Subject to Change

Stacy Schiff is one of America's most acclaimed historians and biographers. Her book The Witches is a detailed, almost forensic, history of the Salem witch trials on 1692. She very kindly came on the podcast to talk about it and she is every bit as good a storyteller in person as you would imagine from reading the book. I found her book and our conversation really quite troubling in what it says about our ability to tell lies from fiction. In particular even the accused seemed confused about their own guilt. I hope to revisit the theme in future podcasts but for now I think this is one of the most fascinating episodes to date. I hope you enjoy it!If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response

Christopher de Bellaigue's book The Lion House is a brilliant history of the first part of Suleiman the Magnificent's reign. I love history and I can't remember loving a history book more that this one. As I say in the podcast, I think it is an unabashed masterpiece and such a pleasure to read. Christopher tells the story in particular of two men at the court of Suleiman and their struggle to rise and prosper in extraordinarily difficult times. And it is the story also of Suleiman's love for his concubine (and later wife) Hurrem. Christopher is not only a great writer, he is also a superb conversationalist and I think this is an episode that everyone will enjoy.If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response

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 coasts of England and Ireland. In the east the Mongols brought slaves to the Black Sea ports where they were taken by Italian merchants past Constantinople and on to Egypt. Or to Europe. The fates of the enslaved was incredibly varied - positions of respect and power as part of a slave army, eunuchs in the harems, working in households, in the harem, short and brutal existences in quarries or on galleys. It is a remarkable subject and fascinating despite the horror.If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response

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 example here is his review of The Bad Sleep Well: The first time I’d seen this Kurosawa film, and I’d say it’s his most underrated effort. Loosely based on Hamlet, but you’ll be disappointed if you expect another Throne of Blood. Rather than Shakespeare, expect a great film noir—one of the best ever. I didn’t even recognize that Toshiro Mifune was the star. Released in the same year as Psycho, L’Avventura, The Apartment, Peeping Tom, Breathless, La Dolce Vita, When a Woman Ascends the Stairs, Late Autumn, The Naked Island and lots more. That’s almost a masterpiece a month. And what did 2020 bring us? Tenet. LOL.One of his fans put together a spreadsheet of his reviews and if you are looking for something worth watching I think his selection and his ratings are both wise and informative. I really enjoy talking about films and doing so with someone as knowledgeable and thoughtful as Scott was an absolute privilege.If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response

I have always found the war Octavian fought against Antony and Cleopatra hard to understand. How did Antony find himself losing without even fighting a proper battle given all his experience as a general and commanding an army equal to or stronger than his opponent's? Barry Strauss explains the campaign brilliantly.You can find his book The War that made the Roman Empire here. Highly recommended.If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response

Anna Keay's book The Restless Republic is just brilliant. It covers the period following the execution of Charles I when Britain became a republic. It is fascinating to see how the period (and the characters) mix revolutionary ideas with deep traditionalism. Anna approaches the subject by telling the stories of a number of people - men, women, powerful and powerless - who illuminate the times. And she is brilliant at using these stories to tell the history of the Republic itself as it struggles to define itself. The Restless Republic has been nominated for the 2022 Bailie Gifford Prize for non fiction. Anna is a really engaging speaker and it was a huge pleasure to be able to talk to her about some of the extraordinary characters and events from her book.If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response

Following on from last week in this episode things reach boiling point. Marriage alliances are discarded, invasions undertaken D day style, brutal battles are fought as Perdicass marches to destroy Ptolemy. All this and possibly one of the most audacious and consequential heists in all of recorded history. And crocodiles, lots of crocodiles.If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response

Tristan Hughes has writen a brilliant book about the years immediately following the Death of Alexander the Great. As Tristan says, history didn't just stop at Alexander's death and start again when Rome takes on Carthage. And in fact this period is one of the most fascinating and eventful in ancient history. It is also one of the most confusing and I hope this podcast is both entertaining and clarifying!And check out HistoryHit. When not writing histories Tristan is a presenter with them - probably the most extensive and certainly one of the best online resources for history. Incredibly wide in its range and absolutely top quality.If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response

Really thrilled to have Bret Devereaux and Ed Watts on the podcast together. We looked at Gladiator as a film (two thumbs up!) and also unpicking some of the history. Ranging far and wide we covered the battle scenes, gladiators, the role of an emperor and lots, lots more. Ed argues that Commodus was doing okay until stabbed in the back by his sister and Bret gives a masterclass in how not to name a Roman. I lower the tone by bringing the nazis into it.Bret's superb blog is here. Ed's latest book is here.And check out Ed's brilliant YouTube channel.If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response

I chatted to Battleship Bean and John Schilling about nuclear war. We discussed the wonderful Dr Strangleove and tried to unpick some of the realities of a nuclear war. How powerful are modern weapons?  Would they knock out electrical systems world wide?  Would such a war result in nuclear winter?A book I mentioned in the podcast and which I recommend (though Bean is not a fan) is Command and Control by John Schlosser. Bean himself has written several articles on the subject on his excellent blog:https://www.navalgazing.net/Nuclear-Weapon-Destructivenesshttps://www.navalgazing.net/Nuclear-Strategyhttps://www.navalgazing.net/Nuclear-WinterI'm uploading this on the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing and am very much hoping that that and the bombing of Nagasaki on 9 August is the last we see of these things.If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response