The Secrets of Statecraft
- Episodes
- 88
- Released
- every two weeks
- Latest episode
- Nov 3, 2026
About the podcast
Secrets of Statecraft is a bimonthly podcast hosted by Distinguished Visiting Fellow Andrew Roberts that explores the effect that the study of history has had on the careers and decision making of public figures. The podcast also features leading historians discussing the influence that the study of history had on their biographical subjects. The title is taken from Winston Churchill’s reply on Coronation Day 1953 to a young American who had asked him for life advice, to whom he said, “Study history, study history, for therein lie all the secrets of statecraft.”
Episodes 88
Natalie Livingstone on the Forgotten Women of Nuremberg | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
Historian Natalie Livingstone joins Andrew Roberts to uncover the overlooked stories of the women at the Nuremberg trials. From a brilliant American lawyer denied the chance to present her own case, to a French …
Show notes
Historian Natalie Livingstone joins Andrew Roberts to uncover the overlooked stories of the women at the Nuremberg trials. From a brilliant American lawyer denied the chance to present her own case, to a French Resistance survivor whose testimony confronted Nazi atrocities, these women helped shape the pursuit of justice. Drawing on her book The Nuremberg Women: The Untold Story of the Eight Women Who Brought the Nazis to Justice and her own family’s Holocaust history, Livingstone explores courage, complicity, and unexpected moments of hope—and why Nuremberg’s commitment to evidence and truth still matters today.
Can America Still Govern Itself? | Lanhee Chen | Hoover Institution
Hoover Institution fellow Lanhee Chen, a veteran of four presidential campaigns and the George W. Bush administration, joins Secrets of Statecraft to discuss why good policy so often fails politically. Drawing …
Show notes
Hoover Institution fellow Lanhee Chen, a veteran of four presidential campaigns and the George W. Bush administration, joins Secrets of Statecraft to discuss why good policy so often fails politically. Drawing on his time as Mitt Romney’s chief policy advisor and his run for California State Controller, Chen discusses bipartisan healthcare reform, tax simplification, and the threat to Taiwan. He also criticizes California’s Prop 50 redistricting push, the muddled war in Iran, and Trump’s hold over the 2028 Republican nomination. He closes with reflections on California’s future and what might have been had Romney won the 2012 presidential election.
What Thucydides Can Teach Us About Politics And War | Hoover Institution
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 …
Show notes
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 memorable lines can teach the wrong lessons when stripped of context.
Andrew Roberts on Churchill, Napoleon, and the Men Who Change History | Hoover Institution
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 …
Show notes
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, and discusses tyranny, Brexit, socialism, immigration, Donald Trump, and Britain’s future. Roberts also despairs of the decline of literacy and historical memory, and reveals both the world leaders he admires today and the source of the title of this podcast: Winston Churchill’s enduring advice: “Study history, for therein lie all the secrets of statecraft.”
Can Palantir and AI Transform the UK For The Better? | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
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 …
Show notes
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 artificial intelligence, and how AI could reshape intelligence, productivity, and the balance of power. The conversation concludes by looking back to Ernest Bevin, the creation of NATO, and the postwar settlement for lessons about how the West might navigate another era of technological and geopolitical upheaval.
The Secrets of Churchill’s Diplomats with Lord Peter Ricketts | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
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 …
Show notes
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 explains how Britain’s diplomats confronted the decline of British power—and why the postwar international order may now be coming apart.
The Rise and Fall of Empires with Conrad Black | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
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 …
Show notes
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, Bismarck, and Teddy Roosevelt, and the forces that shaped the modern international order. Black offers provocative reassessments of the American Revolution, the British Empire, the French Revolution, and the Congress of Vienna, while examining whether history is driven by great individuals or larger historical currents. Roberts and Black also discuss what the successes and failures of the past can teach us about today’s geopolitical challenges—and whether humanity’s long march has truly been one of progress.
Secrets of Spin with Media Maestro David Yelland | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
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 …
Show notes
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 strategy, royal communications, corporate spin, Ukraine, Gaza, COVID, and why the people shaping the message are often as important as the leaders delivering it.
This Is Not America: A British Conversation On Race with Tomiwa Owolade | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
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 …
Show notes
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 context has distorted public debate, weakened social cohesion, and obscured the real sources of inequality. The conversation also covers cultural cringe, the future of wokeness, the rise of sectarian politics, anti-Semitism, social justice ideology, and the enduring power of American culture. It’s a wide-ranging conversation about race, national identity, free inquiry, and whether Britain can rediscover a shared civic culture before its own culture wars become even more entrenched.
