We're BACK Baby!

Hello you! Welcome back to the new and improved Hot History Podcast! I am so excited for all things hot AND all things history in 2026! Today I'm giving you some of my top recommendations across TV, Film, Books, Podcasts, Substacks, Creators and YouTube so you can start Feb filled to the brim with content. Plus, of course, if you're wanting more Hot History content you can follow along on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hothistoryclub/?hl=en, TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@hot.history?lang=en and YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@hot.history and of course, right here! If you'd like to submit a hot take or ask us a question you can do so at [email protected] mailto:[email protected]! See you next Friday x

• 0:01Speaker 00

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• 0:30Speaker 01

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• 1:15Speaker 02

  Hi guys! It has been a while since we last caught up. And for very good reason, if I'm being honest, last year was by far my biggest year, both professionally and personally. I wrote and published a book. I hit 400,000 followers on TikTok. I went on national TV. I travelled to Europe twice with brands I love for All Things History, all because of you guys. And another time, less because of you guys and for the man I love, to get married, eloping, and then honeymooning on what was by far the best trip of my life. I then came back and became a bestseller on the first day of my book release and even made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

• 2:00Speaker 02

  So like I said, guys, I've been busy. And I'm gonna be honest, which I always try to be with you, I just had to cut down. Because I actually can't do it all. A painful realisation for me, the perfectionist, but it is true. And unfortunately, this podcast got the runt of that. I did do a few episodes and the ones that I did manage to do were fine. You know, quick little thirty minute summaries of some historical figures, who they are, what they did, how we remember them. It was all good. But I don't think any of it was great.

• 2:42Speaker 02

  And again, if I'm being really honest with you guys, I'm not sure that any of the episodes I've put out have been great. And the reason for that, and I've done a lot of thinking about it, kind of the back half of twenty twenty five. I think the reason for that is because I actually started Hot History because I hated my job. And I don't know if I've spoken about this that much, and I promise I will get back to how this relates to the podcast. But I was so burnt out and I was so unhappy with what I was doing with my everyday life that I actually couldn't function properly.

• 3:25Speaker 02

  Ended up seeing a therapist and was diagnosed with depression. And in my sessions that I was going to and, you know, doing with her, she asked what I did for fun every day. And I said, ma'am, no such thing exists. And so her big kind of project to me was to do one thing every day that had no gain other than me just like expressing myself, doing something creative. It wasn't about money or accolades or anything else. It was just me doing something that I loved. And I have always, always loved history. The few moments in the day, again, this was all like upon reflection back then.

• 4:10Speaker 02

  It's obvious to me now, but back then it wasn't. The few moments in the day would be me driving or making my salad every night. And, you know, maybe like thirty minutes before bed. I would spend that time, my free time, watching history documentaries.

• 4:28Speaker 02

  History documentaries were, let's be real, history documentaries still are, like, the pinnacle of my day. It's me, some expert with like, a foreign accent and a world of facts and fascination from fascist to French fashion, and I really found escape in time. So I took that love and I started Hot History on TikTok.

• 4:58Speaker 02

  All I did, and like, I really am serious, I started this as a project for my therapist. All I did was post content that I was interested in. It was the Romanoffs, the Titanic, um, coronations and like crown jewels. I think it was around like just before King Charles's coronation. This wasn't for anyone else. And again, reflecting on that, it went viral almost instantly for that very reason, because it was just what I wanted to see. And again, Hot History was never meant to be anything other than a way for me to take time out of my work life and obligations and, and do something fun.

• 5:41Speaker 02

  But three years later, here I am, here you are, and together, we get to travel through time and basically just talk shit. And I couldn't think of a better way to spend the rest of my life. And that is what brings me back to this podcast. Because along that three year journey, I started this podcast mainly because, again, I'm being super honest with you guys, that's what you were supposed to do. I saw other creators doing it and thought, well, why not? And because I followed the trend, which I never do, but because I followed the trend and because I did like, that's what you were meant to do. And you know, I thought that's what, that's what good creators did.

• 6:26Speaker 02

  I never really.

• 6:29Speaker 02

  Developed a format for this show, which I loved and I was interested in. And I would really itch to listen to. And again, I just, I just think. And I love you if you've loved this podcast and like we will stick to it, I promise, but it's just felt a little bit dry. And I really made content for this show because I thought it's what you wanted to hear. And what you wanted to watch, FYI, we're on video now. Hi, if you hear me say watch, that's why. So again, I really spent the back half of twenty twenty five thinking about what I want to listen to. And what I want to watch.

• 7:09Speaker 02

  And when I think about what podcasts and shows and, and content that I love. And what makes them like so special, that sense of like je ne sais quoi. Why I keep coming back. It was this very distinctive way of thinking. Which all of these shows, regardless of who was hosting, regardless of, you know, nationality, wherever, whatever time of year or seasonality, whatever. It was the take and the way of thinking that they applied to their subject matter. It wasn't just telling of information. It wasn't just telling of facts. It was analysis and opinion delivered in this host's signature style.

• 7:53Speaker 02

  And time after time, what I thought that I really, really loved to listen to.

• 8:01Speaker 02

  And what actually made me realise in this process. Was that I almost never give my opinion. On anything I cover on Hunt History. Like honestly, if you go back through my posts, you will see. They are almost, I reckon eighty percent of the time, just straight presentation of facts. This happened here, these were the key players, this was how people responded, this is how it ended. What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments below. Blah, blah, blah.

