To be ignorant of the past is to be forever a child.
~ Cicero
I've fallen captive to another favorite podcast. This one takes deep dives, most often in multiple episodes, into ancient and modern world history. The Rest is History (TRIH) features Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, two historians from the United Kingdom who have a talent for turning ancient history into a current cliffhanger.
I stumbled across TRIH in recent months and, upon scrolling through the content, was immediately hooked. Since the podcast debuted in late 2020, it's impossible for me to catch up on everything. But with careful selections, I've already learned a great deal more about Irish history, from medieval times to the 19th century famines to the 1916 Rebellion and its tragic aftermath. I've been further educated on The Beatles, St. Joan of Arc, and Hannibal.
Today I completed a four-part series on Iran, which for me filled in many gaps about the Shah and the hostage crisis. At the time all those dramas were unfolding, I was in the process of moving across country and having my second child. All that personal upheaval was somewhat distracting, so it's nice to finally get a full grip on events in 1979.
The two hosts, being British, do take occasional veiled, chuckling shots at the USA when we are part of the narrative. Although their remarks in that vein are often humorous, I'm always ready with a snarky "You're welcome for the WWII victory." The irony cuts both ways, fellas.
Aside from that one small beef, I say scroll through, pick your topic, and give TRIH a listen. Right now, for my next choice, I'm deciding between stories of The Titanic or The Rolling Stones. Whichever one I choose first, I'm sure I'll get to both.
