The Bunker – News without the nonsense

The Anglo-Saxons represent one of the most vital and important periods in English history, but then why do we know so very little about them? Marc Morris, historian and author of The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England, takes Nick Cohen on a journey though one of England’s most fascinating chapters, and how their influence is still felt today. “We’re taught about the Anglo-Saxons as young children, which means we only learn about them in basic terms.” “Only by the 18th century was Alfred the Great idolised, but there was a lot of the original Alfred which is worthy of admiration.” “English counties are basically as they were in the 10th century, and a great many villages and towns were founded by the Anglo-Saxons.” Presented by Nick Cohen. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve got a bit less music on this week’s podcast than we’d like but you can hear it in full on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunkThis week: As the third season of dynastic epic Succession begins on Sky, what makes it the most compelling thing on TV? After 40 years in the game, Duran Duran make a genuinely fantastic album: we listen to Future Past. And a real find on Netflix in unreal Chilean horror movie Fever Dream. Entertainment Weekly’s Clark Collis is our guest.Presented by Siân Pattenden, Alex Andreou and Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cities are slowly coming back to life after COVID. But has the pandemic permanently changed our urban spaces, and how we live within them? Co-author of Survival of the City and Harvard University Professor Edward L. Glaeser talks to Ros Taylor about how commuting has always been defined by class divides, whether fifteen minute cities could work…and why we need a “NATO of healthcare”.  “Once we’re healthy again, there’s little chance cities will atomise.” “There's no Democratic or Republican way to clean the streets. The same should go for fighting pandemics.”  “Teleworking makes cities up their game on cost and quality of life.”  Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/669805/survival-of-the-city-by-edward-glaeser-and-david-cutler/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Enigmatic Californian tech investor and libertarian Peter Thiel is best known for his controversial ‘spy tech’ company Palantir and for enabling Hulk Hogan to sue gossip site Gawker out of business. But as new book The Contrarian shows, Thiel has always had bigger ambitions to use tech to sideline government itself. Author Max Chafkin tells Andrew Harrison about the Randian ideas that propelled Thiel from the “Paypal Mafia” to Trump’s White House – and why we should worry about ‘Thielism’. “Thiel is both a superhero and supervillain, like Ayn Rand crossed with… Ayn Rand.” “Thiel is the one person aside from Mark Zuckerberg who is responsible for Facebook’s success.” “He named Palantir after this all-seeing orb from Lord of the Rings. And Sauron is not the good guy.” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Britain surges forward into the 1950s, the Prime Minister goes on holiday – again. Will fuel costs, supply chains, staff shortages and reskilling just, you know, sort themselves out? Or do we need to reacquaint ourselves with stagflation? Plus, can the fallout from the sentencing of Sarah Everard’s murderer and the increasing focus on misogyny in society really become a moment of change? Special guest Emma Kennedy joins us to gaze into this week’s political abyss.  “We’re culling perfectly good pigs and importing pork from the EU? This is making Britain self-sufficient?” – Emma Kennedy “We’ve been expecting disaster for so long that if it doesn’t arrive, the government can fall back on, Hey, the doomsters were wrong again…” – Justin Quirk “If there was a shortage of baguettes in Paris, the French would burn the place to the ground. The British, sadly, are not like that.” – Emma Kennedy “The notion of rebalancing the economy by market shock is quite insane.” – Alex Andreou  “Violence against women will never change until we make it as utterly unacceptable as drink-driving… Men have got to step up.” – Emma Kennedy https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Alex Andreou with Ayesha Hazarika and Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unelected Brexit panjandrum David Frost gets ready to blow up the Northern Ireland deal that he and Johnson sold to the public. Is Poland really shaping up to leave the EU? The first ‘Covid: Lessons Learned’ report looms into view. Plus bizarre elections in the Czech Republic, Facebook in the dock and an old-fashioned nuclear spy scandal. Arthur Snell starts your week.  “Frost and Johnson’s strategy has been to pretend it’s someone else’s deal and that it needs to be renegotiated."  “From a very dark tactical perspective, the return of the threat of violence in Ireland would be to Johnson and Frost’s advantage.”  “Facebook has run out of road, it doesn’t really have any political friends anymore.” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

DANGER, SPOILERS! James Bond finally returns to cinemas in a world where questions about sexism, racism and Britishness have seldom been more pointed. Is there a place for a suave, womanising emissary of British power in the modern world? Is it time to reassess the role of Bond in British culture? Regulars and Bond fiends Ros Taylor and Arthur Snell talk to Ian Kinane, editor of the International Journal of James Bond Studies and a senior lecturer in English literature, about their first Bonds and where 007 should go next. Do not listen unless you’ve seen the film. “Bond offers a parallel universe in which Britain always wins.” - Arthur Snell “Bond probably has many fatherless children all over the world.” - Ian Kinane “James Bond is so far from the boring reality of intelligence work, like people staring at databases.” - Arthur Snell  “Shirley Bassey is seen as singing an anthem of Britain's glory days of Empire.” - Ian Kinane “Bond seems to embody what is properly British, but more often he’s played by actors who aren't British themselves.” - Ian Kinane Presented by Ros Taylor and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Remember you can hear the music from every Culture Bunker in full on our rolling playlist. Joining us for this week’s tour de pop culture are guests J. Willgoose, leader of avant pop band Public Service Broadcasting, and author Jenny Colgan. On the agenda: Could you play the Squid Game? We look at the Netflix breakout hit. Does new documentary The Beatles And India turn the tablas on our ideas of Western pop? And new music from Mancunian electro explorers W.H. Lung. Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison and Alex Andreou. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Antisemitism remains one of the Labour Party’s most painful problems. It’s an issue with deep roots, dragged up by Corbyn, and left to Starmer to deal with. Trade unionist Daniel Randall, author of Confronting Antisemitism on the Left, and sociologist Keith Kahn-Harris, join Dorian Lynskey to discuss what distinguishes left from right wing anti-Jewish racism, and what can be done about it. “The 2007 financial crisis brought antisemitism on the left to the fore.” - Daniel Randall “Gaslighting and denial is just as harmful as antisemitism itself.” - Keith Kahn-Harris “In some analyses, capitalism is coded as a specifically Jewish endeavour.” - Daniel Randall “Antisemitism has a complicated ideology. It's not just, 'Jews bad, non-Jews good.'“ - Daniel Randall “There's a moralistic element to Corbyn's politics, and it's difficult to situate Jews within that.” - Daniel Randall “Anti-racism is a lifelong struggle. But Corbyn treated it like a journey where one could arrive.” - Keith Kahn-Harris Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Productionhttps://www.nopasaran.media/confronting-antisemitism-on-the-left/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Should we feel more compassion towards men who are send to public schools? And what do boarding school books reveal about the emotions of society’s elites? With fellow students like Boris Johnson and David Cameron, Richard Beard’s latest book, Sad Little Men, explores his time at school. He tells Ros Taylor why private school only gives kids a partial education, how sexist attitudes linger beyond the school gates…and why years of emotional suppression makes private school boys very good spies. “You're supposed to leave your time at school behind and go on and be successful.” “When you arrive as a small child, your instinct is to run away back home.” “There is a conflict between what adults are telling you is good for you, and your emotional experience.” “This confidence applies to a limited area of life - but one where power resides.”  “It was male opinion that mattered to us, and it remained so when we left school.”  “Parents and children are drawn into this delusion that boarding school is for the best.” Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Productionhttps://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Richard-Beard/Sad-Little-Men--Private-Schools-and-the-Ruin-of-England/25942336  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices