How did a quasi-fictional novel about Vladimir Putin’s spin doctor become an international bestselling sensation and now, a political thriller starring Jude Law and Paul Dano? Filled with real political insight and intrigue, The Wizard of the Kremlin is a riveting look at the nature of power and the inner workings of Putin’s regime at a time when the Russian leader’s decisions are reverberating across the world.

Here's a preview of The Wizard of the Kremlin (01:00). If you like what you hear, get the audiobook now on Audible, Spotify, Apple Books, pushkin.fm/audiobooks, or wherever audiobooks are sold.

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We're sharing an episode from another Pushkin podcast, Business History. Hosts Jacob Goldstein and Robert Smith examine the surprising stories of businesses big and small, bringing to life the greatest innovations, the boldest entrepreneurs and the craziest mavericks in the archives of commerce and finance.

It's 1945. The Volkswagen factory has been bombed and members of the staff have been arrested as war criminals. So how did the company turn around in just a few years and begin making Beetle cars that became a global sensation? Big political and economic moves helped - but a British Army officer, Walt Disney and a New York ad agency also played pivotal roles in turning a car that Hitler had championed into the favourite ride of surfers, school teachers and hippies.   

This is part 2 of a two-part series. Check out part 1 from last week.

Find more episodes of Business History on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get podcasts.

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We're sharing an episode from another Pushkin podcast, Business History. Hosts Jacob Goldstein and Robert Smith examine the surprising stories of businesses big and small, bringing to life the greatest innovations, the boldest entrepreneurs and the craziest mavericks in the archives of commerce and finance.

The VW Beetle was the biggest selling car of all time, and it found particular favor with people like hippies and surfers. But this icon of the 60s counterculture had its roots in Nazism. The Volkswagen—the People's Car—was an obsession of Adolf Hitler. He wanted to transform Germany into a land of drivers—and needed an affordable, but reliable automobile. Germany's private auto manufacturers knew the project was doomed to failure. So Hitler assembled a team of designers and factory managers to enact his vision - even if that meant enslaving workers and committing murder.

This is part 1 of a two-part series. Find part 2 here next Wednesday.

Find more episodes of Business History on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get podcasts.

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According to the science, it really is better to give than receive. Donating a dollar; sharing a kind word or lending someone a hand changes lives, but can also hugely boost your happiness. So we're teaming up with other podcasts from Hidden Brain to Revisionist History to ask you to give to a charity helping some of the poorest people around. We're calling it #PodsFightPoverty.     

Go to givedirectly.org/happinesslab right now and give whatever you can. And the first $500,000 we donate will be matched thanks to our friends at Giving Multiplier!

Even a small donation will make you feel good and have a much larger impact on the world than you thought possible. To help inspire you, this special episode examines the science of giving and shares stories of heartwarming and impactful acts of kindness.   

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I'm sharing another podcast we think you’ll enjoy, The Big Short Companion from Against the Rules, hosted by fellow Pushkin podcast host Michael Lewis. The Big Short is now 15 years old and to mark the occasion, Lewis narrated a new audiobook version of The Big Short and is looking back on how the 2008 financial crisis still affects the world today. Michael Lewis speaks with two people who represent two very different responses to the financial crisis of 2008: US Senator Elizabeth Warren, an expert in bankruptcy law who became an advisor to the Obama White House before running for higher office in Massachusetts. And Michael interviews former Trump White House advisor and right-wing podcaster Steve Bannon, who talks about how the financial crisis radicalized him.

Find The Big Short Companion from Against the Rules (00:45) wherever you get your Podcasts.

Find The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine (00:10) on Apple Books or wherever you get your audiobooks.

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Hi FIASCO fans! We’re excited to share a special episode from one of our favorite history podcasts: SNAFU with Ed Helms.

The show tackles history’s greatest screw-ups, and on the newest season, Ed has roped in some of a cavalcade of smart, hilarious guests to help unpack what these blunders, fiascos and faceplants say about who we are (spoiler: we’re basically just toddlers with nukes). Think of it as part history lesson, part hangout pod, and part group therapy for humanity.

On this episode, we’ve got Shackleton’s Expedition and Nick Kroll — who is not so great in a crisis, especially a family fishing trip. So naturally, Ed wanted to bring Nick back to the sea for the harrowing story of Ernie Shackleton's failed expedition to Antarctica, complete with dogloos, stowaway cats, and a chance to celebrate the explorers who push humanity forward.

You can also go back and listen to SNAFU’s previous three season, which tackle more in-depth stories like :S1: Able Archer 83, the NATO war game that almost started an actual nuclear war, and S2: MEDBURG, the 1971 burglary of an FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania. There’s something for every kind of listener. 

You can subscribe and listen to SNAFU with Ed Helms on the iHeart Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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The Tea Party takes over the search for the truth about Benghazi, while the FBI pursues a Libyan militia leader suspected of planning the attack.

For a list of books, documentaries and resources we used to research this episode visit: bit.ly/fiascopolitics

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As the political world looks toward the 2016 Presidential election, Benghazi becomes a Clinton scandal.

For a list of books, documentaries and resources we used to research this episode visit: bit.ly/fiascopolitics

Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear the entire season of Fiasco: Benghazi, ad-free, right now. Find Pushkin+ on the Fiasco show page in Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm.

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
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How the attack in Benghazi collided with an American election, and how the seeds of a scandal were planted.

For a list of books, documentaries and resources we used to research this episode visit: bit.ly/fiascopolitics

Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear the entire season of Fiasco: Benghazi, ad-free, right now. Find Pushkin+ on the Fiasco show page in Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm.

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

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An anti-Islamic video sparks protests in the Middle East, and the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi comes under attack.

For a list of books, documentaries and resources we used to research this episode visit: bit.ly/fiascopolitics

Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear the entire season of Fiasco: Benghazi, ad-free, right now. Find Pushkin+ on the Fiasco show page in Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm.

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.