Podcasts about Britain

A biking Brit explains how easy it is to find evidence of the people from centuries past along the backroads of England and Scotland. And a pair of British tour guides get us ready to visit England's magnificent and historically important cathedrals, from Canterbury to York Minster. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Greg Jenner is joined in medieval England by Dr Erin Goeres and comedian Alison Spittle to learn all about the tumultuous events of 1066, famously depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry, to celebrate its arrival in London. The death of Edward the Confessor without an heir in January 1066 kicked off a three-way battle for the English throne. The contenders? His brother-in-law, Harold Godwinson, who had himself crowned before Edward's body was cold. His cousin William, already duke of Normandy. And the Norwegian king and famed warrior, Harald. Over the course of just a few short weeks in early autumn, the fight between these three decided the fate of a nation. This episode explores the personalities of these men, taking in Harald's dramatic life of exile in Constantinople, William's illegitimacy, and Godwinson's political credentials – and troublesome little brother, Tostig. And it tells the story of the battles they fought for the throne, at Fulford, Stamford Bridge, and most famously Hastings. And it asks, how accurate is the Bayeux Tapestry, and did Harold really get an arrow in the eye?If you're a fan of larger than life historical figures, bloody battles and messy medieval family drama, you'll love our special episode on 1066.The programme is part of Radio 4's Norman Day, marking the arrival of the Bayeux Tapestry in Britain with programmes reassessing the Norman Conquest and its meaning for us today.If you want more on the events surrounding 1066, we've got episodes on Emma of Normandy and the Bayeux Tapestry. And for more from Alison Spittle, listen to our episode on the Early Medieval Papacy. You're Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past. Hosted by: Greg Jenner Research by: Dr Jon Norman Mason Written by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Dr Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner Produced by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner Studio and Edit Producer: Steve Hankey Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Senior Producer: Dr Emma Nagouse Executive Editor: Philip Sellars

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:• Iran's economic troubles deepen as tankers remain stranded overseas, the rial hits a new record low, and U.S. pressure continues to tighten around Tehran's oil trade.• China-linked hackers are impersonating American officials and AI experts in an effort to target researchers and policy specialists working on artificial intelligence.• Britain says it believes Iran played a role in the suspected plot near RAF Fairford, the British base used by U.S. bombers in operations against Iran.• Former world chess champion and Kremlin critic Garry Kasparov says U.S. and Lithuanian security services warned him that he may be the target of an assassination plot.To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com.Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybriefLean: Get 20% off plus free rush shipping when you go to https://TAKELEAN.com and use code PDBTax Relief Advocates: End your tax nightmare today by visiting us online at https://TRA.com or call 800-583-6515QUO: Make this the season where no opportunity slips away. Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to https://Quo.com/PDB

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg explains how Britain, which has a combat ready military force about half the size of New York's police department, must prepare for war with Russia. (00:00) What Is This War and Why Does Britain Need to Fight It? (19:40) Is There Majority Support for War With Russia? (26:18) Is Using Nuclear Weapons Accepted in Christianity? (33:15) Was WWII Good for Britain? (39:08) Is Ukraine a Sovereign Country?Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg is a British politician and broadcaster who served as a Conservative Member of Parliament from 2010 to 2024. A prominent advocate for Brexit, he held senior government roles including Leader of the House of Commons and Business Secretary. He now hosts State of the Nation on GB News. Paid partnerships with: Angel Studios: Watch The Brink of War at http://angel.com/TC American Financing: NMLS 182334, nmlsconsumeraccess.org. Average savings based on borrowers who save over $199.99. Call 800-685-5696 or visit http://www.AmericanFinancing.net/Tucker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Benjamin Netanyahu is back in the spotlight after a 60 Minutes interview clip resurfaces in which he holds up a smartphone and warns that digital platforms can be used to "penetrate" people's information environment and repeatedly portray someone as a monster. We look at what he was actually arguing about propaganda and social media, alongside the latest Lindsay Clancy developments as the lone holdout juror breaks his silence and her lawyer shifts strategy ahead of a possible retrial. We also turn to Britain, where Prime Minister Andy Burnham uses his Labour conference speech to promise a new national direction and defend the future of the United Kingdom.  I'm joined by Dustin Tavella, magician, storyteller and winner of Season 16 of America's Got Talent. Dustin's performances combine close-up magic, storytelling, faith and family — and today he's bringing some of that magic into the studio for us. Beyond the stage, his life has taken him through music, youth work, adoption and humanitarian work, giving his performances a much more personal edge than the usual magician's act. Connect with Dustin: Website: https://www.dustintavella.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustintavella/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DustinTavella/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DustinTavella To get a free audio copy of my book 'How to Become a Christian in 7 Days', you can download it at https://www.russellbrand.com/how-to-become-a-christian-audiobook/ Order my new book 'How to Become Christian in 7 Days' at https://bit.ly/russellbook2 Listen to Jake's new album - https://bit.ly/JakeSmithAlbum If you want to support the show and take care of yourself properly—without turning your bathroom into a laboratory—go to tryreborn.com. It's the Reborn store: supplements, skincare, daily essentials… simple, effective, and made for people who are trying to stay strong while the world does whatever this is. Go check out www.tryreborn.com and grab what you need  

It's ev.news Briefly for Sunday 13 September 2026, only todays headlines and nothing else, in just 4 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.Patreon supporters fund this show, get the episodes ad free, as soon as they're ready and are part of the ev.news Community. You can be like them by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/evnewsAION UT ARRIVES IN UK FROM £28,950AION has launched the UT electric hatchback in the UK from £28,950, offering 268 miles of WLTP range, 30-80% charging in 24 minutes and UK-specific chassis tuning. Its strongest differentiator is the transferable Great 8 Promise covering warranty, servicing, roadside assistance and MOTs for eight years, aimed at reducing concerns over buying and later reselling a relatively unfamiliar Chinese brand.DPD UK ORDERS 341 MERCEDES-BENZ ESPRINTER VANSDPD UK has ordered 341 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter vans, taking its electric fleet beyond 4,000 vehicles and extending battery-electric delivery operations into larger vans and longer routes around London and elsewhere in Britain. The order suggests improving battery range, payload capability and UK licensing rules are making full-size electric vans practical for a broader range of commercial delivery work.EU DRAFT AIMS TO FAVOUR EUROPEAN EV SUPPLIERSThe European Commission has proposed procurement rules allowing public authorities to favour European suppliers by considering resilience, industrial capacity and fair competition alongside price when buying products including electric buses, chargers and municipal EV fleets. The draft could disadvantage some Chinese suppliers, but European-built vehicles from companies such as BYD may still qualify depending on final rules governing product origin and European component content.EU DRAFT SEEKS EUROPEAN PREFERENCE IN BUS TENDERSEurope's proposed procurement reforms distinguish between where a company is headquartered and where its products are manufactured, meaning Chinese-owned manufacturers with EU factories could potentially remain eligible for public contracts. For companies such as BYD, European production may therefore become increasingly important not only for tariffs and supply chains but also for maintaining access to taxpayer-funded transport and fleet tenders.ALSTOM AND TRANSPENNINE PLAN 29 BATTERY-ELECTRIC TRAINSAlstom and TransPennine Express plan to introduce 29 battery-electric Adessia Stream trains from 2034, designed for long-distance UK routes with around 300 passengers and speeds of up to 110 mph. The programme would move battery propulsion beyond current UK trials and retrofits into purpose-built mainline passenger trains, while also supporting production and employment at Alstom's Derby facility.LAWMAKER ASKS NHTSA TO ACT ON TESLA FSDUS Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi has asked federal regulators to examine whether Tesla does enough to prevent misuse of Full Self-Driving and Autopilot after NBC identified videos and police cases involving drivers apparently sleeping or becoming distracted while the systems operated. Tesla requires drivers to remain attentive and uses cameras and other monitoring measures, but the question now facing NHTSA is whether those safeguards adequately prevent foreseeable misuse.PURPOSE ENERGY PROPOSES PERTH-BUNBURY HEAVY-VEHICLE CHARGING NETWORKPurpose Energy has proposed an AU$137 million electric-truck charging corridor between Perth and Bunbury, with hubs at Forrestfield, Rockingham and Picton offering 12 charging bays each alongside two battery-swapping stations. Backed by logistics operator Centurion, the proposal will first test fleet demand and could demonstrate whether shared high-capacity infrastructure is more practical than individual operators building expensive charging facilities at separate depots.CHINA POLICY SEEKS STRICT CONTROL OF NEW INDEPENDENT EV-MAKER APPROVALSChina has set 2030 targets for new-energy vehicles to reach 70% of domestic passenger-car sales and 40% of commercial-vehicle sales while tightening approval of new independent manufacturers and encouraging consolidation through mergers and the closure of inefficient capacity. With NEVs already accounting for 65.2% of domestic passenger-vehicle sales in August, the policy signals that Beijing's next priority is managing competition, industrial discipline and global scale rather than simply stimulating EV demand.

What happened to the Dacians after Trajan's conquest of Dacia, and did some of them really end up serving in Roman Britain? In this episode, Murray answers a listener question about the Dacian presence in Britain. Following Trajan's conquest of Dacia in AD 106, Dacian soldiers were recruited into the Roman auxiliary forces, and some Dacian units were subsequently stationed on the fringes of the Empire, including in Britain. But what can the evidence tell us about these soldiers?   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  

In the summer of 1940, with continental Europe under Nazi occupation, Great Britain stood alone against the seemingly unstoppable German war machine. This episode chronicles the Battle of Britain, a high-stakes aerial campaign where the heavily outnumbered pilots of the Royal Air Force clashed with the Luftwaffe in the skies over the English Channel. We dive into the tactical decisions, the revolutionary use of radar technology, and the sheer human endurance that prevented a full-scale German invasion. Join us as we explore how a few thousand young aviators—immortalized as "The Few"—defied the odds in a turning point that fundamentally shifted the trajectory of World War II.Western Civ Podcast 2.0 Free Trial

Set inside Britain's housing crisis, six stand-alone but interconnected dramas follow ambition, resilience and the search for belonging.Tanika Gupta's drama tells the story of the tenants in the crumbling Riverbourne tower block in west London, where damp walls, broken lifts, mould, unsafe wiring and heating failures have been ignored for years while rents continue to climb. The Housing Association claims its mission is to provide homes for “vulnerable tenants” - those unable to sustain a tenancy without support due to age, disability, health conditions, or exceptional circumstances - But in reality the Association neglects repairs and intimidates the very people it's meant to protect.There is fear and anger for the tenants but as they get to know one another their solidarity and defiance grows: housing is a human right, not a commodity. All of them have personal histories but these difficulties they have all faced individually give them strength to stand together and the number of voices calling for change is a powerful force. Is victory within their grasp.Shazia ….. Avita Jay Aisha ….. Yasemin Ozdemir Amara ….. Alaa Taha Eustace ….. David Webber Dylan ….. Max Hastings David ….. Ian Dunnett Jnr Arthur ….. Ben CroweDirected by Tracey NealeSound ..... Sharon Hughes, Keith Graham and Andy Garratt Production co-ordinators ..... Sara Benaim and Jonathan Powell Director ..... Tracey Neale Writer .... Tanika GuptaA BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4Tanika Gupta is an award winning writer. Her original theatre work includes Sugar Mummies,The Empress, Lions and Tigers and A Tupperware of Ashes. Her stage adaptations include Anita and Me, Hobson's Choice A Midsummer Night's Dream, A Doll's House and Hedda. Tanika has written numerous audio dramas and adapted classics like A Passage to India and Brick Lane. In 2008, Tanika was awarded an MBE for her services to drama and she has been awarded honorary doctorates from Chichester and University of West London. She was a writer in residence at the National Theatre and at Soho Theatre.