Monarchy as Statecraft: Lessons from Elizabeth II with Hugo Vickers | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
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 …
Show notes
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 the Commonwealth—while remaining above politics. Vickers also shares remarkable stories about Prince Philip, Diana, Harry and Meghan, Margaret Thatcher, and why the Netflix series The Crown is more fiction than fact. The conversation is a candid look at the personalities, crises, and statecraft that shaped the modern royal family.
France’s Original Culture War: The Dreyfus Affair | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
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 …
Show notes
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, scandal, betrayal, and survival, Ostler reveals how one wealthy Jewish family became caught in the violent currents of French anti-Semitism, while the paintings themselves survived war, looting, and exile to become silent witnesses to one of Europe’s darkest centuries.
Dan Hannan and The Case for Capitalism | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
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 …
Show notes
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 statism. The conversation ranges widely—from the resurgence of protectionism and the erosion of economic literacy to the failures of modern political leadership, the legacy of Brexit, and the cultural forces shaping today’s electorate. Along the way, Hannan explores the deep roots of conservatism, the challenges of defending free trade in an intuitive protectionist world, and the urgent need to reintroduce fundamental economic truths to a new generation.
Anduril’s Chris Brose on Fighting The Next War | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
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 …
Show notes
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 prolonged, high-intensity war, having built a military optimized for short conflicts with expensive, hard-to-replace weapons rather than sustained attrition. He explains how decades of procurement choices, limited industrial capacity, and lack of competition have left munitions stockpiles thin, while emerging conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East highlight the growing importance of mass, low-cost, and autonomous systems. The conversation explores the need for a new “high-low mix” of capabilities, the transformative but still cautious role of AI in warfare, and the strategic challenge posed by China’s industrial model, ultimately concluding that the core issue is not just process but leadership—the willingness to rethink assumptions and rapidly adapt to the changing character of war.
Is Iran at the Tipping Point? with Shay Khatiri | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
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 …
Show notes
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 religious legitimacy. The discussion explores the prospects for regime change, the role of opposition figures, the risks of civil conflict, and the broader geopolitical implications—including Iran’s nuclear program and control of the Strait of Hormuz. A detailed and sobering assessment of Iran’s present—and its uncertain future.
Nigel Biggar, The Professor They Tried To Cancel | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
Andrew Roberts sits down with Oxford theologian and historian Nigel Biggar to explore the personal and intellectual firestorm surrounding his work on empire, colonialism, and reparations. Biggar recounts how …
Show notes
Andrew Roberts sits down with Oxford theologian and historian Nigel Biggar to explore the personal and intellectual firestorm surrounding his work on empire, colonialism, and reparations. Biggar recounts how his “Ethics and Empire” project triggered a coordinated campaign to shut it down, how a major publisher canceled his book at the last minute, and how it ultimately went on to become a bestseller. Along the way, he challenges what he calls the “tyranny of imaginary guilt” shaping modern debates about Britain’s past, questions the case for reparations, and reflects on the broader implications for academic freedom, free speech, and the politics of history in the West today.
Dan Wang: Is China Already Winning the 21st Century? | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
Andrew Roberts is joined by Dan Wang, Hoover research fellow and the author of Breakneck to explore the shifting balance of global power between China, the United States, and Europe. Wang argues that China’s …
Show notes
Andrew Roberts is joined by Dan Wang, Hoover research fellow and the author of Breakneck to explore the shifting balance of global power between China, the United States, and Europe. Wang argues that China’s massive manufacturing capacity, rapid electrification, and relentless infrastructure building are giving it a growing edge—even as Western democracies struggle with regulation, litigation, and political gridlock. The conversation ranges from tariffs, engineering education, and the “vetocracy” holding back Western construction to the geopolitics of EVs, AI regulation, and China’s demographic future. They also discuss the possibility of rising populism in Europe, and whether the West can rediscover the ambitious engineering spirit that once built Hoover Dam and the Apollo program.
