Tom Holland stands as one of Britain’s most influential public intellectuals, blending academic rigor with mass-market appeal. Currently a columnist for The Spectator and co-host of the chart-topping podcast The Rest Is History, his work spans:
"To live in a western country is to live in a society still utterly saturated by Christian concepts and assumptions."
When approaching Holland, emphasize understudied historical connections and avoid presentist analyses lacking deep temporal context. His career demonstrates that the most urgent stories are often those we’ve forgotten to remember.
We’ve followed Tom Holland’s career as it has unfolded like one of the epic histories he so masterfully reconstructs—a narrative rich in intellectual ambition, scholarly rigor, and an unrelenting curiosity about the forces that shape human societies. From his early fascination with dinosaurs and antiquity to his current status as a bestselling historian and podcast luminary, Holland has redefined how modern audiences engage with the past.
Holland’s journey began with Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic (2003), a debut that immediately established his signature blend of narrative flair and academic depth. This work, paralleling the decline of the Roman Republic with post-9/11 geopolitics, won the Hessell-Tiltman Prize and set the template for his career-long exploration of historical echoes.
In this 2023 interview, Holland reflects on two decades of historiography, revealing how his perspective evolved from seeking modern parallels in antiquity to appreciating the radical "otherness" of past civilizations. The discussion spans:
"What subsequent generations will describe what we’ve been going through I don’t know, but a reformation of some kind is certainly what we’re living through."
This 2025 profile reveals the historian’s unexpected foray into wellness entrepreneurship through Bero, an alcohol-free beer brand. The piece examines:
Holland’s controversial 2012 documentary combined archaeological fieldwork with textual analysis to investigate Islam’s origins, demonstrating his trademark approach:
Holland consistently demonstrates how contemporary issues—from sobriety trends to digital media—reflect deeper cultural patterns. Successful pitches might explore:
"The procedures of objective reporting privileged the powerful in sourcing and framing the news." [10]
Building on Dominion, Holland remains fascinated by Christianity’s unconscious influence. Compelling angles include:
Holland’s work on Æthelflæd and Persian history shows his interest in marginalized stories. Pitch opportunities:
Through his books, documentaries, and podcast, Holland continues to demonstrate that history is not just about the past—it’s the essential toolkit for understanding our present and shaping our future. His work challenges us to see the familiar as strange, and the ancient as urgently relevant.