Links For The Occult Rejectshttps://linktr.ee/theoccultrejectsOccult Research Institutehttps://www.occultresearchinstitute.org/Substackhttps://substack.com/@theoccultrejects?r=7auau0&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-pageCash Apphttps://cash.app/$theoccultrejectsVenmo@TheOccultRejectsPatreonhttps://www.patreon.com/TheOccultRejectsBibliographyPrimary Sources, Historical Texts, Legal Sources, and Reference WorksÆlfric of Eynsham. Ælfric's Catholic Homilies: The First Series: Text. Edited by Peter Clemoes. Early English Text Society, Supplementary Series 17. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.Ælfric of Eynsham. Ælfric's Catholic Homilies: The Second Series: Text. Edited by Malcolm Godden. Early English Text Society, Supplementary Series 5. London: Oxford University Press for the Early English Text Society, 1979.Attenborough, F. L., ed. and trans. The Laws of the Earliest English Kings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1922.Bosworth, Joseph, and T. Northcote Toller. An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1898; Supplement, 1921. See also the revised Bosworth-Toller Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online, especially the entries for wicca, wicce, wiccedōm, and related terms.Elliger, Karl, and Wilhelm Rudolph, eds. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. 5th corrected ed. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1997.England. 33 Henry VIII c. 8. An Act concerning Witchcrafts and Sorcery (1542).England. 5 Elizabeth I c. 16. An Act against Conjurations, Enchantments and Witchcrafts (1563).England. 1 James I c. 12. An Act against Conjuration, Witchcraft and dealing with evil and wicked Spirits (1604).Great Britain. 9 George II c. 5. An Act to repeal the Statute made in the first Year of the Reign of King James the First, intituled, An Act against Conjuration, Witchcraft and dealing with evil and wicked Spirits... Commonly known as the Witchcraft Act 1735; royal assent 1736.Great Britain. Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951, 14 & 15 Geo. 6 c. 33.Forshall, Josiah, and Frederic Madden, eds. The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal Books, in the Earliest English Versions Made from the Latin Vulgate by John Wycliffe and His Followers. 4 vols. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1850.Gardner, Gerald B. Witchcraft Today. London: Rider and Company, 1954.Gifford, George. A Dialogue Concerning Witches and Witchcraftes. London: John Windet for Tobie Cooke and Mihil Hart, 1593.Krapp, George Philip, ed. The Junius Manuscript. Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records 1. New York: Columbia University Press, 1931.Liebermann, Felix, ed. Die Gesetze der Angelsachsen. 3 vols. in 4. Halle: Max Niemeyer, 1903–1916.Lyly, John. Mother Bombie. London: Thomas Scarlet for Cuthbert Burby, 1594.Murray, Margaret Alice. The Witch-Cult in Western Europe: A Study in Anthropology. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1921.Perkins, William. A Discourse of the Damned Art of Witchcraft: So Farre Forth as It Is Revealed in the Scriptures, and Manifest by True Experience. Published by Thomas Pickering. Cambridge, 1608.Rahlfs, Alfred, ed. Septuaginta. Revised by Robert Hanhart. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2006.Robertson, A. J., ed. and trans. The Laws of the Kings of England from Edmund to Henry I. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1925.Tyndale, William. The Pentateuch. 1530. For a modern edition, see Tyndale's Old Testament, edited by David Daniell. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992.Weber, Robert, and Roger Gryson, eds. Biblia Sacra iuxta Vulgatam Versionem. 5th ed. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2007.Webster, Noah. An American Dictionary of the English Language. New York: S. Converse, 1828.The Holy Bible, Conteyning the Old Testament, and the New. London: Robert Barker, 1611.Modern ScholarshipApps, Lara, and Andrew Gow. Male Witches in Early Modern Europe. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2003.Arthur, Ciaran. “Charms,” Liturgies, and Secret Rites in Early Medieval England. Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2018.Bostridge, Ian. Witchcraft and Its Transformations, c.1650–c.1750. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997.Briggs, Robin. Witches and Neighbours: The Social and Cultural Context of European Witchcraft. London: HarperCollins, 1996.Clark, Stuart. Thinking with Demons: The Idea of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997.Cohn, Norman. Europe's Inner Demons: An Enquiry Inspired by the Great Witch-Hunt. New York: Basic Books, 1975.Davies, Owen. Cunning-Folk: Popular Magic in English History. London: Hambledon and London, 2003.Davies, Owen. Witchcraft, Magic and Culture, 1736–1951. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1999.Doyle White, Ethan. Wicca: History, Belief, and Community in Modern Pagan Witchcraft. Brighton: Sussex Academic Press, 2016.Gaskill, Malcolm. Crime and Mentalities in Early Modern England. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.Gaskill, Malcolm. Hellish Nell: Last of Britain's Witches. London: Fourth Estate, 2001.Hutton, Ronald. The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.Hutton, Ronald. The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2017.Levack, Brian P. The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe. 4th ed. London: Routledge, 2016.Liberman, Anatoly. Word Origins ... and How We Know Them: Etymology for Everyone. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.Liberman, Anatoly, with J. Lawrence Mitchell. An Analytic Dictionary of English Etymology: An Introduction. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2008.Macfarlane, Alan. Witchcraft in Tudor and Stuart England: A Regional and Comparative Study. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1970. 2nd ed. with an introduction by James Sharpe, London: Routledge, 1999.Purkiss, Diane. The Witch in History: Early Modern and Twentieth-Century Representations. London: Routledge, 1996.Sharpe, J. A. Instruments of Darkness: Witchcraft in England, 1550–1750. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1996.Thomas, Keith. Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century England. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1971.Wilby, Emma. Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits: Shamanistic Visionary Traditions in Early Modern British Witchcraft and Magic. Brighton: Sussex Academic Press, 2005.Particularly Useful Digital and Archival ResourcesFolger Shakespeare Library. Digital editions and catalog records for John Lyly's Mother Bombie, George Gifford's A Dialogue Concerning Witches and Witchcraftes, and William Perkins's A Discourse of the Damned Art of Witchcraft.The National Archives (UK). Early Modern Witch Trials teaching collection, including the transcript and archival image of the 1604 Act against Conjuration, Witchcraft and dealing with evil and wicked Spirits.UK Parliament, Living Heritage. “Witchcraft,” overview of the English witchcraft statutes and their legal history.UK Legislation. Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951, official text.Dictionary of Old English / Dictionary of Old English Web Corpus, Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Toronto.Oxford English Dictionary. Entries for witch, witchcraft, wizard, warlock, and related historical forms.Also want to remind people about the website, if you're into reading we have tons of information by multiple contributors, and we got t-shirts up on the site if you're interested. Fun fact, the art is all based on the eyeball. 

3, 2, 1… it's showwwtime! Welcome back to The Chris Moyles Show Podcast and a very, very big happy birthday to our very own Captain Crapbeard!This week, Blur's Dave Rowntree joined us, giving us backstage access to how he met Damon Albarn and how one of Britain's biggest bands first came together. Dom surprised us with a chat with the amazing Adam Clayton from U2. Friday brought a full-on birthday bonanza for Captain Crapbeard, with Blossoms and Tim Minchin joining in the celebrations. Blossoms popped by to celebrate the release of their new album, Songs From The Wedding Cake, while Tim marked the incredible 15-year anniversary of Matilda in London's West End.And that's not all…We were also joined by Abbie from the 1984 children's television series 'Emu's All Live Pink Windmill Show', there was plenty of “Action! Action!” with Rod Stewart, oh and did you know? Dom is bald! Thanks for listening!

For this week's Edition, Lara Prendergast is joined by the Spectator's political editor Tim Shipman, restaurant critic Angus Colwell and Telegraph associate editor Poppy Coburn.This week: does the country want Kemi Badenoch's tough love? Ahead of Tory party conference, Tim speaks to the Tory leader about her plans to get Britain working again. She argues that if you can work, you should; young people without a work history could be put onto a six-month ‘get to work' scheme rather than Universal Credit. Badenoch says the Tories have spent too long worrying about being called the ‘nasty party' and now need to plant their flag on welfare, the economy and conservative values. But while her personal fortunes have improved, has the Tory brand recovered with her?Also: has Andy Burnham handed the Conservatives an opportunity? Badenoch believes the Prime Minister is moving Labour decisively to the left, while Burnham's conference speech revived arguments about public ownership, devolution and Britain's relationship with Europe. Is his attack on, what he sees as the economic consensus of the past 40 years, bold – or an opportunity for the Conservatives to open up ideological fault lines? And how realistic are Burnham's ambitions to move Britain closer to the EU?Plus: is AI ruining literature or just exposing bad writing? The panel discuss whether machines can produce genuinely great art, and Tim reveals how he uses AI to sift interview transcripts. And finally: are some people nostalgic for lockdown? Following a controversy over a Boston lesbian bar, Angus looks at the persistence of mask culture, while the panel reveal what they would stockpile for the apocalypse.Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russia has embarked on a new campaign to quell Ukraine, focused on supermarkets, playgrounds and other civilian targets. Our correspondent reports on the toll on daily life in Kyiv. Despite the backlash against “pervert glasses”, companies continue to develop AI-enabled smart specs. And how the pen changed history.Guests and host:Oliver Carroll, Ukraine correspondentHenry Tricks, US technology editorCatherine Nixey, Britain correspondentRosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”Topics covered: Ukraine, Kyiv, civilian targetsSmart glasses, Meta, pervert glasses Fountain pen, Simon Garfield Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:• The diplomatic channel with Iran remains open, with Qatar carrying messages between Washington and Tehran even as the U.S. imposes another round of sanctions.• U.S. forces are leaving Iraq after more than two decades, raising concerns that Iran-backed militias or ISIS could exploit the resulting security vacuum.• Pakistan says it will defend Saudi Arabia against the Houthis by “whatever means are available,” raising the possibility that Islamabad could become directly involved in the widening conflict.• Britain says a Beijing research institute is secretly operating as a front for Chinese intelligence, targeting sensitive technology and expertise from Western institutions.To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com.Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybriefHomeServe: Protect your home systems from expensive repairs with https://HomeServe.com/dailybriefand get 50% off your first year of coverage.Lean: Get 20% off plus free rush shipping when you go to https://TAKELEAN.com and use code PDBCardiff: Get fast business funding without bank delays—apply in minutes with Cardiff and access up to $500,000 in same‑day funding at https://Cardiff.co/PDB

Russia has embarked on a new campaign to quell Ukraine, focused on supermarkets, playgrounds and other civilian targets. Our correspondent reports on the toll on daily life in Kyiv. Despite the backlash against “pervert glasses”, companies continue to develop AI-enabled smart specs. And how the pen changed history.Guests and host:Oliver Carroll, Ukraine correspondentHenry Tricks, US technology editorCatherine Nixey, Britain correspondentRosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”Topics covered: Ukraine, Kyiv, civilian targetsSmart glasses, Meta, pervert glasses Fountain pen, Simon Garfield Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1938, Europe was once again facing the prospect of a major war. The immediate crisis centred on Czechoslovakia, a new state created at the end of the First World War. It was a country with a substantial industrial base, a significant arms industry and, importantly, a heavily fortified frontier with Germany. Hitler was determined to destroy Czechoslovakia. The German military had drawn up an invasion plan known as Fall Grün, or Case Green. But there was a problem. The German armed forces were not yet ready for the kind of major European war that Hitler seemed to be risking. So what exactly was Case Green? How did the Germans intend to defeat Czechoslovakia, how good were the Czech defences, and how did Hitler's ideas differ from those of his own generals? And perhaps most importantly, what might actually have happened if Britain and France had refused to compromise and Germany had gone to war? Today I'm joined by Robert Forczyk, whose book 'Case Green: The Birth of the Wehrmacht' examines the German plans for the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1938. Case Green is also available on Audible and Spotify.

