Podcast picks: Alex McAuley

What podcast are you currently listening to?

I’m on a bit of an intelligence kick and listening to The Rest Is Classified, a brilliantly written podcast hosted by a former CIA analyst and a long-serving BBC intelligence journalist. Long-form podcasts on intelligence stories from around the world make for listening that’s fun, fascinating and sometimes eerily relevant.

What’s next on your episode list?

I’m going to wrap up the series on Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner and Putin’s Russia – an amazing saga that unites so many threads of contemporary global security.

What’s your favourite podcast or podcaster, and why?

I’m a huge fan of The Rest Is Politics: two guys from opposite sides of the political spectrum with vastly different life experiences come together to ‘disagree agreeably’ on a huge range of questions relating to politics and society. It’s never been more necessary than now.

Do you have a comfort podcast?

Ed Gamble and James Acaster’s Off Menu podcast is a go-to for absolutely hilarious chat in the world of celebrities and food. Anything ice-hockey related is always great too – 32 Thoughts is great! As a French-Canadian, I try to listen to as many French podcasts as I can from RFI and Radio-Canada.

Are there any podcasts in your area of expertise that you would recommend to others?

Empire hosted by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand is beautifully presented and covers a whole range of the ancient world. The Classics Podcast from the UK Classical Association is also a great platform for anyone wanting to learn more about the ancient world!

Dr Alex McAuley is a senior lecturer in classics and an expert in ancient Greek history and language in the School of Humanities, as well as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.