• 8:31Speaker 02

  And the reason I did that, and again, this has been a lot of retrospective thinking on it. The reason I did that, I think is really twofold. The first of which, I tried my hardest for so long to approach things without bias. Again, here are the facts. The facts don't lie. Our history books are sacred. Sources, sources, sources. My job's to give you the information. Here you go. Your job is to interpret it. And I still do believe in that like responsibility and that at the end of the day, as educators, it's our job to go, here's the information and you to reach your own conclusion. But what has changed for me is the idea of those sacred history books and these precious

• 9:15Speaker 02

  sources, which we put on such a fucking pedestal, they're just fucking biased. Like truly, I try so hard not to be biased in my presentation and rely on the sources, which are just so fucking biased to begin with, right? I'm going to prove this to you by asking you a question. Well, virtually, anyway. Okay. How much of recorded human history do you think mentions women?

• 9:45Speaker 02

  Now, we've been recording history, like with science and, and method, which is recognised as recorded history for around three and a half thousand years. In that time, we have had so much happen. The rise of the Roman Empire, the death of Jesus, the Crusades, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, Queen Victoria, both world wars, the bomb, Covid, right? Just to name a few. It is a huge chunk of history. So what percentage of that do you think mentions women?

• 10:23Speaker 02

  Now I imagine the answers will vary here because I have asked so many people this question. So let's say you're feeling pretty good. You're gonna go in at fifteen percent. After all, there's like Princess Diana, Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, Marie Antoinette, right? Like the big four. They are all super fucking famous and must make up at least a large portion of that fifteen percent figure. Like, I follow that thinking, right? That's maybe you. Perhaps you've, you know, been to a bookstore and seen one too many books of Napoleon or Churchill or Lincoln. So you're going in at a conservative five percent, which respect you. Then there's the pessimists at like one to two percent.

• 11:09Speaker 02

  Well, you're all wrong.

• 11:13Speaker 02

  Because approximately zero point five percent of recorded human history mentions women. Yeah, just gonna, just gonna let you soak that in. Despite the fact that statistically, we have made up the majority of the human race, women occupy zero point five percent of the human record.

• 11:41Speaker 02

  What the fuck? How can I, again, put our history books on this golden pedestal and offer no real opinion, just fact, when the facts are just biased as fucked?

• 11:56Speaker 02

  Again, it's like, it seems so obvious and rudimentary and basic. But I just, I really did rely so heavily on presenting fact, perhaps because of reason too. I was scared. Now. Vulnerable alert, if you're not into vulnerability, scroll forward. But even though I wasn't offering commentary or opinions, my comment section was full of people calling me out because they interpreted my neutrality as an opposition to their opinion. And I want to give an example of this to make it make sense, right? So I remember doing a post on the Gilded Age and it was about like how much

• 12:40Speaker 02

  new money, um, families of the Gilded Age would be worth today. The Vanderbilts, the Morgans, the Rockefellers, et cetera, et cetera. Basically going, this was what they were at the peak of their wealth. Here's what it is based on inflation figures in today's day and age. Just fact, just figures, just that information. And P S, I will caveat, I do think that content still deserves a place on hot history. This isn't like, I'm not saying I'm not doing that anymore, but people in my comment section started attacking me, saying that I supported these new money robber barons' exploitation of their workers and the limited labour rights of the time, which they built those fortunes on.

• 13:24Speaker 02

  Despite the fact, I never said that. And that wasn't what the post was about. My lack of caveat that I don't actually support methods of like how these men made their fortunes

• 13:39Speaker 02

  with these figures, like it just must have meant that I love child labour.

• 13:45Speaker 02

  And as like annoying and just plainly incorrect as that was. If that was the backlash that I was getting for offering no opinion, just fact, then what backlash would I get if I did offer opinion? Because at no point. When I was making that post, did the thought ever enter my mind that that is what people's response was gonna be? Because I like, I didn't, again, have this caveat that child labour and poor working conditions are bad. So I, I really felt stuck between a rock and a hard place

• 14:28Speaker 02

  for a long time when it came to offering my opinions and thoughts beyond, here's the facts, this is why it matters to history. And that make, that might, you know, make me a coward. And you should, you know, follow the things that you believe in, and I do. I think child labour's terrible. I think we need better labour force and, you know, better, better union laws that are available to all people throughout all of human history. But like, that wasn't what I was talking about. I was just giving you information.

• 15:00Speaker 02

  But over the last year,

• 15:03Speaker 02

  I've made a realisation, come to this realisation, made a discovery, I guess, that like, I just don't give a fuck. In fact, I've had a real shift in the way that I view my comment section. And I've found it so fascinating in seeing people's different point of view. Even if I don't agree, even if I think it's outrageous. And often going, okay, I get that. Or like, how did you come to that conclusion? Or I've never really thought about that way. Or, you know, no, that's just wrong. And I feel like I've been able to use my comment section in a productive way.

• 15:44Speaker 02

  And what I used to feel was an attack on what I was or wasn't saying, I've actually discovered to be a sounding board for further exploration of that topic and how I present my content in way that encourages helpful discussion. And that's been a big shift in mindset. And I think just comes with like maturity, but, but more so has come as a result of looking at the world around me today.

• 16:15Speaker 02

  And, and that is the real thing, right? Thoughtful conversation, thoughtful discussion. For all of our technological advances and breakthroughs and undoubted superiority upon former generations and former times, we can't seem to do that. The divides between us all grow. Extremism runs rampant. No one can agree on the basics anymore because no one's willing to have a discussion with the other side on things that affect us all because we can't even decide on, on where the fucking location will be or what the topic is or what we're discussing. Right? And our ability to ingest and then digest other people's points of view and have open, meaningful discussions, I genuinely think will be the thing that kills us.