How did John Paul Jones capture HMS Serapis when his own ship, Bonhomme Richard, was on fire and took on water? The Battle of Flamborough Head turned disaster into one of the American Revolution's most remarkable naval victories. In this episode of America's Founding Series on The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano tells the story of a Scottish sailor who took the war to Britain's shores. As America marks its 250th anniversary, discover how Jones faced a more powerful Royal Navy warship, changed tactics after his heaviest guns failed, and refused to surrender. What You'll Learn In This Episode: The Scottish sailor: How a gardener's son became an American naval captain and challenged Britain near its own shores. Disaster at Flamborough Head: How two of Bonhomme Richard's heaviest cannons exploded and cost Jones his best chance in a gun duel. The tactical death grip: How Jones turned a collision with HMS Serapis into a close-range fight that reduced Britain's firepower advantage. "I Have Not Yet Begun to Fight": What the accounts reveal about Captain Richard Pearson's surrender demand and Jones's defiance. The lesson for today: Why Jones's resolve still matters when a plan collapses and defeat seems inevitable. Jones lost Bonhomme Richard, but he and his crew captured the warship that nearly destroyed her. His victory reminds us that a failed plan does not have to end the fight. Episode Chapters 00:00 John Paul Jones and the Battle of Flamborough Head 01:01 From Scottish Sailor to American Naval Captain 02:07 John Paul Jones Raids the British Coast 04:00 Bonhomme Richard Battles HMS Serapis 07:27 Jones Lashes Bonhomme Richard to Serapis 08:43 Friendly Fire and the Grenade Attack on Serapis 09:41 HMS Serapis Surrenders and Bonhomme Richard Sinks 11:07 John Paul Jones on Resolve and Leadership 12:22 What John Paul Jones Can Teach America Today ⭐ Help Keep Authentic American History Alive: If you believe the sacrifices that built this nation must never be forgotten, follow The P.A.S. Report Podcast, leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and text a link to this episode to 3 or 4 friends and family members right now.

This week, Nish & Coco catch up on the Labour Party Conference, and react to Andy Burnham's promises to break with the politics of the past, and build a sustainable future…but what about the present? We're also starstruck in the studio as we're joined by Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor to discuss their latest book, ‘End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World'. They talk about the consequences of a dangerous alliance of tech bros, Christian fundamentalists, and ethno-nationalists, wary of the so-called “great replacement”. But there's also hope in community organising, action, and championing the natural world; staying grounded, while the billionaires plan their exit to space. Nish wanted to call this episode “gay porn and soup”... you will have to listen to find out why! USEFUL LINKSBuy Naomi & Astra's book: End Times Fascism : Naomi Klein, : 9780241816288 : Blackwell's Read Jane Bradley's reporting for the New York Times into Nigel Farage and Reform UK's links to one of America's most influential conservative Christian groups, the ‘Alliance Defending Freedom': They Helped Topple Roe v. Wade. Now Their Sights Are Set on Britain. - The New York Times Join the National March for Palestine on the 10th October: https://palestinecampaign.org/events/national-march-for-palestine-save-the-date/ CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUKSHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.Don't forget you can get in touch! Contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com if you want to share questions, thoughts, or general musings! Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Instagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk X: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

VOLKSWAGEN OPENS ORDERS FOR LONGER ID. BUZZ CARGOVolkswagen has opened German orders for the longer ID. Buzz Cargo, which increases load volume from 3.9 to 4.4 cubic metres, gains a wider side opening for a Euro pallet and uses an 86 kWh battery, with prices from €50,630 for the 250 kW AWD version and €48,490 for the forthcoming 210 kW RWD model. Quoted ranges are 430–460 km for AWD and 450–490 km for RWD, with 200 kW DC charging, 11 kW AC charging, one-pedal driving and 3.0 kW continuous vehicle-to-load power.ALPINE ADDS COLLECTION PACKAGE TO ELECTRIC A290Alpine has introduced a more restrained Collection styling package for the A290 GT, GT Performance and GTS, adding body-colour wheelarches, a black steering wheel, silver brake calipers, exclusive matte grey-blue or metallic white paint, a gloss-black roof and diamond-cut Snowflake wheels. GT and GT Performance also receive blue-and-white fabric and faux-leather interiors, while GTS retains leather; UK timing and pricing remain unconfirmed, although a small premium over the roughly £30,000 existing range is expected.AUDI A6 E-TRON CLAIMS 831-MILE SINGLE-CHARGE RECORDRally driver Miko Marczyk drove an Audi A6 Sportback e-tron Performance 1,338 km, or more than 831 miles, on one charge over 45 hours, exceeding a previous claimed Lucid Air record of 749 miles and travelling more than 360 miles beyond the Audi's official 468-mile maximum. The 94.9 kWh car averaged 8.8 miles/kWh on a carefully selected Polish route with favourable terrain and energy-efficient Michelin tyres, making the conditions and exceptionally long journey important context for the claimed record.DACIA HIPSTER PRODUCTION PLANNED FOR 2027 AT EXPECTED £9,500Dacia is reportedly planning 2027 production of the Hipster, potentially giving Britain an electric city car costing around £9,500, although the project has not yet received final production approval. Sources indicate a 15 kWh battery and production at Shiyan in China using some previous-generation Spring components, while Dacia is still deciding between four-seat L7e and two-seat L6 configurations as it seeks a profitable sub-£10,000 starting price.EU WILL NOT VOTE ON TESLA FSD ON 6 OCTOBERTesla's attempt to secure EU-wide approval for Full Self-Driving Supervised will be discussed by the Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles on 6 October but will not be put to a vote, making December the earliest scheduled opportunity for a decision. Seven countries have authorised the driver-supervised system, but bloc-wide approval requires support from at least 15 member states representing 65% of the EU population, while concerns including speed-limit compliance remain and Tesla's reported European safety figures have not been independently audited.INDEPENDENT USED-CAR DEALERS GET FREE EV TRAININGIndependent used-car dealers can now access EV Retail Ready, a free online programme created by the BVRLA, Independent Motor Dealers Association and EVA England to improve staff knowledge of charging, running costs, ownership and the EV buying process. The four-module course takes up to two hours, includes access to Clearwatt's vehicle-specific battery, charging and real-world range data, and requires all customer-facing staff to complete the training for dealership accreditation.RENAULT PLANS €600 MILLION SPANISH FACTORY INVESTMENTRenault plans to invest €600 million through 2030 in its Valladolid and Palencia factories in Spain, preparing them for five new models including two medium-sized EVs based on the electric-specific RGEV Medium 2.0 platform. The programme, combining Renault funding with national and regional public support, also includes a battery assembly line at Valladolid and is intended to help secure the future of more than 6,000 direct jobs.US SENATORS DELAY BID FOR PERMANENT CHINESE VEHICLE BANUS senators have delayed a fast-track attempt to make restrictions on Chinese vehicles permanent while discussions continue with Republican Senator Rand Paul, whose objection prevents the unanimous consent needed despite the bill having 51 supporters. The proposal would prevent presidential waivers for Chinese manufacturers and could also affect Mercedes-Benz because Chinese investors own nearly 20% of it, although Senator Bernie Moreno said the company would have until 2030 to comply and could potentially receive waivers.SLOVENIA WILL END ELECTRIC-CAR PURCHASE SUBSIDIESSlovenia's new government will end electric-car purchase subsidies after existing funding was exhausted, shifting its electric-mobility policy towards charging infrastructure instead. Around €2.5 million is available for slower chargers and roughly €25 million is planned next year for charging infrastructure on and beyond the TEN-T network, with future support expected to rely more heavily on national rather than EU funding.ROLLS-ROYCE ELECTRIC SUV PROTOTYPE SHOWS SPLIT BONNET SEAMA photograph of Rolls-Royce's forthcoming electric SUV prototype shows a centre bonnet seam resembling a split-opening mechanism described in a 2024 BMW patent, although neither the mechanism nor the possible storage space beneath it has been confirmed. The standalone electric SUV could enter production next year alongside the V12 Cullinan, but reports of BMW Group EV technology, an 800-volt electrical system, dual motors and all-wheel drive remain expectations rather than confirmed specifications.

Russia hit a school in Kyiv today, in broad daylight. Luckily the children and staff were sheltering and unharmed. But as Ukraine's children continue to live under the ferocity of Russia's missiles, America stands by, instead choosing to exclude key allies like Britain, France and the Baltic states from a NATO meeting next month. Democratic Senator Chris Coons, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joins the show from DC.  Also on today's show: Phil Gunson, Senior Analyst, Andes Region, International Crisis Group; Nikole Hannah-Jones, Domestic Correspondent, The New York Times Magazine    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Net Zero was once a radical idea. Now it's both an accepted global target, and an increasingly toxic political faultline.This week, Tom is back from the UN General Assembly and New York Climate week, where António Guterres used his last speech as UN Secretary-General to call for every country to set a timeline for quitting fossil fuels. But around the world, politicians are turning against the very idea. In Britain, a committee of MPs now wants the government to stop saying "net zero" altogether. Should the climate movement let the phrase go, or will its opponents simply come for whatever replaces it?Christiana Figueres and Paul chat to Professor Phil Taylor, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bath and a member of the government's Net Zero Innovation Board. Phil grew up in a North East England still living with the fallout of its last industrial transition. He warns that the cheapest, easiest progress has already been made. And so far the households gaining the most from the energy transition are the ones who can afford the shift. So, with energy bills set to rise again, what happens when a shift sold as painless starts to hurt? And can politicians be honest about the costs and still win?Outrage + Optimism will be live at Bath Abbey on 14 October, after this summer's extreme heat forced the original event to be cancelled. Join the livestream from anywhere using the link below.Learn More

So many jobs to do at this time of year, but not enough time! As we rush to garden centres and nurseries, you can make it easier on yourself by narrowing down your new plant choices to those which are ultra wildlife friendly. Pollinators will always appreciate a helping hand, and a good place to start is with a new RHS guide, Plants for Pollinators. One of the authors, RHS entomologist Josie Stuart, is on the podcast to talk about what to plant now to boost wildlife diversity. If edibles are more your thing, Guy Barter offers sobering news on the future of Britain's favourite brassicas – is it the end of the line for cauliflowers? And we continue our guide to essential jobs to do in autumn, this time it's why and how to divide perennials. Host: Gareth Richards Producer: Dan Cocker Contributors: Josie Stuart, Guy Barter, Nick Petters, Melissa Mabbitt Links:  Plants for Pollinators Autumn ox eye daisy - Leucanthemella serotina No more cauliflowers Guardian article Dividing perennials Rootstocks for fruit Send your questions to podcast@rhs.org.uk

In 1845 two Royal Navy ships, HMS Terror & HMS Erebus, departed Britain on an expedition into the Arctic. Along their ill-fated icy expedition, they disappeared almost completely, becoming one of history's greatest maritime mysteries…In this episode, Anthony and Maddy follow the trail of clues left behind by the crew of this doomed voyage and uncover what really happened to them...Edited by Anna Brant. Produced by Tomos Delargy and McKenna Fernandez. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.After Dark is a History Hit podcast.Voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards. Click to place your vote on the Spotify mobile app: https://open.spotify.com/s/xhg6PJa Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bats are some of Britain's most mysterious mammals. From caves and woodlands to parks and abandoned buildings, they've adapted to an astonishing range of habitats, and as night falls, you might spot them emerging from their roosts.National Trust ranger Rosie Holdsworth joins bat conservationist Steve Roe on a series of surveys across the Peak District, tracking these elusive creatures through winter and spring. Part of the National Bat Monitoring Programme, the surveys are helping to build a vital picture of how bat populations are faring across the UK.Often feared and misunderstood, bats are far more fascinating than their reputation suggests. Join us on a journey into their hidden world to discover the remarkable lives of Britain's bats, and why monitoring and protecting them matters.Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust's YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZT4mlDD6j8UProductionHost: Rosie Holdsworth Producer: Jack Glover, Michelle Douglass, Jesus Gomez, Pippa Tilbury-Harris Sound: Jesus Gomez Contributor: Steve Roe, Allan Roe, Jess Eades, Helen Ball Cover image copyright: Steve Roe  Discover More: Want to know more about bats? Why not listen to BatChat, a podcast dedicated to these amazing creatures and hosted by Steve Roe, our main collaborator in this episode.If you'd like to learn more about The National Bat Monitoring Programme and the bat surveys, you can sign up here.To find your nearest bat group search this page.Follow Steve's Instagram account @steveroebatmanFollow us on Instagram @wildtalesnt  If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk

This week Mickey takes a look at the case of the Cornell Seven, as well as what this year's PM, Andy Burnham, has planned for a better Britain. Which may happen. At some point. Meanwhile, Hannah's venturing back into the world of sport, and there's some dispute over which is the cutest of the world's most newly discovered species. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

