What’s a podcast?’ requested my father suspiciously. Good query, I assumed; and I wasn’t fully certain I knew the reply.
It was summer season 2020. Just a few days earlier my pal and fellow historian Tom Holland had rung out of the blue to ask if I’d be serious about collaborating on a historical past podcast.
Having written a number of books concerning the Romans, Tom would deal with the traditional stuff. I’d do the trendy, drawing on my books about post-war Britain.
And the stuff within the center? We’d determine that out in some way. I nonetheless didn’t fairly know what a podcast was, although.
Dominic Sandbrook (R) and Tom Holland (L) host the favored podcast ‘The Relaxation is Historical past)
‘It’s a bit like Radio 4,’ Tom mentioned excitedly, ‘however the distinction is that we are able to do no matter we like. Actually no matter we like!’
‘Why not?’ I assumed. I’d accomplished my justifiable share of BBC documentaries, however I’d had sufficient of being bossed round by commissioners and channel controllers, of being informed that I couldn’t say this or that, or that I need to embody a bit about such-and-such.
So a podcast sounded enjoyable, like a type of mad passion. And it sounded quite simple. Tom and I’d discuss for 45 minutes about no matter historic topic we preferred, from the glories of Historical Greece and the downfall of Cleopatra, to the early lifetime of Winston Churchill or the historic significance of 9/11.
We wouldn’t dumb it down and wouldn’t wring our arms. We’d do our homework, however wouldn’t get hung up on educational trivialities.
We’d document it on our telephones, chatting over Zoom. Above all, we’d have enjoyable — as a result of if historical past isn’t fulfilling, what’s the purpose?
Such was the plan. By no means in my wildest goals, although, did I think about that anyone would really hearken to it. So if you happen to’d informed me again then that, on Christmas Day 2022, our podcast, The Relaxation Is Historical past, would sit on the high of the Apple podcast charts, with 52 million downloads, and listeners in virtually each nation on Earth, I wouldn’t have believed you.
The podcast covers a wide range of matters together with the lifetime of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
Tom and I’ve recorded virtually 300 common episodes thus far — masking the whole lot from Alfred the Nice, the Battle of Trafalgar and Sherlock Holmes to the Loch Ness Monster, Mao’s China, the rise of Vladimir Putin and the lifetime of Jesus. And we’ve accomplished some fairly offbeat issues, too. An episode concerning the historic significance of pigeons and one other about beavers.
We even did a tongue-in-cheek episode within the model of a historic Love Island, with 1000’s of listeners voting for the profitable couple — the previous Conservative prime minister Stanley Baldwin and the sultry Japanese Roman empress Theodora.
In accordance with the Apple charts, we’re not merely the most important historical past podcast in Europe, we’re the preferred in any style in Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
We even have our personal listeners’ membership, with an internet discussion board on which 1000’s of historical past buffs pile in to debate episodes. They embody Cupboard and Shadow Cupboard members, in addition to a former Prime Minister of Australia.
Tempting as it’s to credit score my very own irresistible attraction, even I’ve to confess there’s much more to it than that.
Podcasts, it seems, really take a variety of work, and we now have a superb group of producers behind us, in addition to a visitor listing that features a few of Britain’s most celebrated historians, from the classicist Mary Beard to Hitler’s biographer Sir Ian Kershaw.
Business figures recommend that some 11 million Britons hearken to podcasts each week. Most pay attention on their telephones whereas strolling the canine, doing the washing-up, driving or taking the practice to work.
The pair have delved into the lifetime of Jesus on the favored historical past podcast
In another universe, they could be listening to Radio 4. However as critics have identified, the BBC appear to have misplaced curiosity in producing critical, measured, clever programmes.
There’s no means our podcast, introduced by two white Oxbridge-educated middle-aged males, could be commissioned by the BBC as of late. As an alternative of simply letting us discuss, they’d herald some alleged comic to make it ‘accessible’ to youthful audiences.
And never a single week would go with out the looks of some ultra-woke U.S. educational to lecture us about slavery or to flagellate us concerning the imagined sins of the British Empire.
The nice irony is that whereas the typical age of Radio 4 listeners is 56, greater than half of our listeners are underneath 34. So if the BBC wish to know what’s occurred to its youthful viewers, the reply is that they’ve signed as much as The Relaxation Is Historical past.
Younger listeners are not any completely different from older ones. You don’t must patronise them and also you shouldn’t inflict your concept of comedy on them. There’s no want for gurning and gibbering. They only need you to crack on with the story.
That, above all, is what thrills me concerning the success of the podcast. It reveals there’s nonetheless an infinite viewers for individuals chatting about historical past in an enthusiastic and educated means, with none trace of jargon or apology.
The podcast has additionally touched upon the rise of Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured)
We don’t attempt to dumb issues down. Some topics are sophisticated, sure, just like the origins of Islam or the causes of World Struggle I. However that doesn’t imply they need to be boring. Nor can we do go in for moaning and groaning concerning the supposed misdeeds of historical past.
We positively relish the good tales and characters of the previous, from Alexander the Nice charging into battle towards the Persians to the good Victorian martyr, Basic Gordon, making his final stand at Khartoum.
It’s not all kings and battles, although. Considered one of my favorite latest episodes was the heartbreaking story of the younger Sophie Scholl, the 21-year-old German scholar who dared to protest towards Hitler’s tyranny and was executed in February 1943.
Tales equivalent to Sophie’s are actually essential to us as a result of we all know that so many youngsters hearken to our podcast. And at a time when many schoolchildren research historical past for simply 40 minutes per week, it’s very important to remind them that there’s extra to the previous than the modern obsessions of the U.S. civil rights motion or the Atlantic slave commerce.
We’ve obtained numerous thrilling issues lined up this yr. We’ll be masking the voyages of Columbus, the Spanish conquest of Mexico and the complete sweep of the Hundred Years’ Struggle, in addition to the story of Girl Jane Gray and the lifetime of Ronald Reagan. And we’ll be doing our first nationwide tour.
It is a gigantic privilege. There’s, nevertheless, one cloud within the sky. After greater than 300 episodes, I nonetheless can’t cease my co-presenter, Tom Holland, from interrupting me once I’m in full circulate.
The lesson of historical past, after all, is that there’s no downside a guillotine blade can’t repair. However I believe I’ll let him dwell for the second. He’s masking the assassination of Julius Caesar in just a few weeks — and to be trustworthy, I can’t wait.
Take heed to Dominic and Tom’s podcasts and join bonus content material at restishistorypod.com.
