BooksPodcast

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BooksPodcast episodes

October 24 Dr Ronald Hutton – Goddesses: A History of Love and War
Is all really fair in both love and war? When it comes to the deities of the ancient world, love and war go together like a horse and carriage. Why is that? Well, one possible reason, according to Professor Hutton, … Continue reading →
43 min
October 10 Sarah Dunant – The Marchesa
Women, eh? Put them in charge! “Lost in history. Is there any better place?” This question is rhetorically asked by the spectral presence of Isabella D’Este observing yet another scholar pore over the huge treasure trove of her papers in … Continue reading →
38 min
September 27 Carla Valentine – The Language of Bones: Lessons on Living from Stories of the Dead – For Fans of All That Remains and Unnatural Causes
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones Are you familiar with the term ‘dark tourism’? No? Me neither. Although, if I had thought about it, I would have realised that some sort of colourful phrase would be needed for people … Continue reading →
35 min
September 08 Theresa Musgrove – Charles Dickens and his Hidden Family History
There are skeletons in the armoire! Charles Dickens is an industry. His books have never been out of print, there are websites dedicated to him, and societies to appreciate his work, a museum occupying the house where he wrote Oliver … Continue reading →
26 min
August 20 Madeleine Pelling – Hoax: Truth and Lies in the Age of Enlightenment
Got’a love a good liar – might even love the lie! We are fascinated by deception. We love magic shows, where we collude with the conjuror. We may not know what is going to happen, but we are sure that … Continue reading →
58 min
July 30 Helen Lewis – The Genius Myth: The Dangerous Allure of Rebels, Monsters and Rule-Breakers
He’s not a genius, he’s a very naughty boy! Kierkegaard said, “Geniuses are like thunderstorms. They go against the wind, terrify people, cleanse the air.” Schopenhauer had a different take: “Talent hits the target. Genius hits the target others can’t … Continue reading →
1 hr 10 min
July 16 Sir Ben Okri – Waking the Warriors
It’s NOT Magical Realism, OK?! Sir Ben Okri doesn’t really need a lot of introduction. He won the Booker Prize for The Famished Road, while Astonishing The Gods was named as one of the BBC’s 100 Novels That Shaped Our … Continue reading →
34 min
July 06 Dan Jennings – Paul Weller: Dancing Through the Fire: The Authorised Oral History
The oldest Angry Young Man in music They called him The Modfather. Not quite punk himself (or was he? Nah – he dressed too well…) but with the incendiary energy of punk and a sublime gift for songwriting, Paul Weller … Continue reading →
43 min
June 24 Philip Norman – Mr Moonlight: Brian Epstein and the Making of The Beatles
He’s no Diaghilev! The front page of the Daily Mirror on August 28th, 1967 had the story: “Epstein – the Beatle-making prince of pop – dies at 32.” His death has always had a question mark over it, and Philip … Continue reading →
56 min
June 09 Gail Crowther – Marilyn and her Books – The Literary Life of Marilyn Monroe
The bookish Bombshell Marilyn Monroe would have been one hundred years old on 1st June this year. It is impossible to think of Marilyn old. She was just 36 when she died in LA in 1962. She is frozen in … Continue reading →
39 min

About BooksPodcast

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An authoritative look at recent books that may or may not have shown up on your radar screen. Fiction and non-fiction. Biographies and comic books. Politics and the arts. And quite certainly, no…