RAF pilot Frank Dell parachuted into Nazi occupied Holland after his plane was hit by cannon fire and with the aid of courageous Dutch families and resistance fighters he got out alive.As a teenager, Frank saw the Battle of Britain played out in the skies above his village in the south of England.He joined the RAF and piloted a De Havilland Mosquito on bombing raids into Germany.In October 1944 Frank's plane was shot out of the sky and he parachuted into Nazi territory.Frank witnessed extraordinary scenes as he walked his way through the countryside into occupied Holland.It was there he joined the Dutch Resistance, and his war shifted to the fields, hay sheds and village lanes of the Netherlands.This episode was first broadcast in 2014.Further informationFrank Dell passed away peacefully in 2022 at the age of 98.His family say that Frank had fond memories of meeting Richard and the chance to tell his story on Conversations.  A photo of Richard and Frank was included in a memorial sideshow at his funeral.Mosquito Down (by Frank Dell with Brett Piper) is published by Fighting HighThis episode of Conversations was produced By Michelle Ransom-Hughes and the Executive Producer was Pam O'Brien.It explores WWII, RAF, Nazi occupied Holland, Dutch resistance, the Battle of Britain, cannon fire, parachute emergency, support, survival, undercover, Nazi Germany, rescue, history, memoir, bombing raids, De Havilland Mosquito, 1944To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Between 2015 and 2022, a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states waged a devastating military campaign in Yemen, which - David Wearing argues in today's episode - was so severe that it resembles Israel's genocidal actions in Gaza. A key role in the Yemen conflict was played by British-built planes that were used to indiscriminately bomb the country, and contributed to what was described by the United Nations at the time as the world's worst humanitarian disaster. In a new report for the Campaign Against the Arms Trade and the Transition Security Project, David and his co-authors argue the case for the British government and UK arms companies to pay reparations to the people of Yemen. In the episode we talked about the report and Britain's role in the Yemen conflict, including in the current phase as hostilities between Ansar Allah and Saudi Arabia escalate once more. And finally, we touched on the UAE and the Manchester City scandal and what it tells us about the phenomenon of the gulf monarchies' involvement in sportswashing. Notes: Britain's Role in Yemen's Brutal War Must End – And Reparations Should Follow: https://zeteo.uk/p/britains-role-in-yemens-brutal-war Reparations for Yemen: A proposal for a windfall tax on British arms companies that enabled Saudi war crimes https://caat.org.uk/app/uploads/2026/09/CAATTSP-Yemen-Reperations-WEB.pdf

