Neal Ascherson has worked as a journalist for more than six decades, reporting from Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, its successor states and elsewhere. He has also written more than a hundred pieces for the London Review of Books, from its seventh issue (in February 1980) to its most recent. In this episode of the LRB podcast, Ascherson talks to Thomas Jon ... Show More
May 7
On Politics: The Fall of Orbán, the Rise of Magyar
For more than a decade, Viktor Orbán has stood alongside Trump and Modi as a global figurehead for authoritarian nationalism, and an inspiration to popular strongmen everywhere with his model for the ‘illiberal’ democratic state. But on April 12 his sixteen-year tenure as Hungary ... Show More
1h 5m
Apr 29
James Lasdun's road trip to America's courts
‘Courtroom encounters present you with only a fragment of a person’s story, from which you may or may not be inclined to infer the rest,’ James Lasdun wrote recently in the LRB. Last October, he set out on a road trip across America, with the aim of attending as many different ki ... Show More
50m 12s
Jan 2025
Charles Hecker: Russia’s zero-sum game
<p dir="ltr"><strong></strong>Charles Hecker’s 40-year career has seen him travelling and reporting from both the Soviet Union and Russia. He has worked as a journalist and a geopolitical risk consultant, and has lived in Miami, Moscow and now London. His new book, ‘Z ... Show More
30m 20s
Aug 2025
Old Newscast: Vladimir Putin elected Russian president for the first time, 2000 (Part 1)
On this episode of Old Newscast, we look at how an unknown bureaucrat with a mysterious past unexpectedly rose to president of Russia.Adam is joined by the BBC’s Russia editor, Steve Rosenberg, and Russia reporter for The Washington Post and author, Catherine Belton.They discuss ... Show More
31m 2s
Mar 2025
The philosophy of geopolitics SPECIAL | Donald Trump, Homer's Odyssey, and Korean Web Novels
<p>What do Friedrich Nietzsche, the Korean War, and Homer's Odyssey have in common?</p><p>Join the team at the IAI for four articles about the history and philosophy of geopolitics, ranging from Nietzsche's impact on Russia's imperialist strategies to the importance of Ancient Gr ... Show More
43m 55s
Sep 2025
Shaving Russia
Sept 5, 1698. Tsar Peter the Great of Russia returns home from a year-long European tour. When noblemen, religious figures, and friends gather to welcome him home, Peter pulls out a straight razor, holds it to their throats, and…forcibly shaves their beards. This event will go do ... Show More
28m 31s
Jan 2025
The Truth about Lenin, Stalin and the Soviet Union - Michael Malice
Michael Malice is the author of Dear Reader, The New Right, The Anarchist Handbook & The White Pill. He's the host of the "YOUR WELCOME" podcast on YouTube @MichaelMaliceofficial | SPONSOR: Aura. Stop leaving yourself vulnerable to data breaches. Go to our sponsor https://aura. ... Show More
1h 12m