Subject to Change
A lot of history episodes and a lot of film episodes. A few other subjects in between!
Episodes
77 episodes since 2018
Rebel Island - Jonathan Clements on the history of Taiwan - part 2
We are back with Jonathan Clements for part 2 of our podcast on the history of Japan. In this episode we start with the remarkable story of Taiwan's 50 years as a colony of Japan. And Jonathan then takes the story through the White Terror up to...
September 12, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 77
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1:04:15
Rebel Island - Jonathan Clements on the history of Taiwan - part 1
Jonathan Clements has written a number of histories of East Asia. His latest,
September 10, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 76
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50:03
The 4th Crusade and the final fall of the Roman Empire - with Ed Watts
Delighted to have Professor Ed Watts back on the show. This time he is talking about the 4th Crusade which turned into one of history's great catastrophes. People give many possible dates for the fall of the Roman Empire and Ed argues persuasiv...
August 23, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 75
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1:24:08
In Sulla's shadow - Ed Watts reappraises Caesar
Professor Ed Watts is a reliably brilliant guest on the show. In this episode he looks at Sulla's career and the blight the cast on the Roman Republic. Ed argues that it is impossible to understand any the great characters - Caesar, Cicero, Cat...
July 24, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 74
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1:01:01
Mother Leakey and the Bishop
I can't remember enjoying a story more than Peter Marshall's
June 01, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 73
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56:21
Kaldellis on Byzantium - part 2
We cover the miserable tale of the 4th crusade, the Latin Empire and Anthony gives advice on how to write a Byzantium based historical novel. We had fun with this one and I hope you enjoy it.
May 02, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 72
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38:24
Anthony Kaldellis on Byzantium (Part 1)
If you have any interest at all in Byzantium or in the Roman Empire generally I think you should really enjoy this episode. Professor Kaldellis is one of the leading scholars on Byzantium (East Rome?) and his book
April 30, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 71
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1:05:21
Hampton Sides - the last voyage of Captain Cook
Hampton has been on the podcast before and if you haven't yet found his books of narrative history I urge you to seek them out. Absolutely thrilling stories but told with real historical skill. Today we talked about Captain Cook's last voyage w...
April 08, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 70
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51:53
The Sin Eater
I am a huge fan of Mike Dash's books. We have talked about
March 01, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 69
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48:00
Ed West - From the Romans to Alfred the Great
Most people know Ed West for his journalism and in particular for his substack The Wrong Side of History. If you haven't found that yet then check it out - it is one of the best things of its kind out ther...
February 08, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 68
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1:06:15
John McWhorter and Scott Sumner - talking movies
I am a huge fan of John McWhorter and have come to have great respect for Scott Sumner's knowledge and judgement when it comes to movies. It was a real pleasure to get them together to chat about favourite movies, directors and genres.
January 21, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 67
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1:03:39
Dikötter on Dictators
Frank Dikötter returns to the show to talk about dictators and in particular how they use the cult of personality to crush friends and enemies alike. HIs
January 07, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 66
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50:39
The Lives of East Germans - Katja Hoyer
If, like me, your idea of East Germany is dominated by spy movies and and you think that perhaps it was nothing more than a open air prison with the Stasi round every corner then Katja Hoyer's remarkable book
December 09, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 65
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1:18:27
Britons never will be slaves?
Giles Milton is one of my favourite authors producing narrative history today. The stories he tells are just jaw dropping. We talked about his book
October 25, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 64
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1:02:29
Italy, a ruin - part 2 of the Adventures of Belisarius and Antonina
David Parnell and I wrap up the story of Belisarius and Antonina. We are now on to the liberation of Italy and by the end I felt the Romans there might have preferred to have been left alone. It is a huge subject and we couldn't d...
October 06, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 63
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1:05:40
Constantinople shows its teeth - part 1 of the Adventures of Belisarius and Antonina
David Parnell has a wonderful new book out called Belisarius and Antonina. This is the story of a real husband and wife partnership. Belisarius was perhap...
September 24, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 62
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58:39
Mao's China with Frank Dikötter
Frank Dikötter is the author of a
August 27, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 61
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1:07:50
Shipwreck, mutiny and murder
This is the story of Anson's voyage around the world in the 1740's. In particular it is about the ship the Wager and the crew's incredible bravery, endurance and ingenuity in appalling conditions. And it is about shipwreck, murder and mutiny.
July 05, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 60
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1:01:20
Sharp and Sumner: 6 Japanese movies
Jasper Sharp is probably the UK's leading expert on Japanese film and he joined me on the show today with Scott Sumner. Scott has a famous economics blog that has a side line in movie reviews. The pair of them were on really good form discussin...
May 03, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 59
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1:22:03
McWhorter and Holland - On dinosaurs
John McWhorter and Tom Holland are a perfect pairing. They are absolutely delightful company both with a dry sense of humour. I was keen to bring them together because I learned they share a love a dinosaurs. Absolute fanatics it turns out. I g...
April 29, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 58
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53:05
Acre 1291 - the final showdown
Roger Crowley is one on the best (if not the best) narrative historians of the Middle Ages. Here is on great form talking about the Siege of Acre in 1291. The Crusaders have been pushed back and back with Acre the last meaningful holdout. They ...
March 19, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 57
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1:17:33
The Salem Witch trials with Stacy Schiff
Stacy Schiff is one of America's most acclaimed historians and biographers. Her book
February 17, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 56
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56:55
Suleiman the Magnificent with Christopher de Bellaigue
Christopher de Bellaigue's book
February 11, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 55
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57:30
Slavery in the Mediterranean in the Middle Ages
Professor David Abulafia's wonderful book The Great Sea covers so many topics. Today we talked about slavery. Until recently I hadn't been aware of the sheer scale of the enterprise. Slavers from the Barbary ports raided as far north as the coa...
January 27, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 54
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1:11:51
Talking movies with Scott Sumner
Scott Sumner is an economist with a well known and much quoted blog. But it is the bit of the blog that he devotes to movies that interests me. He watches a ton of films and then does a thumbnail review and rating. For example:For examp...
December 05, 2022
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Season 1
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Episode 53
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1:01:51