The John Batchelor Show
1,589 episodes — Page 4 of 32
S8 Ep1038: Phytophthora Infestans: The Science of the Blight. Guest: Patrick Scanlan. The discussion turns to the biological cause of the famine: Phytophthora infestans, or the potato blight. Scanlan explains that Irish potatoes were grown from cuttings (clones), an
Jun 22, 202612 min
S8 Ep1038: The Conacre System and the Disincentive for Improvement. Guest: Patrick Scanlan. This segment defines the "conacre" system, a type of high-priced, short-term lease common in Ireland for growing potatoes. Unlike in England, where landlords and tenants ofte
Jun 22, 20266 min
S8 Ep1038: Malthusian Logic and the "Check" of Hunger. Guest: Patrick Scanlan. Scanlan discusses the influence of economist Thomas Robert Malthus on Victorian policy, noting his argument that population growth would inevitably outstrip food production. Malthus viewe
Jun 22, 202611 min
S8 Ep1038: An Oligarchy of Landlords and Forced Enslavement. Guest: Patrick Scanlan. The conversation highlights the staggering concentration of land ownership in the Victorian era, where a mere 4,000 people owned 80% of Ireland. Batchelor characterizes this as a fo
Jun 22, 20266 min
S8 Ep1038: Conquest and the Legacy of the Ulster Plantation. Guest: Patrick Scanlan. Batchelor and Scanlan trace the historical roots of land ownership in Ireland back to the conquests of Elizabeth I and Oliver Cromwell. Scanlan uses Shirley Castle in County Monagha
Jun 22, 202612 min
S8 Ep1038: The Fragile Three-Legged Stool of Irish Agriculture. Guest: Patrick Scanlan. The discussion explores the specific mechanics of 19th-century Irish agriculture, which Scanlan describes as a "three-legged stool" of the potato, the pig, and turf fuel. The pot
Jun 22, 20267 min
S8 Ep1038: The Ghost Story of Skibbereen and Queen Victoria. Guest: Patrick Scanlan. John Batchelor introduces Professor Patrick Scanlan to discuss the Great Famine and its impact on the millions who fled to America. The conversation begins with a "ghost story" invo
Jun 22, 202610 min
S8 Ep1037: Nick Lloyd. Guest Nick Lloyd concludes with the American entry under General John J. Pershing in June 1917. Pershing arrived without an army but adamantly resisted "amalgamation," the Allied demand to fold American troops into French and British units.
Jun 21, 20266 min
S8 Ep1037: Nick Lloyd. Guest Nick Lloyd analyzes the "twinned" horrors of 1916: Verdun and the Somme. He explains Falkenhayn's ruthless strategy at Verdun, which was designed purely to "bleed the French white" through industrial-scale killing. In response, the Briti
Jun 21, 202614 min
S8 Ep1037: Nick Lloyd. Guest Nick Lloyd explores the strategic impasse of late 1915, specifically during the Second Battle of Champagne. He notes that both Joffre and Falkenhayn began to realize that traditional breakthroughs were becoming impossible, yet commanders
Jun 21, 20266 min
S8 Ep1037: Nick Lloyd. Guest Nick Lloyd recounts the high-stakes drama of the 1914 German invasion, focusing on the pivotal Battle of the Marne. He describes the near-destruction of the British Expeditionary Force and the internal conflict between Kitchener and Sir
Jun 21, 202612 min
S8 Ep1037: Nick Lloyd. Guest Nick Lloyd examines the British entry into the war, characterizing it as a gradual process hampered by friction between key leaders like Prime Minister Asquith, Lord Kitchener, and Sir John French. Initially, the British sent a tiny expe
Jun 21, 20267 min
S8 Ep1037: Nick Lloyd. Guest Nick Lloyd discusses the French defense, starting with General Joseph Joffre, a steady "engineer" who saved France at the Marne by maintaining his nerve when his German counterpart collapsed. The conversation explores the intricate relat
Jun 21, 202613 min
S8 Ep1037: Nick Lloyd. Guest Nick Lloyd delves into the German high command, highlighting the psychological burden on Helmuth von Moltke the Younger, who felt inadequate compared to his famous uncle. Moltke's lack of nerve led him to fatally alter the Schlieffen Pla
Jun 21, 20269 min
S8 Ep1037: Nick Lloyd. Guest Nick Lloyd discusses his ambition to provide a comprehensive narrative of the Western Front, emphasizing it as a massive coalition war involving multiple empires. He explains his focus on the operational level of senior commanders, aimin
Jun 21, 20269 min
S8 Ep1036: Adrian Wooldridge concludes by recommending a "remoralization" of meritocracy, where those with talent view their abilities as a public duty rather than just a source of personal reward. He warns against abandoning objective testing (like the SAT), arg
Jun 21, 202614 min
S8 Ep1036: Adrian Wooldridge analyzes the populist revolt against meritocracy, seen in Brexit and the election of Donald Trump. Populists argue that "experts" lack common sense and have become an arrogant, self-satisfied elite. Critics like Christopher Lasch contend
Jun 21, 20268 min
S8 Ep1036: Adrian Wooldridge revisits the historical origins of hierarchy, noting that for most of human history, family connections and dynasties were the organizing principles of society. The concept of the Great Chain of Being suggested that everyone had a divine
Jun 21, 202611 min
