-realistic details and puzzling elements that have led to changing interpretations over time.

This episode examines Hannibal's failure to capitalize on his devastating victory at Cannae in 216 BC, where he annihilated a massive Roman army but chose not to immediately march on Rome. The episode explores the aftermath of this decision and Rome's refusal to negotiate, setting up the prolonged conflict that followed.

The episode examines the final stages of the Iranian Revolution from November 1978 to August 1979, covering Ayatollah Khomeini's exile in Paris, the Shah's flight from Iran, Khomeini's triumphant return, and the parallel oil crisis devastating Jimmy Carter's presidency in America.

This episode examines the events leading up to the Iranian Revolution of 1979, focusing on Jimmy Carter's ill-timed toast to the Shah of Iran on New Year's Eve 1977, just days before violent protests erupted. The hosts explore the backgrounds of both the Shah and Ayatollah Khomeini, setting up the dramatic confrontation between modernizing monarchy and Islamic revolution.