The Belgrano Diary

The London Review of Books•shows.acast.com

The sinking of the General Belgrano was the bloodiest and most controversial military action of the Falklands War. This is the story of government cover-ups and conspiracies; of whistleblowers, crusading politicians and journalists fighting for the story. And caught in the middle of it all, a young officer whose account of what happened contradicted Margaret Thatcher’s in every crucial detail. A new six-part podcast series, hosted by Andrew O'Hagan. Listen to the full series with bonus material here: https://lrb.me/belgranodiarysc Get in touch: podcasts@lrb.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episodes

Aftershock: The War on Terror – Episode 1: With Us or Against Us

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Nov 21, 2025•45 min

Introducing ‘Aftershock: The War on Terror’

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Nov 15, 2025•4 min

Episode 6: The Trials

The Belgrano affair reaches its climax as the stories of Narendra Sethia and Clive Ponting connect. The two whistleblowers appear in court and the diary makes its final journey. The Belgrano Diary is a new six-part series from the Documentary Team at the London Review of Books , hosted by Andrew O’Hagan. We’ve brought a selection of relevant writing from the LRB archive – including pieces by Tam Dalyell, who plays an important part in the story – in front of the paywall for the duration of the s...

May 03, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 6

Episode 5: The Hounds

Lieutenant Sethia is accused of a second crime: the theft of HMS Conqueror ’s log books. Two journalists and the Serious Crime Squad try to hunt him down. The Belgrano Diary is a new six-part series from the Documentary Team at the London Review of Books , hosted by Andrew O’Hagan. We’ve brought a selection of relevant writing from the LRB archive – including pieces by Tam Dalyell, who plays an important part in the story – in front of the paywall for the duration of the series: lrb.me/thebelgra...

Apr 25, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Episode 4: The Crown Jewels

Armed with the diary, Tam Dalyell goes on the attack – but the cover-up continues. A whistleblower from within the Ministry of Defence is arrested for a breach of the Official Secrets Act. The Belgrano Diary is a new six-part series from the Documentary Team at the London Review of Books , hosted by Andrew O’Hagan. We’ve brought a selection of relevant writing from the LRB archive – including pieces by Tam Dalyell, who plays an important part in the story – in front of the paywall for the durati...

Apr 18, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 4

Episode 3: Small Lies Big Lies

Lieutenant Sethia quits the navy and moves to the Caribbean. He thinks the Falklands War is behind him, but back in the UK, an eccentric, anti-war MP notices a discrepancy in the government’s account of the sinking and starts to investigate. The Belgrano Diary is a new six-part series from the Documentary Team at the London Review of Books , hosted by Andrew O’Hagan. We’ve brought a selection of relevant writing from the LRB archive – including pieces by Tam Dalyell, who plays an important part ...

Apr 11, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 3

Episode 2: Gotcha!

HMS Conqueror stalks the Belgrano, but Britain’s Rules of Engagement prohibit an attack. Margaret Thatcher makes a decision and Lieutenant Sethia and the Conqueror crew get ready to fire. The Belgrano Diary is a new six-part series from the Documentary Team at the London Review of Books , hosted by Andrew O’Hagan. We’ve brought a selection of relevant writing from the LRB archive in front of the paywall for the duration of the series: lrb.me/thebelgranodiary Episode 3 will be released on 11 Apri...

Apr 04, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 2

Episode 1: Half a Million Sheep Can't Be Wrong

When Argentina invades the Falkland Islands, Margaret Thatcher sends a huge flotilla on an 8000-mile rescue mission – to save a forgotten remnant of the empire, and her premiership. Onboard the nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror , Lieutenant Narendra Sethia starts to keep a diary. The Belgrano Diary is a new six-part series from the Documentary Team at the London Review of Books , hosted by Andrew O’Hagan. It investigates the bloodiest and most controversial military action of the Falklands War: a ...

Mar 28, 2024•53 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Trailer

On 2 May 1982, the British submarine HMS Conqueror sank the Argentinian warship, the General Belgrano , killing 323 men. It was the bloodiest event of the Falklands War – and the most controversial. The account of the sinking given by Thatcher's government was inaccurate in every crucial detail – and the truth would only emerge from the pages of a private diary, written by an officer onboard the submarine. The Belgrano Diary is a story of war in the South Atlantic, iron leadership, cover-ups and...

Mar 20, 2024•4 min

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