• 17:01Speaker 02

  Not bombs, not if Harry Styles' new album is shit. An inability to have thoughtful, meaningful discussions. So in light of that, I've decided to relaunch the Hot History Podcast with a brand new format. We will still do our deep dives into historical figures and events that interest me, but we will also dive into bigger questions. And for those, I want to hear from you. So a few weeks out from each of these episodes, which I'm so excited, literally buzzing for, I will post to the Hot History socials and tell you the topic.

• 17:43Speaker 02

  And I would love for you to email me your hot take on that topic at [email protected] or DM me with either a message or a voice note if you're comfortable with that. Again, with your hot take and opinion on that topic, you can also go to my link tree in my Insta bio and there's a form where you can anonymously submit your thought if you would like to do so. Now, I have a list of these already prepared, which I'm gonna share a little with you now, so you get a bit of an idea of what these like hot take episodes will be. But if you do have any burning historical questions, conundrums, or topics you feel really strongly about, then again,

• 18:25Speaker 02

  please email or DM me because I am so excited for these topics. And again, I feel like this is the content that I wanna consume because these are some of the questions that run through my head at like midnight when I'm trying to get to sleep. So, questions, samples will be: What is the impact of historical inaccuracies in media, television, movies, et cetera? The ethics behind archaeology and digging up other people's graves? The impact of historical influences on tourism? And I have a story to accompany this. Is it fucked up to be interested in the Nazis? And what counts as history? Now, like I said, these are just a few of the first topics we'll be tackling,

• 19:11Speaker 02

  but I am so excited to bring you my thoughts and opinions. And again, I think just really flesh out in 2026, what the hot history take looks and sounds like. And, and be challenged on that.

• 19:33Speaker 02

  Right? Above everything, and the reason that I love history is because I am curious. I love to learn new things. And again, I think it is like an intense lack of curiosity, which is killing us because we just constantly feel backed in, like to our own corners by uncivilized discussion and attacks, especially in comment sections, right? Where, where there's not real people behind them, so it feels even more like an attack. And I think the fact that we can't be open to other views and ideas because we're too busy defending is such, like, one, a shame, and two, dangerous. So, if you disagree with me, please let me know.

• 20:16Speaker 02

  In a civilized, nice way, FYI, I don't need like more hate already on my page, thank you anyway. Um, and again, if I disagree with an opinion or take, I'll say I disagree, but I will tell you why and how I think it's relevant or not. And then it's up to you to make your own decision. So I'm super pumped to give this podcast the love and attention and hot history take that it really deserves, while also still tackling our normal episodes on historical figures. Um, we're going to be fleshing out and out as well to include events, significant battles,

• 20:55Speaker 02

  revolutions, um, inventions, uh, groups. Again, we'll still do people, places as well. But yeah, all of it. We will also in that have those hot take topics, which I'm so excited for. But today, we are doing neither. And in the spirit of me kicking off, sharing my opinions and the hot history take, I want to give you a peek inside my little black book. After all, it is 2026 and the hottest thing any of the girlies can do is be smart. And I don't just mean book smart, I mean culture smart.

• 21:37Speaker 02

  Knowing your art, knowing your news, knowing your books, knowing your celebrity, listening to up and coming shows and artists, diving into a new series, or even like what I do all the time, fall down a YouTube rabbit hole, right? It seems so like 2017 to be on YouTube, but obsessed, right? To be hot is to be informed after all, and to be informed with recommendations from the hot historian is to get the kickstart on the new year that you deserve. Because guys, let's be real, the new year actually starts in Feb. So in light of this, I am going to share my recommendations over the next two episodes

• 22:20Speaker 02

  for TV, movies, books, podcasts and music, Substacks, YouTube, and my favorite creators for all of my hot historians out there.

• 22:33Speaker 02

  But first, I do wanna like, again caveat, even though I've just said that caveats are shit, but I do wanna caveat that these are not like, big blockbuster, well-known zeitgeisty recommendations. So before you come at me and go, "Oh my god, I can't believe you didn't put Saving Private Ryan, the greatest history film of all time, on this list." This isn't the greatest list of all time, okay? These are my, like, insider recommendations for things perhaps that are like, a little bit niche, where people haven't seen, um, or consumed, or perhaps they have and just like, haven't seen them in a really long time. And this is your sign and reminder to go and do and see them again.

• 23:16Speaker 02

  And again, this is like, a really long list, guys, so I am feeding you in January 2026. And it's gonna be split into two parts, but firstly, I'm gonna start with TV. Now, fun fact about me, guys, I love a series. There is nothing better on God's green earth than coming across a new show and knowing that you have hours of TV time in bed. Cup of tea, new pajamas with my dog, like dimmed bedside lamps, fireplace on.

• 23:59Speaker 02

  It is the ultimate lock-in. I genuinely reach flow state, like, I've, I've Cassie from Euphoria, I have never, ever been happier than when I have a new little show, especially if it's a period drama. So, anyway, anyway, I'm just chatting now. Recommendation one is called The Romanoffs. Now, it's spelt with two Fs at the end, so R-O-M, I don't know why I'm spelling, I'll put it up on the screen. Anyway, it was released in 2018, and it is an anthology series, so each episode follows a descendant of the former imperial Russian family. Some of them are closely related, so like, the first episode, there is, um, it's an amazing episode. It's about this, like, again, really closely, um, related Romanoff family member.

