Hi everyone and welcome back after the Explaining History summer recess. In this extended episode I interview LBC presenter and author Iain Dale whose new anthology of essays, Dictators launches today. In this wide ranging conversation about the nature of dictatorial leaders from ancient times to modern we examine the relationship the democratic world has with them and how democratic, open societies can slide into tyrannies. Please join us for this fascinating journey.You can grab your copy of T
Reading time:
1–2 minutes
Explaining History Podcast
For more than a decade, the Explaining History Podcast has helped listeners around the world make sense of modern history. What began in 2012 as a simple experiment—short, accessible episodes explaining major historical events—has grown into a long-running library of carefully researched, thoughtful explorations of the 20th and 21st centuries.
If this was useful, there’s more where it came from.
Every week I publish one piece connecting a current event to its historical roots — free, every Tuesday. Paid subscribers get two additional deeper dives and full archive access.
Subscribe to Explaining History →