The Secrets of Statecraft

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Secrets of Statecraft is a bi-monthly podcast hosted by Andrew Roberts which explores the effect that the study of History has had on the careers and decision-making of public figures, and which will also ask leading historians about the influence that the study of History had on their biographical subjects. he title is taken from Winston Churchill’s reply on Coronation Day 1953 to a young American who had asked him for life-advice, to whom he said ‘Study History, study History, for therein lie all the secrets of statecraft.’

Hoover Institution


    • May 16, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 47m AVG DURATION
    • 61 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Secrets of Statecraft

    Statecraft In An Age Of Strongmen | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2025 66:04 Transcription Available


    In this unique return visit to Secrets of Statecraft, New York Times columnist Bret Stephens discusses why defending Ukraine is in America's interest, and reflects on the perils of Western flirtation with authoritarian figures. Recorded on May 16, 2025.

    Daniel Samet on the Realpolitik Behind US-Israeli Relations | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2025 51:53 Transcription Available


    A new book, U.S. Defense Policy toward Israel: A Cold War History, takes on the revisionists over what happened in the Cold War. Recorded on April 16, 205.

    Motorcycles and Meritocracies with Governor Mitch Daniels | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025 47:02 Transcription Available


    Mitch Daniels is the former Director of the Office of Management and Budget under Ronald Reagan, the former Governor of Indiana, and the former President of Purdue University. He discusses his life, his influences, and his passion for hogs (of the Harley-Davidson variety). Recorded on March 21, 2025.

    General Lord Dannatt on the Korean War | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2025 47:51 Transcription Available


    The former head of the British Army, Richard Dannatt, discusses an important war that is often forgotten. Recorded on February 6, 2025.

    Jon Meacham on What Makes a Great President | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2025 65:06 Transcription Available


    America's foremost presidential historian examines the motivations and careers of Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and George H. W. Bush.  Recorded on January 24, 2025.

    Ayaan Hirsi Ali on the Threat to the West | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2025 50:53 Transcription Available


    The bravest of all the free speech campaigners, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, speaks out eloquently on tribalism, Islam, immigration, Trump, her conversion to Christianity, and what it's like being married to a quite well-known historian.

    Churchill's Vicar on Earth | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2025 49:24 Transcription Available


    Richard Langworth is the senior fellow at the Hillsdale Churchill Project at Hillsdale College, Michigan, and knows more about Winston Churchill than any person living (including me, annoyingly).

    The World View of General James Mattis | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2024 53:58


    A global tour d'horizon with the former Marine Corps commander and Secretary of Defense General Jim Mattis.

    Radek Sikorski Unleashed | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2024 42:27 Transcription Available


    The Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski is characteristically blunt about his former friend Viktor Orban, the chances of nuclear war in Ukraine, and his enemy Vladimir Putin. Recorded on October 26, 2024.

    John Bew Applies History to Foreign Policy-Making | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2024 65:09 Transcription Available


    Professor John Bew's knowledge as the biographer of Lord Castlereagh and Clement Attlee and the historian of Realpolitik was put to good use when he became the senior foreign policy advisor to no fewer than four British prime ministers. Recorded on October 18, 2024.

    The Courage of Sir Bill Browder | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2024 45:25 Transcription Available


    How Bill Browder reacted when Vladimir Putin murdered Browder's friend and lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. Recorded on October 11, 2024.

    Nataliya Bugayova Explains How Ukraine Can Still Win | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2024 34:13 Transcription Available


    Nataliya Bugayova, Non-Resident Russia Fellow at the Institute for the Study of War, shares her latest in-depth knowledge on how the Russo-Ukrainian War is going. Recorded on September 9, 2024. 

    Lord Matt Ridley Gives Us Reasons To Be Cheerful | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2024 53:29 Transcription Available


    The esteemed science writer and author of The Rational Optimist, Matt Ridley, gazes into the future of mankind.  Recorded on September 16, 2024.

    The Iranian Mindset | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2024 42:45 Transcription Available


    Iranian-born Shay Khatiri, senior fellow of the Yorktown Institute, explains the (warped) thinking of the Teheran regime.

    Paul Gregory's ‘Friendship' with Lee Harvey Oswald | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2024 41:08 Transcription Available


    The distinguished economist Paul Gregory recalls his time spent with Lee Harvey and Marina Oswald.

    Robert Service on Lenin, Trotsky & Stalin | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2024 49:02


    The great historian of Russian history compares and contrasts the three monsters of the Russian Revolution.

    A Tory Good and True | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2024 45:04 Transcription Available


    Nick True was until recently leader of the House of Lords and Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. His Toryism hails from an earlier and better age, but still has modern relevance.

    Around The World With Dan Hannan | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2024 48:38


    Lord Hannan draws on his 21 years as a member of the European Parliament for this scholarly and masterly overview of world affairs.

