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\u201cI 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.\u201d\n\nEurope 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\u2019s \u201chot breath\u201d. 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 opinions on beards? Why did Peter the Great instate a tax on beards in Russia? How did the Crimean War lead to the popularity of the Victorian beard? And why did The Beatles end up bearded?\n\nJoin Dominic and Tom as they discuss the evolution of the modern beard. With a cast of hairy and hairless characters including the bearded witches of Macbeth, Winston Churchill, Jeremy Corbyn, George Best, W. G. Grace, Charles Darwin, and Lord Kitchener\u2026\n\n_______\n\n*The Rest Is History LIVE in the U.S.A.*\n\nIf you live in the States, we've got some great news: Tom and Dominic will be performing throughout America in November, with shows in San Francisco, L.A., Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Boston and New York. \n\n*The Rest Is History LIVE at the Royal Albert Hall*\n\nTom and Dominic, accompanied by a live orchestra, take a deep dive into the lives and times of two of history\u2019s greatest composers: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven.\n\nTickets on sale now at TheRestIsHistory.com\n\n_______\n\n\nTwitter:\n\n@TheRestHistory\n\n@holland_tom\n\n@dcsandbrook\n\nProducer: Theo Young-Smith\n\nAssistant Producer: Anouska Lewis\n\nExecutive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices