Reviews
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“Some of the episodes on the Anglo Saxon kings are quite incomprehensible.”
Scribe55 via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
09/26/24
“This is one of my favorite podcasts. Iain does an excellent job questioning his guests, most of whom are quite good. The subjects are individuals who have shaped the history of the UK, US and Ireland. The episodes are also not overly long like a lot of other history podcasts.”
BoSawxFan via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
06/03/24
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“Was enjoying it till I got to the episode where Simon Heffer was invited on. Really disappointing that someone who wrote such a vile piece about Hillsborough blaming its victims would be allowed onto this podcast.”
Danananananer via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
05/09/24
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“Enjoying this thoroughly for the guests, the goss, the informal discussion of history and different theories or lesser known stories behind the headlines. Great stuff.”
MealOrNoMeal via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
03/19/24
“Sadly I feel the Monarchs has been rushed out and many of the contributors do not know their subject. Constant ruffling of notes is unhelpful . PMS and Presidents were much better with known historians and not MP friends.”
Ace5904 via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
03/18/24
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“Half the podcasts I start listening to consist of presenters bantering about nothing, in the bizarre belief that this is funny or somehow of interest to the public. Dale’s podcast isn’t - and it is one of the few times when I learned something, and did not feel I had wasted my time. Thank you for...”Read full review »
hayekuk via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
02/10/24
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“Some episodes fascinate (Cromwell, Edward IV) many middling. A few such as Henry VI , really not good at all.”
Farrcycle via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
02/07/24
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“I’ve generally been enjoying these as providing distinct insights into monarchs, many of whom are not well known. And I think that that is what David Starkey was trying to do with Henry VIII. But frankly I didn’t really understand his lines of argument and his style and mannerisms were just...”Read full review »
cantevenleavereview666 via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
01/15/24
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“Excellent listening and presented in a stimulating and thoughtful way. Thoroughly enjoyable.
I have enjoyed all of these podcasts from the very beginning ( during lockdown I found they helped enormously in keeping me sane!).
No doubt all sorts of factors have made it difficult to broadcast these...”Read full review »
Ow and So via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
12/26/23
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“Have listened to every episode. And the PMs, twice! First in the order they were released, then chronologically. Amazing how interesting, and relevant to the present day, every PM is, once you scratch the surface!”
robert.wexford via Apple Podcasts ·
Ireland ·
12/14/23
“Love listening to this informative and interesting podcast.
I’m eagerly awaiting the Kings and Queens episodes, which were promised in Mid-October but still haven’t arrived.”
Sal Yorsto via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
10/23/23
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“I love this podcast and Iain Dale is excellent despite his Tory leanings. He makes up for all the Tory shortcomings in this podcast.
It’s brilliant and I’ve learnt so so much.”
k111123 via Apple Podcasts ·
Ireland ·
07/19/23
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“Brilliant. I’ve never been particularly enthralled by politicians before, but the history of the Taoiseach has been fascinating listening.
Seán Lemass, Garret Fitzgerald, Charles Haughey & Leo Varadkar :)”
Live & On-Air via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
07/02/23
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“Really enjoying the Irish Taoisigh. Fascinating to hear modern take on Irish leadership and history with a really good cast of historians to navigate us through.”
Wally04 via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
05/16/23
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“Thanks for the episode on Pitt the Elder that I’ve just heard, and turned to after reading the wonderful essay on him in Macaulay’s Historical Essays. The suggestion in your episode that he may have suffered from manic depression (or perhaps was bipolar?) seems to explain the bouts of erratic and...”Read full review »
hdvjyxcbjyzbn via Apple Podcasts ·
Australia ·
03/29/23
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“Well put together and well researched very unique podcast I really recommend it to anyone”
buggatti royal via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
01/27/23
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“The President ones are a poor cousin of the Prime Minister ones. The some authors don’t know the basic facts behind their subjects and seem ok with saying so.”
Chazzer_G via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
01/22/23
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“What’s the point of doing a podcast when the audio is so bad? The episode on Neville Chamberlain is dreadful, a brilliant guest who is putting forward learned and cogent arguments whilst in the background there is scratching, slurping, sighing, scribbling and general weird noise. Makes one feel...”Read full review »
Njsuk via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
11/29/22
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“I am yet to get to any of the US content but was looking for something on Gladstone and came across this show. I’m now hooked and listening to each episode lol b the PM’s. Wonderful content with well chosen experts! Thank you for doing this!”
adz174 via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
11/28/22
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“Really interesting listen. Good length and overall picture of the individuals.
Really hoping you do a series on Australian PMs”
Croker84 via Apple Podcasts ·
Australia ·
11/07/22
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“The Prime Ministers and The Presidents are brilliant. Alvin Felzenberg in the Presidents knows everything - so informative.”
plumwife via Apple Podcasts ·
Canada ·
10/27/22
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“Over a month since the last one and normally come out every week - where have you gone? I miss my weekly hit of presedential insight!”
James Parkhouse via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
09/05/22
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“I have spent many, many hours of my life listening to the podcasts on the prime ministers and presidents, often on repeat. Not a single hour wasted. Ian Dale has taken a great idea and created podcasts and books of the highest quality. I totally disagree with the previous review denigrating Alvin...”Read full review »
JohnCro68 via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
09/03/22
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“Very little balance. Hard to listen to the Boris and leader of opposition episodes, mainly because of the guests. General right wing slant. Informative biographical info, but lack of chronological progression means that most of each episode is spent reorienting your memory to the period of that...”Read full review »
random ash via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
07/31/22
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“I’ve listened to all the prime ministers and now through the presidents and have enjoyed every aspects of every episode.