Munira Mirza’s Mission: Get Better Politicians | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
Munira Mirza is a former British political advisor who served as Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit under Prime Minister Boris Johnson from 2019 through 2022. She is currently the Director of Civic Future, a …
Show notes
Munira Mirza is a former British political advisor who served as Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit under Prime Minister Boris Johnson from 2019 through 2022. She is currently the Director of Civic Future, a non-profit that tries to attract talented people to stand for public office. In this interview, she reflects on her time at the highest levels of British government and delivers a bracing diagnosis of why political leadership has deteriorated across liberal democracies. She explores how short-termism, media incentives, and declining elite formation have driven talented people away from public life. The conversation ranges from Brexit and COVID to meritocracy, civic duty, and what it would take to rebuild a serious governing class.
The Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust with Richard Hurowitz | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
What makes an ordinary person risk everything to save a stranger? Author and historian Richard Hurowitz joins the show to discuss his book, In the Garden of the Righteous: The Heroes Who Risked Their Lives to …
Show notes
What makes an ordinary person risk everything to save a stranger?
Author and historian Richard Hurowitz joins the show to discuss his book, In the Garden of the Righteous: The Heroes Who Risked Their Lives to Save Jews During the Holocaust, which recounts the extraordinary men and women who took immense personal risks to aid people who were being hunted by the Nazis.
The conversation explores unforgettable stories of moral courage, including a Portuguese diplomat who saved thousands with a stamp and lost his career, a world-famous Italian cyclist who used his celebrity and his bicycle to smuggle false papers, and entire communities in Denmark, Albania, and France that refused to betray their Jewish neighbors. Hurowitz explains why rescue remains one of the least studied aspects of the Holocaust, what rescuers had in common, and how early childhood values, faith, and self-confidence shaped their decisions.
This is a powerful and deeply human discussion about moral responsibility, the nature of courage, and what it means to stand up when standing apart is dangerous — and why these stories still matter today.
The Statecraft of Franklin D. Roosevelt with Historian David Kennedy | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
Historian David Kennedy looks at Franklin D. Roosevelt’s leadership by exploring how he guided the United States through the twin upheavals of the Great Depression and World War II. Kennedy explains how FDR …
Show notes
Historian David Kennedy looks at Franklin D. Roosevelt’s leadership by exploring how he guided the United States through the twin upheavals of the Great Depression and World War II. Kennedy explains how FDR reshaped federal power, responded to mass economic hardship, and slowly steered a largely isolationist nation toward global responsibility. The discussion highlights the weaknesses of the pre–New Deal government, Roosevelt’s innovative (and sometimes improvised) approach to rebuilding institutions, and the ongoing historical debates over what he was trying to achieve and how successful he really was. Overall, the exchange paints FDR as both a bold domestic reformer and a key architect of the postwar international system that defined American leadership for decades.
The Secret Life of Dictators with Frank Dikötter | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
Historian Frank Dikötter, author of How to Be a Dictator: The Cult of Personality in the Twentieth Century, discusses the dark psychology behind absolute power. From Hitler and Mao to Putin and Xi Jinping …
Show notes
Historian Frank Dikötter, author of How to Be a Dictator: The Cult of Personality in the Twentieth Century, discusses the dark psychology behind absolute power. From Hitler and Mao to Putin and Xi Jinping, Dikötter reveals how dictators use fear, lies, and the cult of personality to control not just people’s actions—but their thoughts.
Why do tyrants crave loyalty more than love? Why do they all end up surrounded by liars? And what happens when a dictator starts believing his own propaganda?
Frank Dikötter gives a fascinating look at how modern dictatorships are built—and why they always collapse from within.
Jews vs. Rome: Barry Strauss on Two Centuries of Jewish Revolt | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
Why did the Jews keep fighting Rome for over 200 years — long after the Great Revolt ended in disaster? Hoover Senior Fellow Barry Strauss discusses the epic story of Judea’s rebellions against the world’s most …
Show notes
Why did the Jews keep fighting Rome for over 200 years — long after the Great Revolt ended in disaster? Hoover Senior Fellow Barry Strauss discusses the epic story of Judea’s rebellions against the world’s most powerful empire in this conversation and in his new book, Jews vs. Rome: Barry Strauss on Two Centuries of Jewish Revolt. From the fall of Jerusalem and the siege of Masada to the guerrilla war of Bar Kokhba, Strauss reveals the key players, stunning twists, and surprising alliances — including ancient Iran’s role as an ally of the Jews. Strauss also describes unforgettable characters like Herod the Great, Josephus the historian-turned-traitor, and fearless queens who shaped the fight. Packed with ancient drama and lessons for today, Strauss’s book brings one of history’s most remarkable struggles to life.
