London on Fire: The Medieval Rebellion that stormed through England’s Capital

On the 13th of June 1381, the rebel army of English peasants, led by Wat Tyler, entered London and brought chaos, death and destruction upon some of the city’s most important buildings and figures, among them the Archbishop of Canterbury and his home at Lambeth Palace. Within the Tower of London, the 14 year-old Richard II and his government still cowered, with the rebels demanding that Richard’s treacherous advisors be handed over. Desperate, the charismatic young King was convinced by his advisors to ride out and meet the rebels. A meeting ensued, upon which the whole course of English history depended, as the radicals demanded terms that would mean the abolition of serfdom, and the transformation of the English social order forever.

Join Tom and Dominic as they describe the gory and unprecedented events of the Peasants' Revolt, and discuss the stories of mob violence, murder and vandalism…

*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
@dcsandbrook

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[TeresaE]

I love this! I listen to the podcast but, these are such a bonus seeing Tom and Dom’s expressions and laughter! Thank you for uploading these videos 👍🏻

[davidtaylor]

It's truly impossible to call who does the better impressions: Dominic or Tom. Dominic might have the authenticity, but Tom has the heart.

[marywoolley-nbct]

The link between the rebels, the Pilgrim Fathers and Thatcherites is terrific 👏🏽

[sambcg]

Such a solid podcast this is. Deserves more views.

[JJ_hehehehehe]

Thank god for this podcast today. Been a helluva week already. Thank you fellas!!!!

[mishakka]

This is the magic of Brookland! You guys have excellent chemistry, a wealth of knowledge and are laid back just enough for an excellent laugh. Love you guys a lot 🥰
52:10 😉 right back at you 😂😂

[bucksolo]

Every time I hear Tom say rebel I have the picture in my head of Return of the Jedi when the imperal officer says "you rebel scum" lol I don't know why lol

[johnhaynes]

Just love these episodes and all the better on YouTube :)

[j.b.]

Please add the final episode of this series about Richard II’s later years and unhappy ending!!

[sushidawgz]

Love how you guys are integrating video into the uploads! If i may make a suggestion, cold opens like in this video are a tad disorienting and leave unprompted viewers confused as to the subject matter. An introduction along with a teasers at the beginning of videos id wager would boost your viewer retention rate. Best of luck, cheers.

[naomiseraphina]

Long live the memory of John Ball and Wat Tyler! I love the story of the Peasant's Revolt, even if it didn't succeed in undoing feudalism. and even if it could be labeled a "failure". I think that the fact that it only ended when the king was willing to actually FACE his people, and that the majority of the rebels weren't murdered and dismembered as "traitors", means that it was largely a success. What it really did, I think, was to remind the ruling classes and the monarchy that they owe their power to the consent of the governed, and that if that consent is withdrawn, there is no guarantee that the rulers will live to rule again. Knowing that your people will fight back if they are downtrodden too harshly is a good lesson for a leader.
We could use a few more people's uprisings nowadays, I think. They're hygienic.

[jme_a]

Dominic has the dulcet tones of a commoner, whereas Tom has that slightly camp upper class vibe. Tom is a wealthy Scottish landlord after all.

[hanka]

Was looking for the next video about Richard II but didn’t find it ;-(

[gmac]

I prefer watching these than listening because you can see the speakers.

[michaelbedford]

This must surely be earliest example of a royal advisor using the term 'Ok'.
I look forward to you chasing up this revelation.

[PeloquinDavid]

I've long thought there was no more archetypically English a revolt than the American Revolution...

[Gargoiling]

Is London Bridge worth an episode? I'm surprised Dominic didn't know it' was the only one for nearly all of the city's history. There's no evidence of any settlement before the Romans built a bridge. It's central to the history of the city and why London is where it is.

[robertalpy]

There is a prison in london called the klink? We in the US call jail the klink...lol.

[ODDwayne]

Wow. Just now realized that Richard and Bolingbroke were the same age. Yes it's ironic that Henry was in refuge with his cousin Richard at this stage of life.

[elizabethannegrey]

9.37 Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop’s wine cellar, riot and revels. Sounds like a distinct possibility.