When the first Christians began proclaiming Christ crucified and risen, they landed a missile in the foundations of ancient paganism. Something had occurred which rendered the belief systems of that world utterly obsolete.
Apr 17, 2025•7 min
A vast global market in stolen and forged art and artefacts has only grown in the context of the pandemic, but technology and international policing may be catching up
Dec 03, 2021•7 min
Empty shelves need not mean dreary eating
Dec 03, 2021•8 min
Mary Beard emerges with a portrait of the emperors’ afterlives as vivid as the busts themselves
Dec 03, 2021•9 min
The joy of letting unexpected, accidental music in
Dec 03, 2021•6 min
Woefully out of touch and with falling congregations, the Church of England faces a crisis of leadership and theology
Dec 03, 2021•16 min
Welcome back to The Critic Narrated, where we bring you a selection of articles from our print issues, read aloud by their authors. In this episode, Sarah Ditum reveals the joy of letting unexpected, accidental music in as she narrates her column from the December/January issue of The Critic: “Strange Brew”, while David Scullion says the Church of England are woefully out of touch and with falling congregations, now faces a crisis of leadership and theology, as he reads his feature: “Remotely wi...
Nov 26, 2021•22 min
In this episode of Black's History Week, Professor Jeremy Black talks to The Critic's deputy editor, Graham Stewart, about why Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire found themselves fighting together against Russia in the Crimea. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Image: Battle of Inkerman, 5 November 1854. Wars. (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images) Music: Radetzky March by Human Symphony Orchestra (premiumbeat.com)...
Nov 24, 2021•47 min
A narration of Boris Starling's column from the November issue of The Critic.
Nov 24, 2021•5 min
A narration of David Starkey's column, 'Welcome back to reality, feminists', from the November issue of The Critic.
Nov 24, 2021•11 min
A narration of the Hot House column from the November issue of The Critic.
Nov 24, 2021•4 min
In this episode, David Starkey says Feminists like Stock have made a belated rediscovery of biological reality in his column ‘Welcome back to reality, feminists’, while Boris Starling outlines the latest rivalry in F1 in ‘Top Guns of the Track’ and Claudia Savage-Gore drags woke Will back to therapy. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Music: “Modern Jazz Samba” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Co...
Nov 19, 2021•20 min
In this edition of Black's History Week, Professor Jeremy Black, whose books on the period include Waterloo and the forthcoming The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars - Strategies for a World War, talks to The Critic's deputy editor, Graham Stewart, about why and how Europe was engulfed in wars with France between 1792 and 1815. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Image: Waterloo by Charles Auguste Guillaume Steub...
Nov 18, 2021•44 min
Hello and welcome back to The Critic Narrated, where we bring you a selection of articles from our print issues, read aloud by their authors. In this episode, Lisa Hilton reads her piece ‘How Britiain really eats’, where she relays how she enjoys a Thai feast that shows that fiery and exotic has now become mainstream. Henry Hill says a new breed of “muscular unionists” is seeking to reverse the damage done by devolution, as he narrates his feature: ‘Putting muscle behind the Union’ and our Secre...
Nov 12, 2021•25 min
A narration of the feature, 'Putting Muscle Behind the Union' by Henry Hill from the November issue of The Critic.
Nov 10, 2021•13 min
A narration of the Eating Out column from the November Issue of The Critic.
Nov 10, 2021•6 min
A narration of the Secret Author column from the November Issue of The Critic.
Nov 10, 2021•5 min
As President Macron climbs down on his deadline to punish Britain over fishing licences, David Scullion asks Patrick O'Flynn whether Britain is getting the better of the French, or if the post-Brexit deal has left UK fishermen high and dry. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Image: The Scottish scallop trawler "Cornelis-Gert Jan" leaves the northern French port of Le Havre after being granted permission by French port ...
Nov 09, 2021•25 min
Welcome back to The Critic Narrated, where we bring you a selection of articles from our print issues, read aloud by their authors. In this episode, Robert Hutton reads the secret diary of Boris and Carrie Johnson's dog, Dilyn, as he attends Glasgow COP26, Josephine Bartosch, author and campaigner for women’s rights narrates her feature, 'Turning victims into folk devils' and Robert Thicknesse reads his November Opera column, ‘Hot Valks Live!’. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify...
