Claim OwnershipThe Secrets of Statecraft
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Secrets of Statecraft is a bimonthly podcast hosted by Distinguished Visiting Fellow Andrew Roberts that explores the effect that the study of history has had on the careers and decision making of public figures. The podcast also features leading historians discussing the influence that the study of history had on their biographical subjects. The title is taken from Winston Churchill’s reply on Coronation Day 1953 to a young American who had asked him for life advice, to whom he said, “Study history, study history, for therein lie all the secrets of statecraft.”
68 Episodes
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Why did the Jews keep fighting Rome for over 200 years — long after the Great Revolt ended in disaster? Hoover Senior Fellow Barry Strauss discusses the epic story of Judea’s rebellions against the world’s most powerful empire in this conversation and in his new book, Jews vs. Rome: Barry Strauss on Two Centuries of Jewish Revolt. From the fall of Jerusalem and the siege of Masada to the guerrilla war of Bar Kokhba, Strauss reveals the key players, stunning twists, and surprising alliances — including ancient Iran’s role as an ally of the Jews. Strauss also describes unforgettable characters like Herod the Great, Josephus the historian-turned-traitor, and fearless queens who shaped the fight. Packed with ancient drama and lessons for today, Strauss’s book brings one of history’s most remarkable struggles to life.
Former US Senator and university president Ben Sasse joins Andrew Roberts on Secrets of Statecraft for a candid and very wide-ranging conversation about the state of American institutions and how to revitalize them. Sasse explains why Congress has become weak and dysfunctional, why entitlement spending and debt threaten U.S. stability, and how social media distorts our politics. Sasse also takes on higher education—grade inflation, the replication crisis, and Harvard’s decline—while reflecting on the coming challenges of the AI revolution. In addition, they also discuss the extinction of late-night comedy, foreign policy, tariffs and trade wars and Iran, China, and Russia. And yes, Ben explains to Andrew what a “nougie” is.
Historian Andrew Roberts is joined by former U.S. Secretary of State and current Director of the Hoover Institution Condoleezza Rice for a dive deep into today’s international hotspots—including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, rising tensions with China over Taiwan, and the complex relationships between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. Their discussion also covers how leaders draw lessons from history, what might tip the world into a new Cold War, and how nations might address these evolving challenges. Director Rice also gives her thoughts on the rapid rise of artificial intelligence— which includes her recommended read, The Worlds I See by Fei-Fei Li, the Founding Co-Director of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute.
The Canadian businessman and peer Conrad Black has published the second volume of his political and strategic history of the world, from 14AD to 1648, and it’s a corker.
1Sir Niall Ferguson on time travel, Trump bombing Iran, historical counterfactuals, Doctor Who, The Time Lord, using the past to help the present and future, the University of Austin’s revolutionary experiment, ChatGPT, and God possibly helping to split the atom.
British historian Tim Bouverie discusses the knotty diplomatic dilemmas faced by Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin.
Caroline Stanley, Countess of Derby, is an English aristocrat, art historian, and philanthropist. Affectionately known as “Cazzy,” she is married to Edward Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby, and serves as the chatelaine of Knowsley Hall, the ancestral seat of the Stanley family in Merseyside. In this conversation, which also delves into topics ranging from medieval politics to family connections with William Shakespeare, she primarily discusses her edition of the remarkable travel journals of the 14th Earl of Derby, who travelled extensively in North America in 1824-25.
In this unique return visit to Secrets of Statecraft, New York Times columnist Bret Stephens discusses why defending Ukraine is in America’s interest, and reflects on the perils of Western flirtation with authoritarian figures.
Recorded on May 16, 2025.
A new book, U.S. Defense Policy toward Israel: A Cold War History, takes on the revisionists over what happened in the Cold War.
Recorded on April 16, 205.
Mitch Daniels is the former Director of the Office of Management and Budget under Ronald Reagan, the former Governor of Indiana, and the former President of Purdue University. He discusses his life, his influences, and his passion for hogs (of the Harley-Davidson variety).
Recorded on March 21, 2025.
The former head of the British Army, Richard Dannatt, discusses an important war that is often forgotten.
Recorded on February 6, 2025.
America’s foremost presidential historian examines the motivations and careers of Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and George H. W. Bush.
Recorded on January 24, 2025.
The bravest of all the free speech campaigners, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, speaks out eloquently on tribalism, Islam, immigration, Trump, her conversion to Christianity, and what it’s like being married to a quite well-known historian.
Richard Langworth is the senior fellow at the Hillsdale Churchill Project at Hillsdale College, Michigan, and knows more about Winston Churchill than any person living (including me, annoyingly).
A global tour d'horizon with the former Marine Corps commander and Secretary of Defense General Jim Mattis.
The Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski is characteristically blunt about his former friend Viktor Orban, the chances of nuclear war in Ukraine, and his enemy Vladimir Putin.
Recorded on October 26, 2024.
Professor John Bew’s knowledge as the biographer of Lord Castlereagh and Clement Attlee and the historian of Realpolitik was put to good use when he became the senior foreign policy advisor to no fewer than four British prime ministers.
Recorded on October 18, 2024.
How Bill Browder reacted when Vladimir Putin murdered Browder’s friend and lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.
Recorded on October 11, 2024.
Nataliya Bugayova, Non-Resident Russia Fellow at the Institute for the Study of War, shares her latest in-depth knowledge on how the Russo-Ukrainian War is going.
Recorded on September 9, 2024.
The esteemed science writer and author of The Rational Optimist, Matt Ridley, gazes into the future of mankind.
Recorded on September 16, 2024.
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