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The Rest Is History

Was Athelstan England’s greatest king? How on earth did a Syrian bear end up fighting the Nazis as a private in the Polish army? Why did history’s most violent monkey win fame wrestling dogs in the fighting pits of London? Join Tom and Dominic as they recount some of the strangest, most marvellous and heroic characters from history, all of whom are beloved by hosts and listeners to The Rest Is History in equal measure.

Episodes

  1. EPISODE 1

    Wojtek: The Bear Who Beat the Nazis

    The story of Wojtek - the bear who took on the Nazis - amidst the death and devastation of the Second World War, and more specifically Poland's heroic resistance, is a flicker of redemption amidst an otherwise deeply depressing period of history. His is a life that exemplifies not only Poland’s struggle in microcosm, but also the global nature of the war overall. Discovered by a young boy as a tiny cub, his mother dead, he was sold to Polish officers travelling to Palestine in the hills outside Tehran. The soldiers nursed and fed the young bear with milk from a vodka bottle, treating him like one of their own. Later, he was even purported to keep them warm at night, drink beer, delight in wrestling and showers, and both march and salute. When the Polish forces were finally deployed to Europe, ‘Wojtek’ as he had been named, went with them; a mascot and morale booster to the men. There he was given military rank, and actively participated in the Italian campaign, carrying ammunition and artillery crates. But with death and destruction on all sides, what would be his fate? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss Wojtek, one of history’s most extraordinary animals, and his life in the army - an emblem of hope and resilience in the face of the horrors of the Second World War.

    56 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    History's Greatest Monkeys

    Man in his arrogance thinks himself a great work, worthy the interposition of a deity. More humble, and I believe truer, to consider him created from animals. A military grave from the 5th century BC was found to contain something extraordinary; a macaque monkey dressed as a roman legionary. Did he fight alongside his human fellows, or merely serve as their mascot? Whatever the case, it demonstrates the role of monkeys and chimps throughout human history. From antiquity, when to possess a monkey signified status, to the the east where they symbolised corruption and vice, to the fighting pits of regency London where the ape Jacco Macacco had fortunes lost and won on his violent exploits. So too the monkey accused of treason during the Napoleonic Wars, the noble Corporal Jackie, a South African baboon who nursed injured human soldiers during WWII, and Jenny; the orangutan who in her commonality with man influenced Darwin's theory of evolution. Less earnest but just as dazzling was the role of monkeys and chips in art and culture. From starring roles on television amidst the glitz and glamor of Hollywood, to the diva-like personalities of Elvis’ erratic Scatter and Michael Jackson’s infamous Bubbles. Join Dominic and Tom as they reveal history’s greatest apes, orangutans and monkeys, and the extraordinary lives they lead. From Roman legionaries, war veterans and train conductors, to superstars, football mascots and artists, these remarkable creatures have featured in every corner of human life, imitating us, befriending us and even influencing us.

    55 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    Nelson: Hero of the Seas (Part 1)

    It’s 1758 and Britain’s greatest naval commander has just been born. The young Horatio Nelson has inherited his father’s love of god and his mother’s hatred of the French. At age 12, he leaves Norfolk for a life on the high seas. As a teen, Nelson narrowly avoided death on multiple occasions. He survives a nasty encounter with the Sultan of Mysore, the blistering cold on a failed expedition in the North Pole, a nasty bout of Malaria contracted in India, and far more besides. Propelled by his excellence and bravery, he rose quickly to become a captain.This brings us to 1788 where Nelson, now a married man in his thirties and back in his childhood home, learns that England is going to war with France. Without hesitation, he swaps the simple domestic life for the thrill of the high seas once more… Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss Nelson's early life and adventures, as he sets out along a path that would eventually enable British domination of the seas; and the world.

    1h 3m

  4. EPISODE 4

    General Gordon: The Ultimate Victorian Hero

    Who was General Gordon? Tune in to hear about the life and times of the 'emblematic martyr of the Victorian age'.

    38 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    General Gordon and the Siege of Khartoum

    What happened to Gordon at Khartoum? Described by Dominic as the 'greatest media event of the Victorian era', this second parter is not to be missed.

    54 min

  6. EPISODE 6

    Chatham High Street

    Why is Chatham High-street both futuristic and riddled with the past? Why was it a magnet for historical figures such as King John, Charles II, Nelson and Charles Dickens, and the location for some of the most totemic moments in British history? Is it really a melting pot of every epoch - from the Roman invasion of Britain, to the Napoleonic Wars, and to the Second World War - and therefore the most historically significant high-street in the world?

    56 min

  7. EPISODE 7

    Athelstan: England's Greatest Monarch

    After an intense tournament featuring sixteen of the finest Kings and Queens this island has to offer, the people have decided the greatest king of England also happens to be the first. The 10th century grandson of Alfred the Great united the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and saw off the Vikings, so Tom explains why we should all be Æthel-STANS.

    54 min
  • 7 Episodes

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Was Athelstan England’s greatest king? How on earth did a Syrian bear end up fighting the Nazis as a private in the Polish army? Why did history’s most violent monkey win fame wrestling dogs in the fighting pits of London? Join Tom and Dominic as they recount some of the strangest, most marvellous and heroic characters from history, all of whom are beloved by hosts and listeners to The Rest Is History in equal measure.

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