Person
Every book Tom Holland recommended on podcasts
Key facts
- Tom Holland has recommended or discussed 7 books on podcasts, as of May 24, 2025.
- Tom Holland has talked about books on 2 podcasts, as of May 24, 2025.
- Those books came up in 2 episodes, as of May 24, 2025.
- The 3 books Tom Holland has mentioned in the most episodes, not counting Tom Holland's own, as of May 24, 2025: Galatians, Quran and Cain.
- The latest episode with a book mention from Tom Holland aired on May 24, 2025.
Updated
Across 2 podcasts. Every show Tom Holland appears on, in one place — not just one.
Tom Holland’s most recommended books
- Galatians by John Paul Heil
- Quran by Talal Itani
- Cain by Lord Byron
- The book of Exodus by Chadwick, G. A.
- The Book of revelation by Rupert Thomson
- Understanding the Old Testament by Bernhard W. Anderson
Tom Holland is a historian and author who frequently discusses ancient history, religion, and the cultural foundations of Western civilization on podcasts. During an appearance on People I (Mostly) Admire, Holland reflected on his research and writing process for his book Rubicon, noting how he read the letters of Cicero and kept a friend in mind who knew nothing about history while targeting a general audience. While appearing on Conversations with Tyler, Holland discussed a wide range of historical, biblical, and literary texts. He noted Saint Augustine's concerns in the late fourth and early fifth centuries regarding the literal interpretation of the Book of Revelation. He identified Paul's letter to the Galatians as foundational for Western liberalism and explained its context relative to the cult of Augustus. Holland also referenced Lord Byron's play Cain and the Book of Exodus, reflecting on how his teenage fascination with Byron's poetry and rebellious figures led him away from traditional Christian beliefs. Finally, he contrasted biblical transmission with the Quran when discussing the nature of sacred texts and the Ten Commandments.
Books recommended by Tom Holland
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Galatians
Discussed“it would probably be um it would probably be Paul's letter to the Galatians”
Where to get it
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Quran
Quran by Talal Itani is an accessible English translation of Islam's holy text that outlines the core theological teachings and foundational messages of the religion.
Discussed“and the idea that um that you get in the Quran very obviously that that this is literally the word of God it's not being mediated by humans with the Ten Commandments”
Where to get it
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Rubicon
Discussed“I always remember when I was researching Rubicon, reading the letters of Cicero, this great corpus of correspondence from Rome's greatest orator of his day, a contemporary of Julius Caesar.”
Where to get it
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The book of Exodus
The Book of Exodus is a foundational biblical text detailing the Israelites' escape from slavery in Egypt, alongside core religious laws and historical narratives.
Discussed“that's another reason why I found Byron's poetry when I was you know in my teens so powerful and so effective and it's part of what led me away from kind of Christian belief really a kind of feeling that um all the cool kids were hanging out with Kane and especially all the cool Elder Sons in the book”
Where to get it
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The Book of revelation
The Book of revelation by Rupert Thomson is a profound scriptural and literary work exploring apocalyptic visions and spiritual themes.
Discussed“and the archetype of you know the the greatest of the Latin Church Father Saint Augustine writing in the um the late 4th and early 5th Century he is very very anxious that um Christians might read the book of Revelation and interpret it too literally”
Where to get it
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Understanding the Old Testament
Understanding the Old Testament by Bernhard W.
Discussed“um in a way it's the kind of it's the molten heart of what Christians call the Old Testament it's it's it's literally the word of God”
Where to get it
Books Tom Holland wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| 158. Why Did Rome Fall — and Are We Next? | People I (Mostly) Admire | 2025-05-24 | 2 |
| Tom Holland on History, Christianity, and the Value of the Countryside | Conversations with Tyler | 2023-03-22 | 8 |
Other mentions (8: passing, ad reads, own books)
“And I remember when I was writing Dominion, I wasn't 100% certain what conclusions I would come to or what path I would take as I was writing it.”
“And so I wrote Rubicon because Rome was what I had particularly loved as a child and going through my teens.”
“I found when I was when I came to writing about Christianity and Dominion is a study of of the entire sweep of Christianity”
“and I I wrote about this in in person Farm I book about the um the Persian Wars and I was writing against the backdrop of the uh NATO attempt to stabilize Afghanistan”
“and I remember when I was writing my first book Rubicon which is about the collapse of the Roman Republic the great kind of the Warlords of the late Republic”
“so the first Rubicon was about the fall of the Roman Republic mentioned that the second dynasty was Dynasty”
“so the first Rubicon was about the fall of the Roman Republic mentioned that the second dynasty was Dynasty I guess I should say was about the family of Augustus ending with the death of Nero”
“and this new book Pax is about the Heyday of the Roman Empire so it runs from the death of Nero up to the time of Hadrian”