S8 Ep1036: Adrian Wooldridge examines the mid-20th-century backlash against meritocracy. Michael Young, who coined the term, warned that a "perfect" meritocracy would create an intolerable society where the successful feel superior and the unsuccessful have no socia
Jun 21, 202613 min
S8 Ep1036: Adrian Wooldridge highlights the historical blindness toward women's talent among 19th-century reformers who excluded them from competitive examinations. However, the meritocratic logic of objective measurement eventually provided women with the tools to
Jun 21, 202610 min
S8 Ep1036: Adrian Wooldridge discusses how the 19th-century search for talent was shaped by utilitarianism and liberal reforms. Reformers like John Stuart Mill remained suspicious of the masses, seeking to replace the landed aristocracy with an "aristocracy of talen
Jun 21, 202611 min
S8 Ep1036: Adrian Wooldridge notes that while pre-modern governance relied on patronage and nepotism, kings often appointed "lowly-born men" of extraordinary ability, like Thomas Cromwell, to ensure stability. Napoleon emerged as a transitional figure, embodying a "
Jun 21, 20268 min
S8 Ep1036: Adrian Wooldridge explains that for most of history, society was defined by a hierarchical presumption where individuals were born into "proper stations." This Great Chain of Being posited that social and natural orders were divinely ordained; disrupting
Jun 21, 202612 min
S8 Ep1035: Molly Beer. Guest Molly Beer covers Angelica's return to America for Washington's inauguration, where she found political reality more complicated than her romanticized memories. After returning permanently in 1797, she faced immense personal loss, includ
Jun 21, 20267 min
S8 Ep1035: Molly Beer. Guest Molly Beer follows the family to Europe, where John Carter reclaims his identity as John Barker Church. Settling in London's Mayfair, Angelica navigated high society while remaining a fierce American patriot. Beer highlights Angelica's r
Jun 21, 202611 min
S8 Ep1035: Molly Beer. Guest Molly Beer explores Angelica's resilience during the Revolutionary War, noting she rejoined the army at Yorktown weeks after childbirth. Beer details Alexander Hamilton's marriage to her sister Elizabeth, explaining how Angelica helped t
Jun 21, 20266 min
S8 Ep1035: Molly Beer. Guest Molly Beer introduces Angelica Schuyler, born in 1755 to a powerful Dutch family in Albany. Beer discusses "The Pastures," the Schuyler mansion designed and managed by Angelica's mother, Catherine. Unlike most 18th-century women, Angelic
Jun 21, 202610 min
S8 Ep1034: SCHEDULE JBS 6-19-2026.
Jun 20, 20268 min
S8 Ep1033: STREAMING MAKING OF JBS, FEATURING JEFF BLISS AND MICHAEL VLAHOS, 6-19, 2026.R
Jun 20, 202652 min
S8 Ep1032: CISA's Mission to Protect Critical Infrastructure. Guest: Francis Rose. Acting Director Nick Anderson explains CISA's role as a vital clearinghouse for cyber threat information across federal and private sectors. Since 85% of critical infrastructure i
Jun 20, 20269 min
S8 Ep1032: A Vision for Governance Reform in Canada. Guest: Conrad Black. Biographer Conrad Black and billionaire Stephen Jarislowsky have proposed recommendations to streamline Canadian governance by reducing duplicated bureaucracy. They argue that Canada's public
Jun 20, 202610 min
S8 Ep1032: The Rise of Andy Burnham in UK Politics. Guest: Anatol Lieven. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is emerging as a formidable potential successor to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Though Burnham enjoys strong regional support, he faces daunting national
Jun 20, 20268 min
S8 Ep1032: Diplomatic Strains and Escalation Risks in Ukraine. Guest: Anatol Lieven. European leaders are divided over initiating direct negotiations with Russia as the war remains stuck on the ground. While some advocate for offering Putin a "golden bridgeDiplomati
Jun 20, 20269 min
S8 Ep1032: The Literary Legacy and Final Days of the Alcotts. Guest: Bruce Nichols. Following the success of Little Women, Alcott resisted fan demands for her protagonist to marry Laurie, choosing an independent path. As the circle aged, both Emerson and Bronson Alc
Jun 20, 20268 min
S8 Ep1032: The Struggles and Triumphs of Louisa May Alcott. Guest: Bruce Nichols. Louisa May Alcott supported her family because her father, Bronson Alcott, failed to earn a consistent living. She served as a Civil War nurse, dealing with horrific casualties before
Jun 20, 202611 min
S8 Ep1032: Thoreau's Performative Solitude at Walden Pond. Guest: Bruce Nichols. Henry David Thoreau built his famous cabin on land owned by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Contrary to his image as a total hermit, Thoreau was quite social, often walking into town for fresh-coo
Jun 20, 20266 min
S8 Ep1032: Literary Giants of the New England Renaissance. Guest: Bruce Nichols. This segment explores the intense relationship between Hawthorne and Melville, who dedicated Moby Dick to Hawthorne. While Ralph Waldo Emerson often criticized their dark worldviews, th
Jun 20, 202611 min
S8 Ep1032: Mars Discoveries and Cosmological Mysteries. Guest: Bob Zimmerman. The discovery of galaxies devoid of dark matter is challenging fundamental astronomical theories. On Mars, the Curiosity rover has reached smooth ground after five years of rocky terrain.
