Lord Byron: Mad, Bad & Dangerous To Know | Part 1

Few lives from history can have contained as many strange and exciting strands as that of Lord Byron's, whose story reflects the great dramas of the Napoleonic era. A vampiric hero of devilish charisma; a martyr for liberty, a licentious lothario; Byron’s cultural and literary impact cannot be underestimated. The remarkable course of his life, and his mercurial nature can in part be explained by the dark events of his childhood, and the outlandish history of his own family. Born with a club foot - his “satanic mark” - to “Mad Jack” Byron, a former gigolo dogged by incest and financial ruin, and an unpredictable mother, a strange curse seemed to lie over the family. Impoverished before the inheritance of his title and a romantic ruin in Nottinghamshire, the plump and provincial boy would finally find solace at school and university, where he transformed into the glamorous rake he would become. There too would he discover the dubious sexual passions that would haunt his life…

Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the diabolic history of the Byron family, and the young Byron’s birth, troubled upbringing, and controversial adolescence.

*The Rest Is History LIVE in 2024*
Tom and Dominic are back onstage this summer, at Hampton Court Palace in London!

Twitter:
@TheRestHistory
@holland_tom
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Producer: Theo Young-Smith
Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett
Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

[KarenBergan]

Tom is just so great in his ability to link together similar bits of stuff from different historical eras - like finding two errant socks, the one we know of in the sock drawer, and the other gunky one, fished out from under the fridge, and then showing us how they - in fact - are still very much a match.

[alexlowemarketing]

My favourite podcast keeps getting better 🎉

[restishistorypod]

If you're enjoying the content on this channel please remember to hit the subscribe button (if you haven't already), it really helps the channel out!

[drgeorgek]

Great subject! You guys have done it again….

[sophiaphilo]

utterly enjoyable to listen to. Very good timing too. Since I'm going to a series of Byronic talks at the British Library tomorrow. Thank you so much. 🐻🦁

[ProudMary-ee]

I don't know why it took this long for YouTube to send these guys my way. I'm obsessed.

[richarddelconnor]

I have gone to sleep many a night, listening to the poetry of Lord Byron. He inspires my poetry and my dreams.

[stephanlandshuter]

Frankly I knew close to nothing about Lord Byron apart from his reputation. After I enjoyed your 4-part-podcast I have the feeling I've read hundreds of pages about his life and works. All that with a healthy pinch of dry British humour which I love. A big thanks from Germany. I'd love to listen to similar episodes about Keats, Blake, Tennyson or Yeats.

[z_inosaur]

Love the show! Please do a series on Giacomo Casanova

[Yankeewally]

Lord Byron used to regularly visit Cefn Ila in Usk, Wales to see his friend Trelawny who bought the place. Percy Shelly visited too. Eventually it was turned into a maternity home. I know this because I was born at Cefn Ila. Sadly it burned down in the 60s. But its become a lovely woodland Trust now

[melindaschwenk-borrell]

i just discovered you guys! Love it -- make sure you discuss Ada Lovelace, his daughter!

[someoneelse]

I've lived my life in the Australian town Byron Bay... captain Cook named it after his homie foul weather jack.... many years later when the town planners came to name the streets in the town, they mistakenly supposed that the town was named for Lord Byron the poet (rather than his grand father) and went and named the streets after poets! Tennyson, keats, Shelly etc..etc..

[AntelJM]

I live next to Gight (pronounced like ‘kicked’, but beginning with a G) Castle in Aberdeenshire and loved that it was mentioned as Byrons childhood home on my favourite pod. Its a lovely ruin in rolling countryside now but it must have been grim in the eighteenth century..

[geronimo]

Delightfully unsuitable lighting in one of those rooms. Love it!

[buleria]

The Rest is History is my favorite podcast. I listen to some of the episodes several times. The greatest part is that you are quite funny and laugh at the absurdity of these people.I only now found out that you are live on YouTube. I listen in the evening in my bed.

[Petipulpul]

I got taste for Lord Byrons Poetry not long ago, but I have to admit that I didn't know anything about him until I listened to this podcast (four of them). Oh my God! The guy was way more interesting than I thought, and as you say in the podcast if he lived now, he would have been an influencer or a polemic rockstar. Great podcast.

[MrFloppyHare]

You two are like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're gonna get. 😀
To be clear: I love it! 😉

[kazz-]

Only just found your channel whilst searching for info on Lord Byron, as I knew almost nothing about him. Very informative, and I love your style 😊

[neenaj]

I’ve just come across this channel and I’m loving the information, in combination with the observations and dry humour.
Many thanks!

[brograb]

I read the Vision of Judgment a few days ago and was astonished by how brilliant he is. Love or hate the man, he was a genius.