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Villain-Venice-Steampunk-Adventure-Expanded/dp/B0GYVW1ZM3?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE notes from wiki This article is about the novel. For the 1997 film, see Starship Troopers (film). For other uses, see Starship Troopers (disambiguation). Starship Troopers First edition hardcover Author Robert A. Heinlein Cover artist Jerry Robinson Language English Genre Military science fiction Philosophical fiction[1][2][3] Publisher G. P. Putnam's Sons Publication date November 5, 1959[4] Publication place United States Media type Print (hardcover and paperback) Pages 263 (paperback edition) Award Hugo Award for Best Novel (1960) ISBN 978-0450044496 Online Computer Library Center number"}]]}"> OCLC 2797649 Library of Congress Classification"}]]}"> LC Class PZ7.H368 Su Starship Troopers is a military science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein. Written in a few weeks in reaction to the US suspending nuclear tests,[5] the story was first published as a two-part serial in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction as Starship Soldier, and published as a book by G. P. Putnam's Sons on November 5, 1959.[4] The story is set in a future society ruled by a human interstellar government called the Terran Federation, dominated by a military elite. Under the Terran Federation, only veterans of a primarily military Federal Service enjoy full citizenship, including the right to vote.[6] The first-person narrative follows Juan "Johnny" Rico, a young man of Filipino descent, through his military service in the Mobile Infantry. He progresses from recruit to officer against the backdrop of an interstellar war between humans and an alien species known as "Arachnids" or "Bugs". Interspersed with the primary plot are classroom scenes in which Rico and others discuss philosophical and moral issues, including aspects of suffrage, civic virtue, juvenile delinquency, and war; these discussions have been described as expounding Heinlein's own political views.[7] Identified with a tradition of militarism in US science fiction,[8] the novel draws parallels between the conflict between humans and the Bugs, and the Cold War.[9] It is also a coming-of-age novel, which criticizes the US society of the 1950s, arguing that a lack of discipline had led to a moral decline, and advocating corporal and capital punishment.[7][10] Starship Troopers brought to an end Heinlein's series of juvenile novels. It won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1960,[3] and was praised by reviewers for its scenes of training and combat and its visualization of a future military.[11][12] It also became enormously controversial because of the political views it seemed to support. Reviewers were strongly critical of the book's intentional glorification of the military,[13][14] an aspect described as propaganda and likened to recruitment.[15] The novel's militarism, and the fact that government service – most often military service – was a prerequisite to the right to vote, led to it being frequently described as fascist.[14][16][17] Others disagree, arguing that Heinlein was only exploring the idea of limiting the right to vote to a certain group of people.[18] Heinlein's depiction of gender has also been questioned, while reviewers have said that the terms used to describe the aliens were akin to racial epithets.[19] Starship Troopers had wide influence both within and outside science fiction. Ken MacLeod stated that "the political strand in [science fiction] can be described as a dialogue with Heinlein".[2] Science fiction critic Darko Suvin wrote that it is the "ancestral text of US science fiction militarism" and that it shaped the debate about the role of the military in society for many years.[20] The novel is credited with popularizing the idea of powered armor, which became a recurring feature in science fiction books and films, as well as an object of scientific research.[21] Heinlein's depiction of a futuristic military was also influential.[22] Later science fiction books, such as Joe Haldeman's 1974 anti-war novel The Forever War, have been described as reactions to Starship Troopers.[23] The story was adapted several times, including in a 1997 film version directed by Paul Verhoeven that satirized what the director saw as the fascist aspects of the novel.[24] Writing and publication The cover of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (November 1959), illustrating Starship Soldier Robert Heinlein was among the best-selling science fiction authors of the 1940s and 1950s, along with Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke; they were known as the "big three" that dominated US science fiction. In contrast to the others, Heinlein firmly endorsed the anti-communist sentiment of the Cold War era in his writing.[25] Heinlein served in the US Navy for five years after graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1929. His experience in the military profoundly influenced his fiction.[26] At some point between 1958 and 1959, Heinlein put aside the novel that would become Stranger in a Strange Land and wrote Starship Troopers. His motivation arose partially from his anger at US President Dwight Eisenhower's decision to suspend US nuclear tests, and the Soviet tests that occurred soon afterward.[5] Writing in his 1980 volume Expanded Universe, Heinlein would say that the publication of a newspaper advertisement placed by the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy on April 5, 1958, calling for a unilateral suspension of nuclear weapons testing by the United States sparked his desire to write Starship Troopers.[27] Heinlein and his wife Virginia created the "Patrick Henry League" in an attempt to create support for the US nuclear testing program. Heinlein stated that he used the novel to clarify his military and political views.[28] Like many of Heinlein's books, Starship Troopers was completed in a few weeks. It was originally written as a juvenile novel for New York publishing house Scribner; Heinlein had previously had success with this format, having written several such novels published by that publisher. The manuscript was rejected, prompting Heinlein to end his association with that publisher completely, and to resume writing books with adult themes.[5][19][29] Scholars have suggested that Scribner's rejection was based on ideological objections to the content of the novel, particularly in its treatment of military conflict.[19][30] The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction first published Starship Troopers in October and November 1959 as a two-part serial titled Starship Soldier.[29] A senior editor at Putnam's, Peter Israel, purchased the manuscript and approved revisions that made it more marketable to adults. Asked whether it was aimed at children or adults, he said at a sales conference "Let's let the readers decide who likes it."[31] The novel was eventually published by G. P. Putnam's Sons.[29] Setting Set approximately 700 years in the future,[19] the book depicts an Earth ruled by a world government run by military veterans.[6] The society is depicted as affluent, and futuristic technology shown as coexisting with educational methods from the 20th century.[19] The rights of a full citizen, to vote and hold public office, are not universally guaranteed, and rather must be earned through Federal Service.[18] Those who do not perform this service (of which only military service has been described) retain the rights of free speech and assembly, but can neither vote nor hold public office. People of either sex above the age of 18 are permitted to enlist; only those who complete their service receive the right to vote.[19][32] Important government jobs are reserved for federal service veterans.[6] This structure arose ad hoc after the collapse of the "20th century Western democracies", driven in part by an inability to control crime and juvenile delinquency, particularly in North America, and a war between an alliance of the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia, against the "Chinese Hegemony".[33] Two extraterrestrial civilizations are depicted, respectively, as the "Pseudo-Arachnids" (or "Bugs"), and the "Skinnies". The "Bugs" are described as communal beings originating from the planet of Klendathu, and consist of multiple castes; workers, warriors, brains, and queens, similar to those of ants and termites on Earth. The warriors are the only ones who fight, and are unable to surrender in battle.[34] It also is implied that the Bugs are technologically advanced, possessing such technologies as spaceships.[35] The "Skinnies" are depicted as less communal than the Arachnids, yet more so than humans.[36] The events of the novel take place during an interstellar war between the Terran Federation and the Arachnids.[37] At the opening of the story, Earth is not at war, yet such a declaration has come when Rico has completed his training.[5] The "Skinnies" are initially allies of the Pseudo-Arachnids, but switch to alliance with humans, midway through the novel.[36] Faster-than-light travel exists in this future: spacecraft use the "Cherenkov drive", and can travel "Sol to Capella, forty-six lightyears, in under six weeks".[38] Starship Troopers is narrated by the main protagonist Juan "Johnny" Rico, a member of the "Mobile Infantry". It is one of the few Heinlein novels which intersperses his typical linear narrative structure with a series of flashbacks.[5][37] These flashbacks are frequently to Rico's "History and Moral Philosophy" course in school, in which the teacher discusses the history of the structure of their society.[5][18] Rico is depicted as a man of Filipino ancestry. He is from a wealthy family, whose members had never served in the military.[5][19][32] Rico's ancestry is depicted as inconsequential, society having finally abandoned racial and gender-based prejudice.[19] Plot The novel opens with Rico aboard the corvette transport Rodger Young (named after real life Medal of Honor recipient Rodger Young),[39] serving with the platoon known as "Rasczak's Roughnecks". The platoon carries out a raid against a planetary colony held by Skinnies.[19] The raid is relatively brief: the platoon lands on the planet, destroys its targets, and retreats, suffering two casualties in the process. One of them, Dizzy Flores, is rescued by Rico but dies while returning to orbit.[40] The narrative then flashes back to Rico's graduation from high school. Rico and his best friend Carl are considering joining the Federal Service after graduation; Rico is hesitant, partly due to his father's attitude towards the military.[5] Rico makes his decision after discovering that his classmate Carmen Ibañez also intends to enlist.[41] Rico's choice is taken poorly by his parents, and he leaves with a sense of estrangement. He is assigned to the Mobile Infantry, and moves to Camp Arthur Currie (named for Sir Arthur Currie who rose through the ranks to command the Canadian Corps in World War I) on the Canadian prairie for his training under Sergeant Charles Zim.[42] The training is extremely demanding.[43] Rico receives combat training of all types, including simulated fights in armored suits.[44][45] A fellow recruit is court-martialed, flogged, and dismissed for striking a drill instructor who was also his company commander. Rico himself is given five lashes for firing a rocket during a drill with armored suits and simulated nuclear weapons without ensuring that no friendlies were within the blast zone, which in combat would have resulted in the death of a fellow soldier.[46] Another recruit, who murdered a baby girl after deserting the army, is hanged by his battalion after his arrest by civilian police.[46] Disheartened, Rico thinks of resigning when he receives a letter from Jean Dubois, who taught Rico History and Moral Philosophy.[47] Dubois reveals that he was once a lieutenant colonel in the Mobile Infantry, which gives Rico the motivation not to resign.[48] After further training at another camp near Vancouver, Rico graduates with 187 others, of the 2,009 who had begun training in that regiment.[49] The "Bug War" has changed from minor incidents to a full-scale war during Rico's training. An Arachnid attack that annihilates the city of Buenos Aires alerts civilians to the situation; Rico's mother is killed in the attack.[50] Rico participates in the Battle of Klendathu, an attack on the Arachnid's home world, which turns into a disastrous defeat for the Terran Federation.[51] Rico's ship, the Valley Forge, is destroyed, and his unit is decimated; he is reassigned to the Roughnecks on board the Rodger Young, led by Lieutenant Rasczak and Sergeant Jelal.[52] The unit carries out several raids, and Rico is promoted to corporal by Jelal after Rasczak dies in combat.[53] One of his comrades in the Roughnecks suggests that Rico go to officer training school and try to become an officer. Rico ends up going to see Jelal, and finds that Jelal already had the paperwork ready. Rico enters Officer Candidate School for a second course of training, including further courses in "History and Moral Philosophy".[54][55] En route from the Roughnecks to the school Rico encounters his father who has also enlisted and is now a corporal, and the two reconcile. He is also visited in school by Carmen, now an ensign and ship's pilot officer in the Navy, and the two discuss their friend Carl, who had been killed earlier in the war.[56] Rico is commissioned a temporary third lieutenant for his final test: a posting to a combat unit. Under the tutelage of his company commander, Captain Blackstone, and with the aid of his platoon sergeant, his boot camp drill instructor Fleet Sergeant Zim, Rico commands a platoon during "Operation Royalty", a raid to capture members of the Arachnid brain caste and queens.[57] Rico then returns to the officer school to graduate. The novel ends with him holding the rank of second lieutenant, in command of his old platoon in the Rodger Young, with his father as his platoon sergeant. The platoon has been renamed "Rico's Roughnecks", and is about to participate in an attack on Klendathu.[58] Themes Robert Heinlein in 1976 Commentators have written that Starship Troopers is not driven by its plot, though it contains scenes of military combat. Instead, much of the novel is given over to a discussion of ideas.[59] In particular, the discussion of political views is a recurring feature of what scholar Jeffrey Cass described as an "ideologically intense" book.[16] A 1997 review in Salon categorized it as a "philosophical novel".[1] Critics have debated to what extent the novel promotes Heinlein's own political views. Some contend that the novel maintains a sense of irony that allows readers to draw their own conclusions; others argue that Heinlein is sermonizing throughout the book, and that its purpose is to expound Heinlein's militaristic philosophy.[16][18] Militarism Starship Troopers has been identified as being a part of a tradition in American science fiction that assumes that violent conflict and the militarization of society are inevitable and necessary.[8] Although the Mobile Infantry, the force to which Rico is assigned, is seen as a lowly post by the characters in the story, the novel itself suggests that it is the heart of the army and the most honorable unit in it.[43] In a commentary written in 1980, Heinlein agreed that Starship Troopers "glorifies the military ... Specifically the P.B.I., the Poor Bloody Infantry, the mudfoot who places his frail body between his loved home and the war's desolation – but is rarely appreciated ... he has the toughest job of all and should be honored."[13] The story is based on the social Darwinist idea of society as a struggle for survival based on military strength. It suggests that some conflicts must be resolved by force: one of the lessons Rico is repeatedly taught is that violence can be an effective method of settling conflict.[19] These suggestions derive in part from Heinlein's view that in the 1950s the US government was being too conciliatory in its dealings with communist China and the Soviet Union.[17][59][60][61] Heinlein draws an analogy between the human society in the novel, which is well-to-do but needs to be vigilant against the imperialist threat of the Arachnids, and US society of the 1950s. Reviewers have suggested that the Arachnids are Heinlein's analogue for communists. Traits used to support this include the communal nature of the Arachnids, which makes them capable of a much higher degree of coordination than the humans. Bug society is once explicitly described as communist, and is moreover depicted as communist by nature; this has been read as implying that those with a different political ideology are analogous to alien beings.[9][19][62] The related motifs of alien invasion, patriotism, and personal sacrifice during war, are present, as are other aspects of US popular culture of the 1950s.[17] Commentators have argued that Heinlein's portrayal of aliens, as well as being a reference to 1950s communist countries, aims to "reinscribe the ideologies of America's mythic frontier history". The concept of the frontier includes a social-Darwinist argument of constantly fighting for survival, even at the expense of indigenous people or, in the case of Starship Troopers, of aliens. Heinlein suggests that without territorial expansion involving violent conquest of other races, humans would be destroyed.[63] Scholar Jamie King has stated that Heinlein does not address the question of what the military government and Federal Service would do in peacetime, and argues that Heinlein has set up a society designed to be continuously at war, and to keep expanding its territory.[64] Coming of age Starship Troopers has been referred to as a bildungsroman or "coming-of-age" story for Rico, as he matures through his tenure in the infantry. His training, both at boot camp and at officer candidate school, involves learning the value of militarism, thus inviting the reader to learn it as well.[43] This is especially true of the parts of his training that involve indoctrination, such as the claim by one of his instructors that rule by military veterans is the ideal form of government, because only they understand how to put collective well-being above the individual.[43] The story traces Rico's transformation from a boy into a soldier, while exploring issues of identity and motivation,[18] and traces his overall moral and social development, in a manner identified by commentators as similar to many stories about German soldiers in World War I.[65] Rico's transformation has been likened to the common narrative within stories with military themes by scholar H. Bruce Franklin. This typical narrative is that of a sloppy and unfit civilian being knocked into shape by tough officers, whose training is "calculated sadism" but is depicted as fundamentally being on the right side.[32] The letter Rico receives from Dubois, partly responsible for Rico "crossing the hump" with his training, is shown as a turning point in his development.[19] The classroom scenes embedded in the story serve to explain Rico's adventures, and highlight his reactions to events around. A notable example is the execution Rico is forced to witness after a deserter from his unit murders a young girl; Rico is uncertain of his own reaction until he remembers a lecture by Dubois in which the latter argues that "moral sense" derives entirely from the will to survive.[19][66] The concept of the American frontier is also related to the coming-of-age theme. Young protagonists across Heinlein's novels attain manhood by confronting a hostile "wilderness" in space; coming-of-age in a military, alien context is a common theme in Heinlein's earlier works as well.[67] Rico's coming-of-age has also been described as being related to his relationship with his father; the journey "outward" through the novel also contains a search for Rico's childhood and a reunion with his estranged parent.[68] Moral decline Starship Troopers also critiques US society of the 1950s, suggesting that it led young people to be spoiled and undisciplined. These beliefs are expressed through the classroom lectures of Dubois, Rico's teacher for History and Moral Philosophy. Dubois praises flogging and other types of corporal punishment as a means of addressing juvenile crimes. It has been suggested that Heinlein endorsed this view, although the fact that Dubois also compares raising children to training a puppy has been used to argue that Heinlein was making use of irony.[10] The story is strongly in favor of corporal punishment and capital punishment, as a means of correcting juvenile delinquents, part of a trend in science fiction which examines technology and outer space in an innovative manner, but is reactionary with respect to human relationships.[7][23] As with other books by Heinlein, traditional schools are denigrated, while learning "on the spot" is extolled: Rico is able to master the things required of him in military training without undue difficulty.[19] Dubois also ridicules the idea of inalienable rights, such as "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness", arguing that people have only the rights that they are willing to fight and die for to protect.[33][66][69] The novel appeals to scientific authority to justify this position; Dubois repeatedly states that his argument is mathematically demonstrable, statements which have led scholars to label the novel "hard science fiction", despite its social and political themes.[70] The "moral decline" caused by this situation is depicted as having caused a global war between an alliance of the US, Britain, and Russia against the "Chinese Hegemony" in the year 1987. Despite the alliance between the US and Russia, this war has been described as demonstrating Heinlein's anti-communist beliefs, which saw "swarming hordes" of Chinese as a bigger threat. The novel draws some comparisons between the Chinese and the Arachnids, and suggests that the lessons of one war could be applied to the other.[69] Reception To Heinlein's surprise,[71] Starship Troopers won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1960.[72] It has been acknowledged as one of the best-known and most influential works of science fiction.[2][21] The novel is considered a landmark for the genre, having been described by a 1960 review as one of the ten best genre books of 1959,[73] in a 2009 review as a key science fiction novel of the 1950s,[14] and as the best-known example of military science fiction.[74] The novel has been described as marking Heinlein's transition from writing juvenile fiction to a "more mature phase" as an author.[3] Reviewing the book with others written for children, Floyd C. Gale of Galaxy Science Fiction wrote in 1960 that "Heinlein has penned a juvenile that really is not. This is a new and bitter and disillusioned Heinlein". Rating it 2.5 stars out of five for children, 4.5 stars for adults, and "?" for civilians, he believed that the novel would be "of exceptional interest to veterans with battle experience ... but youngsters will find it melancholy and verbose".[75] Conversely, Michael Moorcock described it as Heinlein's last "straight" science fiction, before he turned to more serious writing such as Stranger in a Strange Land.[76] By 1980, twenty years after its release, Starship Troopers had been translated into eleven languages and was still selling strongly. Heinlein nevertheless complained that, despite this success, almost all the mail he received about it was negative and he only heard about it "when someone wants to chew me out".[71] The novel is highly contentious.[3] Controversy surrounded its praise of the military and approval of violence, to the extent that it has frequently been described as fascist, and its implication that militarism is superior to traditional democracy.