Subject to Change

Kenji Tierney is a wonderfully engaging speaker. Starting with memories of being introduced by his grandmother to sumo by way of watching TV with her he gives a wonderfully learned and fascinating talk on sumo and its development. The story of how the Japanese tried to impress Commodore Perry with a sumo wrestling exhibition and he responded by putting on a minstrel show is just one of many fascinating stories. If sumo has always left you a bit baffled this is a thoroughly entertaining 'deep dive'.If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response

Robin Gaster's book Behemoth, Amazon Rising: Power and Seduction in the Age of Amazon is available to buy on, naturally, Amazon. If you want to understand where Amazon came from, why it is so successful and why it needs to be tamed this is a great place to go. I spoke to Robin on my podcast. I still can't make up my mind. It seems I buy half my stuff from Amazon - but Robin makes a good case for why that is the problem . . .If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response

Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney is a professor of anthropology at the University of Wisconsin. Here she recalls her life as a young girl in Kobe during World War II and we talk also about the kamikaze pilots of that period. Her books Kamikaze Diaries and Kamikaze, Cherry Blossoms and Nationalisms have been highly influential in explaining how the highly educated young men were led to their fate.If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response

Roger Crowley tells the story of how Portugal built its empire in the Indian ocean from 1498. The Portuguese were there to trade but also as zealots and crusaders. The story is one of discovery, courage, violence and often unspeakable cruelty. It is astonishing to learn how one of Europe's smallest and poorest countries could undertake such a project.Roger's book Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire was hugely popular with critics and with lovers of deeply researched but highly readable narrative history.If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response

Mike Dash wrote the definitive book about the Batavia and its wreck near the coast of Australia in 1629. We talked about the events leading up to the wreck and the bloody reign of terror and murders that followed. Mike's blog A Blast from the Past is also an absolute goldmine for people interested in history.I'd also highly recommend Gareth Harney's Twitter thread about the events and one of the treasures from the ancient world that the Batavia was carrying. Absolutely fascinating and some beautiful images (one of which I used for this episode's artwork).If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response

An absolute joy to spend an hour and a half with history professors David Abulafia and Bret Devereaux. We started with the founding of Alexandria and travelled back and forth in time and all around the Mediterranean. The starting point for the discussion was David's magnificent book the Great Sea but Bret had plenty to add. (Check out his blog here).If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response

Peter Pomerantsev is the author of two outstanding books. The first is Nothing Is True and Everything is Possible. It has some wonderful stories which he made into programmes while working in Russian TV from 2006. Fascinating and sometimes heartbreaking. The next is This is Not Propaganda (adventures in the war against reality). This is about online propaganda, troll farms and influence operations and again is crammed with fascinating tales of Peter's investigations.If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response

Bean blogs on naval warfare here. He writes on modern naval warfare (well, from the mid 19th century). His first love is battleships but it goes much wider than this. We talked about battleships (the Yamato in particular), the fate of the French fleet in WWII, whether carriers are obsolete and the Falklands War. If you like this kind of thing then, well, this is the kind of thing you may very well like.Bean is also a big hit over at  Astral Codex Ten where his posts in the comments section generate a lot of interest.If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response

David Goodhart, a British journalist and author, delves into the divides within British society, particularly the contrasting identities of 'Anywheres' and 'Somewheres.' He discusses the ramifications of Brexit on immigration and cultural identity, highlighting integration challenges faced by various groups. Goodhart advocates for rebalancing societal esteem towards manual jobs and caregiving roles, stressing their importance post-pandemic. He also explores the search for meaning in today's world and the need for a more inclusive approach to feminism and family support.

Professor of ancient history Bret Devereaux concludes his two part evaluation of military strategy in the Lord of the Rings. The Witch King gets two thumbs up. I'm rag tag and bobtail.Check out the blog for more on the Siege of Gondor, Lord of the Rings and much, much more.If you click here you can text me with feedback. Or email russellhogg@proton.me if you want a response