Presidents, Prime Ministers, Monarchs & Dictators

Iain talks to historian Matthew Lewis about the life and reign of one of Britain’s most controversial monarchs, King Richard III.

Iain Dale talks to historian and Conservative MP Damian Collins about the life and very short reign of King Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne before being crowned in December 1936.Kings & Queens, edited by Iain Dale is available in hardback at £25.00. Signed copies available at https://www.politicos.co.uk

Iain Dale talks to historian Dominic Selwood about the life and reign of one our lesser remembered monarchs, King Henry I.Kings & Queens, edited by Iain Dale is available in hardback at £25.00. Signed copies available at https://www.politicos.co.uk

Iain Dale talks to Lord Stephen Parkinson about the life and reign of one of the new Anglo-Saxon kings we have heard of, but whose reign was rather unmemorable.

In this first episode of a new series on Kings & Queens, Iain Dale talks to historian and Telegraph columnist Professor Simon Heffer about the reign of King George V.

Good news!64 new podcasts will be coming to this feed, featuring UK Kings and Queens since Alfred the Great.Featuring Simon Heffer, Jane Ridley, Lewis Goodall and many more.Coming mid-October!

Iain Dale talks to Gavan Reilly, political correspondent for Virgin Media News and a presenter on Newstalk about the life and career of Ireland’s 15th Taoiseach, Micheal Martin who for two and a half years from June 2020 until December 2022, and is now Tanaiste, deputy to Leo Varadkar. He remains leader of Fianna Fáil.

Iain Dale discusses the life and career of Ireland’s 14th, and youngest, Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, with the Group Political Editor of Independent Newspapers in Dublin, and Varadkar’s biographer, Philip Ryan. MLeo Varadkar served as Taoiseach from 2017 to 2020 and is currently serving a second ter, which began on 17 December 2022.

Iain Dale talks to John Downing columnist for the Irish Independent about the life and career of Enda Kenny, Ireland’s 13th Taoiseach, who served from 2011-2017. John Downing’s biography of him is titled Enda Kenny: The Unlikely Taoiseach.

Iain Dale talks about the life and career of Ireland’s twelfth Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, with Theresa Reidy, lecturer in politics at University College Cork.

Bertie Ahern served as Taoiseach between 1997 and 2008, and was the second longest serving Taoiseach in the history of the Republic of Ireland. Iain Dale discusses his life and career with journalist and author Mick Clifford, who, in 2009 co-wrote a book titled BERTIE AHERN AND THE DRUMCONDRA MAFIA

Iain Dale talks to the Irish Independent’s Ireland Editor Fionnan Sheahan about the life and career of Ireland’s tenth Taoiseach, John Bruton, who served in the office from 1994-1997.

Iain Dale discusses the life and political career of Ireland’s ninth Taoiseach, Albert Renolds, with former civil servant. Government adviser, minister and member of the Dail and Senate, Martin Mansergh.

Iain Dale speaks to Associate Professor of Political Science at Dublin City University, Eoin O’Malley, about the life and career of Ireland’s eighth Taoiseach, Dr Garret Fitzgerald, who served for two terms, 1981-82 and 1982-87.Catch the Irish Taoiseach Podcast releases a month earlier over on the Irish Taoiseach Podcast channel.

Iain Dale talks to Gary Murphy, Professor of Politics at Dublin City University, about the life and career of Ireland’s most colourful and controversial Taoiseach, Charles J Haughey, who served as Taoiseach three times, from 1979-1981, 1982 and 1987-92. Gary Murphy’s recent biography of Ireland’s seventh Taoiseach is called HAUGHEY and is published by Gill Books.Catch all episode of the Taoiseach Podcast a month earlier over on the Taoiseach Podcast channel

Iain Dale talks to Deirdre Foley, Irish Research Council Fellow at University College Cork, about the lefe and career of Liam Cosgrave, who served as Taoiseach from 1973-77.

Iain Dale talks to Irish Times columnist Stephen Collins about the life and career of Ireland’s fifth Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, who served two terms in office - 1966-73 and 1977-79.

Iain Dale talks to Bryce Evans, professor of modern history at Liverpool Hope University, about the life and career of Ireland’s fourth Taoiseach, Sean Lemass. Bryce has written a biography of Sean Lemass called ‘Democratic Dictator’.Catch the latest episode of the Irish Taoiseach podcast over on the Irish Taoiseach Podcast Channel

Iain Dale talks to Sheffield University’s Caoimhe Nic Dhaibheid about the life and career of Ireland’s third Taoiseach, John Costello. Costelloserved as Taoiseach for two terms, 1948-51 and 1954-57.Hear episodes of the Irish Taoiseach Podcast a month earlier on the Irish Taoiseach Podcast channel.

Iain Dale talks to Eamon de Valera’s biographer David McCullagh about the life and times of Ireland’s most long serving Taoiseach.

