History Book Club

At 2.52am on 12 October 1984 Margaret Thatcher returned to her desk from visiting the lavatory of her suite at the Grand Hotel in Brighton. Two minutes later a bomb exploded on the upper floor bringing down the large chimney, which collapsed through the hotel and destroying Mrs. Thatcher’s bathroom. She had a lucky escape, but as the IRA stated publicly later, they only had to be lucky once. She had to be lucky every time.

Joining the pod today is the Guardian’s Ireland correspondent Rory Carroll and author of Killing Thatcher, the thrilling account of the plot to kill the Iron Lady.

Rory Carroll Links

⁠Killing Thatcher⁠⁠

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The Battle of Thermopylae left one Spartan survivor, Aristodemus, and so he fought suicidally at Plataea a year later in 479BC, giving his life, but as you heard failing to impress his fellow Spartans. The commander of the Greek troops against the Persians that day was Pausanias, Spartan Regent and a quite fascinating figure who, according to Daniel Ogden his biographer, was responsible more than any other Greek for the preservation of Western Civilisation as we know it. He joins me to discuss Ancient Sparta, the influential king Cleomenes and Pausanias himself.

Daniel Ogden Links

Pausanias of Sparta

Regulus

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The beautiful Kristin Scott Thomas, and the brooding Ralph Fiennes across the deserts of North Africa. Yep the English Patient is this month’s film club as Roger, Tim and myself discuss the 1996 movie directed by Anthony Minghella based on the Michael Ondaatje book of the same name.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Our Awards

Best Performance

Most Egregious Overracting

Biggest Plot Flaw

Historical Inaccuracy

What if Tarantino Made It?

Who won the film?

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Harry Bucknall is a travel writer who loves Britain and Northern Ireland, and during a difficult period of both his and the country’s recent past, he decided to embark on his own particular Odyssey, walking from Scotland to England, to Northern Ireland to Wales and then to England again. He encountered a rich and distinct group of inhabitants to write a hugely entertaining book and he joined me recently to discuss A Road for All Seasons.

Harry Bucknall Links

A Road for All Seasons

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On the morning of 30 January 1933 Adolf Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany. There are many dates that can be used to identify the end of the Weimar Republic, but this is probably the most appropriate. The constitution that had held since 1919 was in mortal danger.

Weimar, the town which gave the Republic its name, by Hitler incidentally, is the title of a new book by Katja Hoyer, bestselling author of Blood & Iron and Beyond the Wall. We discuss the atmosphere best exemplified by the people of the pretty little town, but one that had a dark secret nearby.

Katja Hoyer Links

Weimar

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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