logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2022
1 h

234. Germans Behaving Badly

Goalhanger
About this episode

Why is modern society so self-obsessed?


The answer may be found in a group of late 18th century German rebels, including the writer Goethe and playwright Friedrich Schiller. Andrea Wulf joins Dominic and Tom in today's episode to discuss the rebels' progressive (and often scandalous) lives and her new book, 'Magnificent Rebels: The First Romantics and the Invention of the Self'. 


Join The Rest Is History Club for ad-free listening to the full archive, weekly bonus episodes, live streamed shows and access to an exclusive chatroom community.


*The Rest Is History Live Tour 2023*:


Tom and Dominic are back on tour this autumn! See them live in London, New Zealand, and Australia!


Buy your tickets here: restishistorypod.com


Twitter: 


@TheRestHistory


@holland_tom


@dcsandbrook

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Yesterday
594. The First World War: The Invasion of Belgium (Part 1)
Following the declaration of war in 1914, how did the outbreak of the First World War unfold? What were the earliest military engagements of this terrible, totemic event? Who were its key political players and how did they respond? What was the attitude to the war in Germany? Wer ... Show More
1 h
Aug 20
593. The Fight of the Century
Why did two men - John Heenan and and Tom Sayers - illegally meet in a field in Hampshire, in 1860, to brutally fight one another, captivating Britain in the process? What can the fight tell us about the nature of Britishness in the 19th century? Was this the birth of boxing? Who ... Show More
57m 19s
Aug 17
592. Mad Victorian Sport
How and when was football invented, and what are the origins of football clubs? What is the connection between public hangings, highwaymen, and early sporting events? Which is the most historically important sporting ground in the world? When was the first cricket test match play ... Show More
56m 35s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2024
139. Mrs Genghis Khan
Börte came from a powerful nomadic tribe and in many ways her marriage to Genghis Khan set him up to become the great conqueror we know. They married young and when they were twenty, he brought his new bride back to his camp. But their newlywed life was turned upside down when Bö ... Show More
47m 10s
Apr 2024
Introducing: The Curious History of Your Home - Baths
A brand-new podcast from the Noiser network. Join domestic historian Ruth Goodman as she explores the remarkable, often epic, tales behind everyday objects.This taster episode is all about the bath.A murderous emperor builds the grandest bath complex ever seen in Ancient Rome. Th ... Show More
33m 31s
Nov 2023
Love, Lust & Fighting in World War II
It can be hard to comprehend the magnitude of historical events, with World War Two a prime example of this. By 1945, some 3 million British people had served. As such, the rich diversity of masculinity and sexuality of those men is often reduced or hidden from the history books. ... Show More
42m 1s
Jan 2024
91. La guerre de sécession
En 1861, les États-Unis sont déchirés par la guerre de Sécession. Ce conflit fratricide, qui oppose le Nord abolitionniste au Sud esclavagiste, va durer quatre ans et laisser 620000 morts.Dans cet épisode, nous plongeons au cœur de ce conflit qui a changé à jamais l'histoire des ... Show More
19m 19s
Dec 2023
105. The Last Great War of Antiquity
Eurasia is divided into two great superpowers. Khusrow II rules the Sassanian Empire. Maurice, the last of the Justinian dynasty, rules their mighty rivals, the Byzantines. When he is overthrown, Khusrow looks to capitalise upon the chaos, invades his neighbour, and begins to swe ... Show More
47m 49s
Aug 2022
Welcome to American History Hit
Join Don Wildman twice a week for your hit of American history, as he explores the past to help us understand the United States of today. We’ll hear how codebreakers uncovered secret Japanese plans for the Battle of Midway, visit Chief Powhatan as he prepares for war with the Bri ... Show More
3m 12s
Aug 2021
365. Potsdam and the looting of Berlin
In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War as the situation in Germany deteriorated dangerously the Allies faced off in their attempt to divide up Europe. Author Giles Milton joins Al Murray and James Holland to discuss Potsdam and the personalities who oversaw the new Be ... Show More
53m 41s
Jun 2024
[2/2] Spartacus, le gladiateur rebelle - Au Cœur de l’Histoire Antique
Retrouvez les destins exceptionnels qui ont fait l’Antiquité dans le nouveau livre de Virginie Girod, Au Cœur de l’Histoire Antique, paru aux éditions Perrin. Disponible dès maintenant en librairie, avec deux récits inédits !Découvrez la suite du récit sur l’Antiquité romaine con ... Show More
14m 55s
May 2024
War Stories: A Confederate Day of Fasting and Prayer (1863)
In the runup to Memorial Day, we're bringing you some stories from the archives about war and the cost of war. We'll be back with new episodes next week!It’s March 27th. This day in 1863, Jefferson Davis declared a “day of fasting and prayer” to support the Confederate cause in t ... Show More
19m 28s
Feb 2024
Love: a weird & wonderful history
From prehistoric carvings and medieval spell books to grand romantic gestures and tokens of affection, throughout history there has been no shortage of ways to say those three little words. Speaking to Charlotte Hodgman, Edward Brooke-Hitching shares some incredible, and curious, ... Show More
26m 17s