[3][77] Heinlein's peers were among those who argued over the book; a comparison between a quote in Starship Troopers that "the noblest fate that a man can endure is to place his own mortal body between his loved home and war's desolation"[78] and the anti-war poem "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen began a two-year discussion in the Proceedings of the Institute for Twenty-First Century Studies from 1959 to 1961, with James Blish, Poul Anderson, Philip José Farmer, Anthony Boucher, John Brunner, Brian Aldiss, among those debating Starship Troopers's quality of writing, philosophy, and morality.[79] The writing in Starship Troopers has received varied responses, with the scenes of military training and combat receiving praise. In a 2009 retrospective, science-fiction writer Jo Walton wrote that Starship Troopers was "military SF done extremely well".[18] She went on to argue that "Heinlein was absolutely at his peak when he wrote this in 1959. He had so much technical stylistic mastery of the craft of writing science fiction that he could [tell the story] 'backwards and in high heels' and get away with it."[18] Others referred to it as very readable, and found the military scenes compelling.[3][11][12] Heinlein's descriptions of training and boot camp in the novel, based on his own experiences in the military, have been described as being rendered with remarkable skill.[17] A 1960 review in the New York Herald Tribune praised the "brilliantly written" passages describing infantry combat, and also called attention to the discussion of weapons and armor,[80] which, according to other reviewers, demonstrated Heinlein's "undiminished talent for invention".[19] Scholar George Slusser described the book in 1986 as the "ultimately convincing space-war epic", praising in particular the "precisely imagined" weapons and tactics,[68] while a 1979 science fiction encyclopedia referred to it as the "slickest" of Heinlein's juvenile books.[19] Criticism of the style of the book has centered on its political aspects. Heinlein's discussions of his political beliefs were criticized as "didactic",[11][80][81] and the novel was derided for "exposition [that was] inserted in large indigestible chunks".[80] Author Ken MacLeod's 2003 analysis of the political nature of Starship Troopers stated that it was "a book where civics infodumps and accounts of brutal boot-camp training far outweigh the thin and tensionless combat scenes".[12] Scientist and author Brunner compared it to a "Victorian children's book",[82] while the Science Fiction Handbook published in 2009 said that the novel provided "compelling images of a futuristic military" and that it raised important questions, even for those who disagree with its political ideology. However, it stated that the story was weak as a tale of an alien encounter, as it did not explore alien society in any detail, but presented the Arachnids as nameless and faceless creatures that wished to destroy humanity.[22] Boucher, founder of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, remarked in 1960 that Heinlein had "forgotten to insert a story".[80] A 1979 summary said that though Heinlein's vision might verge on fascism, his tightly controlled narrative made his ideology seem "vibrantly appealing".[19] Criticism of militarism Starship Troopers is generally considered to promote militarism, the glorification of war and of the military.[14] Scholar Bruce Franklin referred to it in 1980 as a "bugle-blowing, drum-beating glorification" of military service, and wrote that militarism and imperialism were the explicit message of the book.[15][83] Science fiction writer Dean McLaughlin called it "a book-length recruiting poster".[84] In 1968 science fiction critic Alexei Panshin called Starship Troopers a militaristic polemic and compared it to a recruiting film, stating that it "purports to show the life of a typical soldier, with a soundtrack commentary by earnest sincere Private Jones who interprets what we see for us." Panshin stated that there was no "sustained human conflict" in the book: instead, "All the soldiers we see are tough, smart, competent, cleancut, clean-shaven, and noble."[85] Panshin, a veteran of the peacetime military, argued that Heinlein glossed over the reality of military life, and that the Terran Federation-Arachnid conflict existed simply because, "Starship troopers are not half so glorious sitting on their butts polishing their weapons for the tenth time for lack of anything else to do."[85] Literature scholar George Slusser, in describing the novel as "wrong-headed and retrogressive", argued that calling its ideology militarism or imperialism was inadequate, as these descriptions suggested an economic motive. Slusser instead says that Heinlein advocates for a complete "technological subjugation of nature", of which the Arachnids are a symbol, and that this subjugation itself is depicted as a sign of human advancement.[83] A 1997 review of the film in Salon stated that the novel could almost be described as propaganda, and was terrifying as a result, particularly in its belief that the boot camp had to be an ingredient of any civilization. This was described as a highly unusual utopian vision.[1] Moorcock stated that the lessons Rico learns in boot camp: "wars are inevitable, [and] that the army is always right".[76] In discussing the book's utility in classroom discussions of the form of government, Alan Myers stated that its depiction of the military was of an "unashamedly Earth-chauvinist nature".[11] In the words of science fiction scholar Darko Suvin, Starship Troopers was an "unsubtle but powerful black-and-white paean to combat life", and an example of agitprop in favor of military values.[81] Other writers defended Heinlein. George Price argued that "[Heinlein] implies, first, that war is something endured, not enjoyed, and second, that war is so unpleasant, so desolate, that it must at all costs be kept away from one's home."[86] Poul Anderson also defended some of the novel's positions, arguing "Heinlein has recognized the problem of selective versus nonselective franchise, and his proposed solution does merit discussion."[87] Complaints were made against Heinlein for the lack of conscription in Starship Troopers. When he wrote the novel, the military draft was still in effect in the US.[88] Allegations of fascism The society within the book has frequently been described as fascist.[14][16][17] According to the 2009 Science Fiction Handbook, it had the effect of giving Heinlein a reputation as a "fanatical warmongering fascist".[6] Scholar Jeffrey Cass has referred to the setting of the book as "unremittingly grim fascism". He has stated that the novel made an analogy between its military conflict and those of the US after World War II, and that it justified American imperialism in the name of fighting another form of imperialism.[89] Jasper Goss has referred to it as "crypto-fascist".[17] Suvin compares Heinlein's suggestion that "all wars arise from population pressure" to the Nazi concept of Lebensraum or "living space" for a superior society that was used to justify territorial expansion.[90] Some reviewers have suggested that Heinlein was simply discussing the merits of a selective versus a nonselective franchise.[18] Heinlein made a similar claim, over two decades after Starship Troopers's publication, in his Expanded Universe and further claimed that 95 percent of "veterans" were not military personnel but members of the civil service.[91] Heinlein's own description has been disputed, even among the book's defenders. Heinlein scholar James Gifford has argued that a number of quotes within the novel suggest that the characters within the book assume that the Federal Service is largely military. For instance, when Rico tells his father that he is interested in Federal Service, his father immediately explains his belief that Federal Service is a bad idea because there is no war in progress, indicating that he sees Federal Service as military in nature. Gifford states that although Heinlein's intentions may have been that Federal Service be 95 percent non-military, in relation to the actual contents of the book, Heinlein "is wrong on this point. Flatly so."[5] Dennis Showalter, writing in 1975, defended Starship Troopers, stating that the society depicted in it did not contain many elements of fascism. He argues that the novel does not include outright opposition to Bolshevism and liberalism that would be expected in a fascist society.[89] Others have responded by saying Showalter's argument is based on a literal reading of the novel, and that the story glorifies militarism to a large extent.[89] Ken Macleod argues that the book does not actually advocate fascism because anybody capable of understanding the oath of Federal Service is able to enlist and thereby obtain political power.[12] Macleod states that Heinlein's books are consistently liberal, but cover a spectrum from democratic to elitist forms of liberalism, Starship Troopers being on the latter end of the spectrum.[2] It has been argued that Heinlein's militarism is more libertarian than fascist, and that this trend is also present in Heinlein's other popular books of the period, such as Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) and The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (1966). This period of Heinlein's writing has received more critical attention than any other, although he continued to write into the 1980s.[14] Apparent utopianism The setting of the book is presented by Heinlein as utopian; its leaders are shown as good and wise, and the population as free and prosperous.[6][19] Slusser wrote in 1987 that Starship Troopers depicts a world that is "hell for human beings", but nonetheless celebrates the ideology of its fictional society.[83] The rulers are claimed to be the best in history, because they understand that human nature is to fight for power through the use of force.[43] The suggestion of utopia is not explored in depth, as the lives of those outside the military are not shown in any detail.[19][22] The novel suggests that the militarist philosophy espoused by many of the characters has a mathematical backing, though reviewers have commented that Heinlein does not present any basis for this.[18][43] Writers such as Farmer, Robert A. W. Lowndes, and Michael Moorcock have criticized the novel for being a hypothetical utopia, in the sense that while Heinlein's ideas sound plausible, they have never been put to the test. Moorcock wrote an essay entitled "Starship Stormtroopers" in which he attacked Heinlein and other writers over similar "Utopian fiction".[76] Lowndes accused Heinlein of using straw man arguments, "countering ingenuous half-truths with brilliant half-truths".[92] Lowndes further argued that the Terran Federation could never be as idealistic as Heinlein portrays it to be because he never properly addressed "whether or not [non-citizens] have at least as full a measure of civil redress against official injustice as we have today".[92] Farmer agreed, arguing that a "world ruled by veterans would be as mismanaged, graft-ridden, and insane as one ruled by men who had never gotten near the odor of blood and guts".[93] Race and gender Authors and commentators have stated that the manner in which the extraterrestrial beings are portrayed in Starship Troopers has racist aspects, arguing that the nicknames "Bugs" and "Skinnies" carry racial overtones. John Brunner compared them to calling Koreans "gooks".[82] Slusser argued that the term "Bugs" was an "abusive and biologically inaccurate" word that justified the violence against alien beings, a tendency which, according to Slusser, the book shared with other commercially successful science fiction.[62] Some of Heinlein's other works have also been described as racist, though Franklin argues that this was not unique to Heinlein, and that he was less racist than the US government of the time.[94] Heinlein's early novel Sixth Column was called a "racist paean" to a white resistance movement against an Asian horde derived from the Yellow Peril.[95] In 1978, Moorcock wrote that Starship Troopers "set the pattern for Heinlein's more ambitious paternalistic, xenophobic" stories.[76] Robert Lowndes argues that the war between the Terrans and the Arachnids is not about a quest for racial purity, but rather an extension of Heinlein's belief that man is a wild animal. According to this theory, if man lacks a moral compass beyond the will to survive, and he was confronted by another species with a similar lack of morality, then the only possible moral result would be warfare.[92] The fact that all pilots in the novel are women (in contrast to the infantry, which is entirely male) has been cited as evidence of progressive gender politics within the story, although the idea expressed by Rico that women are the motivation for men to fight in the military is a counter-example to this.[18][22] A 1996 science fiction encyclopedia said that like much of Heinlein's fiction, Starship Troopers exemplified "macho male culture".[96] The prosthetically enhanced soldiers in the novel, all of whom are men, have been described as an example of the "hyper-masculinity" brought on by the proximity of these men to technology.[97] The story portrays the Arachnids as so alien that the only response to them can be war. Feminist scholars have described this reaction as a "conventionally masculinist" one.[98] Steffen Hantke has described the mechanized suits in the novel, which make the wearer resemble a "steel gorilla," as defining masculinity as "something intensely physical, based on animal power, instinct, and aggression". He calls this form of masculinity "all body, so to speak, and no brain".[99] Thus, in Hantke's reading, Starship Troopers expresses fears of how masculinity may be preserved in an environment of high technology.[100] This fear is exacerbated by the motifs of pregnancy and birth that Heinlein uses when describing how the soldiers in suits are dropped from spaceships piloted by women.[101] Though Rico says he finds women "marvelous", he shows no desire for sexual activity; the war seems to have subsumed sex in this respect.[19] A 1979 summary argued that despite the gestures towards women's equality, women in the story were still objects, to be protected, and to fight wars over.[19] Influence A real-life concept of powered armor, an idea popularized by Starship Troopers[102] Heinlein's books, and Starship Troopers in particular, had an enormous impact on political science fiction, to the extent that author Ken MacLeod has stated that "the political strand in [science fiction] can be described as a dialogue with Heinlein," although many participants in this dialogue disagree with Heinlein.[2] Science fiction critic Darko Suvin states that Starship Troopers is the "ancestral text of US science fiction militarism" and that it shaped the debate about the role of the military in society for many years.[20] In addition to his political views, Heinlein's ideas about a futuristic military as depicted in the novel were deeply influential among films, books, and television shows in later years.[22] Roger Beaumont has suggested that Starship Troopers may some day be considered a manual for extraterrestrial warfare.[103] Suvin refers to Juan Rico as the "archetypal Space Soldier".[104] Starship Troopers included concepts in military engineering which have since been widely used in other fiction, and which have occasionally been paralleled by scientific research. The novel has been cited as the source of the idea of powered armor exoskeletons, which Heinlein describes in great detail.[83][105][106][107] Such suits became a staple of military science fiction. Franchises that have employed this technology include Iron Man, Exo Squad, Halo, District 9, Elysium, and Edge of Tomorrow.[21] During the shooting of the science fiction film Aliens, director James Cameron required the actors playing space marines to read Starship Troopers to understand their parts, and also cited it as an influence for the space drop, terms like "bug hunt", and the cargo-loader exoskeleton.[108] Starship Troopers had a direct influence on many later science fiction stories. John Steakley's 1984 novel Armor was, according to the author, born out of frustration with the small amount of actual combat in Starship Troopers and because he wanted this aspect developed further.[109] The "Mobile Suits" from the 1979 Nippon Sunrise anime series Mobile Suit Gundam were inspired by the powered armor from Starship Troopers.[110] The 1988 Gainax OVA series Gunbuster has plot elements similar to Starship Troopers, depicting humanity arrayed against an alien military.[107] Scholars have identified elements of Heinlein's influence in Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card, as well. Hantke, in particular, compares the battle room in Ender's Game to Heinlein's prosthetic suits, stating that they both regulate but also enhance human agency.[111] Suvin suggests parallels between the plots of the two novels, with human society in both stories at war against insect-like aliens, but states that the story of Ender Wiggin takes a very different direction, as Ender regrets his genocidal actions and dedicates his efforts to protecting his erstwhile targets.[104] Conversely, Joe Haldeman's 1974 anti-war, Hugo- and Nebula-winning science fiction novel The Forever War is popularly thought to be a direct reply to Starship Troopers, and though Haldeman has stated that it is actually a result of his personal experiences in the Vietnam War, he has admitted to being influenced by Starship Troopers.[112][113][114] Haldeman said that he disagreed with Starship Troopers because it "glorifies war", but added that "it's a very well-crafted novel, and I believe Heinlein was honest with it".[112] The Forever War contains several parallels to Starship Troopers, including its setting. Commentators have described it as a reaction to Heinlein's novel, a suggestion Haldeman denies; the two novels are very different in terms of their attitude towards the military. The Forever War does not depict war as a noble pursuit, with the sides clearly defined as good and evil; instead, the novel explores the dehumanizing effect of war, influenced by the real world context of the Vietnam War.[23] Haldeman received a letter from Heinlein, congratulating him on his Nebula Award, which "meant more than the award itself".[115] According to author Spider Robinson, Heinlein approached Haldeman at the awards banquet and said the book "may be the best future war story I've ever read!"[116] Harry Harrison's 1965 novel Bill, the Galactic Hero has also been described as a reaction to Starship Troopers,[6] while Gordon R. Dickson's 1961 novel Naked to the Stars has been called "an obvious rejoinder" to Starship Troopers.[117] Ring of Swords, written by Eleanor Arnason in 1993, also depicts a war between two highly aggressive species, of which humans are one. The story deliberately inverts several aspects of Starship Troopers: the story is told from the point of view of diplomats seeking to prevent war, rather than soldiers fighting it, and the conflict is the result of the two species being extremely similar, rather than different.[118] Adaptations 1997 film Main article: Starship Troopers (film) Further information: Starship Troopers (franchise) The film rights to the novel were licensed in the 1990s, several years after Heinlein's death. The project was originally entitled Bug Hunt at Outpost Nine, and had been in production before the producers bought the rights to Starship Troopers.[119][120][121] The film was directed by Paul Verhoeven (who found the book too boring to finish), and released in 1997.[122] The screenplay, by Ed Neumeier, shared character names and some plot details with the novel.[123] The film contained several elements that differed from the book, including a military that is completely integrated with respect to sex. It had the stated intention of treating its material in an ironic or sarcastic manner, to undermine the political ideology of the novel.[17][124] The mechanized suits that featured prominently in the novel were absent from the film, due to budget constraints.[99] The film used fascist imagery throughout, including portraying the Terran Federation's personnel wearing uniforms strongly reminiscent of those worn by the SS, the Nazi paramilitary.[125] Verhoeven stated in 1997 that the first scene of the film – an advertisement for the Mobile Infantry – was adapted shot-for-shot from a scene in Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will (1935), specifically an outdoor rally for the Reichsarbeitsdienst. Other references to Nazism include the Albert Speer-style architecture and the propagandistic dialogue ("Violence is the supreme authority!").[126] According to Verhoeven, the references to Nazism reflected his own experience in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II.[24][127] The film reignited the debate over the nature of the Terran society in Heinlein's world, and several critics accused Verhoeven of creating a fascist universe. Others, and Verhoeven himself, have stated that the film was intended to be ironic, and to critique fascism.[77][128] The film has also been described as criticizing the jingoism of US foreign policy, the military industrial complex, and the society in the film, which elevates violence over sensitivity.[129] It received several negative critical reviews, reviewers suggesting that it was unsophisticated and targeted a juvenile audience, although some scholars and critics have also supported its description as satirical.[21][24][124][129] The absence of the powered armor technology drew criticism from fans.[21][99] The success of the film's endeavor to critique the ideology of the novel has been disputed.[24] Four sequels, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation (2004),[130] Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (2008),[131] Starship Troopers: Invasion (2012)[132] and Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars (2017) were released as straight-to-DVD films. In December 2011, Neal H. Moritz, producer of films such as the Fast & Furious series and I Am Legend, announced plans for a remake of the film that he claims will be more faithful to the source material.[133] In 2016 Mark Swift and Damian Shannon were reported to be writing the film.[134][needs update] Animated series Main article: Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles An animated TV series was also released based both on the novel and 1997 film called Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, it follows the exploits of the Mobile Infantry squad, "Razak's Roughnecks", during the SICON–Bugs War between a newly united humanity and an extraterrestrial race, known as the "Bugs," also sometimes referred to as Arachnids. The show focuses mainly on the Roughnecks' missions, rather than addressing the larger war. Paul Verhoeven served as an executive producer.[135] The show ran for one season from August 1999 to April 2000. Other media From October to December 1988, Sunrise and Bandai Visual produced a six-episode Japanese original video animation locally titled Uchū no Senshi with mobile infantry power armor designs by Kazutaka Miyatake, based on Starship Troopers.[136] Dark Horse Comics, Mongoose Publishing and Markosia hold the license to produce comic books based on Starship Troopers, written by authors including Warren Ellis, Gordon Rennie and Tony Lee.[137][138] Avalon Hill published Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers in 1976, a map-and-counter board wargame featuring a number of scenarios as written in the novel.[139] In 1998, Mythic Entertainment released Starship Troopers: Battlespace. The web-based interactive game, in which players battled each other in overhead space combat, allowed players to assume either Klendathu or Federation roles, was developed alongside the film adaptation.[24][140] Starship Troopers: The Miniatures Game was released by Mongoose Publishing in 2005, a miniature wargame which used material from the novel, film, and animated TV series.[141] Spectre Media released Starship Troopers: Invasion Mobile Infantry, a game for PCs, in 2012.[142] Offworld Industries developed and published the 2023 game Starship Troopers: Extermination, a cooperative multiplayer first-person shooter available for PC.[143]