• 24:42Speaker 02

  She's living in Paris in this absurd flat and like, has a Faberge egg and it's crazy. Some are distant, it has an awesome cast. John Slattery, Christina Hendricks, Aaron Eckhart, Catherine Hahn. The Catherine Hahn episode explores, like, the reality of international adoption in Russia.

• 25:02Speaker 02

  Amazing. It's like was panned, this show was panned. I think it was forty five percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but I like it. Recommendation two, The Essex Serpent. Now, this came out in twenty twenty two. It is based off a novel by the same name. It stars Claire Danes, who is a widow. She's freed from a really abusive marriage. She relocates from Victorian London to a small village in Essex. Intrigued by local superstition that a mythical creature known as the Essex Serpent has returned to the area. And when she's there, I love, I love a little bit of kooky. There's like some kooky recommendations in here. When she's there, she meets the local vicar, who is Tom Hiddleston. His own wife is unwell. Drama ensues.

• 25:46Speaker 02

  Um, it pulls in religious hysteria. There's a bit of like the Salem Woods trial. Um, you know, feel about it. I love this show on Apple TV. Next is like relatively new. It's Rivals, twenty twenty four, based on Dame Jilly Cooper's books. It's set in the eighties in the Cotswolds, dives into like the glamorous cutthroat world of local television and aristocracy. It's got David Tennant, it's got Aidan Turner, it's got Alex Hassel. It's got lots of nude man bottoms. And I'm obsessed. Season two is about to come out. Genuinely, one of the best series. Next is The Awful Dodger, guys, twenty twenty three. It follows Jack Dawkins, AKA The Awful Dodger,

• 26:31Speaker 02

  from Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist. Now, this show is all about his escape from London. He joins the Navy, he learns to be a surgeon, comes to Australia um, as one of the colony's surgeons. And he meets the governor's daughter, who's also obsessed with medicine. There's sneaking around, there's top secret surgeries. Sexy things, I'm not spoiling it for you guys, but um, season two is about to drop. I actually got to go to the set for when they filmed season two. And um, which was amazing, because I was such a fan of season one. So I'm super keen for season two to come out soonish. Yeah.

• 27:12Speaker 02

  Okay, next, one of my favourite TV series of all time. I've watched this about twenty million times. And then there were none. So this is twenty fifteen. It was an Agatha Christie novel adaptation. Basically, ten strangers get invited to an island by a mysterious man who none of them have met. They arrive, he's nowhere to be found, there's nowhere to escape from this island. There's like a boat that comes every like week or something. And slowly, each of them start to die, one by one, as their sins are revealed. The twist at the end, outrageous. Agatha Christie, Queen of Crime, like, that series does her justice. Next is A Discovery of Witches, twenty eighteen. Again, another book adaptation. She's a young

• 27:57Speaker 02

  witch with no magic. She discovers a magical book in Oxford Uni. She attracts the attention of like this hot, centuries-old vampire professor, who's looking for the origins of their species. Matthew Good is the professor, like the vampire professor, so hot. Teresa Palmer is the witch, perfect. Again, another Aussie. It's set between modern-day Oxford and France, and without spoiling the Elizabethan era. Again, based on the series by Deborah Harkness. And I was obsessed. Season one and season two, season three less so, sorry, but season one is really good. Next is, this one is, or maybe it was on Netflix, I'll have to check if it's still on there, but it is called

• 28:40Speaker 02

  The Alienist. Came out in twenty eighteen. Stars Dakota Fanning, Daniel Brill, I think is how you say it, and Luke Evans. And it is set amongst the vast wealth and like extreme poverty of like eighteen ninety to nineteen hundred New York. And it follows an alienist, AKA a psychologist, that's what they used to be called, a journalist and an aspiring female detective. Now, this has two seasons, both of which have huge twists at the end. It is a dark thriller. It's got a lot of social commentary, incredible sets, costumes, like right in the heart of the late Victorian era. If you are not a fan of crime and like maybe a bit squeamish, perhaps not the one for

• 29:25Speaker 02

  you. But I think this show actually does a better job on season two than season one.

• 29:32Speaker 02

  Which is not what Sanditon does. Now, Sanditon, there are so many haters. It came out in 2019. It is based on an unfinished novel by Jane Austen. And again, by no means is this the most highbrow or acclaimed recommendation on this list. But basically, it follows a family of brothers transforming a seaside town into a centre for new society. Along the way, there are like carriage crashes, they meet a farmer's daughter and like to say, thank you for saving us. They take her to this town where she meets the middle brother, played by Theo James. This is a show, season one, again, I'm talking about season one, full of yearning.

• 30:13Speaker 02

  Enemies to lovers, seaside bathing, succession drama and like even a bit of incest. So again, if that's not your thing, like maybe not, but I love season one. Again, it kind of goes downhill from there. Sorry. Um, what's next? Movies. Okay, movies. I love. This one is a bit more mainstream, but the Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society. Came out in 2018, uh, but it is set in 1946, I think, after the end of World War Two. And it follows a London-based writer named Juliet, played by Lily James. And she exchanges letters with a resident on the island of Guernsey,

• 30:58Speaker 02

  which was under German occupation during World War Two. I think that this does such a good job of representing what I think an island occupation would have looked like. Feels with big questions around love, loyalty, hereditary, the island is beautiful. Yeah, I really liked this film and it is like one of those comfort movies that I go back to all the time. Speaking of comfort movies, The Secret Garden, 1993. This is top five best book adaptations of all time, I reckon, honestly. Had me in a chokehold when I was a kid.

