We're insanely hubristic': how The Rest Is History became the world's biggest history podcast

"The weirdest thing that people say which I've heard more than once is, My wife and I listen to you in bed every night,' he says, looking mildly appalled. Also, I listen to you to get to sleep,' adds Holland, in his instantly recognisable hushed tone, forever sounding as though he's letting you in on a secret. It's always meant as a compliment."

"If you're among the millions who listen to the world's most successful history podcast: yes, they are really like that a genial, articulate odd couple who love to gently bully one another. If you haven't heard it, The Rest Is History has these two British historians tackling the entire sweep of human history, explaining everything from the Neanderthals to the fall of Liz Truss."

Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook gauge success by everyday encounters with listeners who recognize them and share odd, intimate listening habits. Fans report listening to episodes in bed or to fall asleep, appreciating the hosts' hushed, familiar delivery and playful exchanges, including accents. The podcast covers the full sweep of human history, from Neanderthals to recent political events, with Holland focusing on antiquity and Sandbrook on modern history. The hosts combine enthusiasm and storytelling to make previously dull school history compelling and promise deeper treatments of major events such as the French Revolution and the Terror.

Read at www.theguardian.com