    Con Coughlin: Getting Into the Minds of Monsters | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2024 51:32 Transcription Available


    Con Coughlin, veteran war correspondent and Daily Telegraph foreign & defense editor, has written the biographies of Ayatollah Khomeini, Saddam Hussein and Bashir Al-Assad.  And he's also gone drinking with Hunter S. Thompson …

    Nicolas Sarkozy's 'Certain Idea of France' | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2024 34:42 Transcription Available


    President Nicolas Sarkozy on the weight of history on his shoulders when he ruled France from 2007 to 2012.

    A Continental Tour d'Horizon with Zeinab Badawi | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2024 48:37 Transcription Available


    The history of Africa over the past seven millennia, and this time from an African perspective.

    The State of Israel with Dan Senor | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2024 67:14 Transcription Available


    Dan Senor, host of the “Call Me Back” podcast, discusses the war in Gaza and where it might go from here. 

    The Mission of Tzipi Hotovely | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2024 41:12


    The Israeli Ambassador to London speaks up eloquently and frankly for her embattled country.

    Toby Young Speaks Freely | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2024 41:51


    Toby Young, director of the splendid Free Speech Union, discusses his campaign to defend freedom of expression.

    Conrad Black's Extraordinary Magnum Opus | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2024 42:55


    Conrad Black discusses his epic thousand-page history of the Ancient World up to the death of Emperor Augustus.

    The China threat: from TikTok to Taiwan | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2024 46:21


    Congressman Mike Gallagher on why the West should take the threat of China seriously, from TikTok to Taiwan.

    The Sagacity of Elliott Abrams | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2024 32:38


    Elliott Abrams has had the ear of Republican presidents from Reagan to Trump. Here is what he told them...

    Matt Pottinger Sounds the Alarm in Asia | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2024 62:08


    Former Deputy National Security Adviser and China expert Matt Pottinger takes a clear-eyed view of the threats to peace in Asia.

    The View From Inside Israel with Tom Gross | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2024 73:28


    Tom Gross is an influential British journalist and Middle East commentator who provides cutting-edge analysis on the unfolding Israel-Gaza struggle.

    Once More Unto the Breach, with Eliot Cohen | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2023 50:00


    Former State Department Counsellor Eliot Cohen on how William Shakespeare can explain the rise, rule, and fall of present day leaders.

    The varied career (but unvarying principles) of Robert O'Brien | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2023 64:50


    Robert O'Brien has had a large number of demanding jobs, but none more so than being President Trump's national security advisor.

    Rabbi Meir Soloveichik on exceptional Jewish Leadership | Secrets Of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2023 54:39


    The rabbi of America's oldest Jewish congregation discusses his new book, Providence and Power.

    Getting Inside the Mind of Vladimir Putin | Secrets Of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts and Michael McFaul | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2023 45:08


    Mike McFaul, President Obama's ambassador to Moscow, drew on history to discover what makes Putin tick.

    Tony Abbott Speaks Out | Secrets Of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2023 53:45


    Former prime minister of Australia Tony Abbott is in characteristically forthright form when discussing the past, present, and future of Western institutions.

    Lord (Charles) Powell recalls his service as Margaret Thatcher's closest advisor | Secrets Of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2023 45:31


    Lord (Charles) Powell recalls his service as Margaret Thatcher's closest advisor during her three historic premierships.

    Defending Democracy: The Life's Work of George Robertson | Secrets Of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2023 44:58


    Lord (George) Robertson, Secretary-General of NATO, talks about steering the organization through some of its most perilous moments.

    Alexander Downer's Continual Crisis Management | Secrets Of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2023 60:57


    The longest serving foreign minister in Australian history, Alexander Downer used his past experience to navigate a series of major crises, including 9/11.

    The Past is Prologue for Lord Julian Fellowes | Secrets Of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2023 43:32


    The Oscar-winning creator of Gosford Park and Downton Abbey speaks about history, creativity and noblesse oblige. 

    The Trials of Bill Barr | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2023 46:19


    Over a quarter of a century separated William P. Barr's terms as the 77th and also the 85th Attorney General of the United States, serving under two very different presidents.

    The Past is Ever-Present for Bret Stephens | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2023 47:55


    Bret Stephens, the Pulitzer-winning New York Times journalist, on the influence of the past on himself, his family, the Jewish people, and America.

    John Bolton's World Tour | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2023 42:49


    Former US Ambassador to the UN and National Security Adviser John Bolton considers the global challenges to the West.

    Nick Thomas-Symonds and the History of the Labour Party | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2023 40:48


    British historian and biographer Nick Thomas-Symonds MP is in Sir Keir Starmer's shadow cabinet and will play a key role in any future Labour government.  Here he speaks about the giants of Labour Party history: Ramsay MacDonald, Clement Attlee, Aneurin Bevan, and Harold Wilson.

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