• 31:39Speaker 02

  Basically, it follows a young British girl who is orphaned by an earthquake in India. She's sent back to England to live in her uncle's castle where she discovers, oh, it literally makes me so excited just talking about it. She discovers a locked, overgrown garden which belonged to her late aunt. It is.

• 31:58Speaker 02

  Genuinely responsible for my obsession with like abandoned places, antiques, treasure hunting. To be honest, like history and family history. Plus, it has a young, hot Maggie Smith in it. Iconic. What more could you ask for? And like great gardens. I'm a sucker for a good garden, so love. Next is The Woman in Gold, 2015. This follows Maria Altman, a Jewish refugee played by Helen Mirren, um, along with her lawyer, Randy Schonberg, played by Ryan Reynolds. And she faces several difficulties while trying to reclaim a painting seized by the Nazis at the start of World War II.

• 32:41Speaker 02

  Again, I think that this gives an incredible look at the like state of mind of the people in annexed and occupied countries before the war, Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, et cetera, who didn't escape before Hitler either annexed or invaded. And what really, what life was really like for those Jewish families trying to escape once they did realise. If you're all interested in art, art restitution, World War II, um, I highly recommend I would watch Helen Mirren like paint walls. I'm obsessed with her. This film is so, um, like underrated. Next is Fool's Gold, 2008.

• 33:26Speaker 02

  It's like so different to the rest of this list. It's an action rom-com. The perfect Friday night movie, if I do say so myself. It follows Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, duh, on a deep sea treasure hunt in the Carri- in the Caribbean for a sunken Spanish galleon. Need I say more? There's action, there's history, there's humour, there's Matthew McConaughey. It is a great film. I will have no haters against it. I will also have no haters against this next one. And if anyone comes to me saying the first one is better, you're dead. Narnia, Prince Caspian.

• 34:04Speaker 02

  This doesn't have anything to do with history. I just think it's so elite. It was made in 2008. Follows the Pensies siblings back in Narnia hundreds of years after they've left the last time. Narnians, all but extinct. Man, taken over. And the heir, Prince Caspian, is forced to flee for his life from his evil uncle. But not before calling for the kings and queens of old, AKA Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy. Deals with faith, corruption, loss of childish wonder, conquering. Prince Caspian, Ben Barnes, oh my god. Like, proper OG crush.

• 34:46Speaker 02

  I just, I watched that movie and I just love that man. It ages like fine wine. If you haven't watched it in ages, go and watch it. Next is Hidden Figures. Now, this one is pretty mainstream, but it is genuinely on like all of my lists at all times. It follows three African-American mathematicians and engineers who play a pivotal role in astronaut John Glenn's launch into orbit. They are all female, I can't remember if I said that or not, but they have to deal with so many things. Racial discrimination, gender-based discrimination. It stars Taraji P. Henson. She gives genuinely one of the greatest performances ever.

• 35:27Speaker 02

  And like, I'm always filled with equal parts tears and hope at the end of a film, which I just think is the best way to ever feel at the end of a movie. Okay, I'm gonna move on to podcasts slash music. I'm not a big music gal, sorry. So if you're expecting something like revelatory, it's not gonna happen. I do recommend though, the Bridgerton orchestral suite specifically to work to. Now, there is a playlist with all of the orchestral suites of the Bridgerton like modern renditions, like Material Girl, Sign of the Times, all of them. They're the best to work to. I am so productive, I get so much done when I put them on. And it just like, gives me the Regency sexy vibes, you know? What else could you want?

• 36:13Speaker 02

  The next one is the OG, The Rest Is History. Dom and Tom can do no wrong. I love them. I love The Rest Is History. And if you're looking to get into more historical podcasts, but don't quite know where to start, open The Rest Is History. There's like 700 episodes there. And again, that maybe feel like feels a bit too overwhelming. So I want to put you on to specifically the Jack the Ripper series. It's six parts, um, an incredible walk through the famous case, uh, gives details, fascinating insight. And I think these guys just do a really good job at storytelling. And Jack the Ripper is a really fascinating story to start with.

• 36:55Speaker 02

  Next, you'll be going, oh my God, that's a basic, but Call Her Daddy, I love Alex Cooper. Like, I love the interviews. I love the whole show, full stop. But I want to put you on to a specific episode called Dermscrolling is Ruining Your Life. It was posted on the 26th of October last year, if that makes kind of life easier finding it for you. And it basically looks at the links between anxiety, overstimulation, and restlessness with our social consumption, which is something I've been thinking so much about recently. So I really liked, um, Alex's take and I thought this was a great episode. Next is the Stylish podcast. Now, this is by Shameless Media.

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  I am a huge Shameless podcast listener too, so I recommend them. But like, I specifically want to talk about Stylish. And the reason I love this podcast so much is because I'll turn it on and they'll start bringing up the topics and I'll go,

• 37:58Speaker 02

  hmm, you know, I, I actually heard that or thought about that. And I never.

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  Quite feel or felt at least anyway, that I had the skills or like wasn't cool enough to deep it because I'm not like a cool, fashiony girly. But listening to them deep it, I always leave the episode going, like, I followed all of that. And I get that and that's, that's a fascinating take and like, maybe my take's a little bit different, but the fact I have a take and can respond to that and have a discussion, like, I guess that does make me stylish. And I really like that because it's this sense of affirmation that I think we all need. Like, no matter how self-assured you are. And I think, again, linking back to what I said at the top, I really want everyone that comes to hot history

• 38:53Speaker 02

  to walk away from any of the content you consume, even if you disagree, even if you like, think it's the most ridiculous take ever, going, I learned something new. And I am a hot historian. I don't need a fucking degree or a classroom or to be some like fucking pseudo-intellectual who smokes a pipe and wears like a hundred percent alpaca socks or some shit. Like, you know, you are the hot historian because you've decided to learn and be curious. Okay, guys, so I realized when I wash all of that back, I can totally fit both parts into one video lol.