American Institutions, Higher Education, Talk Shows, and Nougies with Ben Sasse
Former US Senator and university president Ben Sasse joins Andrew Roberts on Secrets of Statecraft for a candid and very wide-ranging conversation about the state of American institutions and how to revitalize …
Show notes
Former US Senator and university president Ben Sasse joins Andrew Roberts on Secrets of Statecraft for a candid and very wide-ranging conversation about the state of American institutions and how to revitalize them. Sasse explains why Congress has become weak and dysfunctional, why entitlement spending and debt threaten U.S. stability, and how social media distorts our politics. Sasse also takes on higher education—grade inflation, the replication crisis, and Harvard’s decline—while reflecting on the coming challenges of the AI revolution. In addition, they also discuss the extinction of late-night comedy, foreign policy, tariffs and trade wars and Iran, China, and Russia. And yes, Ben explains to Andrew what a “nougie” is.
Around The World With Condoleezza Rice | Secrets of Statecraft
Historian Andrew Roberts is joined by former U.S. Secretary of State and current Director of the Hoover Institution Condoleezza Rice for a dive deep into today’s international hotspots—including Russia’s …
Show notes
Historian Andrew Roberts is joined by former U.S. Secretary of State and current Director of the Hoover Institution Condoleezza Rice for a dive deep into today’s international hotspots—including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, rising tensions with China over Taiwan, and the complex relationships between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. Their discussion also covers how leaders draw lessons from history, what might tip the world into a new Cold War, and how nations might address these evolving challenges. Director Rice also gives her thoughts on the rapid rise of artificial intelligence— which includes her recommended read, The Worlds I See by Fei-Fei Li, the Founding Co-Director of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute.
Lord (Conrad) Black’s Remarkable Historical Erudition | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
The Canadian businessman and peer Conrad Black has published the second volume of his political and strategic history of the world, from 14AD to 1648, and it’s a corker.
Sir Niall Ferguson: Time-Knight | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
Sir Niall Ferguson on time travel, Trump bombing Iran, historical counterfactuals, Doctor Who, The Time Lord, using the past to help the present and future, the University of Austin’s revolutionary experiment …
Show notes
Sir Niall Ferguson on time travel, Trump bombing Iran, historical counterfactuals, Doctor Who, The Time Lord, using the past to help the present and future, the University of Austin’s revolutionary experiment, ChatGPT, and God possibly helping to split the atom.
Tim Bouverie and the Diplomacy of World War II | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
British historian Tim Bouverie discusses the knotty diplomatic dilemmas faced by Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin.
“Well, He Got Beheaded”: Caroline, Countess of Derby, on her Husband’s Family’s Illustrious History | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
Caroline Stanley, Countess of Derby, is an English aristocrat, art historian, and philanthropist. Affectionately known as “Cazzy,” she is married to Edward Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby, and serves as the …
Show notes
Caroline Stanley, Countess of Derby, is an English aristocrat, art historian, and philanthropist. Affectionately known as “Cazzy,” she is married to Edward Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby, and serves as the chatelaine of Knowsley Hall, the ancestral seat of the Stanley family in Merseyside. In this conversation, which also delves into topics ranging from medieval politics to family connections with William Shakespeare, she primarily discusses her edition of the remarkable travel journals of the 14th Earl of Derby, who travelled extensively in North America in 1824-25.
Statecraft In An Age Of Strongmen | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
In this unique return visit to Secrets of Statecraft, New York Times columnist Bret Stephens discusses why defending Ukraine is in America’s interest, and reflects on the perils of Western flirtation with …
Show notes
In this unique return visit to Secrets of Statecraft, New York Times columnist Bret Stephens discusses why defending Ukraine is in America’s interest, and reflects on the perils of Western flirtation with authoritarian figures.
Recorded on May 16, 2025.
Daniel Samet on the Realpolitik Behind US-Israeli Relations | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
A new book, U.S. Defense Policy toward Israel: A Cold War History, takes on the revisionists over what happened in the Cold War. Recorded on April 16, 205.
Motorcycles and Meritocracies with Governor Mitch Daniels | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
Mitch Daniels is the former Director of the Office of Management and Budget under Ronald Reagan, the former Governor of Indiana, and the former President of Purdue University. He discusses his life, his …
Show notes
Mitch Daniels is the former Director of the Office of Management and Budget under Ronald Reagan, the former Governor of Indiana, and the former President of Purdue University. He discusses his life, his influences, and his passion for hogs (of the Harley-Davidson variety).
Recorded on March 21, 2025.
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