Best of the Spectator

Sam's guest on this week’s Book Club podcast is Francesca Wade, whose fascinating first book Square Haunting tells the intersecting stories of five eminent women who lived during the years of and between the world wars in London’s Mecklenburgh Square: Virginia Woolf, Hilda Doolittle, Dorothy L Sayers, Eileen Power and Jane Harrison. In each case, their years in Bloomsbury marked a moment of professional self-invention or reinvention — and of personal trial. Together, they tell the story of a changing way of being for women in the world, and the exhilaration and sometimes painful cost of achieving 'a room of one’s own'.The Book Club, what used to be known as Spectator Books, is a series of literary interviews and discussions on the latest releases in the world of publishing, from poetry through to physics. Presented by Sam Leith, The Spectator's Literary Editor. Hear past episodes here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Katy Balls and James Forsyth. Presented by Isabel Hardman.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the role of intelligence in defence? Knowing your enemy has always been vital in traditional warfare, but with the dawn of digital technology and social media, defence seems to have taken on a different character - one where information is not just vital to war and peace, but its defining characteristic.To win in this new age of defence, Britain must establish what some have called 'information advantage'. So how well equipped are we?With Professor Peter Roberts, Director of Military Sciences at RUSI; Dominic Nicholls, the Telegraph’s Defence and Security Correspondent; and Simon Fovargue, the UK and Europe chief executive of Leidos.Presented by Katy Balls.Sponsored by Leidos. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just before Christmas, Dr Gavin Ashenden, a former Chaplain to the Queen, converted to Catholicism. In this episode, he deplores the Church of England’s surrender to secularism under Archbishop Justin Welby, who won’t enjoy his former colleague’s assessment of his talents...Holy Smoke is a series of podcasts where Damian Thompson dissects the most important and controversial topics in world religion, with a range of high profile guests. Click here to find previous episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Diacono, food writer, farmer and photographer, who is the founder of Otter Farm in East Devon. The author of seven books, his latest, 'Sour', is out now. He talks to Lara and Livvy about what inspired him to start growing food, how to turn 17 acres of land into a farm producing Szechuan peppers, mulberries, and many things in between, and his love for all things sour.Table Talk is a series of podcasts where Lara Prendergast and Olivia Potts talk to celebrity guests about their life story, through the food and drink that has come to define it. Listen to past episodes here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been a week since Qassem Soleimani was assassinated. In this episode, we ask – has Trump’s decision actually united the Middle East (00:30)? Plus, as the Labour leadership contest gets underway – do any of the candidates actually scare the Tories (15:40)? And last, is the piggybank a thing of childhoods past (28:30)?With Sir John Jenkins, Oz Katerji, Katy Balls, James Mills, Laurie Graham, and Iona Bain.Presented by Lara Prendergast.Produced by Cindy Yu and Gus Carter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s Book Club podcast, we’re talking about the life and loves of the greatest poet of the twentieth century. Professor John Haffenden joins Sam to discuss the impact of the opening of an archive of more than 1,000 of Eliot’s letters to Emily Hale — his Harvard sweetheart and the woman who for fifteen years he believed to have been the love of his life. Was he really in love with her or, as he later claimed, simply imagining it? What does he mean when he says that marriage to Emily would have killed him as a poet? And what light does it shed on his poetry? John — who as the editor of T. S. Eliot’s collected letters is one of the first people to have had access to this trove — says that it’s an 'astonishing' haul, and shows Eliot opening up as never before. The Book Club, what used to be known as Spectator Books, is a series of literary interviews and discussions on the latest releases in the world of publishing, from poetry through to physics. Presented by Sam Leith, The Spectator's Literary Editor. Hear past episodes here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Jacob Heilbrunn, contributor to Spectator USA and editor of the National Interest.Americano is a series of in-depth discussions on American politics with the best pundits stateside. Presented by Freddy Gray, editor of Spectator USA. Click here to listen to previous episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson.Presented by Katy Balls.Coffee House Shots is a series of podcasts on British politics from the Spectator's political team and special guests. Brought to you daily, click here to find more episodes that are not released on Spectator Radio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.Presented by Katy Balls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.