Abraham Lincoln was one of my favourites, not only for the moral integrity and vision that Lincoln had despite his humble beginnings but because he’s a distant ancestor of...”Read full review »
Annoying_nickname via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
07/28/22
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“Great podcast but somebody teach Dr Felzenberg how to silence notifications. Or put his phone in the other room. Almost unlistenable.”
David 1683649594 via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
07/06/22
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“Generally very interesting and enjoyable. It’s difficult to divorce one’s own prejudices when faced with figures that you view as corrupt or just plain repellent-Richard Nixon the 4th best President of the 20thC anyone? Or the whitewash of the repugnant Boris Johnson because he’s a bit of a...”Read full review »
Rothko62 via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
06/06/22
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“I listened to this episode because i wanted to learn and as i admire Simon Heffer as a writer, i was not disappointed. Iain Dale is such a great presenter and has a real gift of not constantly interrupting the flow of the guest speaker. I did learn and will recommend these great podcasts about...”Read full review »
Are yoga via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
04/05/22
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“Not so much a podcast, more a whitewash.”
O1i0N via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
03/21/22
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“I've enjoyed all the episodes of this excellent podcast but the one on George W. Bush with Sir Christopher Meyer was particularly enjoyable. Sir Christopher came across as such an affable, likeable man. I've played it several times as a consequence.”Read full review »
Patrick Crowther via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
03/05/22
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“Was the guy on the Robert Walpole drunk? Please re do this one with someone better. He sounded like some drunk guy at the end of the bar…”
Craig D.C. via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
01/25/22
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“Love the content and expertise of the hosts and guests, but had to turn away as the heavy breathing and hearing every sniffle is quite distracting.”
Jules5168 via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
01/24/22
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“Thoroughly enjoying this podcast, and still have some way to go. The only one to disappoint so far is the Cameron/Adam Boulton one. Boulton really comes across as sour and vindictive, but Ian Dale at least picks him up on it and doesn’t let him get away with it. Well done Ian!”
Benarchie via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
01/18/22
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“Iain Dale is a terrific host and his guests are sound in style and substance. Simon Heffer on Gladstone is best! Just one quibble: why are former Blair and brown advisers the chosen experts of their subjects whereas journalist critics cover May and Cameron? Not really fair. Still, the podcasts...”Read full review »
jenny switz via Apple Podcasts ·
Australia ·
01/08/22
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“Good listen but there are audio issues in some episodes where it repeats itself randomly. Recommend giving this a listen if you like politics. Dale should do more episodes on leaders of the opposition & Scottish First Ministers next.”
Lmacc25 via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
01/06/22
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“10 out of 10 for this study of Prime Minister May by Rachel Sylvester interviewed by Ian Dale. Informative, measured and a excellent listening. The Presidents episodes are shaping up real well. Which is slightly US on the part of this reviewer. Anyhow apart from President McKinkey who Iain said...”Read full review »
RogerC8 via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
01/04/22
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“Good to see this podcast recognised as one of the Top 50 podcasts of 2021, (The Times on-line).
When the essayist opines that their subject is a ‘superstar’ within the first 20 seconds, it’s difficult to think that the episode on Tony Blair will be anything other than a rose tinted look back...”Read full review »
'not of an age' via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
12/29/21
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“Enjoying the move into American presidents. The Prime Minister which preceded this was also a very good listen.”
paul1332 via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
12/27/21
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“Wonderfully interesting and highly entertaining podcasts. And educational to boot. A ‘can’t miss’ for anyone interested in British political history.”
Dani in Calif via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
12/14/21
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“This is a fantastic series of podcasts. Essential listening for anyone interested in history.”
Nicky Larkin via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
12/04/21
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“Enjoyed the Carter episode with David Owen but stopped listening to the Reagan one after two minutes. With Heffer starting off by telling us how he loved Reagan and Thatcher and that Carter was ‘mediocre’ it clearly wasn’t going to be an objective episode. I do hope future guests are less partial.”
drewluap via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
11/29/21
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“Just listened to David Owen podcast about Jimmy Carter. Found the whole episode very disappointing and completely lacking focus. I learned more about David Owen’s role in various situations than Jimmy Carters. Names were dropped into the conversation without any context. It mentioned what I...”Read full review »
Tommy from the Lane via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
11/22/21
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“The Prime Ministers has been wonderful and I have listened to all of them. Iain is such a great interviewer.
Hope the Presidents improve because it was not a good start with David Owen Managed to talk a lot about himself and less about Jimmy Carter. Incredibly boring. Shane. But looking...”Read full review »
G I'A via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
11/22/21
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“A thoroughly engrossing episode of the podcast, discussing the presidency and legacy of Jimmy Carter.”
David G Bober via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
11/22/21
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“Iain. Love these podcasts, they’re really really wonderful- but please only record them when your guest has a proper microphone. It so frustrating when it’s such good content. Love all ya other podcasts too mate!”
DomJohn2468 via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
11/22/21
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“Very good and interesting. Program on Boris could have fine with a policy lens (which is a story) not just a political profile. Needs an overlay of the UK voting demographic as well to give context.”
Pontius Aquilla via Apple Podcasts ·
Australia ·
11/18/21
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“Just listened to the Boris Johnson episode and whilst outlining some of Johnson’s failures, Ian Dale told us he’s an affable chap and not as bad as he could have been in any of his government posts. No mention of the disastrous and deadly handling of the COVID response because Johnson is so...”Read full review »
DJ180 via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
11/15/21
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“Interesting series, but had to stop listening to the Palmerston episode because of all the background noise.”
rosamagain via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
11/09/21
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“Even for the more obscure figures this show never fails to engage and inform. Iain Dale has generally chosen some fantastic experts. Some however are more comfortable in their ivory towers and are not great or confident speakers on air. But the biggest fault and I am amaze that even after all...”Read full review »
Schmike via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
11/08/21
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