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The Secrets of Statecraft

The Secrets of Statecraft

Hoover Institution 79 Episodes Sep 29, 2026

Secrets of Statecraft is a bi-monthly podcast hosted by Andrew Roberts that explores how the study of history has influenced the careers and decision-making of public figures. The show also asks leading historians about the impact of history on their biographical subjects. The title is inspired by Winston Churchill's advice to a young American on Coronation Day 1953: 'Study History, study History, for therein lie all the secrets of statecraft.'

Episodes

What Thucydides Can Teach Us About Politics And War | Hoover Institution
What Thucydides Can Teach Us About Politics And War | Hoover Institution Sep 29, 2026 3614 Everyone quotes Thucydides—but are we getting him right? Historian Andrew Novo joins Andrew Roberts to explore what the chronicler of Athens and Sparta really tells us about war, democracy, ambition, and human nature. From the disastrous invasion of Sicily to today’s rivalry between America and China, they examine how leaders wield power, how democracies lose their way, and why history’s most memo
Andrew Roberts on Churchill, Napoleon, and the Men Who Change History | Hoover Institution
Andrew Roberts on Churchill, Napoleon, and the Men Who Change History | Hoover Institution Sep 8, 2026 3843 In this special, crossover edition of Secrets of Statecraft and Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson, Andrew Roberts is the guest and is interviewed by Peter Robinson. Roberts explains why great individuals still shape history—and why Winston Churchill remains history’s ultimate example. Roberts also confronts attacks on Churchill’s record, explains Britain’s decision to fight Hitler in 1940,
Can Palantir and AI Transform the UK For The Better? | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
Can Palantir and AI Transform the UK For The Better? | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution Aug 25, 2026 2125 Palantir UK chief Louis Mosley joins Secrets of Statecraft to discuss how the company’s technology is transforming warfare, healthcare, and policing—from supporting Ukraine and NATO on the battlefield to connecting NHS data and helping police tackle crime and misconduct. Andrew and Louis explore the political controversy surrounding Palantir, the extraordinary promise and potential dangers of arti
The Secrets of Churchill’s Diplomats with Lord Peter Ricketts | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
The Secrets of Churchill’s Diplomats with Lord Peter Ricketts | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution Aug 12, 2026 3523 How did Britain’s diplomats help win World War II—and shape the world that followed? Lord Peter Ricketts, former head of Britain’s Diplomatic Service and its first National Security Advisor, discusses the extraordinary men and women of the wartime Foreign Office, from Churchill’s uneasy relationship with Charles de Gaulle to Freya Stark’s espionage work and the creation of the UN and NATO. He also
The Rise and Fall of Empires with Conrad Black | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
The Rise and Fall of Empires with Conrad Black | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution Jul 27, 2026 3881 Historian and author Lord Conrad Black joins Secrets of Statecraft _to discuss the third volume of his monumental _Political and Strategic History of the World, covering the turbulent years from the reign of Louis XIV to the outbreak of the First World War. The conversation explores the rise and fall of great empires, the enduring influence of statesmen such as Napoleon, Lincoln, Washington, Bisma
Secrets of Spin with Media Maestro David Yelland | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
Secrets of Spin with Media Maestro David Yelland | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution Jul 7, 2026 3401 Andrew Roberts speaks with David Yelland, former editor of The Sun and co-host of BBC Radio 4’s popular podcast “When It Hits the Fan,” about the hidden machinery of modern power: public relations, political messaging, media influence, and crisis management. Yelland reflects on Rupert Murdoch, the decline of tabloid power, the rise of tech platforms and algorithms, Trump’s “flood the zone” media s
This Is Not America: A British Conversation On Race with Tomiwa Owolade | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
This Is Not America: A British Conversation On Race with Tomiwa Owolade | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution Jun 16, 2026 2618 Author and columnist Tomiwa Owolade joins Secrets of Statecraft to discuss his bestselling book This Is Not America and why Britain’s conversation about race has become increasingly shaped by American ideas and assumptions. He argues that importing US concepts such as critical race theory, identity politics, and Black Lives Matter into a fundamentally different British historical and social contex
Monarchy as Statecraft: Lessons from Elizabeth II with Hugo Vickers | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
Monarchy as Statecraft: Lessons from Elizabeth II with Hugo Vickers | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution Jun 3, 2026 2958 Royal biographer Hugo Vickers, author of over 20 books, joins Secrets of Statecraft for a fascinating conversation about Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III, and the hidden diplomatic power of monarchy. Drawing on decades of access, research, and personal experience, Vickers explains how Elizabeth II used restraint, duty, and quiet persuasion to help heal old wounds—from Germany and Ireland to th
France’s Original Culture War: The Dreyfus Affair | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
France’s Original Culture War: The Dreyfus Affair | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution May 19, 2026 2554 Catherine Ostler joins Andrew Roberts to discuss her new book The Renoir Girls, which unravels the extraordinary true story behind Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s famous portraits of the Cahen d’Anvers sisters — a tale that stretches from the glittering salons of Belle Époque Paris and the fury of the Dreyfus Affair to Nazi-occupied France and Auschwitz concentration camp. Blending art, aristocracy, scand
Dan Hannan and The Case for Capitalism | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
Dan Hannan and The Case for Capitalism | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution May 8, 2026 3493 Daniel Hannan joins Secrets of Statecraft and starts with a major announcement: his appointment as the new director of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), the pioneering free-market think tank founded in 1955. Hannan reflects on the intellectual legacy of the IEA and argues that the case for free markets, once broadly accepted, must now be made all over again in an age drifting back toward st
Anduril’s Chris Brose on Fighting The Next War | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
Anduril’s Chris Brose on Fighting The Next War | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution Apr 21, 2026 3970 Christian Brose is the president and chief strategy officer at Anduril Industries (the American defense technology company that builds advanced military systems using artificial intelligence, robotics, and software-driven platforms). He’s also the author of The Kill Chain. In this interview, he argues that despite massive defense spending, the United States is dangerously unprepared for a prolonge
Is Iran at the Tipping Point? with Shay Khatiri | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
Is Iran at the Tipping Point? with Shay Khatiri | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution Apr 7, 2026 3129 Shay Khatiri returns to Secrets of Statecraft to examine the internal dynamics of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the current context of war, protest, and long-term political decay. Reflecting on his experience in the 2009 Green Movement and subsequent exile, Khatiri argues that the regime has evolved into a security state dominated by military interests, while losing both public trust and religio

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