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  So I'm just gonna keep rolling with my six recommendations for books to start 2026. And this first one is, like, genuinely without a doubt, top three books of all time for me. I'm so serious. Like, this is probably the best book I've read as an adult and like definitely the best book I've read in the last 10 years, and I never hear anyone talking about it. So I wanna recommend to you guys All The Broken Places by John Boyne. Now, this was released in 2022. It is the sequel to The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, which wows me even more that people don't talk about it just because of that.

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  Um, what can I tell you? It picks up right at the end of World War II. The Nazis have fallen and members of the command and their families are forced to either flee and hide or turn themselves in. This story specifically follows the mother and sister of the boy in the first book, who decide to flee to Paris with the aid of Nazi supporters. And this book jumps between modern London and post-war Paris and Sydney. Now, I usually don't like a time jump book. This is done so incredibly well. And the time jumps are used to look at how those directly involved with the Nazi regime

• 40:56Speaker 02

  are living their lives and going through and experiencing or not experiencing the guilt of their actions in those years and the years that follows. It is insightful, it is thoughtful, it is so challenging. And like the best twist at the end, everyone I've told to read this book has finished it in under 24 hours. It is incredible. I cannot recommend it enough, like five stars. Even if you've got friends who aren't really into history, get them to read this book. It is incredible. From there, to my number one read of all time, I really am feeding you guys today. This book is my childhood.

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  This is where my sense of wonder and adventure and storytelling came from. It is Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. I kid you not when I say I was 10 years old and got this book from an op shop. It was old and dry and crusty and smelled like moths and the cover kept falling off. And I could not put it down. It follows Captain Nemo, this like morally grey hottie sea captain, who's driven by revenge against imperialist forces that killed his family. It's set aboard, um, what's it called? The submarine, the Nautilus?

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  And is narrated by a professor who has gone with Nemo on this like around the world adventure to try and solve the mystery of a sea monster.

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  Say less. It's perfect. And it's like a true classic. It looks at the conflict of man and nature, technology and science, revenge and freedom. Like genuinely one of the greatest books ever written by the father of science fiction himself.

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  Jules Verne. Obsessed. Next is a recommendation from the incredible Connie Nielsen, who I interviewed for Gladiator Two. And spoke with about women's history, which was super poignant. Because she is none other than the queen of the Amazons in Wonder Woman. And she actually recommended this book to me. It is called The Amazons by Adrian Maya? Maya? I never quite know. Sorry Adrian if I'm saying it wrong. Um, which looks at the real history of the Amazons in war and love. Combining um classical myth and art. It looks at nomad traditions, um archaeology.

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  And really tries to give a complete picture of the famed female warriors. Who was such a rabbit hole of mine in high school and who we do not talk about enough. I'm gonna do a whole episode. Here, on The Amazons. Because they deserve it. And I love this book and this recommendation from Connie, who is a queen. Literally. Next is a golden oldie guys. It is Antonia Fraser's Marie Antoinette: The Journey. Now, this was published in two thousand and one. And I will preface. Because people are gonna come at me for it. It is a sympathetic look at the life and losses of the famed French queen.

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  It looks at um primary sources and firsthand accounts primarily from women at the time. And it does offer a different perspective which tears down the male centric view of Marie Antoinette as the bitch. In exchange for her as a real woman. Now, I did a whole chapter of Marie Antoinette in my own book. Um, I read um Antonia Fraser's Marie Antoinette: The Journey in preparation for that, as did Sophia Coppola. This is the book that inspired her to make the two thousand and six film starring Kirsten Dutz. And I really like this book, so I think you should read it, especially if you're a woman. Next is Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History by historian Laurel Thatch-O'Ritch.

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  Who I fucking love. This woman does not get the flowers that she deserves. This came out in 2007. The book's title is based off her own iconic quote, well behaved women seldom make history. And it essentially looks at women of the past and challenges the way history was written about them. By taking us through the lives of three very different, very distinctive women from different centuries and eras. And looks at the similarities in the historical reporting. Again, I used this as one of these seminal pieces of research when I was writing my own book. Okay, fine, I'll do a shameless plug. It's called Sisters of Scandal.

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  It looks at basically tearing down that 0.5% staff and looks at why scandalous women in particular are part of that record. Which again, well behaved women seldom make history. So it is nately linked to the principles Laurel dives into here. I really loved this book. Also linked is The Creation of Patriarchy by Gerda Lerner. This is a book that every single human being on planet Earth should have to read. It was published in 1996 by Gerda Lerner. She is a prolific feminist and author. Whose theories are all primarily based off the belief that male dominance over women is not natural or biological.

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  Which is the predominant angle that the manosphere pushes for the reason and origins of patriarchy. Instead, Gerda says that patriarchy is a result or a product of a historical development. Which begun in the second millennium B.C. in the ancient Near East. I love this book. I particularly like its treatment of ancient times. And the way that she speaks about patriarchy from a historical point of view. And spoiler, although like it's a non-fiction, it's already happened. Diva's like, come on. The origins of patriarchy actually began as an institution linking back to property and ownership laws.

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  All of which had to do with incest within clans and tribes.