Wakefield Prison in West Yorkshire is one of Britain's most notorious high-security prisons, known by the tabloid nickname “Monster Mansion” because of the number of infamous killers, sexual offenders and other high-risk prisoners who have been held there. Its history stretches back more than 400 years, from an Elizabethan house of correction to a modern … Continue reading Episode 528: Britain’s Wakefield Prison, aka Monster Mansion

This week on CUFI Weekly, we examine a frightening question: what happens when the people and institutions we are supposed to trust no longer feel safe?An Israel-bound Flydubai flight narrowly avoided catastrophe after a pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the aircraft—an incident Israeli authorities are investigating as a possible terror attack with chilling echoes of 9/11.Meanwhile, in  Britain, a report on its National Health Service documented the discrimination experienced by Jewish staff and patients from the cockpit to the hospital, trust matters. When antisemitism and hatred penetrate professions entrusted with human life, the consequences extend far beyond hateful words—they undermine the basic confidence that people should be able to place in those responsible for their safety.

Why was Burnham's speech such an important economic and political reset? Is his promise of an NHS model for social care all it seems? Burnham has raised the possibility of rejoining the EU, but would European leaders welcome us back? Robert has been in Liverpool at Labour Conference. He and Steph break down the big moments from Andy Burnham's speech, and ask whether, behind the bold ambitions, the PM has a credible growth plan. The Rest is Money is brought to you by Octopus Energy, Britain's smart energy pioneer. Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠restismoney@goalhanger.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TheRestIsMoney⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TheRestIsMoney⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@RestIsMoney⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Advertise with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Partnerships@goalhanger.com⁠⁠ For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to ⁠www.goalhanger.com⁠ Video Editor: Dylan Bonham Exec Producer: Bella Soames General Manager: Tom Whiter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The prime minister has said a future Labour election manifesto could promise a new in-out referendum on the EU - but does Britain want to spend any more years debating Brexit? Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Juliet Samuel and Alice Thomson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week James is joined Sir Chris Hoy, who if you haven't heard of him was a pretty good cyclist in his day. Chris won six Olympic gold medals and one silver on the track, spanning four Olympic Games including that incredible week at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where Chris won golds in the Team Sprint, Individual Sprint and Keirin as Team GB notched up a staggering 14 cycling medals, cementing Britain as a cycling powerhouse and putting cycling into the mainstream in the process.In this episode, Chris discusses that day in Beijing as well as many other memorable moments, like sitting trackside in Athens watching world records get smashed over and over until it was his turn to compete; turning up in Japan to learn to race Keirin at Japanese Keirin school; a love of coffee that meant he never travelled anywhere without his espresso machine and grinder, and his even bigger love and respect for cycling compatriot and maverick record breaker, Graeme Obree; and which of his teammates rode with different length cranks without even noticing.Chris also talks about his Stage 4 cancer diagnosis and how prostate cancer affects men and what men can do to catch it early. We also talk about how you can support Chris's annual charity ride, Tour de 4, which raises money for cancer research and care, and which this year saw 191 riders with Stage 4 cancer join thousands more as they cycled and raised nearly £3 million for charity, taking Tour de 4's total to a staggering £5.8 million in two years.You can check your risk of prostate cancer in under 30 seconds at prostatecancer.org/risk-checker and you can donate to Tour de 4, or sign up for next year's event at tourde4.comChat begins at 11:10.----------------This episode is brought to you by Rouvy, the indoor riding platform that makes indoor rides look and feel real, from smashing up the Sa Calobra to group rides around Vietnam to Rouvy Fest, which this year takes place between 12th and 25th October and will include a host of special group rides including tackling Mount Teide in Tenerife, riding the shores and hill of Lake Garda in Italy and puffing up dust on the Strade Bianche chalky road of Tuscany. All this plus special ride guests telling stories and answering questions as they pedal, challenges, rewards and giveaways, and the Rouvy Fest Race, a huge single race where the competitive spirit meets fun and inclusive vibes. See Rouvy.com for more details, including how to sign up for a free month using the code KEEPITREALCYCLIST------------------Did you know Cyclist is also stunning monthly print magazine?Subscribe now at store.cyclist.co.uk/cycpod and get every issue for less than in the shops, delivered straight to your doorWe're also a really lovely website about everything road cycling and gravel. Check us out at cyclist.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everyone has an opinion on whether being a landlord still pays off. Very few have the data to back it up... Richard Donnell, Zoopla's Executive Director - Research, is back on the show. Rob & Rob put the big question to him straight away, and his answer comes with a condition every landlord should hear. From there, he tests the headlines investors have been worrying about against the evidence. (02:12) Are landlords really heading for the exit, and who's buying the homes they sell? (04:00) Why so many investors now expect to buy a property that needs work (06:44) What the Renters' Rights Act has changed so far, and what it hasn't (08:33) Three quarters of landlords are over 60. So, who owns Britain's rental homes next? (11:43) Why housing will always feature in the wealth tax debate, and the signal that landlords still matter to the government (15:42) Is the average £10,000 EPC upgrade worth it, or is it time to sell? (18:21) The long-run link that still sets property apart from anything else Richard could invest in Links mentioned: Zoopla's rental estimate tool Enjoy the show? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others find us! Sign up for our free weekly newsletter, Property Pulse Find out more about Property Hub Invest