Jun 20, 20266 min
S8 Ep1032: SpaceX's Aggressive Launch Schedule and Innovation. Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Gwynne Shotwell indicates that SpaceX's Starship may begin operational flights and orbital refueling tests by year's end. The company is also demolishing older facilities at Vandenb
Jun 20, 202612 min
S8 Ep1032: Italian Defense Pressures and the Summer Heatwave. Guest: Lorenzo Fiori. Italy's government is balancing NATO's demands for increased military spending against rising energy costs. Simultaneously, a record-breaking heatwave reaching 104°F in Milan is stra
Jun 20, 20268 min
S8 Ep1032: Economic Resilience in D.C. and Lancaster County. Guest: Jim McTague. A drop in gasoline prices has boosted consumer spending at retail stores and supermarkets. While D.C. remains popular with tourists, employers are struggling to find workers with specia
Jun 20, 20269 min
S8 Ep1032: Supreme Court Rulings on Gun Rights and Drug Use. Guest: Richard Epstein. In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court ruled that marijuana use alone does not justify the categorical stripping of a citizen's Second Amendment rights. Epstein critiques the co
Jun 20, 20265 min
S8 Ep1032: Critique of Middle East Ceasefire Strategy. Guest: Richard Epstein. Epstein argues that recurring ceasefire declarations are merely strategic devices for rearmament rather than genuine steps toward peace. He criticizes current negotiation styles for alien
Jun 20, 202614 min
S8 Ep1032: Ethics Investigations into the Newsom Administration. Guest: Jeff Bliss. Governor Gavin Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, face investigations regarding millions in "behested payments" from entities like PG&E to her media company. While Newsom d
Jun 20, 20263 min
S8 Ep1032: Portland's Business Struggles and Las Vegas's Growth. Guest: Jeff Bliss. High taxes and progressive policies in Portland are driving a corporate exodus, including Under Armour, as business districts empty. Conversely, Las Vegas is thriving, highlighted by
Jun 20, 202614 min
S8 Ep1031: Conrad Black. Conrad Black discusses the excessive size of Canada's government relative to its population. He argues that overlapping jurisdictions lead to a top-heavy, expensive bureaucracy and recommends reducing the public service through attrition.Con
Jun 19, 20262 min
S8 Ep1031: Jeff Bliss. Jeff Bliss reports on the opening of a massive four-story In-N-Out Burger on the Las Vegas strip. He highlights the brand's commitment to freshness, its growing popularity, and the extreme southwest heat.
Jun 19, 20263 min
S8 Ep1030: Lorenzo Fiori. Lorenzo Fiori describes a record-breaking heat wave in Milan reaching 104 degrees. He expresses concern over the lack of air conditioning, tropical night temperatures, and potential drought impacts on Italian agriculture this summer.
Jun 19, 20262 min
S8 Ep1030: Jim McTague. Jim McTague analyzes Lancaster County's economy, noting a surge in tourism at local amusement parks. He highlights how falling gasoline prices have increased disposable income, leading to more aggressive consumer spending at retailers.
Jun 19, 20261 min
S8 Ep1030: Bruce Nichols. Biographer Bruce Nichols explores the complex literary relationship between Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne. He discusses Melville's development of Moby Dick, their contrasting writing styles, and the mutual influence found in their
Jun 19, 20261 min