Jesse Norman: Adam Smith
Adam Smith is the most quoted and misquoted economist of all time. Sam Leith talks to Jesse Norman, author of the new Adam Smith: What He Thought and Why It Matters (reviewed in last week’s Spectator ...
26 Jul 201828min
Ben Rhodes: The World As It Is
In this week’s Spectator Books, Sam talks to a man who has spent more time on Air Force One than even Piers Morgan: President Obama’s former foreign policy speechwriter and deputy national security ad...
19 Jul 201829min
Margo Jefferson on Michael Jackson
This week’s episode sees Sam Leith joined by Margo Jefferson, author of 'On Michael Jackson' and the memoir Negroland, to moonwalk back to the glory days of Michael Jackson. Jackson was one of the cen...
12 Jul 201827min
Jay Rubin: The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories
Sam talks to the distinguished scholar of Japanese literature Jay Rubin, editor of the new Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories. Many of us in the West know little of Japanese literature beyond, per...
5 Jul 201822min
Judith Kerr and Matthew Kneale
This week’s episode is a family affair: Sam talks to the children’s writer and illustrator Judith Kerr (Mog The Forgetful Cat; When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit; and The Tiger Who Came To Tea), and her so...
28 Jun 201829min
Michael Pollan: How to change your mind
Is LSD good for you? Sam Leith is joined by the author Michael Pollan, who talks about the fascinating lost history of psychedelic drugs, speculates on what they may tell us about the human mind and t...
21 Jun 201833min
William Dalrymple: Koh-i-Noor
Sam Leith is joined by William Dalrymple, co-author with Anita Anand of Koh-i-Noor: The History of the World’s Most Famous DiamondBecome a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adv...
14 Jun 201834min
Paul Kildea: Chopin's Piano
It’s a first for the Spectator Books podcast this week: music! We’ve temporarily dispensed with our usual intro jingle to allow this week’s guest, Paul Kildea, to play us in. Paul’s new book Chopin’s ...
7 Jun 201827min