The energy price cap goes up again today by 4% – but more pain is around the corner, with forecasts yesterday suggesting a further 16% rise in the new year. Why are UK energy prices, particularly electricity, much more expensive than the US and even most European countries? And while Andy Burnham is promising radical plans to bring them down, will this be enough? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Tom Whipple, science writer and special correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Harry Stott.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Why does the UK have the most expensive energy in Europe?Further listening: Does Britain have an energy security problem? Clips: DWS News, Sky News, ITV, Channel 4, Martin Lewis Youtube.Photo: Getty Images.This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Care about independent and ethical news? Support Media Storm on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Since August 2025, thousands of St George's Crosses and Union flags have appeared on lampposts, roundabouts and motorway bridges across Britain. The far-right movement dubbed "Operation Raise the Colours" was sold as a patriotic outpouring. But the reality for migrants and ethnic minorities was vastly different. Racist riots are in their third summer. And now the far-right claim to be marching "under God". So what is patriotism for? Can you love your country without envisioning an enemy? When does pride become prejudice? And if the far-right uses the flag to recruit lonely, left-behind young men, should the rest of us fight to take it back? This week, Mathilda & Helena are joined by two guests. Firstly, Imam Adam Kelwick, who was filmed in 2024 talking with and embracing far-right protestors outside his mosque. His words at the time, "they just want to be heard", travelled around the world. And secondly, we are joined by the National Organiser of Black Lives Matter UK, Kojo Kyerewaa. We also revisit firsthand testimonies from Media Storm's 2023 investigation into Far-Right radicalisation, with reformed neo-Nazi recruiter Nigel Bromage and EDL co-founder (and uncle of Tommy Robinson) Darren Carroll. This episode is hosted and produced by Mathilda Mallinson (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mathildamall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Helena Wadia (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@helenawadia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)  It was edited by⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Christy Callaway-Gale⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The music is by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @soundofsamfire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@mediastormpod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do chicken nuggets, margarine and instant noodles all have in common? Well, they may look tasty, but they're loaded with sugar, salt, fat and chemicals that strip away their nutritional value. That's due to the heavy processing that goes into making them, which sees them completely transformed from the original raw ingredients.  And they're increasingly ever present on our shelves and in our stomachs. In 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Research found that ultra-processed foods made up almost two-thirds of Britain's school meals. Furthermore, the British Medical Journal has reported that ultra-processed foods account for 56.8% of total energy intake in the UK diet. Can you identify them by looking at the ingredient lists on product packaging? What's the difference between processed foods and ultra-processed foods? Why should we limit the consumption of ultra-processed products? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: ⁠How much do surrogate mothers get paid?⁠ ⁠What is the Barnum effect?⁠ ⁠How to spot, prevent and treat heatstroke ?⁠ A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. First broadcast: 11/6/2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Amy shares her extensive knowledge of the legendary King Arthur, exploring its origins, evolution, and cultural significance across Britain and Europe. Discover how myths are shaped by history, politics, and storytelling traditions, and learn about the places and characters that bring Arthur's legend to life.Watch this episode on Youtube - click hereBuy Amy's Brilliant book - click hereChapters00:00 Introduction to the Legend of Arthur02:04 The Origins of Arthur in Welsh and Breton Sources04:56 The Evolution of Arthur's Legend in Medieval Texts09:57 The Role of Manuscripts and Art in Medieval Storytelling14:56 The Influence of Classical Mythology on Arthurian Legends20:12 Geographical Places and Legends of Arthur25:12 The Political and Cultural Context of Arthur's Stories29:50 The Characters and Lesser-Known Figures in Arthurian Tradition34:53 Modern Reinterpretations and the Enduring Appeal of ArthurIf you've enjoyed this please follow and rate this podcast.Hi! I'm Philippa, welcome to the British History Channel. Thank you for listening to this episode, I hope you enjoyed it. There are many more here for you to browse through including over 60 fantastic historian interviews with people such as Tracy Borman OBE, Gareth Russell, Helen Carr and many more. Buy books from these incredible historians, shipped worldwide from Blackwells - click here (This is an affiliate link. I get a commission on books sold via this link but they are at no extra cost to you).Join my Patreon - click here and enjoy ad-free extended interviews with bonus content, Historical Book Club, early access to content, exclusive blogs, discounts on British History Events and more for all for £5/month.You can also give me one off support by donating at www.buymeacoffee.com/PhilippaYou can support me for free by commenting and rating this episode. Visit British History Tours for full details of history tours and events.⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️About PhilippaPhilippa is a Historian and the owner of British History Tours and British History Events.Receive weekly history news (including links to new historian interviews) from Philippa by subscribing to my Substack I'd really appreciate your help in making this show the best it can be. I know time is precious but if you do have 10 minutes you can spare to fill out this anonymous listener survey, I'd be really grateful - http://bit.ly/britishhistorypodcast-surveyPhilippa founded award-winning Historic Tour Operator British History Tours in 2014. Find out about these luxury, fully-escorted, immersive historical experiences at BritishHistoryTours.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Throughout Britain, all day, every day and in the dead of night, the secret listeners went about their solitary work. Hands on headphones, these men and women, drawn from all walks of civilian life, listened to the coded messages of German intelligence and passed hundreds of thousands of them on to Bletchley Park.At the same time, men with firearms experience were recruited into secret patrols trained in sabotage and silent killing with knife or garotte. In June 1940, with a full-scale German invasion expected any minute, these auxiliary units were poised to undertake suicidal missions attacking enemy supply lines and assassinating anyone who helped the Nazis. In preparation for this, they dug operational bases in remote and hidden places – the ruins of many still exist today – and stashed them with supplies and weapons.In Assassins and Secret Listeners: Britain's Invisible Armies, 1939-45 (Birlinn, 2026), Alistair Moffat tells the half-forgotten stories of immense bravery by thousands of ordinary men and women. Sworn to secrecy, their heroic work has long been overlooked, yet it played a crucial part in the Allied victory in 1945. This book finally pays them their due.This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Britain's borders, our prisons and even our democracy is under siege. Julia Hartley-Brewer and Brendan O'Neill condemn the early release of offenders, the collapse of the one-in, one-out migrant scheme and alarming claims surrounding a suspected Iranian plot at RAF Fairford. Lord Ross Kemps examines Andy Burnham's plans to reopen the Brexit debate, warning that rejoining the EU would restore free movement and surrender control over immigration. Plus, Kemi Badenoch's tough-love welfare proposals target rising youth unemployment and long-term dependency.Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM. Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An incredible mid-air cockpit attack - and claims of an Iranian cell lurking outside a military base: from the Middle East to Britain, authorities are on high alert after two alleged terrorism incidents. Today - what really happened with RAF Fairford and Flydubai 1073. Read more about this story at theaustralian.com.au and see the video by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Hero Flydubai pilot managed to open cockpit door despite being stabbed by a co-pilot ‘Who’s going to save you?’ Hero pilot lauds highly trained aircrew Australians Carol and Steven Moss caught in FlyDubai hijack drama RAF Fairford terror plot ‘foiled when suspect called police’ Locals say RAF Fairford security ramped up in week before ‘terror plot arrests’ This episode of The Front is presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Kristen Amiet and edited by Tiffany Dimmack. Our team includes Lia Tsamoglou, Joshua Burton and Jasper Leak, who also composed our music.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Between Robert Reid and Jean-Christophe “JC” Slowik, you have nearly 80 years of extraordinary restaurant history. From Roger Vergé and Raymond Blanc to Marco Pierre White, Harvey's, The Oak Room and some of the defining restaurants of their generation, the pair have witnessed first-hand the madness, brilliance and brutality of elite restaurants. They join us to share incredible stories from those years, including life inside Marco's legendary kitchens, the intensity of three-Michelin-star cooking and how London's restaurant world has transformed since the 1980s. Then, in their mid-50s, they decided to start again. During Covid, a phone call between two old friends became Les 2 Garçons, the tiny French bistro they built largely themselves, initially cooking with IKEA induction hobs, a £150 Argos oven and no dishwasher. What followed was extraordinary: huge demand, national acclaim and the creation of one of Britain's most celebrated neighbourhood restaurants, built around simple French cooking, great wine and the belief that a restaurant should above all be somewhere people actually want to spend their time. This is also a brilliantly funny and candid conversation about everything they have learned along the way. Robert and JC discuss why fine dining became too complicated, why chefs are returning to simplicity, whether Michelin stars still matter, what restaurants get wrong about wine, the importance of value for money and why getting older completely changes the way you think about cooking. After decades spent chasing perfection at the highest level, their conclusion is refreshingly simple: forget most of what you learned, keep the best bits, cook things people want to eat and enjoy the good summers you have left. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An independent commission has found Manchester City guilty of breaching over 100 rules. What penalty will the Premier League exact? Russia's increasingly brazen attempts to provoke and undermine Europe. And why cute Chiikawa, star of a Japanese blockbuster, gives comfort in anxious times. Subscribers can listen to “Kidulting” on “The Weekend Intelligence”Guests and host:Sonny Loughran, Britain correspondentJonathan Rosenthal, international correspondentMoeka Iida, East Asia reporterRosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”Topics covered: Man City, Abu Dhabi, Premier LeagueRussia, Europe, grey-zone, droneChiikawa, kawaii, mangaListen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An independent commission has found Manchester City guilty of breaching over 100 rules. What penalty will the Premier League exact? Russia's increasingly brazen attempts to provoke and undermine Europe. And why cute Chiikawa, star of a Japanese blockbuster, gives comfort in anxious times. Subscribers can listen to “Kidulting” on “The Weekend Intelligence”Guests and host:Sonny Loughran, Britain correspondentJonathan Rosenthal, international correspondentMoeka Iida, East Asia reporterRosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”Topics covered: Man City, Abu Dhabi, Premier LeagueRussia, Europe, grey-zone, droneChiikawa, kawaii, mangaListen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For centuries, Britain's dead traveled ancient paths to reach their final resting places. In this episode, we follow the forgotten corpse roads and the eerie folklore they left behind. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Russell T Davies has spent decades creating some of Britain's most beloved and groundbreaking television. After studying English at Oxford, he went from writing for children's programmes and Coronation Street to creating Queer As Folk in 1999 - a show that changed the conversation around gay representation on TV. Since then, he's written hit after hit, from Bob & Rose and A Very English Scandal to Years and Years, It's A Sin and his hugely successful revival of Doctor Who. He's won four BAFTAs and was awarded an OBE in 2008. In this episode we talk about where his obsession and passion for TV came from, how his exceptionally busy mind works, losing his husband to a brain tumour, his love of Dr Who and…finding love again. His new memoir, The Queerest of Folk, is out on 8th October. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Intro 02:35 TV Obsession Origins 03:24 Memoir and Andrew 08:35 AIDS and Its a Sin 10:36 Queer as Folk Shockwaves 12:37 Failure to Drive 16:45 Writing in Images 28:05 Early Illustration Gigs 28:54 Obsessed With Drawing 30:20 Losing the Habit 31:52 Comics and Story Beats 33:54 Writing Geniuses Doctor Who 37:13 Staying a Fan 41:41 Legacy and Family Roots 49:59 Aging Love and Goodbye

The Revolutionary War was fought not only on the battlefields of North America but also across the world's oceans, where Britain's mighty Royal Navy faced an unlikely challenge from a fledgling American naval force. In this first installment of a three-part series, James and Audrey explore the harsh realities of life aboard British and American warships, the rise of privateering, and the birth of the Continental Navy under leaders like John Adams, George Washington, and Esek Hopkins. We'll examine the first American naval operations, including Washington's "secret navy," the raid on Nassau, and the creation of a force that dared to challenge the greatest maritime power on earth. Join us as we set sail on the remarkable story of the Revolutionary War at sea and the beginnings of the United States Navy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Britain's justice system is under scrutiny after anti-migration activist Danny Tommo is refused bail and remanded in custody over allegations that he slashed a Channel dinghy, while five men arrested near RAF Fairford on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offences are released on bail under strict conditions as the investigation continues. We look at the stark contrast between the two cases, why Donald Trump says he would not have released the Fairford suspects, and the wider debate over whether Britain is applying its laws and policing consistently amid increasingly bitter disputes over immigration, protest and national identity.  I'm joined by retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Joe Deslauriers, a Silver Star recipient and former Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2011, Joe was critically wounded by an IED in Afghanistan, losing both legs and his left arm. Since then, he has spoken extensively about recovery, resilience and rebuilding his life after catastrophic injury. I'm joined by Julie Lapidus, founder of Autism Evolution and Santara Wellness and author of The Autism Generation: Understanding the Autism Epidemic from Causes to Solutions. Drawing on 16 years of research and her family's experience with autism, Julie examines possible environmental and medical contributors to autism and explores integrative approaches to supporting children and families on the spectrum.  Autism Generation Learn more and get the book: https://autismgeneration.com/ To get a free audio copy of my book 'How to Become a Christian in 7 Days', you can download it at https://www.russellbrand.com/how-to-become-a-christian-audiobook/ Order my new book 'How to Become Christian in 7 Days' at https://bit.ly/russellbook2 Listen to Jake's new album - https://bit.ly/JakeSmithAlbum If you want to support the show and take care of yourself properly—without turning your bathroom into a laboratory—go to tryreborn.com. It's the Reborn store: supplements, skincare, daily essentials… simple, effective, and made for people who are trying to stay strong while the world does whatever this is. Go check out www.tryreborn.com and grab what you need  

The Israeli prime minister says the co-pilot attacked his the pilot of an on board an Israel-bound flight from Dubai and attempted to deliberately crash the plane. Passengers are believed to have helped overpower and restrain the attacker. There were jubilant scenes at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport as passengers landed safely.Also in the programme: Britain's Prime Minister says there are "strong indications" that Iran played a part in the security incident at Fairford airbase. Plus a last-minute stay of execution for Christa Pike in Tennessee - but what next?And would Greta Garbo really want to be re-animated by AI?(Picture: FlyDubai passengers are greeted by their friends and family at the Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv, September 30, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)

Five men arrested near a U.S.-used air base in Britain have been released on bail but remain under investigation, as police say they have not determined whether a foreign state was involved.The Trump administration is rolling back fuel efficiency standards for new cars, saying the change will lower sticker prices even as critics warn drivers could pay more over time in fuel and other costs.And a 2024 sexual assault case at Cornell University is now under criminal investigation as the school faces growing scrutiny over how it handled the allegations.Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show's perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Tina Kraja, Kara Platoni, Gigi Douban, Mohamad ElBardicy and HJ Mai.It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.Our director is Christopher Thomas.We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis and Patrick Murray.Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.And our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.(0:00) Introduction(01:58) UK Terror Plot Investigation(05:43) Trump's Fuel Efficiency Rollback(09:43) Cornell Rape CaseSee pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy