Truth is stranger than fiction, and that is what makes History so good. Indeed, it takes it out of the classroom and into the real world in a fun way.
The Rest Is History is a podcast. Each week, there are three episodes that take an event in History and tell the story of what happened. As with most podcasts, I go in phases of listening. I will ignore something for 6 months and then binge. I hadn’t listened to it for a while, so I decided to listen to the story of the Revolution of Iran in the late 70s/ early 80s. There was no regret, and it reminded me what makes History and the podcast so Good
Hold on, before you move on, there are lots of ‘Boys Own History’ as well as late 20th-century geopolitical stuff, including stories about how Lord Nelson defeated Napoleon. Nelson was a truly competent admiral, and I was glad I learnt it. They fill in all the gaps you want to know about history that your school/university didnt teach you at the time.
They research something that their readers would be interested in, and everything that they do is actually good.
Holland And Sandbrook make bad history so good
In my first year of study, I did a module on Ancient History, and I was not expecting to enjoy the pod after a negative experience of it at college. I listened for 10 minutes, and I adored it and forgot all my previous prejudices. They clearly love the people or the stories they have researched and it shows.
Even stuff that seems boring at first impression is interesting.
Some of the stuff might seem uninteresting at first sight, but their taste is pretty good. I have found myself listening to stuff about the ancient Greeks, Persians, and Romans. It fills in all the gaps about stuff I want to know. However, the content doesn’t matter; it is Sandbrook and Holland’s storytelling that makes the show what it is.
Bringing History to life
They are both truly wonderful and bring the stories to life, especially if they gall to imitate Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter just in the Iran series. Apparently, according to the Internet, they are paid £77,000 each per month.
They make History so Good
So they must be doing something right. Also, they are entrepreneurial, and there is a best of history club where you can get content earlier. I am tempted to subscribe and might just do that. Also, it will be ad-free. Finally, they are setting up a best of history festival which may rival the Chalke History Festival in Somerset. Who knows, I might even attend.
However, if you are new to it, there is already a lot of content available, so you can decide if it is for you.
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