• 47:18Speaker 02

  Like it is so fascinating. She's an incredible writer. It's jam packed with evidence and sources, which again gives that historical perspective on the state of patriarchy throughout time. And I just cannot recommend it enough. Buy it for everyone you know. Illy Gerdup Lerner. Speaking of writers and great takes, I have some sub stacks I want to recommend to you guys. The first of which is The Historian by Kay Jones. It deep dives on a bunch of incredible topics in women's history, from um women and sexual violence in the Middle Ages. Um, the cost of writing women back into the history books, how the Victorians made female celebrities.

• 47:58Speaker 02

  Um, what else? Um, 0.5% stat. She dug a lot into that as well and way more. Uh, but I really adore her prose. I always love to see her take on any topic through the lens of women's history. And we should support more historians and more women who are championing the cause of women's history in our day to day lives. So Illy, Kay and The Historian. Next is The Book Club by Emre Nars. The, the V is with two Es. Um, and she wrote one of the original pieces on how to be disgustingly educated. I love her take on literature and curiosity as a concept.

• 48:40Speaker 02

  And I really do recommend that you guys go and read um on how to be disgustingly educated. This post has had thousands of reposts and like, I think it's just such a tonic. It's such 2026 energy, like New Year vibes, like let's go get it, let's go learn, let's be hot together. And I also love anything that she reshare. Like I found so many little golden nuggets just from her reshare for things that she's found interesting. So a really great resource in your daily life. Next is from The Index by Mufaro. I really hope I'm saying that right. Um, and it is a specific piece titled The Rise of the Expert Influencer. Now.

• 49:22Speaker 02

  As a self-proclaimed expert influencer, this caught my eye and I did expect to be torn to shreds in it, but instead, to my great surprise, Befaro deeps the new kind of social capital that we're seeing young women really develop online, which is less about aspiration and more about articulation, or as she puts it, "We're still watching the girl with the best taste, but now her taste goes beyond style and lifestyle into the crevices of her mind and thoughts." And I really liked that. I love this piece. I love her take and cannot recommend that enough. After all, this is like such like hot historian vibes. You are basically all in the crevices of my mind and thoughts right now as they are actively

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  spewing out to you and then going to be posted on the internet. So appreciate her. Next is Devamsha. Devamsha? Again, I'm so sorry, my girl, if this is not how I'm saying it like correctly, but I know her as the financial hot girl. I want to recommend to you specifically her piece, "You're Too Cool Not To Be Financially Literate." I love anything hot girl coded. I mean, hot history, but I have to admit, vulnerability alert for all of you. I suck at maths, finances, numbers that aren't dates and like it's just not my strong suit. And this piece breaks down the seven key steps to becoming financially

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  literate for a big money 2026 and beyond. And if I found it interesting and not too overwhelming and like, huh, cool. Okay. I took something away from that. For all of my mathematically impaired fellow ladies and guys, then you can also have a read. Lastly is the art girl. Now, I am obsessed with Talia Sisney. If you don't follow her on TikTok, then you should. Um, but she basically posts all about art, creatives, sculpture, fashion, her life in New York. And as an art history lover, I'm always keen to see what's new and how she applies like a really interesting, multidisciplinary

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  approach to things like fashion and brunch and, you know, things that may seem frivolous. Um, but she really deeps them and makes them super chic. Okay, next up, we're diving into my all favourite creators. Well, not my all time favourites, but my favourites at the moment. And again, I'm recommending Talia Sisney on TikTok. Her handle is at the Talia Sisney. She does a bunch of different format types. I particularly love when she's just like sitting at her dining room table telling us the it girls of the art world that you should know and like in the most divine hats. This woman has the best hats. Talia, where are you getting your hats from? We need to know. I want more hats in 2026.

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  Next, I'm sure that you guys have seen their content on your feed. Whenever it comes up on my For You page, I am stopped in my tracks and I re-watch multiple times. It is at It's Déjà Vu Official. It is three British girls, stupid hot. Stupid hot. And they are wearing the most amazing outfits. And they basically just like dance on the street usually to 90s and 90s hits. In like the most outrageous shit. Like they're hanging out of fucking trees and like doing push-ups in the gutter. And every time they come on my feed, I'm just like, shit. Like, I could never be that cool.

• 52:59Speaker 02

  I am obsessed with them. I'm gonna go and scroll and stalk for like hours now. Love you, it's Déjà Vu. Okay, next is Eugenia Macquarie. She is the founder of Eugie Park, which makes the most divine leather bags. And the reason I am specifically obsessed with her at the moment is because she's just been on a trip to India.

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  I have been following along with bated breath at everything she's doing. She's shopping with her mum. She's visiting temples and museums and the Gem District, wearing the most incredible jewels in the most amazing vintage plaid jacket. Like, I wanna go to India so badly and I'm just living vicariously through her and I'm obsessed. Next is another art girly for you guys. Her name is at Girl and the Gallery. Her real name is Lucy. Um, but she also does art deep dives, particularly telling us what art she'd buy instead of a Birkin. And I love to learn from her and I think you guys would too. Next is Zara Rahim.

• 54:06Speaker 02

  Now, she was the campaign manager for Zaran Ndamani. And while she hasn't posted heaps recently, she did document the campaign and was like, as a result of that, was branded the in real life Olivia Pope. But then she made a whole video about how she isn't her, doesn't want to be her. This woman, Zara, you have the most amazing career. I want to hear and consume anything that you put out in the world. Please do more on TikTok. Again, I'm just like a magnet for anything that she does. I am obsessed. I think she's so clever, so chic and just a fascinating person. Like, I want to know what you're having for breakfast. Maybe that's too parasocial, but you know, I'm just obsessed.