Nov 05, 2021•29 min
Were warfare and the state's role in military affairs transformed between 1500 and 1800? In this edition of Black's History Week, Professor Jeremy Black, author of A Short History of War explores and debunks some generalisations about war in early modern Europe. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Image: Battle of Lepanto, October 1571. The fleets of Spain, Venice and the Pope, under the command of Don Juan of Austria, ...
Nov 03, 2021•44 min
In this episode of The Critic Narrated, Revd. Marcus Walker, Rector of Great St Bart’s in the City of London, reads his piece ‘Resurrect Forgiveness’, Hannah Betts narrates her column: ‘Time for Coco’ and Patrick Galbraith reads his piece from Country Notes, this week entitled ‘Do the Right Thing’. These articles are taken from the October issue of The Critic. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Music: “Modern Jazz Samb...
Oct 29, 2021•19 min
In this edition of Black's History Week, Professor Jeremy Black, whose books include A Short History of War, talks to The Critic's deputy editor, Graham Stewart, about how the feudal system, differing weaponry and firepower and the size of armies shaped medieval warfare. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Image: Henry V of England, attacked by the Duke of Alencon, at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Artist James Willia...
Oct 28, 2021•53 min
In this edition of Black's History Week, Professor Jeremy Black, whose books include A Short History of War, talks to The Critic's deputy editor, Graham Stewart, about how the feudal system, differing weaponry and firepower and the size of armies shaped medieval warfare. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Image: Henry V of England, attacked by the Duke of Alencon, at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Artist James Willia...
Oct 27, 2021•53 min
Welcome back to The Critic Podcast, and welcome to our new series: The Critic Narrated! Each week, we will be bringing you a selection articles from our print issues, read aloud by their authors for you to listen to on your commute, around the house or alongside reading the written piece. Don’t forget you can visit our website to subscribe to the print issue, and to read a plethora of articles on politics, current affairs, society, culture and beyond. In this episode, architectural historian Mat...
Oct 22, 2021•29 min
Siege warfare was the most common form of warfare in medieval Europe. In this edition of Black's History Week, Professor Jeremy Black, author of Forts and Fortifications and Siegecraft, talks about defending and capturing walled cities and castles with The Critic's deputy editor, Graham Stewart. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Image: The siege of Jerusalem (Photo by: Leemage/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) ...
Oct 20, 2021•43 min
In this edition of Black's History Week, Professor Jeremy Black, author of A Short History of War, talks to The Critic's deputy editor, Graham Stewart, about the nature of warfare in Ancient Greece and Rome. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Image: Statue of Leonidas on the monument celebrating the Battle of Thermopylae which took place during the Greco-Persian War of 480 BC. (Photo by: Education Images/Universal Imag...
Oct 13, 2021•39 min
After the US withdrawal from Afghanistan ignited a bitter briefing war between the President and members of the British Cabinet, it seemed that Britain's relationship with the US was on ice. But then, out of the blue, a secret trilateral agreement between the US, UK and Australia was struck, gifting Australia nuclear propulsion technology for use in their submarines, much to the chagrin of France. Are we witnessing the usual ups and downs in the anglosphere relationship or do countries really on...
Oct 12, 2021•27 min
In this week's Black's History Week, Professor Jeremy Black talks to The Critic's deputy editor, Graham Stewart, about the centuries’ old military rivalry between China and Japan. Image by Getty. Music: Radetzky March by Human Symphony Orchestra (premiumbeat.com)
Oct 07, 2021•42 min
In this episode of The Critic's podcast, publisher Olivia Hartley speaks to Chris Elston — A.K.A Billboard Chris — about the progression of gender ideology in Canada as well as the use of puberty blockers for children with gender dysphoria. Chris has travelled the length and breadth of Canada raising awareness of these issues and has amassed an online following of over 35,000. In this podcast, Olivia asks him why he does what he does and what he would say to the activists who question his author...
Oct 05, 2021•39 min
In this week's Black's History Week, Professor Jeremy Black talks to The Critic's deputy editor, Graham Stewart, about the centuries’ old military rivalry between China and Japan.
Oct 01, 2021•42 min