Iain Dale talks to Irish political historian Ciara Meehan about the life and politics of W T Cosgrave, the man who became President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State in 1922 and served in the office for ten years until losing the 1932 general election to Eamon De Valera and Fianna Fail. Although the office of Taoiseach wasn’t formally inaugurated until 1937, Cosgrave is widely considered to be the first holder of the post. Over the coming 13 weeks, Iain will be interviewing experts on the lives of the other 13 Taoisigh (which, for the uninitiated, is the plural of Taoiseach).All these podcasts are available a month earlier on their own podcast channel 'The Irish Taoiseach Podcast'

Iain Dale trails ahead to the next series of the Presidents & Prime Ministers podcast, which will revolve around the 14 men who have served as Irish Taoiseach over the last century. The series will start in early January.

in the final Presidents podcast Iain Dale talks to Labour peer and political biographer Andrew Adonis about the life and presidency of Joseph P. Biden.

Hey listener, we’ve got a new LBC podcast that we think you’d like called Sweeney Talks with old-school reporter, John Sweeney. John is trouble. He's taken on Vladimir Putin, challenged Donald Trump, and after months of uncovering hard truths in Ukraine, he’s back. John is never silent about what he’s experienced. Sweeney talks, and in this podcast, so do his guests. John speaks to people like him, who are not prepared to be part of the silent majority. They refused to toe the line, and have found themselves in trouble. Big trouble. Activists, agitators, heroes… or villains. You decide. Listen and subscribe to Sweeney Talks on Global Player. https://www.globalplayer.com/podcasts/42KuWd/ Go to Global Player for exclusive bonus episodes where John offers candid reflections on what he's discovered during each interview, what surprised him and what we can learn from it all. https://www.globalplayer.com/podcasts/42KuWb/ Download it from the App Store or go to globalplayer.com

Iain Dale talks to US diplomat Mitchell Reiss about the life and presidency of America’s first president, George Washington.

Iain Dale talks to Alvin S Felzenberg about the life and presidency of Harry S. Truman who served as president from 1945-1953.

Iain Dale talks to Alvin S. Felzenberg about the life and presidency of America’s 17th president, Andrew Johnson (1865-69).

Iain Dale talks to military historian Peter Cadddick-Adams about the life and presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961).

Iain Dale talks to Mark Fox about the life and presidency of America’s 6th president, John Quincy Adams.

Iain Dale talks to BBC presenter and former North America editor Justin Webb about the life and presidency of Donald J Trump (2017-2021)

Iain Dale talks to former Conservative MP Sir Simon Burns about the life and presidency of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1961-1963).

Presidential historian Alvin S. Felzenberg, talks to Iain about the Queen's connections with the 13 Presidents who served during her reign.

Iain Dale talks to historian Robert Waller about the life and presidency of Rutherford B.Hayes, America’s 19th president who served for one term from 1877-1891.

Iain Dale talks to presidential historian Alvin S. Felzenberg about the life and presidency of Abraham Lincoln who was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.

Iain Dale talks to writer and author Toby Harnden about the presidency of Barack Obama, who was president from 2009-2017.

Iain Dale talks to presidential historian Alvin S. Felzenberg about the life and presidencies of Grover Cleveland, America’s 22nd and 24th president. He remains the only president to serve two separate terms of office, from 1885-1889 and 1893-1897.

Iain Dale talks to historian Leo McKinstry about the life and presidency of Calvin Coolidge, who served from 1923-1929

Iain Dale talks to Alvin D. Felzenberg about the life and career of Woodrow Wilson, who served as president from 1913-1921. Apologies for the notification alert at Alvin’s end during the first half of this podcast.

Iain Dale talks to Conservative MP and former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland about the life and Presidency of Herbert Hoover, who served as President from 1929 to 1933.

Iain Dale interviews military historian and former Conservative MP Keith Simpson about the life and presidency of the man who is considered by most to be America’s worst president, James Buchanan, who served as president from 1857-1861.

Iain Dale talks to Alvin S. Felzenberg about the life and presidency of President Benjamin Harrison, who served between 1889 and 1893.

Iain Dale talks to Neil Stockley about the life of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who served as president from 1932-1945.

Iain Dale talks to Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran about the life and presidency of America’s 13th president Millard Fillmore, who served from July 1850 to March 1853.

Iain Dale talks to broadcaster Anne Alexander about President James A. Garfield who served for only six months as president in 1881. He was the second of four presidents to be assassinated.

Iain Dale talks to Freddy Gray, deputy editor of The Spectator about the life and presidency of Richard Nixon who served from 1969-74.

Iain Dale talks to journalist Andy Silvester about the life and presidency of Gerald Ford, who served as president from August 1974 to January 1977.

Iain Dale talks to broadcaster and journalist Michael Crick about the life and very short presidency of Zachary Taylor, who served as president from March 1849 to July 1850.

Iain Dale talks to Matthew Binkowski about the life and presidency of America’s fourth president, James Madison, who served from 1809-1817.

Iain Dale talks to broadcaster Adam Boulton about the life and career of the 29th President of the United States Warren G. Harding, who was president for only thirty months from 1921 to 1923.

Iain Dale talks to former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and LBJ obsessive about the life and career of Lyndon Baines Johnson, who served as US president from 1963-1969.