• 54:52Speaker 02

  Next is at Hello Lea Ellen, who dubs herself the professional hobbyist. Basically, she makes these amazing videos about like her journaling and writing with fountain pens. And she's just like, like Jo from Little Women coded. And I could just write, like, watch her write the day every single day and never get bored. And I want to be like her when I'm grown up. I love her so much. Um, speaking of writing, having just written my first book, I'm still on AuthorTok. And I love Loretta Rothschild. She is the bestselling author of Finding Grace and just like does the best.

• 55:34Speaker 02

  The best video is taking us through her process, um, what's on her desk, what socks she wears, what pens she uses, her travels, everything. She's so chic, I could listen to her talk for hours in like her country little glasses and like heavily starched sleeves. And again, I also want to be here when I grow up.

• 55:56Speaker 02

  Now, of course, guys, I do have history recommendations. I don't want you thinking that I have not fed you the history recs, but I'm keeping them niche. I'll do a completely separate video on all of my darling history divas. But I want to recommend at she knows history, uh, which follows Natalia, who is a historian and archaeologist living in Egypt. And basically is just like a day in the life of her being a historian and archaeologist in Egypt. She's translating documents, she's digging, she's restoring, she's capturing imagery, she's in a temple, she's in a lab, she's in the field. Like, it's so fascinating to watch what she does each day. It's like a spark my brain and she's like the in real

• 56:38Speaker 02

  life Rachel Weisz in The Mummy. And she's really hot too. So love that for her. Next is not micro, but it's Moon's Rare Books. Um, again, he is like, I think he's got like three million followers or something like that, but I adore him and he's an incredible collector. He always has the most fascinating items. He delivers them in a way that is super engaging and he's just like soothing to listen to. So, love him. And lastly, I am obsessed, genuinely, I know I've said obsessed 12 million times this episode, but I am obsessed with anything this man makes. His account is called at Blitzwinkle. And

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  he basically goes like to all of these abandoned World War One and World War Two structures. He's gone to like Hitler's Mystery Bell, um, the suspended gunnery bunkers in Normandy, old space shuttles, U-boats, like super bunkers, Eva Braun's house. He went to Eva Braun's house. And he makes these really high quality, like cinematic style videos of these locations set to like the same creepy music. And I just every day save so many of them and can't wait for my husband to come home. So I go, look at this cool, like Nazi submarine bug car. Like, oh, isn't that amazing? I just adore him. Lastly, my 2026 YouTube recommendations.

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  Now, this may seem very like 2010.

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  But I fucking love YouTube. And these are like some of my favourite videos and channels when I am getting ready or making dinner and I just need a little something to tide me over for like half an hour, forty five minutes. So the first I want to recommend to you is by Slice History. It is a video called The Nazi Camp System. This gives a really good look at the various camps in the Nazi regime, how they came to be, and what I find most fascinating, the admin behind them. It has like insider imagery and footage of how this giant infrastructure came into being and the people who made it happen. It is confronting.

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  There is a fair bit of testimony, so if you're not quite in the headspace for that, then you know, definitely take care of yourself. Um, but I think it's just a really fascinating look at how something so evil could ever come into reality. But on a lighter note, on a lighter note, Rick Steves. This man makes the best travel series and he has been everywhere, like anywhere you can think of. These videos are all definitely outdated now and like we all know TikTok is where the best and freshest travel wrecks are, but he's just so nostalgic and so cosy and I just love watching him. Like even if I'm not going anywhere, I'm like, oh, isn't that so nice?

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  He's eating a date in Jordan and having a coffee in the desert, like how cute. Love him. Next is one of my favourite channels, the whole channel. It's called Mythic Women. Let me put you on to this, you will not be sorry to spend hours digging into these rabbit holes. It is all historical imagery, so it's not like the host read like this. Um, but she covers the most fascinating and scandalous women. They're all super niche and all of their lives usually intertwine in some way. So you might have like someone's grandmother married this other mistress's dad, who was best friends with the king and like, it's just so fascinating.

• 1:00:13Speaker 02

  There's women from Kiki Preston to the Cushing sisters to Agatha Christie, female explorers. Like, I always find so much intrigue in her little pocket of the internet and I think you guys would too. Next is a doco titled What Happened to Titanic's Crew After Sinking by the creator Ocean Liner Designs. Now, this gives a really detailed look at exactly how the surviving crew of Titanic were treated. And one thing that I've never really thought about is the trial and investigation which followed. Super, super fascinating, looks at how White Star Liner, who owns the Titanic and several

• 1:00:55Speaker 02

  other ocean liners, handled the workers' compensation and the role of unions. Yeah, just really fascinating, different angle, which I really enjoyed if you are a, um, it always sounds weird to say fan of the Titanic, like if you're a fan of all these people dying in a sinking, like that's fucking terrible. If you are fascinated by the Titanic, go and watch that. And last is Homeworthy's video titled Inside Grey Gardens. Now, you guys know I love Big and Little Edie. I am so fascinated by the Grey Gardens story. This video now follows the new owners and basically goes through like the house and gardens, which to the relief of all, is like quirky and kooky, just like the Edies were.

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  And if you love fashion style homewares and history, then this is for you. So there you go, guys, my very long list of Jan 2026 recommendations for each of you. I'm just so excited to have Hot History the Pod back up and running and make sure to tune in next week as we cover the fascinating lives of the Bronte sisters. See you then and love you, bye.

• 1:02:12Speaker 03

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