The Rest Is History

The Rest Is History

492. The War on Beards: From Peter the Great to John Lennon (Part 2)

September 9, 202452 min

0:0051:41

About this episode

“I like an Englishman to look like an Englishman, and beards are foreign and breed vermin. Also depend upon it, they will lead to filthy habits.” Europe has had a love-hate relationship with facial hair since the Late Middle Ages. In the eleventh century, beards were celebrated as an expression of fertility caused by men’s “hot breath”. Yet by the turn of the twentieth century, a clean shaven man represented the youth and vigour celebrated in corporate culture. But how did the Reformation impact

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The Rest Is History

Tom Holland & Dominic Sandbrook take a deep dive into history's biggest moments, from the fall of Rome to the sinking of the Titanic, with gripping storytelling and expert analysis.

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