Mailbox Monday: 30 October

Hello and happy Monday everyone! I’ve had a run of lovely bookmail lately, which is both exciting and perfectly timed since I’m starting to work on some gift guides. One title that arrived last week that I’m particularly pleased to have in my hands is The Rest is History by Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook.

I love Tom and Dominic’s podcast (also called The Rest is History) – it’s our regular commute listen, and we always find it super entertaining as well as educational. In fact, I’m such a fan that I’ve booked tickets to see the guys on their tour through Australia in November. Naturally I was thrilled to get my hands on an early copy of the book, which a quick flick through has already shown me is packed with the same fun voices as the podcast.

Here’s the description from the Bloomsbury website:

Make room Herodotus, stand down Bede, pipe down Pepys . . . There’s a new history book in town.

From the chart-topping podcast The Rest is History, a whistle-stop tour through the past – from Alexander the Great to Tolkien, the Wars of the Roses to Watergate. The nation’s favourite historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook take on the most curious moments in history, answering the questions we didn’t even think to ask:

– Did the Trojan War actually happen?
– What was the most disastrous party in history?
– Was Richard Nixon more like Caligula or Claudius?
– How did a hair appointment almost blow Churchill’s cover?
– Why did the Nazis believe they were descended from Atlantis?

Whether it is sending historical figures to Casa Amor in a series of Love Island, ranking history’s most famous eunuchs and pigeons (including Winkie, the unsung hero of the Second World War), or debating the meaning of greatness, there is nothing too big or too small for Tom and Dominic to unpick.

So run your Egyptian milk bath, strap up your best Spartan sandals, and prepare for a journey down the highways and byways of the human past. . .

If you’re a fan of Tom and Dominic too, the good news is that you don’t have to wait long to pick up a copy of this one – I believe it is out tomorrow, 31 October!
I promise to come back with a proper review when I’ve had more of a read through, and I have a suspicion it might just end up featuring here again when I get to sharing some gift giving recommendations. Big thanks to the team at Bloomsbury Australia for sending me this copy!

Thanks also to the team at Mailbox Monday for hosting the meme – please pop over to check them out and find out what some of my fellow bibliophile bloggers have found in their mailboxes this week too!

xo Bron
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