The Rest is History - History's Most Curious Questions Answered (2023)

Published by Bloomsbury (November) 2023, softcover, illustrated, 424 pages, condition: as new.

This tie-in book to The Rest Is History podcast condenses the most important and fun moments of our shared story into one readable journey, from ancient battles to a list of historys top dogs.

"The Rest is History" is one of my favorite podcasts. This entertaining book is a collection of adaptations of episodes. I've listened to all of the podcast episodes but I still found much that was new and interesting here.

Authors Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook are serious, trained historians who obviously LOVE history and having fun with history. I also appreciate that they don't seem to have a strong political agenda here. Some history books feel like re-education courses. They take various topics (such as French Presidents or the end of the Roman Empire or the history of Costa Rica) and present them as lists, tournaments, invented memos, or in many other ways. The history is unusual and educational and fun. Their spoof of "The Davinci Code" is worth the purchase price alone. I snorted and chuckled the whole way through.
A couple more of my favorite moments: Australian PM Harold Holt disappeared during an ocean swim and was never seen again. There is now a "Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Centre" in Melbourne, which the authors compare to naming an underpass after Princess Diana. AND - King Nebuchadnezzar had a Median wife - but the authors want to be sure we know that means she's from what is modern-day Iran - not that she's an average one.
The book is certainly funny, but I have great confidence that the history is legit. If you enjoy history I'd recommend this whole-heartedly.

The Rest Is History is a selection of short tales of real-life history. Who knew that history could be so entertaining?